The quarterback-head coach duo rankings have undergone a lot of change over the past four seasons, yet one aspect remains constant: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are really good.
Mahomes and Reid led the Kansas City Chiefs to their second Super Bowl title in four years, retaining their spot at the top of the annual quarterback-head coach duo list. Winning 12-plus games every season and capturing a championship will do that. Behind Mahomes and Reid, the rankings underwent a significant makeover.
Four new duos made the list for the first time, while some coaches from previous rankings returned with new quarterbacks (showcasing how good they actually are). The top of the rankings also shuffled a bit thanks to the performance of their teams last season, which plays a huge role in determining the 2023 list.
Before we scroll down to the 2023 quarterback-head coach rankings, let's revisit the qualifications for this list. Same rules as before, explaining why certain players and coaches are exempt.
- New head coaches and quarterbacks on new teams DO NOT QUALIFY for the list: Aaron Rodgers and Sean Payton fall into this category, as both are with new teams in different situations. Rodgers has 147 regular-season wins and 475 touchdown passes in his career (fifth in NFL history), but is on a new team for the first time. Payton has 152 wins through 15 seasons, yet isn't on this list because he's coaching a new team in 2023. The same rules applied to Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford in 2021.
- Play-calling/not calling plays neither helps nor hurts: Some head coaches oversee the team, deferring the play-calling duties to the offensive coordinator. That shouldn't affect their reputation with the quarterback or with winning games and making deep postseason runs. Head coaches that don't call plays will not get bumped down on this list.
- Longevity isn't everything: It's a great sign that a head coach and a quarterback have been together for a long time (which certainly plays a role in these rankings), but recent success on the field should also play a factor. Quarterbacks who had a strong 2022 season or have a small sample size with their head coach shouldn't be punished too harshly because they haven't been together for many years.
- Championships help: Yes, winning the ultimate prize matters, which is a power boost-- and it's even better if that title is a recent one. Getting to the Super Bowl is a tough task, which played a part in where I decided to rank these duos. MVP awards also played a factor.
- Remember, one half of the duo may be very good but the other half lacks, which I'll break down in the top-10 rankings below.
Here's a look at last year's rankings as a refresher:
- Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Matthew Stafford/Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams)
- Aaron Rodgers/Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers)
- Josh Allen/Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills)
- Joe Burrow/Zac Taylor (Cincinnati bengals)
- Lamar Jackson/John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens)
- Ryan Tannehill/Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans)
- Dak Prescott/Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys)
- Justin Herbert/Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers)
- Kyle Murray/Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals)
Presenting, the top 10 quarterback/head coach duos in the NFL for 2023. Feel free to criticize!
10. Daniel Jones/Brian Daboll (New York Giants)
At one point, putting Jones on any top 10 quarterback/head coach duo list seemed impossible. Jones had the unfortunate pleasure of having Joe Judge as his head coach for two seasons, putting his future with the Giants in question after a promising rookie season. Amazing what happened under one year with Brian Daboll.
Jones threw for 3,205 yards and rushed for 708 yards last season, joining Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen as the only quarterbacks with 3,000-plus passing yards and 500-plus rushing yards. He threw just five interceptions to become just the second quarterback in history with 700-plus rushing yards and five or fewer interceptions in a season -- joining Robert Griffin III (2012). His 67.16% completion rate was a franchise single season record, and led the NFL with a 1.1% interception rate. The Giants had a winning record for the first time since 2016 and won a playoff game for the first time since winning Super Bowl XLVI (2011).
Daboll transformed the franchise in his first year on the job, winning the NFL Coach of the Year honors. The Giants were last in the NFC East the year prior and ended up winning a postseason game in the process (the only rookie head coach to win a playoff game). The Giants won just four games in 2021 -- the year prior to Daboll's arrival -- and the five-game improvement is their largest in one season since they jumped from six victories in 2015 to 11 the following season (2016).
