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Top 10 QB setups entering 2024 season: These NFL teams are doing the most to support their signal-callers
By Cody Benjamin,
19 hours ago
Quarterbacks are important. There's no disputing that. It's why NFL teams are so quick to reset the position's market when locking up even relatively unproven signal-callers for the long haul.
Oftentimes, however, a quarterback is only as effective as his supporting cast. There are a select number of transcendent talents, to be sure: Put Patrick Mahomes on any franchise, and his track record of NFL stardom suggests he'd elevate any lineup. Still, the easiest way to project a quarterback's success is by looking at what's around him, both on the field and on the sidelines.
Here, we're ranking the 10 best quarterback situations entering the 2024 season, accounting for 1) skill weapons, 2) offensive linemen, 3) coaches and 4) defensive support, in roughly that order. Just because a quarterback has an enviable situation, of course, doesn't mean he's guaranteed a Super Bowl run; an elite setup has the ability to simply make a lesser passer competitive.
All that said, here are the teams doing the most to support their quarterback going into the season:
Top coaches: Zac Robinson (offense), Raheem Morris (defense)
There's a lot of upside, to be sure, with Robinson likely to take a bigger role as the do-it-all dual threat. The coaches are intriguing. Is there enough out wide to truly aid Cousins and meet his big-money expectations?
Top coaches: Joe Brady (offense), Sean McDermott (defense)
For all the questions thrown the Bills' way after their complete overhaul of Allen's receiving corps, this isn't as barren an infrastructure as you might think: Cook is an explosive dual threat out of the backfield, and Kincaid has the upside to be a Pro Bowl pass catcher at tight end. Still, in today's NFL , it's tough to outgun the best of the best when you're lacking a bona fide No. 1 on the outside.
Top coaches: Doug Pederson (offense), Ryan Nielsen (defense)
Etienne might be an All-Pro in a bigger market, while Kirk, Davis and Engram all serve functionally as No. 2-level outlets. The question is, how much can the line and play-calling aid Lawrence's decision-making?
Top coaches: Jim Harbaugh (offense), Jesse Minter (defense)
The skill talent is a total guess after the new regime overhauled the receiving corps, but maybe, just maybe, Harbaugh's tough leadership combined with a restocked line will get instant results.
Top coaches: Brian Callahan (offense), Dennard Wilson (defense)
Levis suddenly has a deep, experienced crop of weapons for his fearless passing game. He's a candidate for a major leap. How ready is his young/shuffled line, however, not to mention a fresh staff?
Top coaches: Shane Waldron (offense), Matt Eberflus (defense)
Give the Bears credit for accommodating their latest investment under center. If nothing else, Williams has a plethora of proven weapons at his disposal, with Swift, Moore and Allen offering a ton of explosiveness and/or physicality at the starting skill spots. There are too many unknowns in the trenches and on the headsets, however, to consider them a totally safe bet.
Top coaches: Kevin Stefanski (offense), Jim Schwartz (defense)
Their league-wide reputation has wavered due to Watson's mercurial play and availability, but you can see why the pressure's all on him now: Most of the ingredients are here for a real playoff run. Chubb is aging and coming off injury but is Mr. Reliable when healthy, while Cooper and Jeudy are a solid route-running duo out wide. Better yet, the coaches and defense are universally respected.
Top coaches: Mike McCarthy (offense), Mike Zimmer (defense)
Could Dallas be in the Super Bowl conversation? Sure. Lamb by himself is a game-changer, emerging as one of the game's top high-volume threats. The big names are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, though, as Elliott may well be on his last legs, the middle of the once-vaunted line is in transition, and McCarthy is under pressure to come through as a big-game decision-maker.
Top coaches: Sean McVay (offense), Chris Shula (defense)
Not so dissimilar to the Packers , whose coach comes from the McVay tree, the Rams have the foundational pieces for long-term contention, with Williams and Nacua emerging as reliable youngsters. Their investments at the heart of the trenches are also encouraging for Stafford's health. Still, injuries and inexperience are a big question with some of the primary pieces here.
Top coaches: Nathaniel Hackett (offense), Robert Saleh (defense)
Even without Rodgers, who's trying to rediscover MVP form at age 40 coming off a serious injury, the Jets profile as a boom-or-bust operation. Hall and Wilson are dynamic at full speed, but newcomers like Williams and Smith, the latter of whom will be charged with keeping Rodgers upright, have struggled to stay on the field. The coaching also leaves something to be desired.
Top coaches: Ryan Grubb (offense), Mike Macdonald (defense)
If you're looking for a reason to consider Seattle a 2024 spoiler out of the NFC West, consider what Smith's still got at his disposal: Walker and Metcalf are both imposing when utilized, Lockett and Smith-Njiba are savvy secondary outlets, and Macdonald's arrival could make the defense much more complementary. Ongoing holes up front, however, aren't to be ignored.
