It may be the hardest position in all of sports, but at the heart of every NFL team lies the quarterback, the maestro orchestrating plays, dissecting defences, and delivering pinpoint passes under immense pressure.
The quarterback position stands as the linchpin of every offensive scheme, embodying both athleticism and strategic acumen.
In this list, we delve into the realm of elite quarterbacks, analysing their skillsets, achievements and impact as they gear up to lead their teams into battle on the gridiron in 2024.
Honourable Mentions:
Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
2023 stats
Pass YPG: 270.8
Rush YPG:ย 4.3
Cmp %:ย 66
TD/Int: 26-11
The 36-year-old 2021 Super Bowl victor enters this season without all-time DT Aaron Donald, but with a loaded receiving corps and proven head coach in Sean McVay, it's hard to count him out.
His production and toughness in last year's playoff bout with Detroit grants him a mention even if his career decline is imminent.
Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears*
2023 stats (College)
Pass YPG:ย 302.8
Rush YPG:ย 11.8
Cmp %: 68.6
TD/Int: 30-5
We're projecting here, but the potential is glaring in the 2022 Heisman winner.
Trying to lift the Chicago Bears from sustained mediocrity may prove too tough for Caleb to climb QB rankings so early, but as the clear number one pick in the upcoming draft and Harley Reid-level hype, Williams too deserves a mention.
Jared Goff - Detroit Lions
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 270.6
Rush YPG:ย 1.4
Cmp %:ย 67.27
TD/Int:ย 34-12
Following his NFC Championship run after a quality regular season, Goff is unlucky to miss out on a top 10 spot.
The plethora of QB talent is just enough to edge him out. But in a Detroit side on the rise, there is clear potential for him to prove us wrong.
10: Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 243.4
Rush YPG:ย 13.1
Cmp %:ย 65.76
TD/Int:ย 41-13
The Jordan Love rise into QB stardom in a young Green Bay side may have been the feel-good story of last season.
Their Wild Card Round dispatching of the Dallas Cowboys was a treat to watch before their thriller Divisional Round loss to eventual runner up 49ers.
With Love comes an exciting mix of arm talent and flare with a deep, young receiving corps, coached by a young offensive guru Matt Lafluer.
9: Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 273.3
Rush YPG:ย 15.9
Cmp %:ย 68.9
TD/Int:ย 41-11
After a near MVP-worthy regular season for the most scrutinised QB in the league, Prescott just scrapes into the 10 after Dallas' woeful playoff outing against Green Bay.
The Cowboys' perpetual shortcomings are becoming a comical inevitability, but with league-high stats and a top 10 receiver in Ceedee Lamb, there remains top 10 potential for Dak in 2024.
8: Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 241.1
Rush YPG:ย 17.5
Cmp %:ย 65.13
TD/Int:ย 23-7
Herbert is not the mobile, do-it-all anchor that the modern quarterback is slowly becoming, but he throws as pretty of a long ball as CJ Stroud or Joe Burrow, and can still cut through coverage with laser-like precision.
He hasn't been helped by the poor management and poor O-line at the Chargers in recent seasons, but he has nonetheless has failed to even approach the ceiling he set in first two years - throwing for nearly 70 TDs with over 290 yds per game.
Under new coach Jim Harbaugh, surely the Chargers get the off-field stability they need to be the on-field challenger we know they can be with a talent like Justin Herbert at QB.
7: Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 251
Rush YPG:ย 21.1
Cmp %:ย 65.6
TD/Int:ย 25-14
The former number one pick has proven he is the franchise QB the Jaguars drafted, but is yet to show he'll be able to take them to the promised land.
His comeback playoff victory against the Chargers over a year ago was a microcosm for his NFL career thus far - one half littered with reckless abandon before a second half of imposing talent and complete domination.
6: Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 228.2
Rush YPG:ย 33.9
Cmp %:ย 65.8
TD/Int:ย 39-15
The upcoming season is the litmus test for Jalen Hurts as he looks to prove that his performance en route to and in Super Bowl VXII was not an outlier, but instead the standard.
Philadelphia's collapse in the back half of last season has many questioning the legitimacy of their coach Nick Sirianni and QB.
We believe that the leadership of Hurts combined with the off-season acquisition of star back Saquon Barkley could take the Eagles back to their winning ways.
Hopefully the loss of all-time centre Jason Kelce doesn't ruin their chances of returning to the contender ranks.
