Quarterbacks – Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

After week 3 of the preseason schedule, Aaron Rodgers has a fine 122.5 quarterback rating. Though his 6 completions in 9 attempts for 60 yards is a tiny sampling, it’s sixth best at the moment.

Two others with high ratings would have been playing the Packers in the first two weeks of the regular season. In Week 1, Green Bay faces Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles, who has a rating of 110.2. In Week 2, they were going to confront NFC North Division rival Teddy Bridgewater. That is until he got injured. The Vikings’ signal caller sported a 141.5 rating, tops in the league. Both quarterbacks have completed over 70 percent of their throws.

The second-best preseason rating — 137.8 — belongs to Dallas rookie surprise Dak Prescott, who will likely start the season in place of the injured Tony Romo.

The other familiar name near the top of the list is Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, with a rating of 136.4.

The lower end of the rankings feature a mix of veterans, newcomers, and the usual suspects.

The top 2016 draft picks are struggling. Top pick Jared Goff has a 60.8 rating. Carson Wentz, the second pick, has a very lowly 41.8 rating. Other notables include: the Cardinals’ Carson Palmer (34.3); the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick (42.4); the Giants’ Eli Manning (52.3); the Falcons’ Matt Ryan (54.7); and the Panthers’ Cam Newton (64.0). Though Palmer’s score is based on only 22 passes, Arizona fans have to be a bit concerned about their leader, who turns 37 in December.

In the NFC North Division, Green Bay third-stringer Joe Callahan has a respectable 89.1 rating – and he has thrown the second most passes of the preseason. Fourth-stringer Marquise Williams has a 22.9 rating.

Chicago’s Jay Cutler has a predictable rating of 67.4. The Bears – because they’re the Bears – picked up Houston castoff Brian Hoyer in the offseason, and he’s fitting right in, with a rating of 44.5.

Rounding out the division, Detroit’s Matt Stafford has an unimpressive 73.5 QBR.

Over 110 quarterbacks have recorded throws in a preseason game this year.