There are quite a bit of talented quarterbacks in the NFL. Let's try to rank all the starters ahead of the 2024 season. Man, we are getting so much closer to the real thing! Preseason is quickly approaching, and that means the regular season is right around the corner. Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five seasons.
They look to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row. I think we can all agree that Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL, and there is not much of an argument here. Sure, Mahomes was actually not uber-efficient in 2023, but even at his "worst," it was enough for KC to win the Super Bowl.
There are 31 other starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Let's rank them all ahead of the 2024 NFL Season.
NFL power rankings: Ranking all 32 projected starting QBs for the 2024 season
The Rookie Starters - Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, JJ McCarthy, Caleb Williams
It is simply not fair to rank the projected rookie starters anywhere on this list but the bottom. They have no played a down in the NFL, and I the logic if you rank based on projection of their performance. I do not think that is fair, so the rookies listed above are going to be at the de-facto bottom until they can prove they belong higher.
To me, that seems the most fair way to rank things here.
27. Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young was a disaster as a rookie, but much of that was not his fault. To be fair, though, Young did not exactly show many flashes, and there is no other argument to rank him any higher here. He's not a franchise QB and has a huge uphill battle to become a franchise passer.
He certainly can turn into a viable passer though, as the Panthers new head coach, Dave Canales, worked wonders with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield in 2022 and 2023.
26. Will Levis - Tennessee Titans
Will Levis had a killer debut game in the NFL against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but other than that, there was not a ton to like about the passer. He's in his second year with the Titans and now has a pretty respectable supporting cast. Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd came over in free agency.
Tony Pollard is now in the backfield, and guys like JC Latham and Lloyd Cushenberry are hoping to fix the offensive line. Overall, Levis has enough for the Titans to get a gauge on him as a franchise quarterback, but there's just so much uncertainty with the QB.
This pretty much the same argument for most other young QBs. Many quarterbacks though do hit the coveted year two leap, so perhaps Levis and the Titans could benefit from a leap like that. If so, Tennessee could become a very sneaky play to win a lot of games in the 2024 NFL Season.
25. Daniel Jones - New York Giants
Daniel Jones is bad. He's very bad. I am not sure that New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen was thinking by not only extending Jones, but somehow not taking a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft. This is just a disaster in New York, and I would not expect much at all from Jones. He's been with the Giants since 2019 and has looked like Daniel Jones would during training camp.
The Giants are likely in a scenario where they totally reset at the position in 2025, as they can cut Daniel Jones and have Drew Lock signed through the 2024 NFL Season. This could give the franchise a total fresh start, which is what they need. But if this does happen, is GM Joe Schoen even guaranteed to keep his job?
Besides totally botching the QB room, it's not like the Giants have a great roster overall. In fact, it's quite bad, and Daniel Jones is kind of the cherry on top of a bad roster.
24. Geno Smith - Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith decided that he wanted to put the league on notice in the 2022 NFL Season, but his breakout year was short lived, as he came back down to earth in a big way in 2023 and was just not all that great. As Smith ages into his 30s, his play will likely remain at the level it was in 2023 or even begin to decline a bit. The Seattle Seahawks are also in a new era, as they parted ways with Pete Carroll and now have Mike Macdonald as their head coach.
Smith is likely being used as a stopgap option as Macdonald and his staff figure out which players they want to keep around for the long-term. Seattle also traded for QB Sam Howell this offseason, so he could get some starts, as there really is no benefit in keeping Smith in the lineup all season.
23. Anthony Richardson - Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson may truly have one of the highest ceilings of any quarterback in the NFL right now, but his first season was marred by injuries, so we did not get much of Richardson, the hyper-athlete who played his college football at Florida. Richardson as a player compares well to guys like Cam Newton and Josh Allen.