Top coaches: Matt LaFleur (offense), Jeff Hafley (defense)
This group lacks the superstar sizzle of, say, the Cowboys with CeeDee Lamb. But Jacobs is a bruiser who should pair well with the club's other backs, and the receiving corps is chock-full of versatile youngsters, each of whom is liable to break out as Love's top outlet. LaFleur is also one of the game's top offensive strategists. The primary question is whether this group can sustain its late-2023 success.
Top coaches: Zac Taylor (offense), Lou Anarumo (defense)
Like the Cowboys, the Bengals rely heavily on one man out wide, with Chase clearly entrenched as Burrow's No. 1 target. He's a top-three home-run hitter at his position, though, and if Higgins stays healthier as his running mate, the passing game should remain elite. Burrow's front has also improved in recent years, with Trent Brown coming aboard as the new right tackle.
Top coaches: Todd Monken (offense), Zach Orr (defense)
This many years in, Jackson still lacks a bona fide No. 1 receiver. Fortunately Baltimore has leaned into his strengths by outfitting him instead with top-level players for specific roles: Henry as the bulldozing rushing partner, Flowers as the slippery wideout, Andrews and Likely as the sure-handed big men. Throw in a sturdy interior, confident play-caller and stingy defense, and you can see the playoff recipe.
Top coaches: Bobby Slowik (offense), DeMeco Ryans (defense)
The Texans saw what we all saw in 2023: Stroud has "it" under center. They acted accordingly, beefing up an emergent receiving corps by trading for Diggs, who's aging and outspoken but remains a surefire No. 1. His presence alone should increase opportunities for Collins and Dell, while Ryans' resilient defense should be in for a major step forward after big-money investments to the front seven.
Top coaches: Andy Reid (offense), Steve Spagnuolo (defense)
Unlike at the start of the Mahomes era, these Chiefs get more points for infrastructure than flash. There's no more creative NFL play-caller than Reid, but it was Spagnuolo's physical defense that helped drive 2023's Super Bowl run, with some punishing Pacheco runs and clutch Kelce catches sprinkled in. If Brown and other speedy newcomers are healthy/available, the deep-ball threat may well be back, too.
Top coaches: Kevin O'Connell (offense), Brian Flores (defense)
This is the one team where, at the end of 2024, we might be saying, "If only things pan out at quarterback." The O-line isn't perfect, but everything else is in place: Jones is splashy, even if he's in town as a rental, and the trio of Jefferson-Addison-Hockenson is nearly unmatched across the NFL, so long as those guys stay on the field. O'Connell is beloved internally, and Flores gets the most out of his defense.
Top coaches: Mike McDaniel (offense), Anthony Weaver (defense)
The line is a major concern here, considering Armstead is notoriously injury-prone and both Connor Williams and Robert Hunt are now gone. That's especially foreboding for Tagovailoa, who thrives as an on-script passer. Still, few quarterbacks, if any, enjoy such an electric cast of characters; De'Von Achane also offers lightning speed out of the backfield, giving McDaniel a truly video-game-like spread.
Top coaches: Kellen Moore (offense), Vic Fangio (defense)
The Eagles' historic 2023 collapse has prompted plenty of us to undersell just how much of an all-star lineup they've assembled two years after a Super Bowl bid. Barkley's name is arguably bigger than his resume, but his All-Pro juice behind a typically sturdy line and alongside such a dominant one-two punch out wide could -- should? -- propel Hurts to another MVP candidacy. The new staff is the big X-factor.
Top coaches: Kyle Shanahan (offense), Nick Sorensen (defense)
Purdy deserves credit for the poise he's shown as an off-script play-extender, offsetting protection breakdowns, but there's no doubt he also benefits from a quarterback-friendly design. McCaffrey is the centerpiece as Shanahan's do-it-all utility man, with the rugged, explosive Samuel in a similar role. If Aiyuk's contract situation isn't resolved, robbing the group of a true downfield target, they would dip.
Top coaches: Ben Johnson (offense), Aaron Glenn (defense)
Like Purdy in San Francisco, Goff is a definite part of his club's title contention; he's more than proven his mettle going from Rams castoff to gutsy leader for a resurgent franchise. Still, it might be more accurate to call him the current figurehead of the NFL's most balanced offensive attack. Montgomery and Gibbs are a thunder-and-lightning combo behind arguably the league's best line, St. Brown is an elite chain-mover, and LaPorta is just getting started as another safety valve. Throw in Johnson and Dan Campbell, who refuse to dial down their aggression as decision-makers, and it's no wonder the new Lions seem here to stay.
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