NFL Power Rankings: Ranking rookie quarterbacks after Week 3
Week 3 of the 2024 NFL Season is officially in the books, so let's roll out our weekly rookie QB power rankings. Is there a new no. 1? Week 3 is over, and we're beginning to see certain teams coming into their own. At this point, as we approach the quarter-mark of the new NFL season, teams are going to settle into themselves.
And we could see rookie quarterbacks begin to gradually play better. Two of the three rookie QB starters won in Week 3, and those two who did win showed a ton of notable growth and enjoyed the best games of their young careers.
Let's dive into our weekly rookie QB power rankings!
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking rookie quarterbacks after Week 3
Unranked: Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr, etc
As usual, guys like Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr, and other rookie QBs who have yet to see the field or have yet to play substantive snaps in the NFL are not ranked. I could see both Maye and Penix getting some starts near the end of the 2024 NFL Season, but McCarthy is injured and out for the season.
On a side note, McCarthy is currently rehabbing from a torn meniscus all while Sam Darnold is making a legitimate MVP case. What do the Minnesota Vikings do with Darnold and McCarthy for 2025 if "Sammy Dimes" plays like this the entire season? I can't imagine the Vikings would let Darnold leave the building, right?
3. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
It's really not all Caleb Williams' fault here. Williams has thrown two touchdowns and four interceptions on the seasons, but he's hasn't completed 60% of his passes and has taken a whopping 13 sacks. It's a total mess on offense for the Chicago Bears, who have absolutely no identity.
Honestly, a head coaching changes feels on the horizon for this team, and a totally new coaching staff would also not surprise me in 2025 and beyond. There isn't any type of scaffolding going on here. It just feels like the Bears got too caught up in being able to draft Caleb Williams that they didn't have much else of a plan.
The offensive line is a total mess, and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is not doing the team any favors. Williams' raw talent will be enough for him to figure something out to a degree, but it's not been pretty thus far for the Bears.
2. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
If you watched Bo Nix in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you'll understand why he is ranked ahead of Caleb Williams. Nix was on fire. He took zero sacks, played on time, and was carving up the Bucs' defense. It was the best rookie QB performance until Jayden Daniels' on Monday Night Football. Against the Bucs, Nix completed 69.4% of his passes for 216 yards. He also added 47 rushing yards and a rushing touchdowns.
Through three games, Nix has been sacked just four times, so it's clear that he's been able to take that into the NFL level. The Broncos hung 26 points on the Buccaneers, and the gradual growth from Weeks 1-3 has been evident.
This was a polished and encouraging performance, and while Nix has yet to throw a touchdown pass, he's getting more comfortable in the pocket, and you can tell that he, Sean Payton, and the rest of the Broncos offense is building something notable.
1. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
On Monday Night Football, the Washington Commanders upset the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jayden Daniels was the best player on that field. He had two pass incompletions on the day and three total touchdowns, outdueling Joe Burrow. On a side note, the Bengals drop the 0-3 on the season and look totally lost and done.
The Commanders are perhaps shockingly 2-1, and Daniels is a very early favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Through three games in his NFL career, he's thrown for 664 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and has added 171 rushing yards and another three scores. Daniels may already be a top-15 QB in the NFL and is unquestionably the best rookie QB thus far.
He's also got a 111.8 passer rating, which is flat-out insane. Daniels has also completed 80.3% of his passes.