So if he can hit his ceiling, the NFL is in trouble. It will be interesting to see if Richardson can stay healthy in year two. If not, the Indianapolis Colts may have a huge problem on their hands. What should make you hopeful about this team for the 2024 NFL Season is that they did go 9-8 with Gardner Minshew taking most of the snaps, so the coaching staff clearly knows what they are doing.
As of now, it is not fair to rank Anthony Richardson any higher, but his true dual-threat ability is something that Colts head coach Shane Steichen hopes to unlock.
22. Deshaun Watson - Cleveland Browns
Oh boy, here we go. Just a few short years ago, Deshaun Watson would have been about 15 spots higher on this list, but things happen. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns before the 2022 NFL Season and has just looked awful during his stint with the team. It is worth wondering if Watson is already all washed up. I know it may sound radical, but every single QB is different. Maybe Watson did hit the wall?
The Browns still won a ton of games last year, and it was none other than Joe Flacco who helped them clinch a postseason berth. In 2024, the Browns will go as Watson goes, but it does not look promising thus far. The Browns have won eight of Watson’s 12 starts, which is a really a testament to just how good their defense is.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett looks to repeat as the DPoY, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will certainly have his unit in a great spot for 2024.
21. Russell Wilson - Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson is now on his third team in four seasons, as the Denver Broncos cut him after just 30 starts. He’s now on the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been nursing a calf injury. Backup QB Justin Fields has been getting the reps while Wilson has nursed his injury, so it is worth wondering if it’s Fields who is named the starter. To me, Russell Wilson probably opens the season as the starter, but the former Bears QB should get some play.
He’s got a much higher ceiling than Russell Wilson, especially with his legs, but Wilson is clearly a better passer than Justin Fields. Can the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their streak of never having a losing record in the Mike Tomlin era in 2024? Will Russell Wilson and Justin Fields be enough to keep the streak alive?
20. Gardner Minshew - Las Vegas Raiders
Gardner Minshew should probably end up being the starter for the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Season, which is bad news for the team. The Raiders missed out on all six first-round QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft, so they are left with one of Minshew or Aidan O’Connell, who might have something as a high-end backup. Overall, this is likely going to be a lost season for the Raiders, who need to do a hard reset at the QB position next offseason.
With the duo of Antonio Pierce as the head coach and Minshew as the likely starter, it’s going to be a single-digit win season for Vegas. They could be bad enough to clinch a top-3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they would then surely use on a QB. Gardner Minshew is a career backup who has been on several teams during his NFL career.
19. Derek Carr - New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is just a guy, and before his lower leg injury years ago, was actually quite good. Carr is on the New Orleans Saints and helped lead them to a 9-8 record in the 2023 NFL Season. That might sound fine, but when you have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, and a QB you think is half-decent at least, you’d expect to win more. Moreover, believe it or not, but the Saints had a top-10 scoring offense and defense in 2023.
Much of the blame does fall on Carr, who is a pretty mediocre QB at this point. Teams can win games with him, but often times, he does not play well enough one way or another to truly push his team over the edge. Being that he’s just barely good enough to be a starter, he should be able to find starting work with another team beyond the 2024 NFL Season.
18. Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield enjoyed a career resurgence in the 2023 NFL Season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it earned him a three-year contract extension. Mayfield’s resurgence might be credited to Dave Canales, who is now the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Overall, while Mayfield is a capable passer, he’s largely average at best, and someone who teams can sometimes win because of, but often times win with and can lose because of.
He’s not going to lead a team to a Super Bowl but should have no trouble keeping a starting job on one or more teams for the rest of his career. The Bucs did re-sign Mike Evans, so Mayfield will have his top target again for the 2024 NFL Season. The Bucs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round and gave the Detroit Lions a run for their money during the Divisional Round.
Can Baker Mayfield make an even bigger stride in Tampa Bay in 2024? Could we be thinking of him closer to the top-12 range when this coming season is over?
17. Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is not as good as people think, and I am tired of him being thought of as a top QB in the NFL. He’s played four seasons and has just one season of note, which came back in 2022. He was not that good in 2020, 2021, or 2023. It’s time we have a conversation about Hurts simply being average, but he can make up for some of it with his legs.
Hurts will not lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, but he does have the luxury of constantly playing on elite teams, thanks to the excellent GM work of Howie Roseman. As long as Hurts is in Philly, the roster will be solid, and Roseman has assembled some other-worldly offensive lines during his years.
But make no mistake here - Jalen Hurts is average, folks.
16. Aaron Rodgers - New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers is coming off of a torn Achilles, so it will be interesting to see if he is any good anymore. The las time Rodgers played a full season was in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers. He finished with a passer rating in the low-90s, so he was not all that efficient. However, the New York Jets all of a sudden have a very solid offensive line after the offseason additions of Tyron Smith, John Simpson, and Morgan Moses.
The weapons include Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and Malachi Corley, so the Jets might be in a good spot for 2024. Their entire season and peoples’ jobs will hinge on Aaron Rodgers and how well he plays, but I do not think he can re-create his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.
He is now three years removed and one major injury from those prolific seasons, so Jets fans should expect closer to the 2022 version of Rodgers, where he was serviceable.
15. Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is better than people think, but the last two years have been cut short due to an ACL injury he suffered during the 2022 NFL Season. When he’s at his peak, there may not be 10 QBs in the NFL better than Murray. He’s truly a dual-threat player, and may finally have some long-term stability with the coaching staff.
The Arizona Cardinals are going to double their win total from the 2023 NFL Season, but they are still a year away from once again being a competitive, playoff-caliber team. Much of their success on offense in 2024 will be due to the greatness of Kyler Murray.
I do believe people have truly forgotten just how good he has been.
Can Kyler Murray again be a huge threat with his arm and with his legs? If he can, he may even begin to get some momentum for the NFL MVP award.
14. Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has certainly not been quite as good as many of us thought he would be when the Jacksonville Jaguars took him first overall in he 2021 NFL Draft. Still, though, he has helped stabilize the Jaguars organization, as back-to-back winning seasons does provide some hope for the future.
Lawrence inked a deal that makes him he the highest-paid QB in NFL history, which is a mark that is tied with two other QBs, Joe Burrow and Jordan Love. At some point, if Lawrence was to be thought of higher, he’ll need to help engineer the Jaguars on a deep playoff run. With a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Doug Pederson, that might be very possible.
Can Lawrence and the Jaguars perhaps hit double-digit wins in the 2024 NFL Season? Did GM Trent Baalke do enough to improve the roster? Lawrence and the Jaguars simply need to take the next step.
13. Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love is another QB who makes $55 million per season, which, as I said above, is tied for the richest salary in NFL history at the QB position. Well, it’s also the richest salary ever. In other news, the first $60 million QB might not be that far away.
Jordan Love’s mid-season turnaround in 2023 miraculous, and it helped the Green Bay Packers win nine games and make the playoffs. They gave the San Francisco 49ers a run for their money in the NFC Divisional Round, so I would not count this team out for 2024.
Love may also be a viable MVP candidate as well. The Packers are extremely young on offense, so you have to think that their ceiling hasn’t hit yet. If they can hit their ceiling, the rest of the NFL is in trouble.
Who would you rather have for the next 10 years; Jordan Love or Trevor Lawrence?
12. Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
We’re now approaching some of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and say what you want about Tua Tagovailoa, but the truth is that his teams win a lot when he is on the field and starting games. Through the first four years of his NFL career, he has never finished a year with a losing record in his own starts. The Dolphins are now paying him $53.1 million per season, as they came to an agreement on a deal earlier this offseason.
The one thing that is holding Tua and the Dolphins back is the cold weather aspect, which may seem silly, but it’s been a legitimate cause for concern. There is truly nothing stopping this Dolphins team from making a deep playoff run, but I guess when the players can see their own breath, it’s trouble for Miami.
