There are some extremely talented quarterback rooms in the NFL. Let's rank all 32 of them heading into the 2024 NFL Season. It's pretty clear at this point who the top two quarterbacks are for each Qb room in the NFL, but there are still quite a few of competitions across the NFL for the starting spot and for the backup spot.
There might only be five truly elite passers in the NFL, so the QB talent is actually quite weak overall. There's an abundance of relatively average passers as well, so it can be hard to sort through this QB mess.
One thing is for sure; teams aren't winning a Super Bowl with middle of the road QB play. Let's rank all 32 QB rooms heading into the 2024 NFL Season.
NFL power rankings: Ranking all 32 quarterback rooms heading into 2024 season
32. Raiders - Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell
This quarterback room is downright embarrassing, and general manager Tom Telesco should be ashamed that he's heading into the 2024 NFL Season with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell as his top two passers. There were rumors that the Raiders wanted to draft either Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but neither of those players were available when the Raiders picked at 13.
In fact, all six first-round caliber quarterbacks were gone when the Raiders were on the clock, and they selected TE Brock Bowers from Georgia. So, in the last two drafts, the Raiders have used a second and first-round pick on the TE spot. And with their league-worst QB room, the 2024 NFL Season for Las Vegas is already over.
31. Commanders - Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota
I am personally not high on Jayden Daniels, but the Washington Commanders did have to take a QB, and they decided that Daniels was the right one for them. Backing him up is Marcus Mariota, once a starting QB with the Tennessee Titans. Mariota is a fine backup, but this room is full of uncertainty until Daniels can prove he's the franchise QB they've needed.
30. Giants - Daniel Jones, Drew Lock
Joe Schoen, the New York Giants general manager, is somehow heading into the 2024 NFL Season with Daniel Jones and Drew Lock as his quarterbacks, which is a slap in the face to the organization and to Giants fans. The Giants apparently wanted to trade up during the 2024 NFL Draft to select Drake Maye, but how does a team go from wanting a consensus top-3 QB in Maye to not taking a QB at all?
This is another example of a team simply throwing in the towel on the season, as the Giants are going nowhere but down with Jones and Lock, and I am not sure Daniel Jones is going to start for this team. Drew Lock might be the better quarterback here.
29. Seahawks - Geno Smith, Sam Howell
The 2024 NFL Season is likely going to be an evaluation year for the Seattle Seahawks, who have Geno Smith an Sam Howell as their top two quarterbacks, which is near the bottom of the NFL. With the team moving on from Pete Carroll, a rebuild could be on the horizon.
Smith is likely the starter for the season, and he's just barely good enough to give the Seahawks staff and front office and accurate reading on which players on both sides of the ball they can keep and build around, but I would expect this QB room to look quite a bit different going forward.
The Russell Wilson trade seems to have been the right move, but the hardest part of the post-Wilson era is still facing them right in the face, and that would be to find another franchise quarterback, which is the hardest thing to do in professional sports.
I would expect both Smith and Howell to probably play on new teams for the 2025 NFL Season and beyond, as neither are particularly good.
28. Titans - Will Levis, Mason Rudolph
The Tennessee Titans QB room in 2024 is going to hinge on whether or not Will Levis can make the year two jump. If he can, this team is in luck, as they can go even more all-in on Levis. If not, the Titans will be faced with quite the conundrum.
Levis showed only some flashes during his rookie season, but it's not like he had the best personnel to work with on offense. He now has a very good but old WR trio in DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd to throw to on offense, and has some reinforcements along the offensive line.
Overall, it's still a below-average unit, but maybe Levis can work with what Titans GM Ran Carthon gave him.
27. Broncos - Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham
This QB room could shoot up these rankings by the time the 2024 NFL Season ends. Bo Nix was commonly mocked to the Denver Broncos, as Nix can fit into the offenses that head coach Sean Payton likes to run. However, many thought that Nix was worth a second-round pick, but the Broncos did take him in the top half of the first round.
Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are the other QBs in this room, and the way the offseason has gone thus far, you can expect Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham to be the top two passers for the Broncos, with Zach Wilson on the roster bubble.
It's unclear if the Broncos would keep three quarterbacks, and I think they ideally hope that Wilson can win the QB2 job, but as of now, Jarrett Stidham's roster spot seems quite safe, and Nix will likely be named the starter at some point before the start of the regular season.
Bo Nix enters the NFL as the most experienced college quarterback of all-time, with over 60 starts.
26. Patriots - Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye
The New England Patriots had Drake Maye fall into their laps with the third overall pick, which is great for them. They also have a very good backup in Jacoby Brissett, who I could actually see playing out the entirety of the 2024 NFL Season. The Patriots personnel on offense is still quite awful, so I do not think the team would want to rush Maye out there and risk ruining his confidence.
Brissett can take all the beatings behind what could be a league-worst offensive line and league-worst play-making group. The 2025 NFL Season could be a nice progression year for the Patriots if all goes well and if Drake Maye can be who many think he can. He was commonly compared to Justin Herbert in the pre-draft process.
25. Vikings - Sam Darnold, JJ McCarthy
So, Sam Darnold seems to have quite the firm grip on the Minnesota Vikings QB1 job for the 2024 NFL Season, but that might just be OK. JJ McCarthy did recently turn 21 years old, so he does have time on his side, and the Vikings seem to think highly of Darnold.
Is there a scenario where Darnold is named the starter and actually plays quite well? Is that something we should be considering? I do believe it's possible. Now yes, McCarthy developing into a high-end starter is the ideal scenario, but Darnold is still in his mid-20s and could play well in the right scenario.
Throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and being protected by Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill might be the best personnel situation Darnold has been in during his entire football career. I'm just saying; I would not at all count out Darnold in 2024 while JJ McCarthy sits on the bench.
However, the QB room is among the weaker in the NFL until proven otherwise.
24. Panthers - Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
It seems like Bryce Young is being given a pass for his rookie season, a year in which the Panthers won just two games and had a horrid situation along the offensive line, at wide receiver, and with the coaching staff. It was awful, but Young wasn't exactly playing all that well.
Backing him up is veteran Andy Dalton, the former starting quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. The backup spot is fine, as Dalton has seen just about everything to see in the NFL, but no one can seriously say this QB room is good at the moment.
New head coach Dave Canales will have his hands full in trying to properly develop Bryce Young.
23. Buccaneers - Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
Baker Mayfield enjoyed a career year in 2023 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so he re-signed on a three-year deal. Mayfield now seems to be one of the more likeable players in the NFL, and his comeback adventure has been nice to see after being tossed aside by the Cleveland Browns a few years ago.
Likely backing up Mayfield is Kyle Trask, who is no one special and definitely lower on the backup QB totem pole. And while Mayfield played quite wel in 2023, he's not fooling anyone, in my opinion. He's clearly got a lower ceiling and is not going to lead this Buccaneers team to a Super Bowl.
Now yes, he did help lead them to the NFC Divisional Round, which was quite the shock. The Bucs lost former offensive coordinator Dave Canales to the Carolina Panthers, but did manage to re-sign Mayfield and Mike Evans, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The Buccaneers will likely begin looking for a viable, long-term quarterback in the near future, and will likely cut ties with Mayfield at some point down the road. This QB room isn't special heading into 2024.
22. Colts - Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback situation is interesting. Second-year QB Anthony Richardson missed most of his rookie season to to injuries, but he did play quite well in limited action, and the Colts still managed to field a very good offense with Gardner Minshew taking a majority of the snaps.
If Richardson can develop, the Colts are going to be a very, very good football team in 2024. Backing up Richardson is not who you’d think: Joe Flacco, who helped lead the Browns on a late-season run in 2023 and started a playoff game. Flacco still seemed to have some gas left in the tank, so maybe the Colts will end up being well off with this QB room in 2024.