Jones' success was tied to Daboll, as the Giants had their best season since winning Super Bowl XLVI in 2011. The future is bright in New York under Jones and Daboll, as the franchise has hope for being a contender for the first time in several years.
9. Trevor Lawrence/Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars)
The Jaguars had the most impressive turnaround in the league last season, transforming so quickly when a Super Bowl-winning head coach gets to work with a former No. 1 overall pick in just his second season in the league. Pederson proved he's still a good coach with young quarterbacks and Lawrence emerged into a top-10 quarterback in the league.
Lawrence had a massive turnaround from his rookie season. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions for a 95.2 passer rating -- the largest increase in passer rating for a No. 1 overall pick from Year 1 to Year 2 since Terry Bradshaw (1970 to 1971), raising his passer rating from 71.9 to 95.2 (+23.3 points). Lawrence also was one of four players with 20-plus passing touchdowns and five-plus rushing touchdowns last season, joining Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow. He finished with 15 pass touchdowns and two interceptions in the final nine games of the 2022 regular season, as the Jaguars went 7-2 in that stretch.
Pederson took the Jaguars to the AFC South title in just his first season, their first since 2017. The Jaguars also had their first playoff victory since 2017 after overcoming a 27-point deficit in the wild card round. The Jaguars became the second team in NFL history to reach the playoffs after having the worst record in the NFL in each of the previous two seasons (joining the 1999 Colts) and became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game the season after finishing with the worst record. Jacksonville also became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game after starting that regular season 2-6 or worse, showcasing how quickly Pederson was able to turn things around.
The Jaguars are in the Super Bowl conversation because of Lawrence's potential and Pederson's pedigree. They could take an even bigger leap in Year 2 together.
8. Dak Prescott/Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys)
A deep playoff run from Prescott and McCarthy would vault them up this list, yet the pair have been strong together over the last two seasons. Even with Prescott's struggles, the Cowboys had consecutive seasons with 12-plus wins for the first time since 1994-1995, while reaching the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006-2007.
Prescott didn't have a great season protecting the football, becoming the first player in league history to lead the NFL in interceptions with five-plus missed games. He still recorded eight games with two-plus passing touchdowns despite missing five games (thumb injury). He also posted a first down on 59 of 124 third-down chances, as the 47.6% conversion rate was the third-highest third-down conversion rate among NFL quarterbacks. Prescott is responsible for 193 combined rushing, passing and receiving touchdowns through 97 NFL games -- the fourth-most in NFL history through 97 games to start a career. His 50 games with a 100-plus passer rating trail only Russell Wilson (56) for most in the NFL since his rookie season in 2016.
McCarthy is one of eight active head coaches with a Super Bowl title and has just four losing seasons in a 15-year career. Sporting a 155-97-2 record (.614 win percentage), McCarthy has won seven division titles in his career and has an 11-10 playoff record, reaching the conference championship game four times (1-3 record). His 11 playoff wins are tied for 10th-most in NFL history. McCarthy also has 10 10-win seasons, including a 12-5 record last year with a divisional round appearance.
Prescott and McCarthy have won games, but the pressure is on them to get past the divisional round this year. Their lack of postseason success together is why they aren't higher up on this list.
7. Brock Purdy/Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers)
How does a quarterback-head coach duo rank this high after just eight starts together? What Purdy and Shanahan accomplished in those eight games deserves qualification for this list.
Purdy finished with the second-best passer rating (119.0) of any quarterback through his first five career regular-season starts since 1950 (Kurt Warner was higher). He is the only quarterback since 1950 with a win and multiple passing touchdowns in each of his first five regular-season starts.
The 49ers averaged 33.6 points per game in Purdy's starts, the fifth-most in a player's first five career starts since 1950. San Francisco was first in points per game (33.6), while Purdy was first in yards per attempt (8.9), passer rating (119.0), and tied for first in touchdown passes (11). The 49ers won Purdy's first seven starts before he was knocked out in the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles with an elbow injury. When Purdy played the whole game, the 49ers didn't lose.
