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NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
AARON RODGERS, JARED GOFF, AND JORDAN LOVE HEADLINE EPISODE 5 OF CHRIS SIMMS' QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON 'CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED' AND 'PRO FOOTBALL TALK'
Simms' QB – Top 10 Countdown Begins Next Week, with QBs #10-6 Monday, June 9, and Culminates with the Top Five QBs on Tuesday, June 10; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast 'At the end of the year when [the Jets] were dangerous and fun to watch, [he] wasn't all that conservative. [He] was throwing lasers.'– Simms on Free Agent Aaron Rodgers 'Along with being the toughest pocket passer, also one of the most aggressive, fearless decision-makers there is in the NFL.' – Simms on Lions' Jared Goff 'He still puts fear into defensive coordinators because he's so aggressive, and he has such an easy way of throwing the ball down the field and making explosive plays that it's scary playing against him.' – Simms on Packers' Jordan Love STAMFORD, Conn. – June 4, 2025 – NBC Sports' Chris Simms continues his list of the top quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on 'PFT Live' today, headlined by four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, four-time Pro Bowler Jared Goff of the Lions, and 2020 first round pick Jordan Love of the Packers. This year's countdown features a new format, with Simms focusing on tiers and groups of quarterbacks as opposed to specific numeric rankings until the Top 10 next week. Continuing the countdown, Simms unveiled his quarterbacks ranked in the next tiers today. Simms' Top 10 QBs will be revealed next week, with QBs #10–6 Monday, June 9, and culminating with his top five on Tuesday, June 10, Simms will unveil a group of quarterbacks on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on 'PFT Live' with Mike Florio. Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. Simms has had success in projecting college quarterbacks – including naming Jayden Daniels, who was named AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year following a season that saw him lead the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, as his No. 2 QB prospect in 2024. Additionally, Simms named C.J. Stroud, who was named AP's 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, as his top QB prospect in 2023, Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020. The rankings will continue Monday, June 9, on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned. The following are highlights from this week's edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers 'Brock Purdy still does a lot of those things really well, but just not as good as he did the two years before. I think there was a lot of things at play here. One, the positives are he tinkered with his motion. His arms and everything weren't nearly as floppy. The delivery was a little quicker. I like that aspect of him. I saw maybe more power throws than two years before when we know they went to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game. Throws down the middle, in-cuts where you say, 'Man, that's a nice throw right there.' But the area where it did take a step back is running the [49ers head coach Kyle] Shanahan scheme perfectly.' Aaron Rodgers, Free Agent 'Aaron Rodgers' decision-making is still pretty good. It's a hair conservative. That's the only problem. But at the end of the year when [the Jets] were dangerous and fun to watch, it wasn't all that conservative. Rodgers was throwing lasers around the field. He's not just checking it down and throwing two-yard routes. He's throwing howitzers and bombs and that was what's cool. That is where I was really encouraged with watching Rodgers. I don't think he is going to ruin the locker room.' Jared Goff, Detroit Lions 'Arguably the toughest pocket passer in the NFL. That would be my number one thing. Along with being the toughest pocket passer, also one of the most aggressive, fearless decision-makers there is in the NFL too. That's why I love watching Jared Goff. I don't sit there and wax poetically and go, 'Oh, look at his release. Oh, look at that rifle spiral.' He doesn't throw spirals all the time, that's not what it is, it is not always sexy that way. But you can't deny the results. But, the aggressive nature came back to bite him in the butt a little bit in the playoff [loss to Washington in the NFC Divisional Round].' Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals 'Still one of the most dynamic, physically gifted quarterbacks in the game. He is still one of the quarterbacks that is able to pull off any play. It's not just about the run game either, it's about throwing the football too. Things are on the up. There are certainly parts of his game he can still get better at and there are parts of his game that I saw him get better at. Murray can do it all and he can play the position true to form. He has become a better decision-maker. He has become better going through reads in the pocket, but the biggest issue there is his in-the-pocket play. He leaves the pocket too early and looks at the rush too soon.' Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers 'It wasn't as good last year, but there's still big-time, game-changing talent here with Jordan Love. He still puts fear into defensive coordinators because he's so aggressive, and he has such an easy way of throwing the ball down the field and making explosive plays that it's scary playing against him. He's also a guy - I've even heard defensive coaches say this—he's scary because he looks for the big play a lot. He might have a chance to take a five-yard gain, but he'll sit there and go, 'No, I'm about to see the 25- or 30-yarder coming open, so I'm going to wait for it. This is the coverage that's there.' He's great at that, and that scares people.' To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here. -NBC SPORTS-