5: Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 227.9
Rush YPG:ย 54.2
Cmp %:ย 66.5
TD/Int:ย 32-7
The reigning MVP may regress slightly with the addition of Derrick Henry and a clear team focus on running the ball with the weapons at their behest.
Baltimore's success shouldn't rely on the Buffalo model of a do-it-all quarterback being responsible for every touchdown, their identity lies in the run game with Lamar Jackson also chopping out easy passing yards and the occasional deep-ball.
They lost this identity in their last AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs but are clearly searching for immediate success again with their recent off-season power-running acquisition.
We'll see if Baltimore can win it all the Raven way.
4: Joe Burrow - Cincinatti Bengals
2022 stats*
Pass YPG:ย 273.5
Rush YPG:ย 17.2
Cmp %:ย 68
TD/Int:ย 44-14
This time last year Joe Burrow may have been the top candidate for the second best quarterback in the league, being the only AFC contender not named Tom Brady to reach a Super Bowl in the Mahomes era.
He played just 10 matches last season and was clearly hampered by injury throughout, but we haven't forgotten what a healthy Joe Burrow can do against the best QB's in the league - beating Mahomes' Chiefs and Allen's Bills in back to back playoff runs.
The Bengals will likely be without Tee Higgins for the upcoming season, with the star receiver requesting a trade out of Cincinatti.
Bit with a 24-year-old Ja'Marr Chase still as Burrow's number one man and fresh off a third straight 1000 yard season, we could see a healthy Bengals squad return to the Super Bowl contender race.
3: Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 247.1
Rush YPG:ย 35.3
Cmp %:ย 66.7
TD/Int:ย 48-18
While the recent postseason shortcomings are stacking up dramatically for the Buffalo Bills, it's hard to pin the blame on their do-it-all quarterback Josh Allen.
No team relies on a single player more than the Bills - Josh Allen has not only recorded the most passing touchdowns, but also rushing touchdowns for Buffalo in five of the last six seasons.
The raw talent, size, speed, power and arm strength is unmatched by just about any QB in history.
It's the occasional but often untimely recklessness that has held him back from approaching his ceiling, his only notable accolades being two Pro Bowls and one AFC Championship appearance.
The signs are ominous for the upcoming season at Buffalo, losing 'big-game' Gabe Davis to the Jags, while number one receiver Stefon Diggs hints at a trade request.
But while the Bills may not take the league by storm in 2024, we think their quarterback just might.
2: CJ Stroud - Houston Texans
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 268.1
Rush YPG:ย 10.4
Cmp %:ย 64
TD/Int:ย 29-5
Few predicted CJ Stroud to be the clearcut best quarterback out of the 2023 draft, but after one season, he is already head and shoulders above most NFL QB's today.
The Houston Texans were a rabble before last season, boasting a woeful 8-38 record in the previous three seasons under four different head coaches.
Enter CJ Stroud, his close friend and star receiver receiver Tank Dell, along with head coach DeMeco Ryans and it appears the entire organisation has changed.
They immediately jumped back into the playoffs last season, winning the AFC South and reaching the Divisional Round where they fell to MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
A rookie CJ Stroud found himself in the MVP discussion with his mesmerising arm talent combined with elite stats and a winning environment.
At just 22 years old, there is no telling how good he could be in the next five years, let alone this season, let's hope he can take these Texans deeper into the post-season.
1: Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
2023 stats
Pass YPG:ย 261.7
Rush YPG:ย 26.5
Cmp %:ย 67.7
TD/Int:ย 33-15
"The best there ever was. The best there ever will be."
This quote is taken from the statue of NBA legend Michael Jordan, unveiled in 1994 after winning his third championship.
Patrick Mahomes, having just collected ring number three, is building a similar case - as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
With the help of fellow future hall-of-famers in Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, Mahomes' Chiefs have stolen the last two Super Bowls in what majority of pundits thought were rebuilding years for Kansas City.
They will inevitably be the hunted franchise for the next half decade in the NFL and Mahomes seems to be welcoming this.
At 28 years old, he has amassed a collection of honours consisting of three Super Bowl rings with three SB MVPs, two regular season MVPs, six consecutive AFC Championship appearances while leading essentially every statistical ranking among quarterbacks in playoff history.
He is now only chasing ghosts. There is not a reasonable comparison among the current crop of quarterbacks that even approaches the six-year legacy of Mahomes. Only past legends Tom Brady, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning are in the same discussion.
Mahomes would the betting favourite to top this list for the next five years as he progresses through his prime, we'll see if he continues his unfathomable winning pace over the next few seasons.