Shanahan found a way to win with four different quarterbacks last season, going 15-5 in those 20 games. The 49ers were tied for the third-most in a season by a team to start three-plus different quarterbacks (including playoffs). This team won 12 straight games and reached the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons, becoming the third team in NFL history to make three conference championship games in a four-year span without a Pro Bowl quarterback.
The 49ers were essentially a juggernaut when Purdy and Shanahan were together. How it plays out in 2023 will be the telltale sign whether the duo is elite, but they are off to a great start.
6. Matthew Stafford/Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams)
Historical context comes into play regarding Stafford and McVay, as they won a Super Bowl in their one full season together. The Rams aren't expected to be good in 2023, but Stafford and McVay will play a critical role in the franchise returning to its winning ways.
Stafford's season ended in Week 11, but he finished fourth in the league in completion rate (68%). The Rams were just 3-6 in Stafford's nine starts, as he finished 2,087 yards with 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions (87.4 rating). His absence played a huge role in the Rams finishing with 12 losses, the most by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
Of course Stafford and McVay do have a Super Bowl title together, which matters significantly. Stafford threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns in his first season with the Rams, ranking in the top three in the NFL in both categories. Stafford also tied Tom Brady's mark as the only quarterbacks to lead the league in passing touchdowns in a season (regular season and postseason) to win a Super Bowl (50). He's the first quarterback in NFL history with 6,000 passing yards, 50 passing touchdowns and a Super Bowl win in the same season (regular-season and postseason stats combined).
McVay had his worst season as a head coach, his first losing season in six years leading the franchise. He's still 60-38 in the regular season (.612) with a 7-3 playoff record (.700). He's just one of six coaches in the Super Bowl era to have a .600 win percentage in the regular season and have a .700 win percentage in the postseason. The Rams have three NFC West titles, two NFC championships, and a Super Bowl title under McVay's watch. McVay has led the Rams to four double-digit win seasons and is the youngest head coach to appear in two Super Bowls (36 years, 1 month old). McVay is one of six head coaches in league history to have a .700 win percentage in the postseason who has coached a minimum of 10 games.
Even though Stafford and McVay had a tough 2022, their Super Bowl title together in a small sample size still puts them among the top quarterback-head coach duos in the league.
5. Lamar Jackson/John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens)
The Ravens haven't been a playoff team in two seasons, yet it's clear they win when Jackson is on the field. Baltimore was 8-4 when Jackson started last season, as the Ravens quarterback completed 62.3% of his passes for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions (91.1 rating), with Jackson also having 112 carries for 764 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens were the No. 3 seed in the AFC when Jackson didn't play another game for the rest of the year (ankle injury), limping to a 2-3 finish.
What Jackson brings to the Ravens can't be ignored, as Baltimore is 45-16 in the 61 starts since Jackson entered the league in 2018. They average 28.0 points per game when Jackson is on the field compared to 20.0 when Jackson misses games. Jackson is one of six players in NFL history to reach 100-plus passing touchdowns and 4,000-plus rushing yards in a career, and the fastest to reach the mark by 31 games. The Ravens are averaging 184.8 rushing yards per game with Jackson as a starter in his career -- the most by any starting quarterback since the 1970 merger.
Harbaugh has been at the forefront of Jackson's success and has an impressive resume himself, going 147-95 (.607 win percentage) in his 15 seasons -- the third-longest tenure in the league with one team. His eight playoff wins on the road are the most in NFL history, and his 11 playoff victories are sixth most in NFL history through a coach's first 15 seasons. The 11 playoff wins since 2008 trail only New England and Kansas City for the most in the NFL. Of course, Harbaugh also won Super Bowl XLVII -- solidifying his place as one of the game's top coaches. Under Harbaugh, Baltimore is one of five teams to earn a playoff berth in 10 of the past 15 seasons.
The Ravens are always in the hunt with Jackson and Harbaugh, but need a deep postseason run to back up that regular-season success. Jackson being healthy in January would certainly help.