21. Saints - Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler
A pretty disappointing quarterback room, the New Orleans Saints signing Derek Carr last year in free agency was a puzzling move. At that point, they should have embraced a rebuilding process, but what do I know? Well, Carr was efficient statistically, but it was more of the same for the veteran QB in 2023, and the Saints can get out from under his deal next offseason. Unless the Saints make a playoff run, I would expect that they do that.
Spencer Rattler was one of the Saints draft picks in 2024, which I believe is a savvy pick. Rattler could see some action in 2024 depending on how good the New Orleans Saints are, and he does have some nice qualities that translate into being a franchise quarterback in the NFL, so I am not going to sleep on that possibility for 2025.
The Saints actually had a top-10 scoring offense and defense during the 2023 NFL Season, but won just nine games and were not able to make the postseason with one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, so this team was the epitome of underachieving last year.
20. Steelers - Russell Wilson, Justin Fields
This is an interesting QB room for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2024 NFL Season. They had a QB room consisting of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph in 2023, and somehow managed to win 10 games and earn a postseason spot. However, that room was not going to be nearly good enough for the long-term, so they started fresh at the position.
They signed Russell Wilson to a veteran minimum deal, and also traded a late-round pick for Justin Fields. Overall, their QB room should be a huge upgrade over what they had last year, but neither Wilson or Fields are nearly good enough to be the long-term QB, so I would expect this room to again look different in the 2025 NFL Season.
However, Steelers fans seem quite confident in their new signal-callers.
19. Browns - Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston
Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns has looked downright awful since being traded to the Browns from the Houston Texans. If Watson is all washed up, not only do the Browns have to again start fresh at quarterback, but they’ll then hold the “honor” of having perhaps the worst contract in the history of the NFL. The Browns success in 2024 does hinge on Deshaun Watson.
Backing him up is Jameis Winston, who is just about as good as any team can get with their backup QB position. Winston was the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for sometime, but was not quite good enough. He’s been a reliable backup since then and is simply not afraid to throw the football, and he does not let interceptions get to him
I would not be surprised to see Winston start games in 2024. And if Deshaun Watson doesn’t play like he did with the Houston Texans, the Browns might be in quite the horrid position, as GM Andrew Berry would have to again search for another franchise quarterback.
18. Bears - Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent
You have to like the Chicago Bears quarterback situation. The team drafted someone in Caleb Williams who has been given the generational label. Well, that does lead to some increased pressure for Williams to perform, but it was the right move for Bears GM Ryan Poles. Trading Justin Fields and resetting with Williams was a move that he’d probably make 100/100 times.
Backing him up could be Tyson Bagent, who threw three touchdowns against six interceptions in 2023, his rookie season. If I were the Bears, the easy move here would be to sign Ryan Tannehill to backup Caleb Williams. Getting a more reliable QB2 is a must for this team, and Tannehill has been a backup before.
Nonetheless, the Bears QB room is trending upwards and could shoot up these rankings in time.
17. Eagles - Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback room is not that special. Frankly, I am not sure Jalen Hurts is a franchise quarterback. He’s played four seasons in the NFL and has just one season of note. He was not nearly as efficient in 2023 as he was in his and the Eagles breakout season in 2022. I am leaning toward that year being more of an outlier for the Eagles, who have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore.
There is a lot of pressure on Jalen Hurts, and I do firmly believe he is not nearly as talented as we think. He’s below-average as a passer, but can makeup for that a bit with his legs. Backing him up is Kenny Pickett, who the Eagles traded for earlier this offseason. Kenny Pickett was a bad starter, but could settle into being a competent backup in the NFL.
Overall, the Eagles QB room is pretty average, and unless Kellen Moore can help this offense get back on track, we might be having some tough conversations next offseason.