NBC Sports
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
ANTHONY RICHARDSON, JOE FLACCO, AND JAMEIS WINSTON LEAD OFF CHRIS SIMMS' TOP QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN, NOW ON 'CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED' AND 'PRO FOOTBALL TALK'
Simms' Top QB Countdown Kicks Off Today with First Three Tiers and Culminates with the Top Five QBs on Monday, June 9; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast 'This is going to be a huge offseason for him. His down the field throwing is by far the best thing he does…but he's got to grow and be more mature as a leader with the franchise.' – Simms on Colts' Richardson 'We know his arm is super talented. If you watch his highlights, you'll go, 'Is this one of the best players in football?' But if you watch his lowlights, you'll go, 'Is he still in the NFL?'' – Simms on New York Giants' Winston 'I think he is a guy that could see a resurrection to his career like Sam Darnold did by going to San Francisco if the opportunity arises to where he gets to play.' – Simms on 49ers' Mac Jones STAMFORD, Conn. – May 19, 2025 – Over the course of the next month, NBC Sports' Chris Simms will unveil his list of the top quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on 'PFT Live.' Highlighting Simms' initial rankings are 2023 first round pick Anthony Richardson of the Colts, Joe Flacco of the Browns, and Jameis Winston of the Giants. This year's countdown will feature a new format, with Simms focusing on tiers and groups of quarterbacks as opposed to specific numeric rankings until the later rounds. Beginning the countdown, Simms unveiled his quarterbacks ranked in the first three tiers today, with QBs in the 'Wow or Whoa?', 'Backup Supremes,' and 'Caretakers' tiers. Beginning today and culminating Monday, June 19 with his top five quarterbacks, Simms will unveil a group of quarterbacks on each Chris Simms Unbuttoned episode and discuss his rankings on 'PFT Live' with Mike Florio. Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. Simms has had success in projecting college quarterbacks – including naming Jayden Daniels, who was named AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year following a season that saw him lead the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, as his No. 2 QB prospect in 2024. Additionally, Simms named C.J. Stroud, who was named AP's 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, as his top QB prospect in 2023, Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020. The rankings will continue this Wednesday, May 21, on the next episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned. The following are highlights from this week's edition of Chris Simms Unbuttoned: Wow or Whoa? Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts 'This is going to be a huge offseason for him. Can he become a more polished passer? His down the field throwing is by far the best thing he does…but when it's a 5-yard or an 8-yard or a 10-yard throw, it's less than 50% whether he'll hit you or not. They're bad misses, too, and the mechanics are different every time he does it…He's got to grow and be more mature as a leader with the franchise.' Backup Supremes Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns 'Do I really have to say it with Joe Flacco? We know he can go 12-12 for 280 yards and you can go, 'Look at that arm!' And then the next twelve dropbacks, you can go, 'He fumbled three times, he threw three interceptions, and three more of those should've been intercepted.' There's some real greatness, but some real inconsistencies in how he plays the game.' Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers 'He still has untapped potential and is going up in a big way. There's a reason Jordan Love kept rushing back from injury…Another guy who can make some 'wow' throws and runs, but he just doesn't do it all consistent yet. But it's all going in the right direction, you saw that last year. It got better every time he went in the game. That was a great trade by Green Bay.' Jameis Winston, New York Giants 'We know his arm is super talented. If you watch his highlights, you'll go, 'Is this one of the best players in football?' But if you watch his lowlights, you'll go, 'Is he still in the NFL?' You just don't trust him game after game to take care of the football. But he can have some games where you'll go, 'You're a backup quarterback and we're playing a good team today, we can run the whole offense and we might be able to win it with you.'' Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders 'He throws the ball well, but every throw is the same throw. He has no side arm, no arm angles…his throwing, over time, gets exposed for not being 'next level' to be a starter, but he comes in as backup and can run the offense and make some plays. He can rip off a 50-yard run and throw it 60 for a touchdown.' Caretakers Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers 'I'm still not giving up on Mac Jones. A lot of the things we said about [49ers QB] Brock Purdy hold true to Mac Jones if he was in a situation with [49ers head coach] Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. You'd go, 'He looks pretty good.' I think he is a guy that could see a resurrection to his career like Sam Darnold did by going to San Francisco if the opportunity arises to where he gets to play…So that's where I still look at Mac Jones, I don't think he's as physically talented as Sam Darnold, but Mac Jones' ability to read defenses, take on a lot of offense a little bit like Brock Purdy, and feel like being a step ahead of the defense is elite starter type of stuff.' Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers 'The best quarterback to mentor a young quarterback out of this group? Andy Dalton, as we see, has got no ego and he's going to be willing to do that. And we're seeing him do that with Bryce Young.' Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos 'Jarett Stidham, to me, is still a guy that I look at at times where I go, 'Man, the way he throws the ball and all that is a tick better than the rest of this group.' But it's, again, experience and will he get that chance to play? I don't know. I doubt it sitting behind [Broncos starting QB] Bo Nix.' Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets 'Tyrod's been around a lot. He's been around a lot of great quarterbacks, different systems. He is a total pro. There's a reason teams sign him year after year to be the backup. And there's more physical ability there than people realize, too. He's another guy I'd want in a two-minute drill.' Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs 'I would trust him the most [out of this tier] with the ball in their hand late in the game. Experience, accuracy…You need somebody that you can just go, 'Hey, he's going to drop back, he's going to see the field the right way, and he's going to make the appropriate throw.' I think all of them can do that. But, Gardner Minshew, out of the ones I said, can maybe do the most backyard type of stuff in that situation.' To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here. -NBC SPORTS-
NBC Sports
17-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MIAMI'S CAM WARD TOPS CHRIS SIMMS' 2025 NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK RANKINGS; AVAILABLE NOW ON 'CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED' PODCAST
'He's a franchise quarterback and I think that's a big reason why you haven't heard the Titans involved in any conversation with any veteran quarterback because I think they see what I see.' – Simms on ranking Ward No. 1 'He certainly seems to have something about him that radiates throughout the rest of the football team. I do believe he'll be able to be a starter in the NFL and people will be able to rally around him as a human being.' – Simms on Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (No. 2) 'He's a guy that you wish some of his physical attributes were a hair better, but I do like the way he plays and I certainly could see him being a starting quarterback in the NFL one day.' – Simms on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (No. 3) 'There's more power behind his arm than TV gives it credit for. By the end of the year, you started to see more quality, big-time throws. He's tough, but he's nowhere near a finished product.' – Simms on Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard (Honorable Mention) STAMFORD, Conn. – March 17, 2025 – NBC Sports' Chris Simms discusses this year's top quarterback prospects heading into the 2025 NFL Draft and unveiled his QB draft rankings on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, listing Miami's Cam Ward No. 1. In the episode, Simms ranks and analyzes Ward, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Syracuse's Kyle McCord, Texas' Quinn Ewers, and more. Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, is joined by NBC Sports' Ahmed Fareed on the podcast. The two offer in-depth breakdowns, rankings, and NFL comparisons for this year's top quarterback prospects. Simms has had success in projecting college quarterbacks – including naming Jayden Daniels, who was named AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year following a season that saw him lead the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, as his No. 2 QB prospect in 2024. Additionally, Simms has named C.J. Stroud, who was named AP's 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, as his top QB prospect in 2023, Patrick Mahomes as his most exciting prospect in 2017, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen as his top-two QBs in 2018, and Justin Herbert as his No. 2 QB in 2020. In the lead up to April's NFL Draft, Simms will rank and break down every position group, provide a list of sleeper prospects, and issue a final mock