4. Josh Allen/Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills)
Allen and McDermott continue to get the Bills to the divisional round of the playoffs, but have struggled to get over the hump in recent years. The Bills have been to the divisional round in each of the past three years, yet have only been to the conference championship game once. The only teams Buffalo has lost to in the playoffs are Kansas City and Cincinnati in that stretch, the last two AFC representatives in the Super Bowl.
While 2022 wasn't Allen's best season in the turnover department (his 19 turnovers were the most in the NFL), he still completed 63.3% of his passes for 4,283 yards with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions (96.6 rating). He also rushed for 762 yards and seven touchdowns -- and finished third in the league MVP voting. Allen did have the second most total yards (5,045) and total touchdowns (42) behind Patrick Mahomes. Allen still has the most total touchdowns ever by a player after five seasons (177) and has the most offensive yards per game in NFL playoff history (344.0).
McDermott takes a lot of criticism, yet he's still one of the top coaches in the game. He has five winning seasons in six years with the Bills, compiling a 62-35 record (.639 win percentage) and a 4-5 playoff record. The Bills won three consecutive AFC East titles for the first time since 1988-1991 and are one of only two teams to win 10-plus games and make the playoffs in each of the last four years (Chiefs are the other). Buffalo had just two winning seasons this century prior to McDermott's arrival, with no 10-win seasons (McDermott has four consecutive 10-win campaigns).
Allen and McDermott are 52-24 in their 76 starts together with four consecutive playoff appearances and 10-win seasons to their credentials (including two 13-plus win seasons in the last three years). The Bills are the first team to lead the NFL outright in scoring offense and defense in a three-year span since 1972-1974 Dolphins, and have 37 wins over the last tree years (second only to Chiefs).
The Bills have yet to get over the hump and snap that 30-year Super Bowl drought, yet the franchise constantly puts itself in position every year to make a deep playoff run. Hard to imagine the championship window closing with Allen and McDermott around.
3. Jalen Hurts/Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles)
The biggest leap in these rankings went to Hurts and Sirianni after an astonishing season that saw the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia went from being an afterthought in the NFC to one of the best teams in the NFL, all thanks to the emergence of Hurts as a superstar quarterback.
Hurts completed 66.5% of his passes for 4,280 yards with 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions for a 100.8 passer rating in his 18 starts (including playoffs), while also having 903 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns (the most in a season by any quarterback in league history). Hurts reached 5,183 total yards and 43 total touchdowns to just seven turnovers in his 18 starts, as the Eagles were 16-2 in those starts. The Eagles quarterback had one of the best games of his career in the Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards with a touchdown and a 103.4 passer rating. He also added 15 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl.
Hurts is the first player in NFL history with 300 pass yards, 70 rush yards and three rushing touchdowns in a game -- doing it in a Super Bowl. He finished with 374 total yards and four touchdowns in that game. Since Week 10 of the 2021 season, Hurts has the best win percentage in the NFL (including playoffs) at .840 (21-4). Hurts has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in football.
Sirianni has been with the Eagles for just two seasons, but is leaving his mark on the franchise. The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to increase their win total by five-plus games in consecutive seasons, both of which have come under Sirianni. His 23 wins are the most in franchise history for any head coach after their first two seasons with the team. He's the youngest head coach to take the Eagles to the Super Bowl, while leading them to the most wins in the regular season in franchise history.
Hurts and Sirianni came within three points of a Super Bowl title and are primed to compete for a championship in 2023. This pairing is at the forefront of the Eagles returning to one of the elite franchises in the NFL.
2. Joe Burrow/Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals)
Two full seasons together, two conference championship game appearances. Burrow and Taylor have staying power among the best quarterback-head coach duos in the league, putting the Bengals as one of the top contenders for a Super Bowl championship.
