Ranking season continues on with training camps still at least three weeks away from getting underway and ESPN.com has now begun their positional series for 2020. On Wednesday, ESPN.com released their rankings of the top 10 quarterbacks for the 2020 season and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger failed to make the cut.
According to ESPN.com, more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players were asked to help us stack the top 10 players at 11 different positions. Voters gave their best 10 to 15 players at a position, then the results were compiled and the candidates ranked based on number of top-10 votes, composite average, interviews and research. Ties were broken by isolating the two-man matchup with additional voting and follow-up calls.
The list of top 10 quarterbacks for 2020 includes Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs at the top and he’s followed by Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints round out the top five quarterbacks for 2020.
While Roethlisberger didn’t make this year’s top 10, he was listed as a second honorable mention receiving votes behind Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Here is the synopsis on him not making the top 10 after apparently receiving 8 top 10 votes:
The elbow injury that cost him 14 games and required surgery affected several voters. “Without the health concerns, he’d be on this list, no doubt. He can still get it done at a high level. You just don’t know how he’ll respond to the injury. Is the body breaking down?” — AFC exec
Is it fair for Roethlisberger to be ranked outside the top 10 for 2020 coming off a serous elbow injury that cost him most of the 2019 season? I suppose that would be fine had Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions not made the final cut at No. 10 in the ESPN.com rankings. After all, Stafford missed half of the 2019 season with a serious back injury.
Roethlisberger appears to now be fully recovered from his elbow injury and ready for the start of training camp. Assuming his elbow, arm and the rest of his body remains healthy in 2020, there’s no reason to think that he won’t throw for at least 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. He still seems to be the favorite to win the annual Comeback Player of the Year Award with the start of training camp looming closer and that shouldn’t be surprising.
Will Roethlisberger wind up being in the ESPN.com top 10 quarterbacks for 2021 a year from now? I like his chances.
In case you’re curious, below are this year’s top 10:
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
5. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
7. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
10. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
