The NFL’s top 50 currently employed quarterbacks, ranked

Cook was once viewed as a first-round prospect, but his last year at Michigan State left plenty to be desired. As a backup, he’s not a bad option, but he may never be anything more than that.

Keenum really had very little business starting for the Rams to begin the year, but that was largely because Jared Goff wasn’t ready. Now, he’ll back up Sam Bradfod in Minnesota, which is more suitable for his underwhelming skill set.

Daniel is returning to the team that he began his career with, potentially opening the door for him to take over for Drew Brees. That’s not likely to happen, seeing as he’s been unable to secure a starting job for seven years.

Stanton is best known for his dance moves and celebrations on the sideline, mostly because he hasn’t been very good on the field. In 13 starts, he has 14 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with a career passer rating of 66.3.

Schaub has been around for more than a decade, and he’s back with the team where it all started. If he’s forced to take over for Matt Ryan at any point in time, though, it’ll be ugly. Since 2013, he has 13 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions.

Hundley has hardly played in the NFL, attempting just 10 passes. Even though he’s still a relatively unknown talent, the Packers see enough in him to make him Aaron Rodgers’ backup, which is an important gig.

Sanchez peaked early in his career after he made it to two AFC title games. After that, it was all downhill. His ability has never been something scouts praised, and his decision-making in recent years has gotten progressively worse.

The Steelers have made it clear that Jones is a suitable backup for Big Ben, signing him to a two-year deal in March. What he isn’t is an heir apparent. Jones can fill in and make starts when needed, but anything more than that would be asking too much.

Savage looks to be the Texans’ starting quarterback with Tony Romo retired, which isn’t good. They got a glimpse of him last year, and to be honest, he wasn’t much better than what they saw from Brock Osweiler. He still doesn’t have a touchdown pass in three years.

In 2015, Cowboys fans got a close look at what Cassel is as a quarterback: someone who can’t throw downfield and needs elite weapons around him. Outside of his 2010 Pro Bowl season, Cassel has not been a starting-caliber player in the NFL.

It was a bit of a surprise to hear Ben McAdoo saying he could see Geno Smith being Eli Manning’s eventual replacement, mainly because he couldn’t even win the Jets’ starting job. He’s endured a lot of tough times and criticism in the NFL, but it’s mostly because he’s just not a starting-caliber quarterback.

McCoy will never be a guy teams go after as a starter, but he’s had his moments in the NFL. As a backup, he’s really good – a student of the game, as they say. But he’s not someone you want starting more than a few games in a season.

McCown is what he is: a turnover-prone, hard-nosed quarterback who always – always – leaves everything on the field. He’s a guy players can rally behind, but as someone you hope to win a Super Bowl with, you should look elsewhere.

McCarron has been a name that’s swirled in the trade rumors for a year now, and it’s a testament to the interest teams have in him. Unfortunately, he’s nothing more than a game manager – someone who can make spot starts but won’t lead a team to the playoffs over the course of a 16-game season.

Barkley looked like he might be poised to land a starting job after playing relatively well in his first couple starts last season. He quickly went from OK to not good, throwing 10 interceptions in his last three games.

Foles returned to the Eagles this offseason, but he’s not the same quarterback he was when he had 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions in 2013. He’s just a backup now and will probably never get another chance to start.

Moore proved last year that he’s truly one of the best backups in the game today and is probably deserving of a shot at a starting job. Filling in for Ryan Tannehill, Moore had eight touchdown passes and three interceptions, helping the Dolphins make the playoffs in the final three weeks.

Osweiler is not a good quarterback, and the Texans learned that the hard way last season. He’ll probably get another chance to start, whether it’s with the Browns or Jets, but it might be his last opportunity.

Lynch looks like a franchise quarterback, boasting good size and great athleticism. The mental part of the game is what hurts him: knowing how to read defenses, make good decisions, put players in spots to succeed. After a season on the bench, Lynch should improve greatly in 2017.

Glennon is a guy who couldn’t beat out Josh McCown in Tampa Bay, so that tells you most of what you need to know. He’s had little success in the NFL and isn’t likely to have much in Chicago, especially with that poor roster around him. He has a lot to prove after signing a $45 million deal.

Expectations weren’t very high for Kessler as a rookie, but his numbers were surprisingly solid. He completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns with just two interceptions. The Browns are going to bring in help at quarterback, but he’s a good backup.

Hoyer has quietly played much better than he’s gotten credit for. The 49ers probably won’t start him this season, but he’s a good fallback plan with great intangibles. There are far worse options in the NFL.

Goff’s rookie season was nothing short of terrible. His offensive line was arguably the worst in the NFL, and his receivers did him no favors. There’s still plenty of time for him to develop, but it wasn’t a good start to his career.

We still don’t know exactly what Garoppolo is in the NFL, which is why it’s so difficult to place him in his list. What we do know is that he has a high ceiling and the potential to be great. He could also be Matt Cassel.

Siemian is similar to Alex Smith in the fact that he’s a serviceable quarterback when he has immense talent around him, but without it, he’ll never succeed. He’s probably a better player than Paxton Lynch right now, but he has far less potential.

Bortles is among the worst starting quarterbacks in the game, but his 2015 season showed glimpses of his potential. He has great arm strength and the body of Big Ben, but his decision-making and accuracy are below-average.