16. Packers - Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
The Green Bay Packers need more from their quarterback room in 2024, and I don’t mean that Jordan Love has to play better; I simply mean that he needs to build on what he did in 2023 and prove that he can do it consistently. Their projected backup, Sean Clifford, is about as unknown as you can possibly get, so with Love not yet having a full season of being a franchise QB under his belt, and the backup QB being quite unproven, the Packers QB room is in the middle of the pack.
However, what Jordan Love did show in 2023 was excellent, and if Love can build on his rookie season, the Packers are going to make a deep playoff run. Heck, they were in the NFC Divisional Round in 2023. The team was among the youngest in the NFL and have a ceiling that maybe only the Chiefs and 49ers have for 2024.
15. Cardinals - Kyler Murray, Desmond Ridder
The Arizona Cardinals have a competent and safe QB room with Kyler Murray as the QB1 and Desmond Ridder backing him up. To an extent, we’ve forgotten just how good Kyler Murray is, and the 2024 NFL Season might be where he re-establishes himself as a top QB in this league. Desmond Ridder was no one special in Atlanta, but he can be a fine backup in the right situation.
The Cardinals did add a good bit of talent this offseason, but are one more year away from truly being competitive. Kyler Murray is one of the few true dual-threat passers in the NFL, and now that he’s even more removed from his 2022 ACL injury, Murray can again play like he did at the beginning of his career.
I would expect the Arizona Cardinals to build off of 2023 and shock some people. They added respectable talent to their offensive line and at wide receiver this offseason.
14. Chargers - Justin Herbert, Easton Stick
The Los Angeles Chargers are clearly in a new era, as they won the Jim Harbaugh sweepstakes. Harbaugh returns to the NFL, heads to LA, and gets to work with Justin Herbert, one of the most overrated players in the NFL. Herbert has put up some nice numbers through four seasons, but the winning has not come with it. Right now, Herbert is much closer to being a more athletic Kirk Cousins than being put in the tier with guys like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen.
Backing up Herbert is Easton Stick, who has gone 0-4 in his career starts with LA. Ideally, you want your backup to be able to scrape together a win here and there, so the Bolts can likely do better than Stick as their backup. He did start all four games in 2023 when Justin Herbert went down with a season-ending injury.
Overall, we are overrating the LA Chargers, and are especially overrating their starting quarterback.
13. Jets - Aaron Rodgers, Tyrod Taylor
Oh boy, here we go. Aaron Rodgers is nowhere to be found at Jets minicamp and is apparently on some type of trip that he Jets organization does not want us to know about. If this trip was something normal that the NFL world would not freak out about, they’d have let us know. For example, if Rodgers was attending a wedding for a close friend, that would be perfectly reasonable.
But the Jets seemingly hiding Rodgers whereabouts makes me think he is somewhere off in “La-La Land.” Anyway, only time will tell if Aaron Rodgers has anything left in the tank, but backup QB Tyrod Taylor is quite the talented QB2. If Rodgers does need to miss a game here and there, Taylor is perfectly capable.
Aaron Rodgers probably is not his former MVP self in from the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but perhaps he’s still good enough to help the Jets get back to the postseason.
12. Falcons - Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr
Oh boy, this is an interesting quarterback room to say the least. So, in free agency, the Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal worth nearly $200 million. This comes after Cousins tore his Achilles about halfway through the 2023 NFL Season. I would personally expect "Kirko Chainz" to bounce back and return to his normal, efficient self.
While Cousins is not elite, he's clearly an efficient passer and should be the best QB this team has had since Matt Ryan left. If Kirk Cousins did not lose a step, the Falcons shoud win the NFC South title in 2024, but their ceiling is limited with Cousins under center.
And then in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team shockingly took Michael Penix Jr. This was an awful move, as if the Falcons wanted Penix this entire time, they should have stayed away from Kirk Cousins. Well, maybe they fell in love with Penix after signing Cousins?
I have no idea, but Penix is now likely having to wait three seasons before being able to start, and he'd then be in his late-20s. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot just mishandled this entire situation.
