Top 10 NFL Quarterback Rankings Heading into the Season

1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

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Patrick Mahomes landing at the top of this list is a no-brainer. Fresh off of back-to-back Super Bowl titles, the 3x Super Bowl MVP is continuing to dominate the league when it matters most. Anytime the Kansas City Chiefs show any signs of potential slowing down, they (led by their future-Hall-of-Fame quarterback) turn it around and show why they are the NFL’s very best. Mahomes continues to make plays with his arms and legs that are both eye-catching and game-changing, and he remains the NFL’s best quarterback, with no signs of missing any steps.

2) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson is coming off another incredible season where he captured NFL MVP honors for the second time in his career and led the Baltimore Ravens to the number-one seed in the AFC. Jackson has improved as a passer each year, and makes a tremendous impact on offense with his legs as well. While the Baltimore Ravens once again failed to reach the Super Bowl (at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game), Lamar’s play and value for his team make him stand out as one of the top elite QBs in the NFL.

3) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

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Joe Burrow’s 2023 NFL season unfortunately started late and ended early due to injury, but when healthy, he is arguably the best quarterback in football not named Patrick Mahomes. Burrow’s first healthy season back in 2021-22 saw him lead the Cincinnati Bengals all the way to the Super Bowl with a weak offensive line, losing by just three points to the Aaron Donald-led star-powered Los Angeles Rams. He has road postseason victories over Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in head-to-head matchups and has proven his ability to deliver in critical moments. The former Comeback Player of the Year’s upcoming return offers excitement for Bengals fans yet again.

4) Josh Allen, Buffalo BilLs

Despite being second in the league in interceptions thrown with 18, Josh Allen still played like an MVP candidate in 2023, particularly toward the end of the season. The Buffalo Bills were looking like chemistry was missing, but things clicked, and the team led by Allen found their rhythm. For the past couple of seasons, Josh Allen along with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson seems to be among the four horsemen of NFL quarterbacks, similar to how Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees were for many years in the 2010s (probably still too early for a label like that). What lands him behind the other three here is the 18 picks in and the Bills slowing down in 2023 compared to previous seasons (not to mention losing several key players, including wideouts Stephon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason).

5) CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

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Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is coming off of one of the most impressive NFL rookie seasons in recent memory. The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 15 games in the 2023 regular season - very impressive numbers for a rookie. Stroud’s impact was spectacular enough to land him a Pro Bowl selection last year, and he even led the Texans to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. In the offseason, the Texans got better and added weapons for Stroud like Stephon Diggs, and his sophomore year in the league may see him impress even more.

6) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott is coming off a season where he led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns and threw only nine interceptions, a significant improvement from 2022 where he threw a league-high 15 interceptions in only 12 games. Prescott played like an MVP candidate for a large part of the 2023 season, but yet another disappointing playoff collapse as well as roster questions and offseason noise for the Dallas Cowboys (including Dak’s contract talks) holds him just shy of this list’s top five.

7) Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for nearly 4,000 yards at 35 years old and the Rams’ season could have easily extended past their wild card elimination to the Detroit Lions as they only lost by one point and Stafford still threw for two touchdowns and nearly 400 yards that day. It is important to note that Stafford enters his sixteenth season in 2024, but his play last season was a huge reason why LA has been able to reinsert themselves in the upper tier of NFC teams.

8) Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

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Jalen Hurts put the NFL on notice during the 2022-23 season, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and having one of the best quarterback Super Bowl performances in history to nearly win the game. Many even argue that Hurts should have won league MVP that year. 2023-24 was a different story for Hurts. Despite producing still and achieving a career-high in passing yards and passing touchdowns, the increased number of turnovers became an issue, as Hurts’ 15 interceptions and seven lost fumbles were also the most of his career. This can certainly be due to injury, which loomed over Hurts throughout the season, and while 2023 was a step back from 2022, his new and improved roster including the mega-signing of running back Saquon Barkley allows for him to succeed as he gets healthy.

9) Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

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Justin Herbert is another name that would be higher on this list, but a step back from 2022 to 2023 is what happened. The Los Angeles Chargers were struggling across the board all season long, inevitably slowing down production from Herbert and the offense. It is important to note that Justin Herbert missed the final four games of the season after going down with an injury, but his passing grade under pressure ranked third in the league behind Lamar Jackson, the league MVP, and Dak Prescott, who played like an MVP candidate for much of the year. New head coach Jim Harbaugh making his return to the NFL does offer Herbert a fresh start, but he did lose a key weapon in Keenan Allen. Still, a healthy Justin Herbert is a very effective one with plenty of talent.

10) JOrdan Love, green Bay Packers

It was tough leaving Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff out of the top ten. Goff had arguably the best season of his career in 2023, but the final spot on this list goes to Jordan Love. With the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay officially closed, 2023 was Love’s first full season as the Packers’ starter, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. In just his first year taking over, Love threw for 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He would continue to surprise in the postseason, where his 157.2 passer rating and three touchdown passes would help the Packers upset the star talent-loaded Dallas Cowboys on the road during Super Wild Card Weekend. Love demonstrated his ability to make difficult plays both in the regular season, and he only enters this year with more experience, landing him the final spot on this list.