Our NFL QB Rankings for the 2024 Season
The NFL regular season begins in 18 days. The frontrunners to win the chip next February are familiar: the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens.
Quarterback rankings are constantly in flux and will change enormously between now and the end of the season.
Our NFL QB Rankings for the 2024 Season
But with the regular season just around the bend, these are Vikings Territory‘s quarterback power rankings heading into 2024.
Please note: The principal criteria for each passer is this: “Which quarterback can be trusted in a playoff game, in the second half, down by the 10 points?”
32. The Broncos’ QB
Sean Payton may eventually unlock Bo Nix to his complete potential, but for now, he’s a short-range passer who will probably be thrust into QB1 duty immediately. If it’s not Nix, Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson are on the menu.
31. The Raiders’ QB
Las Vegas has the least exciting plan for the future at QB1 in the NFL, handing the scepter to Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Minshew should be resilient enough to grab 5-7 wins in Las Vegas, but that isn’t really a compliment. O’Connell, on the other hand, was a late-round lottery ticket from last year’s draft.
30. Jacoby Brissett (NE)
Unless Drake Maye scores the late-summer upset, Brissett will start for the 2024 Patriots, and most folks already know his story — he’s better suited for QB2 (though he’s adored in Foxboro).
29. Bryce Young (CAR)
C.J. Stroud wrecked it for everybody, and now Young has to step up in 2024 and prove his growth was simply postponed a little bit. He’ll uncover a bit more offensive weaponry as a sophomore in the league.
28. Russell Wilson (PIT)
Wilson played quite well in 2023, but the 2022 stink followed his reputation — so much so that the Broncos had seen enough. The Steelers will win nine games with or without Wilson, and this stop in Pittsburgh should be considered Wilson’s last chance to reestablish his pre-2022 mastery. The guy was on pace for the Hall of Fame not long ago. Otherwise, he’ll give way to Justin Fields, and folks will hope to finally see his upside, which wasn’t fully unlocked in Chicago.
27. Sam Darnold (MIN)
Darnold, as a standalone passer, might be worse than No. 27 on this list, but his supporting cast in Minnesota is tailor-made from paradise. A former quarterback as his head coach, a former teammate as his quarterback coach, plus Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison prop Darnold up to flourish for the first time in his career.
26. Daniel Jones (NYG)
The 2024 campaign is make-or-break for Jones in New York. If he doesn’t work out, all those draft rumors involving a quarterback will come to fruition in 2025. Maybe Malik Nabers will be the special sauce. Drew Lock also works there. He could eventually take over if familiar Jones injuries emerge.
25. Geno Smith (SEA)
An underrated achievement in 2023, Smith reached a Pro Bowl. His 2023 season faltered compared to 2022, but they evidently love him in Seattle. Sam Howell is the next man up.
24. Jayden Daniels (WAS)
The Commanders quietly produced a fruitful free agency and an even better draft. They’re ready to compete now, and Daniels should get off the ground in September. He looked great in his first preseason game.
23. Derek Carr (NO)
Carr tabulated a 25-TD to 8-INT split last year, but most ranked his season as blah. He must be more productive in 2024 to convince New Orleans of a longer-term relationship. Carr will pair with Klint Kubiak this season, who extracted the best from Kirk Cousins in 2021, as Vikings fans will remember.
22. Deshaun Watson (CLE)
This guy desperately needs a redemptive bounceback season that makes onlookers think, “That’s the Deshaun Watson I remember.” It’s been five years since Watson was elite while his team showcased a winning record.
21. Will Levis (TEN)
Levis looked fabulous in flashes last year and has the swagger to succeed as a QB1. However, he must be smarter concerning his health, learning to adopt the “live to see another play” philosophy instead of hero ball as a ball carrier. He has the arm, however.
20. Caleb Williams (CHI)
By November or so, there’s a decent chance that Williams has climbed into the Top 15. But the thing is — he actually has to be translate to the NFL first. We’ve been told about generational quarterbacks in the past, like Trevor Lawrence, for example — “there’s no way this guy is a miss” — and then the man isn’t all that legendary. Williams will have to earn it in Chicago, a spot that has notoriously never developed a quarterback, at least not in the Super Bowl era.
19. Baker Mayfield (TB)
Per the numbers, Mayfield essentially had a Kirk Cousins statline in 2023, accounting for 28 touchdowns, 10 picks, and over 4,400 passing yards. Now, he faces a familiar test — sustainability.
18. Anthony Richardson (IND)
Richardson played marvelously for a few games before he was injured. If the ailments don’t become a career trend, he can enter the NFL’s top tier within the next few seasons. He has all the tools and then some.