11. Lions - Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
Jared Goff re-signed on a huge deal, paying him over $50 million per year. Backing him up is Hendon Hooker, who was a draft pick by the Detroit Lions in last year's draft, but Hooker did not play during his rookie season. Goff might not quite be elite, but he's clearly plenty good enough to take this Detroit Lions team on a Super Bowl run.
They made a deep run to the NFC Championship Game in the 2023 NFL Season, and they have the roster talent to leap the 49ers and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in the 2024 NFL Season. The city of Detroit would go crazy.
10. Dolphins - Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White
The Miami Dolphins might be signing QB Tua Tagovailoa to a long-term extension, and with the recent QB deals, which has included Trevor Lawrence signing for $55 million per year, the pricetag for “Touchdown Tua” could push $60 million per year. Right now, Joe Burrow and Lawrence are the two highest-paid QBs in NFL history on a per-year basis.
With the NFL salary cap increasing, Tagovailoa has every argument in the world to ask for more than $55 million per year, which is insane, but this is how contracts in the NFL world. Backing hi up is Mike White, who has shown some nice flashes here and there as being a feisty backup QB. Ideally, Mike White never needs to appear in a game unless Miami has clinched the top seed in the AFC.
Tua Tagovailoa did start all 17 games in the 2023 NFL Season, so maybe he has put his injury concerns behind him.
9. Rams - Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo
I love the Los Angeles Rams quarterback room. Not only do they have an elite QB1 in Matthew Stafford, but they have a high-end backup who has won a ton of games in Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo will have to serve a two-game suspension, but he’s just about the best backup QB you can think of to come in and win a game or two.
Garoppolo started in the Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers several years ago, so the Rams did themselves a huge favor here by signing Garoppolo. The other big thing to note here is just how long Matthew Stafford has before meeting with Father Time.
The 2023 Los Angeles Rams went 10-7 during last year and did make the playoffs. With another strong offseason under their belts, what is stopping LA from making a deep playoff run during the 2024 NFL Season? This team did win the Super Bowl in 2021.
8. Ravens - Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
The Baltimore Ravens now have a two-time MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson, but their backup QB situation is quite poor. Veteran journeyman Josh Johnson is in line to be the backup QB, but Johnson has been in and out of the league for well over 10 years now, never sticking on a team for very long. If the Ravens are without Jackson for some games, Josh Johnson being the backup is not good enough.
You might be wondering why they rank 8th on this list, but that’s why. It’s especially concerning given that Jackson has missed some time, as his dual-threat style of play makes him more vulnerable to injuries. We’ll see if the Ravens can get over the hump and make it back to the Super Bowl, as they have disappointed in the playoffs in recent seasons.
7. Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones
Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones make for a very interesting quarterback room. Trevor Lawrence has played three seasons in the NFL and has really only had one season of note. The 2022 year was a nice breakout year for Lawrence and the Jags, but they dealt with some bumpy roads in 2023, leading to them not building on the year before.
Despite Lawrence not being nearly as efficient, the Jaguars still signed him to a deal that’ll pay him $55 million per year, which is atop the QB contracts alongside Joe Burrow. The Jaguars and Lawrence are under a good bit of pressure in 2024, as the QB hopes to silence some of the critics.
Mac Jones had a nice rookie season with the New England Patriots but dealt with some bad personnel and coaching, which led to him being shipped off to the Jaguars this offseason in a trade. Jones being in a more stable situation and having some more stable coaching should help him reset himself, and I could see a scenario where Jones gets another shot to start down the line.
6. Cowboys - Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush
Dak Prescott had an insanely efficient year in 2023 for the Dallas Cowboys, but he a still without a long-term deal. Could Dallas allow Prescott to play out this last year and have him hit free agency next offseason? For all the criticism Prescott receives, he’s still a top QB in the regular season, but there are some valid concerns about his playoff performances.
