Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert: Who’s the best QB under 30?

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers were tabbed as the two best quarterbacks in football by their peers.

And while their placement on the NFL’s annual “Top 100” list drew the ire of some critics, it wasn’t surprising to see their names atop the QB ladder.

The two future Hall of Famers have long exercised their dominion over the league, and though each signal-caller is in the twilight of his career, that hasn’t stopped either from dissecting adversaries with first-rate play.

But who are the best QBs who’ve yet to cross over into their 30s? From Patrick Mahomes to Josh Allen to Justin Herbert to Joe Burrow to Lamar Jackson to Dak Prescott to Kyler Murray, the candidates are plentiful. 

“Undisputed” cohosts Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe made their picks Tuesday, explaining which under-30 QB they believe is best. Here’s who each selected.

NFL’s Best players under 30

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe reveal their favorite NFL QB under the age of 30.

Sharpe: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs 

Sharpe’s thoughts: “Is this a serious question? We should ask which quarterback other than Mahomes is going to be next. [You can make the case] that Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. It’s not even close! Four straight AFC championship games, Super Bowl, NFL MVP. His down year – let this sink in – was 4,800 yards passing and 37 TDs. … Nobody can touch this kid’s résumé. … We’ve got to stop this notion, trying to find ways to discredit what Mahomes has done. … I don’t even know why there’s a debate.”

Bayless: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Bayless’ thoughts: “The next Tom Brady is Joe Burrow, and it ain’t even close. It ain’t Mahomes. He’s too wild, too inaccurate with the football. He takes too many chances, and he cannot be trusted in the biggest moments. His coach ruined and spoiled him by letting him throw left-handed, between the legs, behind the back. The worst footwork this side of Aaron Rodgers is Patrick Mahomes.

“He won a Super Bowl thanks to Jimmy [Garoppolo], who absolutely cratered in the fourth quarter. What Joe Burrow did last year was off-the-charts phenomenal. It was a way better year than Patrick Mahomes, he had his career-worst year last year. This kid [Burrow] came off complete knee reconstruction, was sacked 70 total times … and still graded No. 1 overall by PFF, over even Tom Brady. If you take the total grade registered by Patrick Mahomes, he was 11th. I watched Joe Burrow go into Mahomes’ house and outplay him.”


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