There’s a hierarchy when it comes to NFL quarterbacks, and most of them can easily be placed into one group or another.
There’s the legends, talents like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. The elites, who are Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Then we’ve got the young guns, which is where Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy fit in.
Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Derek Carr and Jared Goff represent the aged veterans, whose days are numbered, but they can still take care of business any given Sunday. Then we have the unproven batch of first- or second-year quarterbacks such as Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and most of the first or second-year quarterbacks.
And finally, we’ve got those who are barely holding on to a starting spot, their role, a job.
Here’s how I would rank the top 25 NFL quarterbacks heading into the 2024 season.
This list was limited to 25 because it’s impossible to project what rookies such as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix will become without seeing them take an NFL snap.
Quarterback Rankings
1. Patrick Mahomes: He’s a three-time champion and the new gold standard for NFL quarterbacks in this era of football. What can’t he do?
2. Lamar Jackson: This two-time MVP, who owns a 58-19 record as a starter, is the best dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. He also possesses the best contract in the NFL because he’s the only quarterback truly making $50 million a season on his entire deal.
3. Josh Allen: Allen owns a 63-30 record from his six seasons as an NFL starter, but must excel without an alpha receiver this season. But if he does, he will cement himself as one of the marquee talents in this era.
4. Joe Burrow: Burrow, who owns a 29-22-1 record, took the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2022, but he has struggled to stay healthy in two of his four seasons. Can his return make the Bengals a powerhouse?
5. Aaron Rodgers: This four-time league MVP, who is coming back from an Achilles injury, is the oldest man in the NFL at 40. He will have a chance to prove he’s still elite in his second season with the Jets.
6. C.J. Stroud: Stroud led the Texans to the playoffs last season by putting together the best rookie season a quarterback has had since Andrew Luck. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
7. Dak Prescott: With Prescott, who owns a 73-41 record as a starter, at the helm the Cowboys annually possess one of the best offenses in the NFL. He’s entering the final year of his contract and will likely become the highest-paid QB either before the season starts or next offseason because he has a no tag clause in his contact.
8. Brock Purdy: Mr. Irrelevant has led the 49ers deep into the postseason the past two years, and is one of only two quarterbacks to produce a passer rating above 100 the past two seasons. He’s consistent and clutch.
9. Jalen Hurts: Hurts, a dual-threat weapon, has produced a 34-17 record in his four seasons as the Eagles starter, and was at the doorstep of winning the Super Bowl two years ago.
10. Justin Herbert: Herbert remains among the NFL leaders in nearly every passing category since his NFL debut, but for some reason he’s 30-32 as a starter and on his third head coach.
11. Matt Stafford: He’s started 206 NFL games in his 15 seasons, and the 35-year-old serves as a stabilizing presence for the Rams, which he led to a Super Bowl win three seasons ago.
12. Kirk Cousins: Cousins has had an impressive nine-year run as an NFL starter in Washington and Minnesota, producing a 76-67-2 record. Now the 35-year-old will be embarking on a comeback from a season-ending Achilles injury with the Falcons.
13. Jared Goff: Goff owns a 66-50-1 record, and has thrown for 30,429 yards and 185 touchdowns in his eight seasons as an NFL starter. With him at the helm the Lions are one of the most feared NFC teams.
14. Tua Tagovailoa: Tagovailoa, who is 32-19 as a starter, had led the NFL in passer rating (2022), and passing yards (2023), and joined Purdy as one of only two quarterbacks to have a passer rating over 100 the past two seasons.
15. Deshaun Watson: Watson was viewed as one of the NFL’s promising youngsters early in his career, but his fall from grace was steep. During the past two years he has led Cleveland to an 8-4 record, and that includes a 5-1 run in 2023 before a shoulder injury prematurely ended his season.
16. Jordan Love: Love started slowly in his first season as a starter, but finished strong down the stretch, winning six of the final eight games and leading the Packers to a playoff win against Dallas in a game where he threw three touchdown passes.
17. Trevor Lawrence: Last season Lawrence’s interceptions went from 8 to 14, his touchdown passes dropped from 25 to 21, and his sacks increased, going from 27 to 35.
18. Derek Carr: Carr had a respectable career in his nine seasons as a starter for the Raiders, and his first in New Orleans was one of his best statistical seasons considering he produced a winning record (9-8), completed 68.4 percent of his passes, threw for 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions.
19. Baker Mayfield: Mayfield resurrected his once-promising career in Tampa Bay last season, leading the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record, and a playoff win against the Eagles. He holds a 40-46 record as an NFL starter for the past six seasons.
20. Kyler Murray: Murray, who owns a 28-36-1 record as an NFL starter, will begin his second season coming back for a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2022 campaign. He was 3-5 last season in his eight starts and finished the year with a 89.4 passer rating.
21. Geno Smith: Smith resurrected his career as an NFL starter in Seattle, producing a 17-15 record in his two seasons as Russell Wilson’s replacement. Smith completed 64.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,624 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season
22. Daniel Jones: Jones, who has a 22-36-1 record in his five seasons as a starter, will be nine months into rehabbing his torn ACL in his right knee when the regular season starts. This is the final season all of his salary ($36 million this year) is guaranteed, so he needs to produce wins to extend his stay.
23. Russell Wilson: Wilson, who has a 115-72-1 record in his 12 seasons as an NFL starter, was mediocre in his two years in Denver (11-19 record), but plenty of factors contributed to his struggles. Wilson, who had a 98.0 passer rating last season, will be competing with Justin Fields to determine who serves as the Steelers’ starting quarterbacks in 2024.
24. Gardner Minshew: Minshew, who owns a 15-22 record as an NFL starter, is on his third team in five years. Last year he replaced an injured Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis and completed 62.2 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
25. Anthony Richardson: If Richardson’s surgically repaired throwing shoulder heals properly the Colts’ 2023 first-round pick should be able to pick up where he left off as a rookie, who was 2-2 and was just getting his feet under him before the injury.
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