2024 NFL Week 1 QB Power Rankings: C.J. Stroud, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love all open new season in top 10

Kim O'Reilly, CBS Sports

Nothing moves the needle in the NFL quite like quarterbacks. Why? They're the most important ingredient in a championship recipe! Is it possible to win a championship without an "elite" signal-caller? Sure. But history tells us that it's much easier otherwise. So we're keeping tabs on all 32 starters.

Which quarterbacks are the best of the best entering the 2024 campaign? And which ones could be in for trouble? All quarterbacks are partly a product of their situations, but this is how we'd sort today's signal-callers right now (with some obvious, short-term projection baked in). These power rankings are obviously subject to drastic change as the games and season unfold, as they're based more on current standing than the bigger picture.

Follow along all season for the story of each quarterback's respective rise and fall. And get your fix of our Week 1 pecking order, kicking off the 2024 season, right here:

2024 NFL QB Power Rankings

1	Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs QB
Mr. Inevitable, Mahomes might already be a Hall of Fame lock going into his seventh season as a starter. There's nothing he can't do as the centerpiece of the NFL's current dynasty, be it acrobatic tosses, sneaky scrambles or methodical drives when it matters most. He reigns supreme.
2	Josh Allen Buffalo Bills QB
His deep-playoff resume doesn't match that of Mahomes, and that's partly because Allen plays an even riskier game, leaning all the way into his supersized frame and arm talent as a no-brakes gunslinger. It's also why he's primed to elevate the Bills' totally remade wide receiver corps.
3	Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens QB
If there's one quarterback whose sheer athleticism guarantees he's never out of a play, it's probably Jackson, whose two NFL MVP honors confirm his game-breaking gifts. The question with No. 8 is really just durability; if he can stay on the field, he's a lock for the weekly highlight reel.
4	Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals QB
It's been close to two years since Burrow was truly, fully healthy, and his extensive absence in two of four NFL seasons is a real concern. At full speed, however, he's been one of the NFL's smoothest precision passers, especially in critical spots, flashing championship-caliber poise.
5	C.J. Stroud Houston Texans QB
The weight of expectations may well be Stroud's biggest hurdle after the Ohio State product burst onto the scene in 2023, vaulting the Texans forward with calm, collected and confident downfield darts. With an even deeper supporting cast, it's no wonder he's a popular MVP pick at just 22.
6	Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers QB
After back-to-back NFC Championship appearances, Purdy still feels underrated. Yes, he enjoys a luxurious setup under Kyle Shanahan. He's also been far more efficient and explosive as an off-schedule point guard than Shanahan's previous figureheads. To the critics: What more can he do?
7	Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles QB
This is Hurts' fourth year as a starter, and it feels like a crossroads: He's had MVP-level highs as a punishing runner and big-play thrower, even sniffing a Super Bowl title. A revamped staff and all-star weaponry could be key to rebounding from a more mercurial and sluggish 2023 campaign.
8	Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys QB
The flagbearer for accomplished quarterbacks without a defining big-game resume, Prescott is quietly mirroring Kirk Cousins as a sharp pocket passer destined for a major payday amid his own team's hesitance to commit long term. When he's on, aided by Dallas' playmakers, he's legit.
9	Jordan Love Green Bay Packers QB
Crowned the next face of the Packers, continuing a tradition started and maintained by Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, Love had a Mahomes-esque flair to his zippy passes by the end of his first full year as the starter. Now comes the challenge: Refining his live-wire arm in a young offense.
10	Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams QB
The 2021 Super Bowl champion has been mostly healthy for two of his three seasons in Los Angeles, and both times, Sean McVay's offense has flourished. At 36, then, the key is whether he's protected. When upright, he's got the arm strength and seasoned vision to feed his top targets.
11	Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers QB
After four years of impressive numbers but middling results, Herbert's prototypical pocket-passing skills will have a new shepherd in the blue-collar Jim Harbaugh, whose anticipated prioritization of the ground game should help balance things out in L.A. How soon the wins follow is up for debate.
12	Aaron Rodgers New York Jets QB
Returning from an Achilles injury that robbed him of all but four snaps in his anticipated Jets debut, Rodgers is a beautiful mystery, as he might say. At 40, years removed from elite play, what can we expect? It's still hard to deny his track record of pinpoint accuracy, coupled with New York's talent.