Smith has always been pegged as a game manager, and that’s OK. He may never win a Super Bowl despite being a good quarterback, and he needs a strong team around him to succeed.

What is Andy Dalton? In short, he’s a quarterback you can win games with but not one you want when it comes time to win a Super Bowl. He struggles in big games, and his skill set isn’t exactly dynamic. In order to succeed, he needs a great supporting cast.

Palmer has missed some time in recent years, and he’s not the arm talent he once was. He can still sling it, but he’s also part of the reason the Cardinals struggled so much last season. His career is nearing its end.

Taylor is still young from an experience standpoint, having started for just two seasons. However, he’s already proved to be one of the best quarterbacks the Bills have had in recent years. As a dual-threat player in Buffalo’s run-heavy offense, he’s a perfect fit.

Flacco had one of his worst seasons ever in 2016, and everyone from the Ravens’ GM to John Harbaugh admitted he needs to be better next year. Unfortunately, he’s more on the decline than he is on the rise. Flacco has become a quarterback with a big arm and not much else.

Wentz showed flashes as a rookie, but ultimately his receivers didn’t help him as much as they could have. With Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in the mix for 2017, we’ll see what Wentz really is.

In Adam Gase’s system, Tannehill is a much better quarterback. He has more command of the offense, the ability to audible, and much easier reads to make. It’s a big reason he was on track for a really good 2016 season before getting injured.

Manning has seen his skills decline a bit in recent years, going from a guy with a solid arm to one that lacks arm strength and accuracy. His decision-making has gotten worse with each passing year, and it’s clear the Giants are planning to eventually replace him.

Had this list been made in April of last year, Newton would have been in the top five as the reigning MVP. Unfortunately, his 2016 season was disastrous. He completed 52.9 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Hopefully he’ll rebound next year, otherwise he’ll continue to slide on this list.

Bradford set an NFL record with his 71.6 percent completion rate in 2016, which was shocking by many standards. Yes, it was the result of his constant underneath throws, but he was still far better than many people gave him credit for.

Cousins is a good quarterback. He’s a guy you can win games with, as the Redskins have. However, he’s not quite in the top tier along with the elite quarterbacks. His arm isn’t as strong as Matt Stafford’s, he’s not as accurate as Drew Brees, and his mobility isn’t as good as Andrew Luck’s. He’s just a good quarterback.

Prescott has quickly gone from fourth-round pick to one of the top quarterbacks in the game, and he’ll only get better. The reigning Rookie of the Year still has plenty of room to grow and a lot to learn, but as it stands right now, he’s a terrific young QB.

Maybe I’m a bigger fan of Mariota than most, but he’s going to be really good for a long time. He has all the tools, and he showed them off in 2016 before getting injured. If the Titans give him a No. 1 receiver, as they probably will in the draft, he’ll take his game to another level.

Rivers has been on a bad team for a few years now, so his place among the best quarterbacks has taken a bit of a hit. However, when it comes to pure talent, Rivers is still one of the top guys – even with his arm strength deteriorating slightly.

Stafford was arguably the most clutch quarterback in the game last year, leading the Lions to comeback win after comeback win. He did so without Calvin Johnson, and with a running game that was as bad as any in the NFL. Stafford can move, throw on the run and win from within the pocket.

Winston made great progress in his second season, developing into a much better passer than he was as a rookie. His ceiling is remarkably high, and if he can cut down on turnovers in Year 3, he’ll rise further on this list.

Carr was a legitimate MVP candidate before he got injured and could have taken the Raiders deep into the playoffs had he been healthy. The Raiders have their franchise quarterback in Carr and will lock him up soon, and he deserves every penny he gets.

Roethlisberger isn’t just a big-armed quarterback who sheds tackles like a tight end. He remains one of the best quarterbacks in the game, and that’s not exactly up for debate. Just last season, he had 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions despite a knee injury.

A lot of the love for Luck comes from what he was in college, and the fact that he entered the NFL as an apparent lock for the Hall of Fame. Because of that, we often knock Luck for not being as great as he was supposed to be. However, he’s still a top quarterback in the league. He just needs a better supporting cast.

Wilson could easily have two Super Bowl rings by now if not for his crushing interception against the Patriots. Despite that fact, he’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the game today. If the Seahawks can surround him with better talent and an improved offensive line, he’ll become even better.

Ryan was the MVP of the league last season, and deservingly so. He took a huge leap forward in 2016 in Kyle Shanahan’s system, and should continue to develop into an elite quarterback. The Falcons should be very pleased with their guy.

Brees just turned 38, but he still has all the tools of a top-flight quarterback. Last season, he led the NFL in completions, attempts and yards, and was second in completion percentage. Give him a good defense and his team is contending for a Super Bowl.

Brady will likely go down as the best quarterback in NFL history, having won five Super Bowl rings. And at 39 years old, he hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down. He’s just a tick below the guy who’s No. 1 on the list, and even that might be a toss-up.

Rodgers is simply the best quarterback in the game right now. From arm strength to mobility to pinpoint accuracy, Rodgers is at the head of the class, and is a guy just about every team would take over their current quarterback. Rodgers is still playing at an incredibly high level despite being 33 years old.