Nothing gets people riled up in the NFL offseason quite like an arbitrary list. Determining the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now is a much more nuanced discussion than just 1-32, but there are some clear quarterback tiers in the NFL right now.
How do the current 32 projected starters around the league stack up from worst to best? We're going to be ranking every quarterback in the league based on a combination of what they've already done, projecting what they could do this coming season, and factoring in a bit of each player's respective situation.
2024 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings (worst to best)
32. Sam Darnold, Vikings
If you go and work for Kyle Shanahan for a year, your value is going to increase. Apparently. Sam Darnold did virtually nothing this past year for the 49ers, but wound up receiving a $10 million contract from the Vikings in NFL free agency. It's going to be fascinating to see if he can hold off JJ McCarthy for the starting job.
31. Daniel Jones, Giants
Even at his very best, I don't think Daniel Jones can be placed any higher than the mid-20s. He's injury-prone, he's a turnover machine, and I'm not even sure he's going to be able to beat Drew Lock all year for the QB1 job in New York.
30. Will Levis, Titans
You love to see the Titans' commitment to Levis, even if he doesn't end up being the guy. They are committed to getting the best possible supporting cast for their young quarterback, making sure they get a good look at him. Levis has a big arm and tons of talent. He now has a huge opportunity to seize in 2024.
29. Bryce Young, Panthers
There's nowhere to go but up, right? Bryce Young's rookie season was about as disastrous as you could have possibly drawn up. Now that the Panthers have reset with Dave Canales as the head coach, you keep hope alive that the version of Young that won the Heisman can be resurrected in 2024.
28. Gardner Minshew, Raiders
Gardner Minshew is a gamer, I'll give him that. Although I don't think he boasts the highest ceiling of any NFL starter, I think he's got a decent floor. He's one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the league right now.
27. Bo Nix, Broncos
There will be some projecting on this list, but we've got to keep it relatively modest when it comes to projecting with the rookies. Bo Nix was the 6th quarterback off the board in the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he became the first-ever first-round QB selected by Sean Payton. The Denver Broncos have been searching high and low for help at the quarterback position for eight straight years.
26. Drake Maye, Patriots
Drake Maye has so much talent but he's going to a bit of a rough sitaution in New England. The Patriots have some of the worst skill position talent in the league, and there is a reset happening on the offensive line. Still, that defense in New England should give Maye plenty of chances to fail forward.
25. Deshaun Watson, Browns
Deshaun Watson is frequently one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL. It makes absolutely no sense that anyone would consider him a top 20 quarterback at this point. He's appeared in 12 games over the last three years, and hasn't played at a high level since 2019-20. He's going to have to prove he's not one of the worst starters in the league this year.
24. Russell Wilson, Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the unstoppable force -- a franchise that seemingly never finishes below .500 in terms of its record. Russell Wilson is the immovable object -- an aging quarterback who has been in steady decline for a few years now. Which one will win out in 2024? Wilson had some great clutch moments for the Broncos last year but his efficiency was very poor. The Broncos ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL all year in percentage of passing plays for a first down.
23. Geno Smith, Seahawks
After his Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, Geno Smith's production diminished a bit in 2023. There have been rumors that he could be replaced by recent trade acquisition Sam Howell, but that remains to be seen. Smith was named to his second Pro Bowl last year after engineering five game-winning drives for Seattle.
22. Derek Carr, Saints
Derek Carr's first year with the Saints was quite frustrating. I never knew week to week whether or not we were going to see a Saints offense capable of putting 40 points on a team or if they were going to get held under 10. Statistically speaking, Carr was about exaclty what you've come to expect from him year over year.
21. Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Immediately upon his arrival in the NFL, Jayden Daniels will be one of the best dual threats in the game. He's outstanding as a runner, and obviously improved a ton as a passer over his two years at LSU. How will the marriage between Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury work?
20. Anthony Richardson, Colts
Don't be surprised to see Richardson skyrocket up this list as the season goes along. He was one of the most exciting young players in the league at the quarterback position last year before he got injured. Very few guys in the league have his combination of arm talent and athleticism.
19. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
The Buccaneers rewarded Baker Mayfield with a big contract this offseason after he helped lead them not only into the playoffs last season, but to a victory at home against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round. Mayfield was outstanding most of the year, throwing for over 4,000 yards for the first tiem in his NFL career with a career-high 28 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.
18. Kirk Cousins, Falcons
I think you could easily make a case that Kirk Cousins is one of the 10-12 best quarterbacks in the game when he's fully healthy and at his best. I also think it's fair to be skeptical of when we're going to see that guy again. Achilles injuries are no joke, especially for older players. How is Cousins going to rebound from that plus the Falcons using their first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr.?
17. Caleb Williams, Bears
I didn't want to do too much projecting on this year's rookie class, but I do believe we're going to see Caleb Williams quickly establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. There are very few 1st overall picks that step into better situations than this one. Williams has arguably the best receiver trio in the NFL.
16. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
Jets fans are going to be furious at this because Aaron Rodgers is supposed to lead them to the promised land, but he was 15th in the NFL in QB rating in 2022 when we last saw him playing on a full-time basis, and he's coming off of an Achilles injury. This is not as wild of a take as you might think. Could Rodgers re-establish himself among the NFL's elite this season? Absolutely. But Father Time rests for no one.
15. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
I'd be willing to bet (if I were a betting man) that Kyler Murray will be a candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2024. Provided he's eligible for it...
Murray is getting one of the best upgrades at receiver of any QB in the league with Marvin Harrison Jr. coming in through the 2024 NFL Draft. With the way we saw this team compete with Jonathan Gannon as the head coach last year, I expect the Cardinals to bounce back in a big way.
14. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa was 3rd in the NFL in QBR in 2022 and 10th in the NFL in QBR last year, so how in the world could he possibly be the 14th-best QB in the NFL right now? Tagovailoa had 14 interceptions last year, 4th-most in the league, and the wheels fell off down the stretch last season.
13. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
After an MVP-caliber season in 2022, Jalen Hurts got the bag in 2023 and with his big-money contract, he and the Eagles were one of the NFL's biggest disappointments. Hurts had the 5th-highest interception rate of any QB in the league last year. Still, his QBR was 13th and the Eagles' defense did him no favors pretty much all year. I foresee him bouncing back in a big way in 2024.
12. Brock Purdy, 49ers
Some will view this as a disrespectful ranking for Brock Purdy -- I view it the opposite. I think he's clearly established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the game the last couple of years. We've gone far beyond the point of Purdy simply being a product of the Kyle Shanahan system. Yes, the system is great, and yes, his teammates are great. But Purdy has done a tremendous job and looks like a franchise QB.
11. Jared Goff, Lions
The Lions' 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion, but to say this team continues to trend upward would be an understatement. And Jared Goff is largely responsible for that turnaround. He does a great job executing Ben Johnson's offense, spreading the ball around to his plethora of targets. He was 9th in QB rating last year and 11th in QBR.
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
I'm projecting a bit of a resurgence from Trevor Lawrence here, because he was injured and not himself last year. He was 9th in the NFL in QB rating in 2022 and obviously had the Jaguars playing like one of the best teams in the league at one point in time.
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Entering a contract year, the pressure has never been more intense surrounding Dak Prescott. The Cowboys lost Dan Quinn and a host of players in free agency. Jobs are on the line this year in Dallas, and Prescott's performance this year is going to dictate the direction this team takes beyond 2024.
8. Jordan Love, Packers
As the season went along, it was abundantly clear that the Green Bay Packers had the next franchise QB in their unprecedented succession over the last three decades. From Favre to Rodgers to Love. Only Dak Prescott had more passing TDs than Love did last year (32) and he finished 9th in overall QBR. He's an absolute stud.
7. Matthew Stafford, Rams
Matthew Stafford was 6th in the NFL in total QBR last season, and when he finally had a healthy group of skill players to work with last season, we saw the guy who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl just a couple of years ago back again. Although Stafford has struggled with injuries and may be on the back nine of his career, I still believe he's a clear top-10 QB under Sean McVay.
6. Justin Herbert, Chargers
When it comes to talent, Justin Herbert could be one of the five best QBs in the league right now. When it comes to how that talent has matched up with the success of the Chargers? Well, that's another story entirely. The Chargers are building around Jim Harbaugh's culture now. It's safe to say that Herbert is the best QB Harbaugh has had -- college or pro -- since he had Andrew Luck at Stanford. Although he only played 13 games, Herbert was 5th in the NFL in QBR last year.
5. Josh Allen, Bills
He threw a whopping 18 interceptions last season, but Josh Allen went on an MVP-level tear late last season as the Bills went from being 6-6 just after the midway position to 11-6 by season's end. I thought for sure that Allen and the Bills were the team of destiny, but it wasn't to be. He was 3rd in the NFL last year in total QBR and had four-game winning drives.
4. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Lamar Jackson was the league MVP (again) last season, but he does have some NFL playoff demons to exorcise. That doesn't take away from the greatness of Jackson, however. Jackson is the best dual-threat quarterback in the NFL and one of the most dangerous players in the league with the ball in his hands.
3. CJ Stroud, Texans
Stroud was everything the Houston Texans could have hoped for last season and then some. The second overall pick in last year's NFL Draft has emerged into one of the best overall quarterbacks in the NFL. He threw for over 4,100 yards with 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions last year, ranking 6th in the league in QB rating (100.8). He's a superstar.
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals
When Joe Burrow is healthy, he's the only QB currently in the league that I would view on the same tier as Patrick Mahomes. Burrow navigates the pocket as well or better than anyone in the league, and he delivers the ball to every level of the field with great timing and accuracy. He's elite.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Even considering the Chiefs had a bit of a down year last year, there's no QB you are realistically taking in the NFL right now over Patrick Mahomes. It was almost like he and the Kansas City offense were sleepwalking through the majority of the regular season, and then completely exploded during the playoffs. Even in a "down" year, Mahomes was 8th in the league in QBR.