13	Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB
Not long ago, Goff was written off as a throwaway trade chip. He's since revived his image as the resilient figurehead of a loaded Lions offense. Can he finally get over the ultimate hump, too?
14	Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins QB
The Dolphins are now paying him top-five money, which isn't surprising considering his seismic leap in confidence and downfield touch under Mike McDaniel. When he's on the mark, video-game production ensues. Still, he's out to prove he can also win off-script against true contenders.
15	Kirk Cousins Atlanta Falcons QB
The definition of serviceable, Cousins is now 36 and coming off injury, still in search of a defining late-year run. But he's a borderline top-10 play-action zinger when well-protected. If the Falcons outfit him with good run and defensive support, he could help shift the NFC South race.
16	Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars QB
Like Tagovailoa, Lawrence is also looking to prove his first-round talents can be properly cultivated under big-money expectations. He's already flashed the energy and passing acumen of a former No. 1 pick, but he's also been streaky as a decision-maker amid bruises and personnel shifts.
17	Kyler Murray Arizona Cardinals QB
The former No. 1 pick showed some of his trademark elusiveness after returning from an ACL tear late in 2023. Entering Year 6, however, the time is now for a more decisive stretch through the air.
18	Caleb Williams Chicago Bears QB
A much-improved Bears offense should help ease the No. 1 pick into NFL speed. Williams already projects pro confidence, though, and he's got a killer arm to pair with effortless mobility.
19	Geno Smith Seattle Seahawks QB
Durability is something to monitor after he endured some bumps behind a still-iffy line in 2023, but Smith has shown since the start of his Seattle revival he's got underrated crunch-time pizzazz.
20	Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders QB
Whereas Caleb Williams projects as a fireworks show, Daniels could be more of a tempo-based distributor for Washington, though he's also got the straight-line speed to make defenses pay.
21	Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB
Rewarded for his scrappy return to relevance in Tampa Bay, Mayfield embodies the Buccaneers under Todd Bowles: not particularly or consistently pretty, but never one to shy away from a fight.
22	Russell Wilson Pittsburgh Steelers QB
Once the standard-setter for dual threats leaguewide, Wilson is trying to salvage his legacy at 35. His leadership is a match for Mike Tomlin. Can he squeeze some juice out of his arm/legs, too?
23	Deshaun Watson Cleveland Browns QB
Physically speaking, Watson still has some of the dynamism that propelled him to Texans stardom. It just hasn't been seen with any regularity for years, and the Browns' bruised setup may not help.
24	Will Levis Tennessee Titans QB
The Titans prioritized all kinds of veteran additions to give Levis a real audition for the top job. He's got Josh Allen-like spunk as a wrecking ball type. The question is, can he also exhibit control?
25	Anthony Richardson Indianapolis Colts QB
Not dissimilar to his AFC South-mate Levis, Richardson looks the part with a huge frame, quick feet and laser arm. Barely healthy for four games as a rookie, though, he remains a total projection.
26	Derek Carr New Orleans Saints QB
Carr's long resume of gutsy work for oft-middling teams deserves better. He's a respected leader. But is the upside there at 33? Like the Saints, he's been synonymous with wild-card flirtations.
27	Bryce Young Carolina Panthers QB
Young's unprecedently small size made him an easy target amid a rookie year plagued by poor protection and slow reads. New coach Dave Canales should help the former No. 1 pick gain steam.
28	Sam Darnold Minnesota Vikings QB
Minnesota's infrastructure should give the journeyman the best shot at a real QB1 gig he's ever had. And he can sling it. But can he sustain it? Injuries or forced throws have sidelined him before.
29	Bo Nix Denver Broncos QB
Sean Payton might not be bluffing about the Oregon product's NFL-readiness as a rookie. He looked spry and sharp in the preseason. Translating that against real defenses is another story.
30	Daniel Jones New York Giants QB
It's arguable that Jones has never enjoyed a fully formed supporting cast in New York. Still, durability and ball control have been steady issues. Can Malik Nabers help him back on track?
31	Gardner Minshew Las Vegas Raiders QB
He's certainly got a bit more razzle-dazzle than Aidan O'Connell, his chief offseason competition. Minshew has proven before he's best-suited as a relief pitcher, though, due to his erratic arm.
32	Jacoby Brissett New England Patriots QB
He's a trooper for his career as a willing placeholder. But it's only inevitable that the more mobile Drake Maye, the Patriots' big investment under center, will eventually warrant the team's support.