We're closing in on Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, and fans are in for a treat with football games being played Thursday through Monday (including the Saturday college football slate). The NFL being back is already enough of a treat, but the league has some fun, fascinating quarterback matchups for fans to feast their eyes on, starting with a couple of former league MVPs in a Thursday night showdown.
Let's take a look at the best quarterback matchups on the NFL Week 1 slate and narrow it down to the top five must-see games.
Top 5 quarterback matchups for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season
1. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) vs. Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
Obviously, we all know that the quarterbacks don't literally line up against each other in a game, but this faceoff between Mahomes and Jackson in an AFC Championship rematch is a lot of fun. You're talking about two of the most dynamic playmakers at the quarterback position in the NFL, two former MVPs, and two teams vying for a Super Bowl again this year.
The NFL couldn't ask for much better than this to open its 2024 season.
2. Jordan Love (Packers) vs. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
This game is being played in Brazil, and the fans in Brazil are going to be treated to two of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL. Not only that, but two quarterbacks who could be potentially leading the best teams in the entire NFC.
The Eagles were surprisingly bad down the stretch last season, and we saw some regression from Jalen Hurts, but he still played at a very high level. Jordan Love finished second in the entire NFL last year with 32 touchdown passes in just his first year on the job after the Packers traded away Aaron Rodgers.
This is a great matchup at the quarterback position and will be a great test for each of these guys with both the Eagles (Vic Fangio) and Packers (Jeff Hafley) bringing in new defensive coordinators this offseason.
3. Aaron Rodgers (Jets) vs. Brock Purdy (49ers)
Aaron Rodgers was once spurned by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Draft while Brock Purdy was spurned by basically the entire NFL in his draft class. This is a matchup between two of the best overall rosters in the league and quarterbacks who are under a lot of pressure.
Rodgers is coming back from the major season-ending Achilles injury, and nobody's quite sure what the Jets are going to get from him. Purdy is eligible for a contract extension soon and has played like a top-10 quarterback in the league.
This Monday night matchup will be a lot of fun, especially because of how well Jets head coach Robert Saleh knows 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
4. Kyler Murray (Cardinals) vs. Josh Allen (Bills)
I really love this matchup of quarterbacks in Week 1 of the 2024 season. The Cardinals are going to be asking Kyler Murray to elevate this team substantially in 2024, and they got him a brand-new weapon in Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Bills are going to be leaning on Josh Allen more than ever before after gutting their roster over the last six months as well.
You're looking at two teams who could be getting slept on here in the preseason but two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league.
5. Matthew Stafford (Rams) vs. Jared Goff (Lions)
When the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams came together on a blockbuster trade back in 2021, I'm going to be honest -- it felt like Jared Goff was only included in the deal as a throw-in. It didn't seem -- at the time -- like he could develop into a viable long-term franchise quarterback, but that's exactly what's happened.
The Rams immediately won the Super Bowl after trading for Stafford, and the Lions have become one of the two or three best teams in the NFC and Goff has the richest contract in their franchise's history.
That's a pretty good trade for both sides, especially with the window the Lions currently find themselves in. This is a reunion for Stafford and the rightful Sunday Night Football game for Week 1.