Overall, Prescott is probably the 10th-12th best QB in the NFL on any given day, so Dallas could do much worse. Backup QB Cooper Rush is about as good as they get. He’s 4-1 in five career starts with the Cowboys. In 26 total games, he’s got 1,619 yards, eight touchdowns, five interceptions, and has earned a passer rating of 83.6. Rush has been exactly what the Cowboys have needed him to be.
If Dallas resets at quarterback next offseason, could they have Cooper Rush serve as a one-year bridge QB?
5. Bills - Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky
Josh Allen is not as good as people make him out to be, but there is no denying that the Buffalo Bills win a ton of games with him under center. He’s got a turnover issue that needs to be corrected if Buffalo wants to make some progress in the AFC, and Allen will now be without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, so he’ll be throwing to a very new wide receiver room.
Nonetheless, even despite his turnovers, Josh Allen gives Buffalo a chance to win every week. Backing him up is an old friend in Mitchell Trubisky, who is an in-betweener. He’s clearly got some talent and has shown an ability to be a starter in this league, but he’s never really strung something together. He’s in the high-end backup category.
Overall, Buffalo is in for a bit of a reset year as they had to shed some veteran contracts to get more cap-compliant.
4. 49ers - Brock Purdy, Josh Dobbs
The discourse around San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is quite interesting. Many people think that he's way more of a product of the system, but others think he's truly elite. The truth, like always, is usually somewhere in the middle. Purdy clearly has it easier than most QBs in the NFL with the play-calling and personnel that the 49ers have on offense.
However, Purdy is a baller and might be a top-10 QB in this league. Through 21 starts, the 49ers have gone 17-4, and he's been in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl across his first two seasons in the NFL. Backing him up is likely Josh Dobbs, perhaps the smartest QB in the NFL who came in and played well in a pinch for the Vikings in 2023.
3. Texans - CJ Stroud, Davis Mills
Davis Mills quietly played quite well as a rookie a few years ago, and he could be the primary backup for CJ Stroud, who is already an elite passer. I would personally expect Stroud to take a huge leap in year two, and in fact, one of my many predictions for the 2024 NFL Season is that Stroud not only wins the MVP award, but the Houston Texans win the Super Bowl.
This roster is all of a sudden one of the best in the NFL, and Stroud is just excellent.
After the 2025 NFL Season, CJ Stroud would likely be in line for what could end up being the biggest contract in the history of the NFL, and at that point, QB contracts could be well over $60 million per year, as the NFL salary cap figure continues to make huge leaps nearly every season.
The Houston Texans have a deep and proven QB room that stands as their biggest strength heading into 2024. Can they win the Super Bowl in 2024?
2. Bengals - Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
Jake Browning showed that he's quite the backup QB, taking over for Joe Burrow when he went down with a season-ending wrist injury. The Bengals should rest soundly knowing that their QB room is quite deep, as Browning did come it and help keep the Bengals afloat.
Jake Browning tossed 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions in nine games for the Bengals in 2023, posting a 98.4 passer rating. Yeah, that'll do. Heck, many starting QBs have stretches of play like that. With Burrow set to return to the lineup, the hope is that Cincinnati never needs to play Browning again unless they've clinched a playoff seed.
Nonetheless, Burrow and Browning make for a top QB room in the NFL.
1. Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz
Yeah, this is obvious, and even their backup QB might be among the best in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have won three out of the last five Super Bowls and are atop the football world as the league's newest dynasty. They have shown no signs of slowing down and again had a strong offseason.
As the QB2, Wentz brings a ton of experience, and was once a Super Bowl-winning QB himself back in 2017. Wentz has bounced around several teams since falling off of a huge cliff in Philly, but being in a stable situation in Kansas City and being able to be coached by Andy Reid is going to do wonders for him and any chances he has left of being a starter in the NFL.
There you have it; all 32 quarterback rooms in the NFL ranked from worst to best heading into the 2024 season. Where did we get it right? Where did we get it wrong? I bet at the end of the regular season, these rankings could look a lot different.