RANKING NFL STARTING QUARTERBACKS GOING INTO THE 2024 SEASON

Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. It is the only player on the field worth more than a point. Let's look at what teams are secure in their future, what teams need to do some soul searching, and what teams should burn it down.

32. Sam Darnold ~ Minnesota Vikings

I am one of the few that knew going into the 2018 draft, Darnold was not going to work out in the NFL. He was very mistake prone when it came to actually being under pressure. Darnold has been giving multiple opportunities to start and has not shown like others believed he would. I do believe we will see Sam Darnold's ceiling as a passer under Kevin O'Connell's offense. That being said, I do not believe Sam Darnold is a starter in the league.

31. Daniel Jones ~ New York Giants

Yes, Daniel Jones has won a playoff game. Yes, you could argue a couple of guys should be behind him. Look at his numbers without a consistent run game. Daniel Jones will likely not be playing at the caliber an NFL QB should. The Giants never should have paid him, and it will take the life out of them until 2026, unless they can strike gold in a future draft.

30. Jacoby Brissett ~ New England Patriots

This is probably my first more controversial pick. Brissett puts up decent numbers, but he really is a career backup from my standpoint. Of course, he is here to teach and will be benched for Drake Maye sometime later this year or next. He will be playing in the middle of team that needs a major rebuild offensively and will serve his purpose as a transitional QB that can get some wins with a couple of veteran pieces around him.

29. Bryce Young ~ Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young may not get a fair opportunity to show his true talents in this league. As highly as I spoke about quarterbacks in my intro, the team itself starts with the owner, GM, and front office. Who they hire as coaches. What players are drafted and signed can be detrimental to a QB's growth. As poorly as Young played last season; it was his rookie year, and the Panthers are a mess from top to bottom. I hope he can find his footing and play to his full potential in all of the mess.

28. Russell Wilson ~ Pittsburgh Steelers

As this list is being written, there is a chance we see Justin Fields get the nod before the season starts. If that does not happen, I believe there is still some upside to Wilson. He will be under a much more stable system with Mike Tomlin. He doesn't make a lot of crucial mistakes. I am not saying he will make a return to the Russ we saw in Seattle, but again, the stability in Pittsburgh tells me, he will be more consistent that what we saw in Denver.

27. Gardener Minshew II ~ Las Vegas Raiders

I like Gardener. He can certainly win games everywhere he goes. He can feel inconsistent statistically speaking, but I believe he belongs in the league. Starting? Arguably not, but he will get a good opportunity this year to prove that wrong. The Raiders also have Aiden O'Connell, who I think we will see starting if Minshew cannot stack wins with the weapons provided.

26. Will Levis ~ Tennessee Titans

I see many people high on Levis this year. He certainly has a team built to succeed in the passing game. That makes it a make-or-break year for him. I did not see a lot from Levis last year. Similar to Bryce, I don't want to unfairly judge him based off his rookie year. That being said, Will has a lot to clean up in his fundamentals and will need to win a good number of games this year to prove he can hang before I feel comfortable pushing him up the list.

25. Derek Carr ~ New Orleans Saints

Despite a down year, last year was not a bad year for Derek Carr. What is missing from this Saints offense is creative schemes and play calling. Derek Carr has been viewed as mid for a very long time, and this year might be no different. The Saints need to get rid of Dennis Allen, get their negative cap space taken care of and do a proper rebuild rather than trying to reload. I still believe Carr has a chance to see more success than what he has provided in previous years. He just has limitations and needs a proper team built around him.

24. Bo Nix ~ Denver Broncos

I had no problem with the Broncos choosing Nix with their 12th overall pick. Nix fits what Sean Payton like in a QB. He won't be put in the best situation due to the Bronco's cap issues. On the flip side, Payton will be the best coach to develop Nix. This draft seems that we could see 3 or more QBs succeed. I truthfully believe Bo Nix could be one of those. I have him low, obviously him being a rookie let's see what he can make happen.

23. Jayden Daniels ~ Washington Commanders

Dual threat QBs tend to have a higher chance of success in the NFL in recent years. The Commanders have a new owner all the way down to coaches with a team many will view as underrated. The downside to the offense will be the offensive line. Luckily, Jayden Daniels knows how to use his feet. Aside from the O-line, Daniels will have some nice weapons to target. He should provide a very fun to watch rookie year.

22. Geno Smith ~ Seattle Seahawks

I struggled deciding if I wanted to put Geno behind Caleb Williams. Geno Smith is certainly not a great QB, but also not a bad QB. It will be interesting to see how Mike MacDonald plans to use Geno. The Seahawks are making changes to their O-line that may take some time to develop. As always Seattle is loaded with weapons that can see many QBs succeed such as Drew Lock last year. Sometimes a QB is only as great as their system. That is how I am feeling about Geno.

