Heading into week 3, here are all 32 starting quarterbacks ranked worst to first based on what they've shown us so far and what we can expect going forward.
Week 2 of the NFL season has come and gone, and it was an eventful one for quarterbacks. Passing is still down league-wide as defenses continue to smother passing attacks. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton is set to replace the benched Bryce Young in Carolina, and Tua Tagovailoa will be replaced by Skylar Thompson while he recovers from a concussion. For the purpose of these rankings, we will assume that Malik Willis will start for the Packers this weekend, though Jordan Love could return.
These rankings aren't necessarily supposed to be sorted just by stats. Instead, they're a combination of a player's statistics, how they look on film, and what we could reasonably expect for them in Week 3 given their talent level and past results. As the weeks go on, these rankings will be much easier to do as quarterbacks separate themselves from each other.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young would've had this spot, but his benching means rookie Bo Nix takes the mantle as the worst quarterback in the league. Granted, he had to play against a top defense in the Steelers in Week 2. But, he's looked completely overmatched through two weeks. He's not getting through his progressions, he's been inaccurate, and he's shown no ability to consistently complete passes down the field. He needs to start quickly improving.
Last Week: 16/28, 57.1%, 178 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT, vs. Commanders (L)
Season Stats: 38/70, 54.3%, 364 yds, 2 TD / 2 INT, 66.6 passer rating
Daniel Jones was a little bit better in Week 2 than he was in Week 1, and got rookie first-round receiver Malik Nabers involved at a really efficient clip. But, He's completing just over half of his attempts on the season, and he's lost a lot of his mobility after last season's ACL tear. He's the biggest lame duck quarterback in the league.
Last Week: 8/14, 57.1%, 80 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 8/14, 57.1%, 80 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT, 73.5 passer rating
Skylar Thompson relieved Tua Tagovalia after his concussion last Thursday night, and didn't look completely overwhelmed. Thompson received playing time in 2022 due to a Tua injury, and has 119 career attempts. He should be better than the two guys ranked behind him, but not many others.
Last Week: 19/28, 67.9%, 192 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 38/60, 63.3%, 319 yds, 2 TD / 3 INT, 67.3 passer rating
Like last year, there are moments where Will Levis looks like a potential franchise quarterback, moments that the big arm and good mobility shine through. But, they're few and far between. And, in each of the team's first two games, Levis has had a truly terrible, inexplicable turnover that contributed greatly to two close losses. Good quarterbacks don't make the kind of mistakes he's making.
(No Stats in 2024)
The Red Rifle was brought to Carolina last season to mentor Bryce Young. Now, he's taken his job as Young has struggled mightily. He won't light the world on fire, but did throw for over 300 yards in his one start for the team last year. His 58% completion percentage in that game probably tells you that won't happen too often this year.
Last Week: 15/27, 55.6%, 149 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 30/51, 58.8%, 270 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT, 79.7 passer rating
Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo is on record saying that the the team needs to throw the ball downfield more and more efficiently. Sadly, he's got the wrong quarterback for that. Brissett is what he is, and he won't lose you games. But, he's not going to win you many either, certainly not with downfield passing. He's the starter until Mayo decides they want to see Drake Maye run the show.
Last Week: 12/14, 85.7%, 122 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 12/15, 80.0%, 122 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT, 122.8 passer rating
Willis gets the nod in the rankings, though Jordan Love practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday and could possibly play this weekend. In Week 2, Willis did what was asked of him and threw the ball efficiently. He added 41 yards on the ground on a day where he handed the ball off to Josh Jacobs 32 times. Green Bay Head Coach Matt LaFleur is not going to cut Willis loose in the passing game, but he can be effective via play-action and can help in the run game, as well.
Last Week: 17/34, 50%, 204 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Season Stats: 26/53, 49.1%, 416 yds, 3 TD / 4 INT, 63.1 passer rating
Richardson was inconsistent in Week 1, but his highs overshadowed the lows two weeks ago. That was not the case in Week 2, as he showed that he still has a ways to go as a passer in a loss to the Packers. Simply put, the completion percentage needs to significantly improve for the Colts offense to be efficient. The tools are there, but he's not close to putting them all together right now.
