NFL power rankings: Ranking all starting quarterbacks ahead of Week 5
16. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints raced out to a 2-0 start in 2024 but have since lost the last two games. They’re an important lesson to not put too much into the first couple weeks of a season as teams are still figuring themselves out. The Saints being 2-2 feels just about right, and so does Carr being ranked 16th in these power rankings.
He’s been a relatively average QB for a majority of his career and probably has several more years left in the NFL as an average passer. On the 2024 NFL Season, Carr has thrown for six touchdowns and three interceptions, earning a passer rating of 103.9. However, over the last two games, he’s thrown for one touchdown against two picks.
Carr is still completing 72% of his passes, but it feels like the high they were on in Weeks 1 and 2 was just that. The Saints should again win around nine games this season and could compete for the NFC South division title if all goes well. I am not sure Carr is better than Baker Mayfield or Kirk Cousins, but he’s fine.
15. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff has lit it up in the stat sheet for the Detroit Lions, but the team is now 3-1 on the season after a huge victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. The Lions still need to get their defense situation, and I would argue that Goff needs to play a hair better as well.
Goff and the Lions are trending up. They went 12-5 last year, won the NFC North, and made a run all the way to the NFC Championship Game. I personally believe they have the best roster in the NFL and have predicted them to go to the Super Bowl this season.
But I do wonder deep down if the duo of Dan Campbell and Jared Goff is indeed good enough to make a Super Bowl run. We’ll see, but Goff has played in a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams before. To a degree, I feel a bit icky putting Goff this low in these power rankings, but this is where it feels like he belongs thus far.
I would not be surprised to see Goff go on a run and stack some high-end performances after the bye week.