21. Caleb Williams ~ Chicago Bears

If Geno is a product of his system, Caleb Williams has been put in an even better situation. The Bears are knocking in the door of a top 10 offensive line. They have brough in tremendous weapons and have stacked their running backs. Williams will be set up year one. There are still some questions to be asked when it comes to coaching. I will not go as far as others to call him a "generational talent." The phrase gets thrown around more than it should, but if Williams can slow the game down, the Bears have set him up to have a smooth transition.

20. Deshaun Watson ~ Cleveland Browns

Watson saw slight improvements last year compared to 2022. There is still a long way to go, but if you go watch his game against the Ravens week 4 last year, you could see Watson's best game of the few he played in the last two years. He started to show some of the flashes of the old Deshaun the Browns had given him the bag for. If he can keep trending in the right direction, maybe he can make a leap back into the top 10 he left so abruptly years ago. To do that, he will need to stay on the field, and out of the IR.

19. Baker Mayfield ~ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It was tough choosing between Baker and Watson. Watson certainly has a higher ceiling, but Baker just had a better year last year. I expect similar production keeping his main targets, but I also believe he was limited under Dave Canales offense. Maybe an OC change can help. That being said overall, I do not love the coaching staff, but after a playoff win, I can understand not blowing the staff up. Their line is below average, and despite having little to no run game last year, they did nothing add to it unless their 4th round pick Bucky Irving from Oregon works out. The Buccaneers need to do more to take some of the pressure off Mayfield.

18. Anthony Richardson ~ Indianapolis Colts

I really want to put Richardson higher. I predict if he can stay healthy, he will be viewed as a top 10-12 QB as early as next year. He showed flashes of brilliance. Where he is failing is staying in the pocket. The colts have a top 5 offensive line according to PFF. He is panicking and leaving the pocket when he doesn't have to. If he can clean up his footwork, stop taking big hits, and stop panicking in the pocket, Richardson will be much higher on this list by week 9.

17. Tua Tagovailoa ~ Miami Dolphins

Tua is another QB that feels like the product of his team's system. Yes, he led the team in passing yards last year. There is a good chance he does it again this year with the team he has around him. As a QB, he gets the job done. Now that he is getting paid big money, expect a decline in his production starting next year when he makes $60,000,000 and starts losing those pieces.

16. Kirk Cousins ~ Atlanta Falcons

If Kirk Cousins could win in primetime (including playoffs), we may see him as a top 5 QB. If he never got hurt, he would average over 5,000 yards from scrimmage. Makes you wonder if Atlanta picked up Penix so they could throw him out there for primetime games. Send Kirk to therapy. There has to be some kind of nerves or brain block that keeps him from performing when it matters most. Let's hope the Falcons can figure that out. Until then, I am putting him right in the middle.

15. Kyler Murray ~ Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray needs to stay healthy. If he does, he would be regarded as a top 10 QB. He is great at rushing, but he is certainly no pushover in the passing game either. What scares me about Murray is his OC Drew Petzing. I am not a fan. The offense felt lack luster. It felt like Kyler was running for his life. Yes, part of that is due to poor offensive line play, but the other part falls on the play designer. Play calling needs to improve. Even if it takes getting an offensive HC.

14. Trevor Lawrence ~ Jacksonville Jaguars

I know I will get some hate for this. Trevor Lawrence was supposed to be one of those "generational talents" coming out of college. He had a poor year with Urban Meyer, so they brought in Doug Pederson, and Lawrence improved all across the board. They almost made the playoffs last year but failed in a week 18 showdown. Either way, last year was seen as an utter disappointment. Lawrence made a step back from where he was year two. The Jags have done a poor job protecting and providing weapons to Lawrence. With his new contract expect to see this team stay around .500 for the next few years.

13. Dak Prescott ~ Dallas Cowboys

Dak had pretty close to a career year in 2023. He makes the list above Lawrence due to less mistakes. Dak did a good job taking care of the ball last season. I expect he does not have quite the year we saw last year, but I cannot deny just how good he was all across the board. If he keeps these numbers and can win some games, he will be starting next year rather with the Cowboys or without. With the lack of a Cowboys run game, the Cowboys put pressure on Dak play himself into a contract.

12. Jared Goff ~ Detroit Lions

Listen, what Jared Goff has done for the Lions is amazing. The Lions and their fans could never repay him. That being said there are times the offense feels limited by Goff's abilities. Goff has made a Superbowl. He can win playoff games, but as a pure passer, he tends to miss more often than I would like. Good guy, solid numbers, wins playoff games. Sometimes that's more than what any team could ask for, that's why he is above Dak.