Can the left-handed QB help the Dolphins make a deep playoff run? While Tagovailoa is not elite, he is very good and going to be very good for a long time.
11. Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins is Kirk Cousins. He’s been the same QB his entire career and is now on quite the talented team in Atlanta. The Falcons ceiling is limited with Cousins under center, but he does have a career winning record, and with how weak the rest of the NFC South is, it’s not outrageous to suggest that the Falcons win 10 games and the division.
The Falcons boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and Cousins will have guys like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson at his disposal in the passing game. It’s shaping up to be a modestly successful year for the Atlanta Falcons, and it’ll be due to Cousins and his steady play.
Can the QB return to his old form after a major Achilles injury, though?
10. Brock Purdy - San Francisco 49ers
Both Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers situation on offense can be excellent. We all know that Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind, so his units will always be well-coached and high-scoring. But on the other hand, Purdy is no Jimmy Garoppolo. Through 21 career starts in the regular season, the Niners have won 17 of Purdy’s starts. It’s an insane pace to begin his career.
He’s also got a near 3:1 TD:INT ratio in the regular season, and has played in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl in his first two seasons. The Niners feel like they have to come away with at least one Super Bowl in the Purdy era, right?
Well, maybe not. With a disgruntled Brandon Aiyuk, the Niners might not be able to sustain the amount of high-end talent they have, and this is especially true with Purdy himself in line for a new contract next offseason.
This will be an interesting situation that GM John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan will have to navigate.
9. Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is not quite an elite quarterback. He’s been the same passer each year of his NFL career. What does Herbert do that makes him elite? The way I see it; he’s a bigger and more athleti Kirk Cousins through the first four years of his NFL career. While wins are far from a QB stat do a degree, Herbert doesn’t really have any sort of signature win, and it’s not exactly hard to beat his teams.
Perhaps in the 2024 NFL Season, the Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers will begin to show signs of life, but this is going to start and end with Herbert, especially with the competent coaching staff they are likely to have. When is Justin Herbert going to prove to the rest of the NFL that he is indeed an elite player?
8. Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is very much still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, even as he is set to enter his age-36 season. In 2023, Stafford’s numbers did not jump off the page, but he was much better than his statistic output indicated. The LA Rams won 10 games and made it to the postseason. After a loss 2022 season, the Rams rebounded in a big way in 2023.
This is also the same team that won a Super Bowl in 2021, so let’s not forget what they have recently accomplished. In 2024, the Rams again figure to be good, but with Stafford getting old, I do wonder just how many more viable years he has left. He appeared to show signs of decline in 2022, but he put those to bed in 2023.
Matthew Stafford is also getting closer in moving up the all-time rankings in certain statistics like passing yards and passing touchdowns. Can Stafford and the Rams again enter the Super Bowl contention in the coming season? Probably, as Stafford is among the best QBs in the NFL.
7. Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen needs to cool it with the turnovers if he wants to help the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. He threw 18 interceptions in the 2023 NFL Season, and is now without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans, and Davis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
At the top of the WR depth chart in Buffalo for 2023 figures to be Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel. Yeah, not great. Allen throwing 20 interceptions does not seem impossible, and while he is among the best QBs in the NFL, he is far from the second-best QB like many think. He really hasn’t done much to prove that there is only one QB on the face of the earth who is better.
Pressure is beginning to mount for the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen to make more noise in the playoffs in 2024.
6. Jared Goff - Detroit Lions
Jared Goff this high? Yes, Jared Goff this high. He’s thrown 59 touchdown passes over the last two seasons and has helped revive the Detroit Lions franchise. Hes played in a Super Bowl before and truly has done it all in he NFL. There’s just a lot to like about Goff, but following the 2020 NFL Season, Goff was sent to Detroit, as former Lions QB Matthew Stafford was then shipped to Los Angeles.
Since then, the Rams have won the Super Bowl and the Lions feel poised to win one in the near future. Can Goff and the Lions get over the hump? I personally predict that they will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season, but will fall to the Houston Texans.