17. Brock Purdy (SF)
Our test on Purdy is always something like this — how would he perform on the Patriots’ or Panthers’ rosters? We just can’t buy into the notion that he’d be a Pro Bowler with those teams. The man is efficient, but it might be a product of the 49ers’ sweet system.
16. Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
Lawrence is also one of those players who nobody will be surprised if he shows up in 2024 and totally “figures it out.” He’s shown moments — pretty fantastic ones. However, as a former 1st-overall pick, he must transform into an elite passer, as his draft stock suggested.
15. Jared Goff (DET)
Can Goff guide the ship of the Lions’ foundationally sturdy offense? You betcha. Can Goff take an ordinary team to playoffs “by himself?” Nope. Fifteenth-best sounds fair.
14. Kirk Cousins (ATL)
Cousins has played the best football of his career in the last three seasons. Now, he’ll embrace a change of scenery in Atlanta, a club boasting oodles of offensive weapons. If Cousins were not recovering from a torn Achilles, he’d rank a few spots higher on this list. But he’ll be 36 this summer and returning from a nasty injury.
13. Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
Tagovailoa, more than any quarterback in the NFL, needs a signature moment in the playoffs to convince the world that he’s legitimate. For now, he’s right in the middle: a prolific regular season commodity that morphs into a turtle in big moments.
12. Kyler Murray (ARI)
When Murray came back from an injury last season, his team was already out of playoff contention, and no one really cared about the Cardinals. Yet, he performed rather well and still has all the tools to do great things. Based on his natural talent, plus a full year on tap in 2024, he can become a fringe Top 10 quarterback.
11. Dak Prescott (DAL)
This is Kirk Cousins in a Cowboys uniform, with more youth on his side.
10. Jordan Love (GB)
Jordan Love performed tremendously as a first-year starter in 2023. Now, he has to do it again. NFL history is filled with men who couldn’t replicate an impressive first act, mainly because defensive coordinators “figure them out.” Love will probably climb this list in no time, but he needs another sweet season.
9. Matthew Stafford (LAR)
The old war horse, Stafford has a few years left to win a second Super Bowl. He threw for about 4,000 yards in 15 games and is an assassin with the game on the line. He’s still more trustworthy than most in the clutch.
8. C.J. Stroud (HOU)
Like Jordan Love above, Stroud has to “prove it” in consecutive seasons. The Offensive Rookie of the Year had all the right stuff in Year No. 1 — even after his surrounding cast looked horrendous on paper at this time last year. Stroud will become a Top Fiver if he replicates his 2023 performance. Easy.
7. Jalen Hurts (PHI)
The Eagles utterly baffled everyone down the stretch of 2023 with a ghastly losing streak, and Hurts’ stock fell consequently. He’s not the best pure passer in the NFL, but his short-yard acumen on the ground and sheer strength are a splendor. Hurts recorded 40 total touchdowns in 2023, an underrated stat.
6. Aaron Rodgers (NYJ)
We won’t be the website to count Rodgers out due to age. Not gonna do it. That could’ve happened in 2018 and 2019 for Rodgers, but then he won back-to-back MVPs. He’ll turn 41 in a few months, and folks should be able to tell early on if he’s the 2021 Aaron Rodgers.
5. Lamar Jackson (BAL)
Jackson has a few more years to win a Super Bowl, as he’ll likely see a slowdown like Cam Newton in 2017. A running quarterback doesn’t have the longevity of a pocket passer, so time is of the essence for Jackson. But he’s an utterly electric playmaker.
4. Justin Herbert (LAC)
Herbert did the stats stuff in his first four years — and did it masterfully. Now, with Jim Harbaugh at his side, he can become the “QB Wins” guy. It’s all set up for Herbert and Harbaugh.
3. Josh Allen (BUF)
Allen plays way too carelessly at times, but he can get away with it because he’s crisp in the clutch. He almost single-handedly dragged Buffalo to the postseason last year when it was down for the count. This go-round, though, he’ll see a brave new world without Stefon Diggs.
2. Joe Burrow (CIN)
Burrow only ousts Allen because of his decision-making. He simply doesn’t have as many turnovers as Allen, and that’s vital. Assuming Burrow stays healthy — and it will help if his team doesn’t hop out to its customary slow start — Burrow is the second-best in the business behind the budding GOAT.
1. Patrick Mahomes (KC)
Mahomes is on a path to becoming the greatest of all time, and the only reason it hasn’t been proclaimed yet is a) No one wants to jinx it b) Because of Michael Jordan, sports fans and media only use championship rings as a barometer for excellence.
But make no mistake, Mahomes is on his way to conquering Brady for the coveted title.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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