11. Matthew Stafford ~ Los Angeles Rams

I am predicting a huge year for Matt Stafford. Despite an average O-line, I believe if the Rams can stay healthy, they are well on their way back to the playoffs. Stafford has played pretty well despite horrendous O-line play the last 2 years. I know this will be unpopular having him this high, but I believe Stafford gets the Rams and his numbers back on track with a fully healthy season.

10. Aaron Rodgers ~ New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers had the worst full year of his career in 2022. He then has a major injury at the age of 39, missing the entire season. His off the field distractions mixed with deciding who his team brings in gives me Kevin Durant vibes. I don't like it. He could certainly get back to where he was, but I think there is also a chance we see a dramatic drop off... and a lot of finger pointing. I also don't want to completely throw away his upside. Not to mention having a top 5 O-line. We should know after the first 8 weeks which Rodgers the Jets got.

9. Brock Purdy ~ San Fransisco 49ers

It is hard not to think Purdy is a product of the 49ers system. He has the best LT & RB in football and multiple elite receivers. That being said, you have to give Purdy his due. He made it to a Superbowl less than two years after being selected Mr. Irrelevant. He threw for over 4200 yards, didn't make a lot of mistakes, what more could you ask? If the 49ers start losing guys like it appears, we may see more of what Purdy looks like under pressure. Until then, Purdy has earned a spot in the top 10.

8. Jordan Love ~ Green Bay Packers

Forgetting the controversy of whether Love should have gotten the contract he did or not. Love did perform well the second half of last season. On top of that blowing out Dallas and nearly beating San Fransisco to go on to the NFC championship. This ranking can feel blown out of proportion. I am not even sure if Love will be a top 10 QB in this league. That being said, I am giving him the nod. He is still on a lesser deal for this year. The Packers have slightly improved their running game. I am not all about the receiving core like others. Which is one of the reasons I put Love so high on the list. He did all of this without a star receiver. The jury is still out. I definitely want more time, but I also want to give him his dues.

7. Justin Herbert ~ Los Angeles Chargers

Rather Herbert had a good team, or bad team he always plays elite. You have to watch to understand. From his movement to his vision. Herbert finally got a new coach in the form of Jim Harbaugh, who drafted him a left tackle. The only problem is a lack of weapons. The Chargers have some major needs, but with an elite QB and a Superbowl appearing HC, they should definitely get some wins this year.

6. Jalen Hurts ~ Philidelphia Eagles

After the second half of the season last year, Hurts seems to really miss his former OC, Shane Steichen. Hurts just looked lost on the field. I fear this year could look even worse after the retirement of Jason Kelce. I still am going to bet on the upside of Jalen Hurts. People really don't take into account that he is a top 3 rushing QB in the league. I am very interested to see what comes of this offense. If it doesn't look good quickly, how long does it take to replace their new OC?

5. CJ Stroud ~ Houston Texans

I didn't want to overdo it. I was fair towards the second year QB's that didn't look so good, how can I put the second year QB that looked great so high? Confidence. CJ Stroud just completed very possibly the greatest year of a rookie QB. He plays like an elite, superstar QB. The way he sees the field is just head and shoulders above others. I am confidently saying he is a top 5 QB in my opinion. Even if you do not want to over-hype him, he is at least top 10. A rookie year like his looks like a very promising career for Stroud.

4. Lamar Jackson ~ Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson has proved himself to be a top 5 QB in the league. You can't look at the stats. You just have to watch. He is so quick on his feet. Now that the Ravens have a run game, expect them to trick many defenses this season. If Lamar can stay healthy like last year, expect a deep playoff run.

3. Josh Allen ~ Buffalo Bills

People look at the departure of Stephon Diggs as a bad thing for the Bills. I truly believe it can be a great thing for Josh Allen. When you look at a player like Baker Mayfield, who declined after the Browns picked up OBJ. Some players are just too distracting. Josh Allen will get a chance to throw the ball to who he wants without complaint. Though it may not feel like Buffalo has a definitive number one, sometimes that is not always a bad thing. Allen is great at adlibbing, expect a rocky start, but a strong finish from the Bills.

2. Joe Burrow ~ Cincinnati Bengals

I completely understand how big of an injury Joe is coming off of, but I can't put anyone this close to Mahomes without knowing they can beat him. If we see the same Burrow that we get year-to-year, he is without a doubt the second-best QB in the league. Health is a concern. He did have a rocky start to the season last year, but he tends to have hot and cold games throughout the season. Let's hope he can stay healthy and look sharper than he did the few games we saw him last year.

1. Patrick Mahomes ~ Kansas City Chiefs

2-4 could have been switched around any way you want. Number one is never a doubt on any list. Mahomes rules the NFL. He will go down as one of the two greatest players in history. He will (hopefully not) probably be in the Superbowl every year for the rest of our lives.

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