draft. The following are highlights from Simms' QB draft rankings: No. 1: Cam Ward, Miami 'There's no secret here. My No. 1 quarterback is the same guy that's No. 1 on all 32 teams' boards and that would be Cam Ward…I think this is a slam dunk. A lot of high-level, 'wow' throws…His ability to throw on the run is elite. He's always calm and cool. When he wants to throw a rocket, he can find another gear in his arm that nobody in this draft class has…His decision-making is better than I thought…Fading away from pressure and seeing him go backwards and flick a ball 30 yards and drop it over a linebacker and a safety, that's as good as you'll see in that department. That's a gift that he has that only the special ones have. He's a franchise quarterback and I think that's a big reason why you haven't heard the Titans involved in any conversation with any veteran quarterback because I think they see what I see.' No. 2: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 'Great presence on the football field. That's undeniable. He certainly seems to have something about him that radiates throughout the rest of the football team. I do believe he'll be able to be a starter in the NFL and people will be able to rally around him as a human being. He's got a strong arm, and it doesn't take him much effort to throw a fastball. He's very accurate and rarely loses control of the football. You don't see him make too many dicey decisions…He is a true pocket-passing quarterback, and for 2025, he is just an above-average athlete for what we see coming into the league now, but where he is special – and similar to Cam Ward – he is fearless in the pocket…I look at Shedeur Sanders and I certainly do think he is a first-round quarterback.' No. 3: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss 'The guy can play. He wants to stand in there and play in the pocket. His arm is not as strong as [Ward's or Sanders'], and there's more effort and space needed to throw the ball hard. He's a below-average athlete for 2025…but the number one thing I love about his game is the amount of high-level 15-20 yard throws he makes. He has three years of playing high-quality football [at USC and Ole Miss]…He does have a variety of arm angles and has pretty good feet in the pocket. He's a guy that you wish some of his physical attributes were a hair better, but I do like the way he plays and I certainly could see him being a starting quarterback in the NFL one day.' No. 4: Kyle McCord, Syracuse 'There's a lot to like with Kyle McCord. I would tell you that I think he got a raw deal at Ohio State. His play there was good enough to where I think they could have kept him. I think his play that year was better than Will Howard's play for them this year. Athletic, strong-looking. He's just the right blend of things…His mechanics are flawless. Maybe a little robotic at times, as far as we're not going to see side-arm, it's usually going to be the same arm angle. I do wish his release was a little bit faster, but he can let it rip. In fact, I think he can let it rip just about as good as anyone in this draft, maybe besides Cam Ward. I would say he makes the most power, 'wow' throws in the draft, other than Ward.' No. 5: Quinn Ewers, Texas 'Quinn's arm is gifted. He has experience in big-time college football. He can make every throw in the world and has a beautiful motion. He's got great touch and there's only one thing you can look at: he was beat up this year and I do think that hurt him a little. But there's just a throw or two every game where you're just like 'Why? Just drive the ball and hit him in the chest.' That would be the negative of him, but the positives are smooth stroke, effortless throwing, and an extremely flexible arm that allows him to get power without ever needing to get his body into it. With all that said, he throws the changeup, the anticipation ball too much.' Honorable Mention: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon 'When you watch him, it's quick decisions, quick release, more power on the arm than you'd imagine, but the size limitations are real. When he wants to throw the football down the field, his arm does get a little longer and he does need extra space. He is a damn good athlete that knows how to play and where to go with the ball. He's got the abilities to be a good backup quarterback. He's got side-arm when he needs to, and I think the thing that jumped out to me more than anything was that the ball jumps out of his hand a little bit more powerfully than I thought. But again, I think the size limitations is where I worry about Dillon Gabriel a little bit.' Honorable Mention: Riley Leonard, Notre Dame 'It's not always perfect with Leonard. There are certain parts of the game where you can tell that they don't trust him, they don't want him throwing the ball. He got better as the year went on and let me just say when he throws it well, it really opens your eyes. It looks really easy, natural, and perfect. Between that, the size, the smarts, he's a really good athlete, way bigger than people realize, and there's just more power behind his arm than TV gives it credit for. By the end of the year, you started to see more quality, big-time throws. He's tough, but he's nowhere near a finished product.' -NBC SPORTS-
