Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks

It’s the end of July, which means we’re getting closer and closer to the start of football season. Unfortunately, we still have a little ways to go before we see any meaningful football. That’s why I spent the last 32 days ranking and breaking down the top-32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL (You can see the list below).

Let’s set the parameters for this list. First, we’re ranking the top-32 starting quarterbacks, which means one quarterback from each team. There are obviously some teams, like the Atlanta Falcons, that have two quarterbacks good enough to be in the top-32. Unfortunately, that means Michael Penix won’t be on this list.

Second, there are some other teams, like the Vikings and Patriots, that selected quarterbacks in the top of the first round who are not likely to start in Week 1. In those cases, I’m still including the rookies on this list. Because quite frankly, I’d rather write about J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye than Jacoby Brissett and Sam Darnold. And I’m sure you’d rather read about them as well.

And finally, this is about where these 32 quarterbacks rank right now. This season. Some veterans currently are not where they were a few years ago or where they’ll end up in the history books. And on the other end of the spectrum, most of the rookies are likely going to struggle as they get used to the NFL game. Maybe some day they’ll become stars, but for now, they’re mostly at the bottom of the list.

One final thing - I didn’t just rank the top 32 quarterbacks and call it a day. Click on the links below to see all-22 breakdowns, statistics, and justifications for why I have them ranked where I do:

Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks:
#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)