The first week of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. We saw countless storylines develop during the opening week of play, including a bunch at the quarterback position.
From narratives to stat lines to final scores, we’re here to break down everything you need to know about the NFL’s 32 starting quarterbacks after Week 1 wrapped up.
Here are Andersen’s power rankings for all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Simply Terrifying – No. 32 to No. 27
No. 32 – Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
The Packers had quite a shift in vibes after last week’s loss to the Eagles. With Jordan Love (knee) sidelined, Green Bay fans will have to suffer through a few weeks of poor quarterback play from Willis, who barely even knows the system.
No. 31 – Daniel Jones, New York Giants
I didn’t think Daniel Jones’ leash could get any shorter, but I’m pretty sure it did this past Sunday. It will be very hard for this team to win any games as long as he’s under center.
No. 30 – Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Speaking of teams struggling to win games, the Panthers are an early favorite to go 0-17. In all likelihood, their game against the Giants in Germany will be the battle for the No. 1 pick.
No. 29 – Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
It looks like Levis might take home the honor of 2024’s most unintelligent play. He showed horrendous decision-making skills when he just tossed the ball into the air to avoid the sack in a game the Titans were winning at the time. He singlehandedly cost Tennessee the game, and there’s no stopping him from doing it again in the future.
Will Levis’ early submission for worst play of the 2024 season 😭 pic.twitter.com/9IActtwzHm
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) September 8, 2024
No. 28 – Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders
Minshew has always been a huge vibes guy, and I love that. However, it’s going to be hard to keep the vibes up when you have more turnovers than touchdowns. There’s room for him to get better, but for now, he falls into the bottom tier. Don’t forget that Aidan O’Connell is waiting in the wings.
It Could Be Worse – No. 27 to No. 19
No. 27 – Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Nix did show some flashes on Sunday, but there were also signs that he’s still a very raw passer. There will be growing pains in Denver as he develops. However, as someone who thought Nix had no business being a first-round pick, he’s growing on me slightly.
No. 26 – Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
This isn’t an overreaction but rather the product of having only one NFL game on which I can evaluate Williams. His stats will improve as he gets more comfortable. From a team perspective, a win is a win, right?
No. 25 – Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
I sympathize with Browns fans who realize Watson is still under contract through 2026. Sure, Dallas has a really strong defense, but I would have expected fewer than two interceptions and six sacks from a former Pro Bowler.
No. 24 – Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots
Brissett did the little things right on Sunday. He wasn’t electric, but he didn’t need to be. Oh, and can we talk about how he rushed for 32 yards on seven attempts? Those seven rushes tied the most he’s had in a single game since Week 5 of the 2017 season.
Jacoby Brissett was 7th in QBR for week one. #Patriots 👀 pic.twitter.com/vwBMnkQ0pI
— Nick Cattles (@NickCRadio) September 11, 2024
No. 23 – Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
A change of scenery can be tough, especially when it coincides with a major injury rehab and the shocking selection of a first-round quarterback to compete with you. Cousins has been dealt some tough cards, but I still would’ve expected to play better at home.
No. 22 – Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fields played very well for someone who was summoned into the starting job on short notice. His rushing ability is undeniable, and I’m also impressed that he completed 17 of 23 passes. Still, I’m not convinced he’s the answer for Pittsburgh.
No. 21 – Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Smith’s early interception was ugly, but he bounced back with a 72 percent completion rate and two total touchdowns. I’d describe his performance as merely “fine.”
No. 20 – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Daniels’ rushing upside is elite, but he won’t move up a tier until we see him throw the football and complete passes on a more consistent basis. He also needs to improve his ball security; he’s lucky none of his three fumbles were recovered by Tampa Bay.
No. 19 – Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to complain about Darnold, who threw two touchdowns and only five incompletions. Let’s see how he performs against a more capable team, though.
My guy Sam Darnold!
— Big Lumber🌲⛏ (@Uncle_Snif) September 11, 2024
Feeling Pretty Good – No. 18 to No. 13
No. 18 – Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Murray was able to sneak into the back end of this tier, but he still fell a couple of rungs. When I think about his Week 1 performance, I just can’t shake the visual of him not seeing Marvin Harrison Jr. downfield. That could have been a game-winning play. You can’t miss that.
No. 17 – Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
I am so sorry I ever doubted you, Anthony. The Colts’ quarterback was one of my favorite draft prospects in 2023, but I lost some of my faith during his poor preseason outing against the Bengals. I guess he was just shaking the rust off; there are very few quarterbacks who could make the throw that he did to Alec Pierce.
ANTHONY RICHARDSON 60-YARD DIME TO ALEC PIERCE.