Anyone, the Lions and Goff agreed to an extension, so the franchise has their QB locked up for years to come. Overall, though, the Lions roster is loaded and does not have a clear weakness, which is a huge testament to GM Brad Holmes and the job that he has done thus far.
Jared Goff could leap even higher on this list if the Lions can again make a deep playoff run.
5. Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott led the NFL in touchdown passes last year with 36, and also only threw nine interceptions. I get that there are valid concerns about the Cowboys QB when the postseason arrives, but let’s be honest with ourselves; Prescott is one of the most efficient QBs in the NFL and was just excellent last year.
He was firmly in the MVP race most of the season, but that award went to Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. Are Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys going to eventually agree on a long-term deal, and can Prescott become the first $60 million per year quarterback?
One thing is certain; there are not many quarterbacks in the NFL better than Dak Prescott.
4. CJ Stroud - Houston Texans
CJ Stroud is an elite passer. He’s the fourth-best QB in the NFL and is still just 22 years old. What Stroud and the Houston Texans did in the 2023 NFL Season was nothing short of historic, and I am all in on this team for 2024. Not only will Stroud win the MVP, but the Texans are winning the Super Bowl as well.
Stroud was just picking apart opposing defenses and showed an insane amount of care when throwing the football, rarely putting it in harm’s way. Outside of Patrick Mahomes, there isn’t another QB you should want to start a franchise with than CJ Stroud.
Can Stroud, head coach DeMeco Ryans, and the rest of the Houston Texans roster bring the city their first Super Bowl? I think it’s possible. What’s there to not like about Stroud as a QB? He’s got the size, mobility, arm strength, and really everything else an elite passer needs to succeed in the NFL.
3. Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson has now won two MVP awards, so slowly but surely, he is building himself a Hall of Fame resume. Yes, Hall of Fame. After winning the award in 2019, he grabs in back in 2023. What’s funny is that there have been just three players since 2018 to win the MVP award. It’s been Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers.
Could the dynamic QB repeat and win it again in 2024? I think he could. The biggest issue here with Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens is that the team constantly underperforms in the postseason, so it may be time to have a bigger conversation about their postseason performances if they do not get better anytime soon.
Nonetheless, Lamar Jackson is still among the best, most elite QBs the league has seen in quite some time.
How good will he be in 2024?
2. Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the second-best QB in the NFL, but man he needs to stay healthy. It’s actually a bit troubling that Burrow has now suffered two season-ending injuries in his four years in the NFL, but here we are. When healthy and playing well, the Bengals are one of the three best teams in the league.
Perhaps with adding Trent Brown and Amarius Mims to the offensive line, Cincy can keep Burrow upright for 2024 and beyond. The defense is likely still in good hands with DC Lou Anarumo, so it’s really up to Burrow to stay on the field. He is set to return from a season-ending wrist injury he suffered in 2023.
The wrist injury does seem to be notable, as it’s on his throwing wrist and could impact his throwing power if it takes a while to heal 100%. Can Joe Burrow and the Bengals make it back to the Super Bowl again?
1. Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
Any questions here? No, OK, didn't think so...
Yeah. Mahomes and the Chiefs have won three out of the last five Super Bowls, so it’s his league until further notice. In fact, some may argue that Patrick Mahomes is already an all-time great, and I do not think I would disagree with them by any means. It does pain me as a Broncos fan, but here we are.
There is only one QB who is still in the league who has been able to beat Mahomes in the playoffs, and it’s Joe Burrow. Anyway, Patrick Mahomes is the best, and it’s pretty clear-cut.
There you have it, all 32 projected starting quarterbacks for the 2024 NFL Season ranked. Where did your team’s QB come in on this list? You have to figure that these power rankings will certainly change when the season begins and as it progresses.
There could be some young QBs who put their teams on the map, and some more veteran passers who struggle mightily.