Last Week: 22/34, 64.7%, 186 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 46/79, 58.2%, 355 yds, 1 TD / 2 INT, 63.0 passer rating
Watson was last in these rankings after a listless Week 1 performance that appeared at times like he didn't even want to be out there. The performance was far from perfect in the team's Week 2 win over the Jaguars. But, Watson was at least passable out there, taking a small step forward towards keeping his job. Is the talent that made him one of the league's best quarterbacks with the Houston Texans still in there? That remains to be seen.
Last Week: 23/37, 62.2%, 174 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 37/66, 56.1%, 267 yds, 0 TD / 2 INT, 53.0 passer rating
Many hoped that a subpar performance in Caleb Williams' NFL debut would be just a blip on the radar. But, another mediocre performance in Week 2 has turned it into a bit of a trend. Williams has flashed the traits that made him an elite prospect at times. But, poor play-calling by Shane Waldron and a really shaky interior offensive line has had him constantly under pressure and behind the sticks. Right now, it's more the things around Williams than Williams himself that are causing his struggles. But, he could be playing better, too.
Last Week: 30/38, 78.9%, 276 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 55/71, 77.5%, 533 yds, 2 TD / 2 INT, 95.6 passer rating
Minshew Mania has arrived in Vegas. Strong play from the journeyman helped the team rally and beat Baltimore on the road for a win that feels as big as any as the Raiders have had in a few years It's clear at this point in his career that Minshew can't consistently play at a high level, but he can provide games, even stretches, of pretty good play.
Last Week: 23/29, 79.3%, 226 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 40/53, 75.5%, 410 yds, 0 TD / 0 INT, 97.2 passer rating
No rookie quarterback has thrown a touchdown pass yet, but Daniels has two on the ground and has outplayed his classmates by a significant margin. Daniels is getting through his progressions, throwing the ball accurately, and scrambling effectively. Early returns are really good for the second-overall pick. America will get to see Daniels on national television against the Bengals on Monday Night Football this week.
Last Week: 14/30, 46.7%, 220 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 26/51, 51.0%, 382 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT, 82.3 passer rating
After a solid Week 1, Trevor Lawrence took a bit of a step back against a great Browns defense in another Jaguars loss. Things remain the same for Lawrence. He's a player that has all the tools and was expected to be further along right now. In fact, many thought he would be one of the league's best quarterbacks at this stage in his career. But, aside from a stretch at the end of the 2022 season, Lawrence has more often been mediocre than great.
Last Week: 13/20, 65%, 117 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 30/43, 69.8%, 273 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT, 94.4 passer rating
Is Justin Fields capable of leading a high-flying NFL passing attack? No. Do the Pittsburgh Steelers need him to do that to win games? No. And, so far, Fields has done more or less what's been asked of him and even showed a little bit of progress as a pocket passer. His connection with George Pickens has been strong, though he will need to get other guys involved at a higher rate soon. He's always dangerous running the ball, and now he's throwing the ball, albeit in low volume, at an efficient clip. So far, it looks like he may not give Russell Wilson his job back.
Last Week: 20/29, 69%, 241 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 36/55, 65.4%, 396 yds, 3 TD / 2 INT, 89.7 passer rating
For all of Week 1 and most of Week 2, Kirk Cousins looked very much like a 36-year-old coming off of a torn Achilles. But, on the Falcons' final drive on Monday night against the Steelers, we were reminded why Atlanta made him one of the highest-paid players in football. Cousins sliced and diced the Philly secondary, taking the Falcons on a 6-play, 70-yard scoring drive in just over a minute with the team trailing by 6 with less than two minutes to go. Cousins still does not appear fully healthy, but should improve as he gets more comfortable on his surgically repaired Achilles.
Last Week: 17/26, 65.4%, 268 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 36/50, 72.0%, 476 yds, 4 TD / 2 INT, 111.8 passer rating
It's a low bar, but this is probably the best Sam Darnold has looked in his career. The 2018 third-overall pick is showing off some of the things that had so many people convinced he would be a franchise quarterback for the New York Jets. The arm looks live, he's getting through reads, he's moving well in the pocket, and he's throwing the ball accurately down the field. Turns out, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell is pretty darn good at his job.
Last Week: 28/36, 77.8%, 319 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 47/65, 72.3%, 550 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT, 96.3 passer rating
Purdy's stats are impressive, but they don't include a lost fumble and a ball that should've been intercepted that went perfectly through a defensive back's hands. He doesn't have Christian McCaffrey, but he still has more talent around him than probably any other offense in the league. Sadly, he made too many mistakes on Sunday, and a lot of his production came after the team was already down two scores.