Burrow had another strong campaign in 2022, completing 68.3% of his passes for 4,475 yards with 35 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions (100.8 rating). Living up to the hype of being a No. 1 pick, Burrow has the second-highest completion percentage (68%) through a player's first three seasons in NFL history (Chad Pennington is first at 69%), while ranking fourth in passing yards (11,774) and fifth in passing touchdowns (82). His 23 passing touchdowns of 30-plus yards over the past two seasons are the most by any quarterback in a two-year span since 2000. Burrow also led the NFL in passer rating over the past two seasons (104.2).
The Bengals have won five playoff games with Burrow, who has the second-most playoff wins by any quarterback after three seasons (Russell Wilson is first with six). Burrow already has the most playoff wins after four seasons by a No. 1 pick -- and he's entering Year 4.
Taylor is just 28-36-1 in his four seasons, yet he deserves credit for the Bengals' impressive turnaround. He led the Bengals to their first playoff win since the 1990 season and their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988 two seasons ago as Cincinnati was just the third team to have the worst record in the NFL and then reach the Super Bowl two years later, joining the 1981 San Francisco 49ers and 2003 Carolina Panthers. The Bengals were just 6-25-1 in Taylor's first two seasons, but are 27-13 over the last two. Cincinnati also has five playoff wins and consecutive conference championship game appearances, winning a postseason game in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.
The Bengals have five playoff wins under Taylor in his four seasons -- and just five in their entire franchise history prior to his arrival. Taylor has three playoff wins on the road. Prior to his arrival, the Bengals were 0-7 on the road in the postseason.
Cincinnati is a Super Bowl contender with Burrow and Taylor leading the way, proving the franchise is capable of making deep playoff runs ever year. The duo seems primed to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy at some point.
1. Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs)
Winning the Super Bowl for the second time in four years has solidified Mahomes and Reid as the top quarterback/head coach duo in the league. Those two were already the cream of the crop in the NFL, but they are in the midst of becoming one of the best pairings the league has ever seen.
In their five years together, Mahomes and Reid have never won fewer than 12 games. The Chiefs are 64-18 (.780 win percentage) since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018 and are 63-16 (.797 win percentage) in Mahomes' 79 starts during that stretch. Kansas City has won five consecutive AFC West titles, made the conference championship game all five times, won three AFC titles and captured two Super Bowl titles in their five full seasons together.
The best quarterback in the NFL and the reigning league MVP, Mahomes had one of the best seasons ever for a quarterback in 2022. He completed 67.1% of his passes for 5,250 yards, 41 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions, and an 105.2 passer rating. He set the NFL record for most passing and rushing yards combined in a season (5,614) en route to becoming the youngest quarterback to with two MVP awards.
Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (23,957), passing touchdowns (192) and passer rating (106.0) among quarterbacks with 1,500 pass attempts since the 2018 season, showcasing his dominance at the position. He's just the third quarterback in NFL history to win two league MVPs and two Super Bowl titles, and the first to accomplish the feat before the age of 30. The Chiefs have averaged 30.5 points per game in Mahomes' starts -- the only player to in league history to have his team average over 30 points per game in his starts (minimum 25 starts).
Reid added to his Hall of Fame resume, picking up his second Super Bowl title last season. Not only is Reid second in postseason wins with 22 (trailing only Bill Belichick), he became the fourth head coach with 200 wins and multiple Super Bowl titles (Belichick, Don Shula, Tom Landry). Reid is the only coach in NFL history to take two different teams to four straight conference championship games -- the Eagles went from 2001 to 2004 and the Chiefs went from 2018 to 2022.
With 269 combined victories in the regular season and postseason, Reid is fifth on the all-time list among head coaches (one away from tying Landry for fourth). He's the only coach in NFL history to win 100 games with two different franchises. The Chiefs are 117-45 in Reid's 10 seasons (.722 win percentage), and Reid is 247-138-1 (.641 win percentage) in his 24 years as a head coach.
Mahomes and Reid have built a dynasty in Kansas City, one that doesn't appear to be ending any time soon. With the pairing intact, the Chiefs will be among the favorites for Super Bowl titles every year.
