Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks

#12 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)

If we were just going by a quarterback’s ability to play from the pocket, Jalen Hurts would be much further down on this Top-32 list. But a quarterback’s legs are a part of the overall equation, so they of course need to be factored in. And for Hurts, his legs have a profound impact on defenses.

Hurts ran for 610 yards in 2023 and more than 800 in each of the prior 2 seasons, including the playoffs. He’s got a staggering 43 rushing touchdowns during that span as well. He is a weapon, whether it’s on designed runs or whether he uses his legs to evade pressure and scramble.

And don’t forget, he set a single-game Super Bowl rushing record for a QB with 70 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. He was also pretty spectacular through the air that night: 27-38 (71.4%), 304 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 103.4 QB rating.

As a passer, Hurts has improved substantially over his 4 NFL seasons. In general, he’s accurate when he has time and space to throw. And while he isn’t necessarily a great passer from the pocket when under pressure or facing blitzes, his legs give him the ability to evade, buy time, or even create yards. Which means he has answers when the play doesn’t work as planned.

While his running ability might be his calling card, his potential as a passer is still there and still being untapped. Just go back and take another look at that Super Bowl performance to see what he can be at his best. He wasn’t just completing passes on layups that night. There were 4 or 5 serious throws into tight windows in that one:

The wild thing is that some of Hurts’ best throws in the Super Bowl were incompletions:

Of course, much of Hurts’ success has come from the fact that he’s had arguably the best offensive line in football and some great weapons in the passing game. But my evaluation is based on separating those factors. Hurts has certainly, at times, been elevated by the system and talent around him. He’s also done his fair share of elevating the offense around him too.

However, something happened during the 2023 season on the way to Hurts leading the Eagles to back-to-back NFC Conference Championships. The offense sputtered.

Maybe it was because he had a new offensive coordinator? Maybe it was because he played through some injuries? Whatever it was, Hurts became somewhat hesitant at times. He didn’t take throws that were there for inexplicable reasons. He began fleeing the pocket unnecessarily. He left plays on the field.

And that was as big of a reason for the Eagles’ late-season collapse as anything.

I have to believe Hurts’ play at the end of 2023 was a blip on the radar more than a long-term concern. I anticipate somewhat of a bounce-back season in 2024.

Check out the rest of the rankings here:
#32 Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
#31 Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
#30 J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
#29 Gardner Minshew (Las Vegas Raiders)
#28 Will Levis (Tennessee Titans)
#27 Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
#26 Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
#25 Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
#24 Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
#23 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
#22 Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
#21 Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
#20 Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
#19 Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
#18 Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
#17 Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
#16 Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
#15 Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
#14 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
#13 Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons)
#12 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
#11 Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
#10 Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
#9 Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
#8 C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
#7 Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
#6 Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
#5 Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
#4 Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
#3 Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
#2 Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
#1 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)