Last Week: 34/55, 61.8%, 307 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 52/83, 62.6%, 524 yds, 1 TD / 3 INT, 69.6 passer rating
The two interceptions Goff threw last week stick out like a sore thumb, and he needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball early in the season. But, in today's NFL with the stinginess of pass defenses, there was no reason why Jared Goff was asked to throw 55 passes in a game where the Lions were running the ball effectively. Expect Goff's efficiency to go up under much better gameplans from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in the future.
Last Week: 18/30, 60%, 176 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 31/51, 60.8%, 343 yds, 3 TD / 1 INT, 92.2 passer rating
The good news for Jets fans is that Rodgers appeared to be noticeably more comfortable than he was against the 49ers in Week 1. That's going to be the story in the early going for the legend as he works his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered last year just a few snaps into the season. He'd be the first to tell you, though, that 60% completion and less than 6 yards per attempt isn't up to his standars.
Last Week: 27/39, 69.2%, 293 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 46/71, 64.8%, 472 yds, 2 TD / 2 INT, 81.4 passer rating
The Dallas passing attack hasn't been quite as sharp as it was last year so far this season. But, much of that isn't on Prescott. CeeDee Lamb's holdout and nagging injuries for Brandin Cooks in training camp kept Prescott without his top targets for much of the preseason. Expect this passing attack to return to one of the league's best and most efficient soon. For now, Prescott has to avoid the interceptions that have been a bugaboo for him in his career. When he's not turning the ball over, he's one of the league's best.
Last Week: 23/30, 76.7%, 183 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 43/64, 67.2%, 461 yds, 3 TD / 3 INT, 84.2 passer rating
Hurts showed some improvement from a pretty poor Week 1, and played well enough to win. But, it's clear now that the quarterback who was a serious MVP candidate in 2022 was more a product of the system and personnel around him than a truly elite talent. That being said, he's still a pretty solid quarterback that can take a team far if surrounded with good play-calling and great players.
Last Week: 19/27, 70.4%, 216 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 53/76, 69.7%, 533 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT, 88.3 passer rating
An explosive Rams passing attack with Stafford throwing to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua has gone up in smoke, as both Kupp and Nacua are out with relatively serious injuries for at least a few more weeks. Like he always does, Stafford will find someone to make his favorite target. But, it's hard to see him putting efficient passing numbers on the board without those two players. Still, he remains one of the league's best pure passers.
Last Week: 33/44, 75%, 327 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 51/69, 73.9%, 498 yds, 2 TD / 1 INT, 97.4 passer rating
In 2022, Geno Smith had a career renaissance with the Seattle Seahawks. Last year was solid, though not as spectacular as his 2022. But, it appears that Geno Smith is a consistently solid quarterback now after a strong start to the 2024 season. It's rare in this day and age to see guys like Smith who were cast as busts early in their career to come out the other side of that distinction as a productive quarterback. But, that's exactly what he's done. Only a few guys are throwing the ball better than Geno Smith is right now.
Last Week: 14/20, 70%, 130 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 31/46, 67.4%, 274 yds, 3 TD / 1 INT, 95.7 passer rating
A few years ago, the Chargers were throwing the ball as much as anyone in the league, as Justin Herbert's 699 attempts in 2022 were the second-most in the league. That's never going to be the case with Jim Harbaugh as head coach. He's on pace for just over half that many attempts, with a 391-attempt pace over a 17-game season. But, Herbert has once again shown himself to be a composed, accurate, and athletic passer who can be a a real game-changer. His weapons are young and will continue to progress. Plus, he's protected by arguably the best tackle duo in the league. I'm buying the Chargers as a playoff team, and a big part of that is Justin Herbert.
Last Week: 23/36, 63.9%, 258 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 44/65, 67.7%, 422 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT, 95.8 passer rating
Even with Tee Higgins out and JaMarr Chase making a small impact, Joe Burrow looked much more like Joe Burrow the MVP candidate than the Joe Burrow we saw in Week 1. Burrow was pretty accurate against a very good Chiefs defense, and played well enough to win on the road. No one has been able to say that about games played in Arrowhead more than Joe Burrow has recently.