📺: #HOUvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/p0xddm5Kl1— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
No. 16 – Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
An 83 percent completion rate and three touchdowns? Yeah, that will play. Let’s see how he fares against a better opponent, though. After all, Carolina might have the NFL’s worst defense.
No. 15 – Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence’s 53 percent completion rate masks some of the good we saw from him on Sunday. I’m excited to see what he can do with the likes of Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, and Brian Thomas Jr. over a larger sample size.
No. 14 – Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
The Jets struggled on Monday night, but at the same time, San Francisco’s defense is no joke. Rodgers himself looked really good, and his reignited connection with Allen Lazard was fun to see.
No. 13 – Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Safe to say Mayfield was not a one-hit wonder? Actually, I might go as far as to say that the Buccaneers have found their next franchise quarterback. I’m all aboard the Mayfield hype train.
Baker Mayfield’s 3rd down reel vs. Washington is INSANE #Bucsfilm2024wk1 pic.twitter.com/zg5gv5bD6P
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) September 11, 2024
Pro Bowl Contenders – No. 12 to No. 4
No. 12 – Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff’s lack of connections with Amon-Ra St. Brown was odd, but on the other hand, his new rapport with Jameson Williams is very exciting. Plus, you can’t complain about an overtime win in Week 1.
No. 11 – Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Strange things are afoot in Cincinnati. We can cut Burrow a little bit of slack because Tee Higgins (hamstring) was out and Ja’Marr Chase was limited by his contract situation. Still, the Patriots are a very beatable team and the Burrow-led offense looked outmatched.
No. 10 – Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa only threw for one touchdown, but he led numerous scoring drives, surrendered zero turnovers, and tallied 338 passing yards. Miami’s passing offense seems to have picked up right where it left off.
No. 9 – Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert only threw for 144 yards, but his presence was terrific, I liked his touchdown connection with Ladd McConkey, and I’m much more confident in this Chargers’ offense than I was a week ago. I’m buying into the Herbert hype ahead of a potential Pro Bowl campaign.
No. 8 – Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Turning the football over three times is unacceptable. Still, Hurts showed that he’s still capable of putting up big yardage on the ground and through the air. There’s a real chance Philadelphia starts 8-0.
No. 7 – Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
There’s no buyer’s remorse in Dallas. The Cowboys signed Prescott to a historic extension on Sunday morning, and just a few hours later, he led his team to a 33-17 win. This was an all-around effort from the passing game, running game, defense, and Brandon Aubrey‘s leg, but I can’t discredit Prescott for that.
No. 6 – Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford looked great despite the loss, racking up 317 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. I’m confident he’ll keep the Rams’ passing game firing on all cylinders even with Puka Nacua (knee) on IR.
Stafford to Kupp for the lead!
📺: #LARvsDET on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/A6S1WbYg5l— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2024
No. 5 – Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Mason‘s big game and the return of Aaron Rodgers took Purdy out of the spotlight on Monday night. Even with a little less fanfare, he was still impressive.
No. 4 – C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Stroud is the centerpiece of a Texans’ offense with so many weapons. He would be in the top tier if not for some poor instances of ball security on Sunday. He had two interceptions negated due to penalty and one overturned by just a couple of inches upon review.
The Elite Three – No. 3 to No. 1
No. 3 – Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens didn’t win, but Jackson proved that he’s still the best quarterback when it comes to running the ball. I can’t ignore that missed pass to Zay Flowers in the end zone, though. That may have been the difference between starting 1-0 or 0-1.
Lamar Jackson missed a WIDE OPEN Zay Flowers 🤯
pic.twitter.com/GKZx7ney1Y— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 6, 2024
No. 2 – Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Even with the Bills placing lots of emphasis on the rushing attack, Allen still managed to total four touchdowns. He’s firmly cemented in the top tier despite the departure of Stefon Diggs.
No. 1 – Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes looked spectacular last Thursday. His rapport with Xavier Worthy looks very real, and he continues to mesh incredibly well with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce.
Readers’ Choice – Biggest Quarterback Faller From Week 1
Our followers on X weren’t very impressed by Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 1. To share your thoughts on the biggest quarterback fallers, follow and mention us on X @TalkPrimeTime.
Who is your biggest quarterback FALLER after #NFL Week 1?
Reply with your reasoning and @AndersenPickard might feature your post in an article 👀
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) September 11, 2024
Readers’ Choice – Biggest Quarterback Riser From Week 1
Our followers on X really liked what they saw from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield last Sunday. To share your thoughts on the biggest quarterback risers, follow and mention us on X @TalkPrimeTime.
Who is your biggest quarterback RISER after #NFL Week 1?
Reply with your reasoning and @AndersenPickard might feature your post in an article 👀
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) September 11, 2024
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