Last Week: 21/34, 61.8%, 247 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 47/75, 62.7%, 520 yds, 2 TD / 1 INT, 86.5 passer rating
The Ravens are 0-2, but it's not due to the strong play of Lamar Jackson. The offensive line, for so long a strength in Baltimore, has taken a significant step back. Jackson has been tasked with playing hero ball quite a bit, and has done a fairly good job doing it. He already has 167 rushing yards. That's productive, but the Ravens probably don't want a guy that is essentially the franchise running as much as he's had to early this year. That being said, he's got to do whatever he can on Sunday against the Cowboys to avoid an 0-3 start.
Last Week: 12/19, 63.2%, 185 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 36/49, 73.5%, 474 yds, 5 TD / 1 INT, 129.1 passer rating
Sunday's win wasn't as big of a performance as his Week 1 demolition of the Commanders. But, Mayfield was once again in control of the Buccaneers' offense and was effective, despite his offensive line struggling mightily against Aidan Hutchinson, who had 4.5 sacks on the day. Mayfield only got to throw the ball 19 times, but the Buccaneers had just over half as many offensive snaps as the Lions. He added 34 yards and a touchdown on the ground, as well. Baker Mayfield is playing with a lot of confidence right now and that's dangerous for opponents.
Last Week: 17/21, 81%, 266 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 38/52, 73.1%, 428 yds, 4 TD / 0 INT, 122.9 passer rating
I was cautiously optimistic about Kyler Murray after a solid showing against a tough Bills defense in Week 1. Now, I'm all-in. Murray absolutely shredded the Rams on Sunday. He's moving really well and has his trademark playmaking back. He's throwing the ball incredibly accurately and getting through his progressions, too. If he can stay healthy, this has the makings of a career year for Kyler Murray.
Last Week: 11/16, 68.8%, 243 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 30/39, 76.9%, 443 yds, 5 TD / 1 INT, 142.4 passer rating
To the surprise of everyone, the New Orleans Saints have had the most explosive offense in the league so far. Most responsible for the Saints' 91 points is Derek Carr, who is throwing the ball down the field better than any quarterback in the league. Consider that it took him just 16 attempts to throw for 243 yards against Dallas, and you will see that no team has had more success down the field than the Saints. Carr has been especially effective throwing to breakout star Rasheed Shahid, who keeps getting behind defenses. It seemed like many around the league were ready to give up on Derek Carr, but he's having the last laugh
Last Week: 23/36, 63.9%, 260 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 47/68, 69.1%, 494 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT, 104.7 passer rating
Not that anyone expected it to be, but that stellar rookie season from CJ Stroud was no fluke. Instead, he's on the cusp of being universally considered one of the league's elite quarterbacks before his 23rd birthday. Simply put, he's the best young pure passer in the league in a long time. His timing, anticipation, touch, and accuracy are already elite traits two weeks before he turns 23. The fact that he has one of the league's best groups of pass-catchers should keep him in the MVP discussion all year long, even after a slow second-half against a stingy Bears defense on Sunday Night Football.
Last Week: 18/25, 72%, 151 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 38/53, 71.7%, 442 yds, 3 TD / 3 INT, 91.9 passer rating
Three interceptions through two games is not what you'd expect from the best player on the planet, and I'm sure he knows that's not good enough, either. But, outside of that, everything else shows that he's still one of the great players of all-time in his prime. Yes, it took a penalty to extend the drive after a huge pass to Travis Kelce wiped out a first down on the previous play, but did anyone seriously think Mahomes wouldn't get the Chiefs into field goal range at the end of their win over the Bengals? You'd have to be a fool to bet against him at this stage.
Last Week: 13/19, 68.4%, 139 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 31/42, 73.8%, 371 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT, 124.2 passer rating
For much of last season, Josh Allen was asked to make lemonade out of lemons by then-offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who was eventually fired. He kept the Bills afloat in a situation that maybe no one else outside of Mahomes in the NFL would've, and then thrived after the coaching change and promotion of Joe Brady to offensive coordinator. This year, he's picked up right where he left off. Game script kept him to only 19 passing attempts in Week 2. But, he was wildly efficient with those attempts. As long as Buffalo continues to run the ball well this year, Josh Allen has the opportunity to be an efficiency monster, as he might be the league's most dangerous passer off of play-action. He's added 41 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, and his 73.8% completion percentage would be a career-high by over 7%. His top two weapons moved on in the offseason, but he hasn't missed a beat. It's early, but Josh Allen could finally get his MVP this season.