Jayden Daniels was the clear-cut best first- or second-year quarterback during the 2024 NFL season. Caleb Williams played better than you might think, C.J. Stroud had a disappointing campaign by his standards and Bryce Young had one of the most remarkable in-season turnarounds I've ever seen at the quarterback position.
Altogether, I tracked 14 first or second-year passers in this season-long project, and 10 quarterbacks threw at least 10 passes in the regular-season finale.
They are listed below by their 2024 season grade with the "full-time" starters first, and the passers with only one or a few qualifying performances listed near the bottom.
Before I start, some words on how I grade. The "2024 Season Grade" is the cumulative average of each individual game grade throughout the 2024 season for each quarterback.
In terms of how I grade, quarterbacks aren't given huge pluses -- and usually none at all -- for completing a pass to a wide-open receiver or what I would deem as a throw every NFL quarterback would be "expected" to make. Challenging throws and brutal plays aren't the only elements that can move a grade, but they have the most sizable bearing on it, which is why I highlight them every week. Also, a ball being reeled in by the intended target is essentially irrelevant. This grading project is aimed at isolating the quarterback's play.
Now, there is a fair amount of subjectivity here from me, as the grader. I'm not assigning a letter or number grade to each individual throw, and for the season grade, let's say an A- grade during a contest with 21 attempts weighs the same as a C- with 42 attempts. This isn't incredibly granular, but it does represent my best attempt to distill what a quarterback was asked to do and how well he carried out his tasks throughout the 2024 regular season.
Full-time starters
Week 18 stats
- 6 of 12 for 38 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the first quarter, Daniels threw with good anticipation on a deep comeback to Terry McLaurin from the far hash, but the ball was dropped.
- While the safety jarred the ball free, Daniels made a gorgeous throw on a scramble drill down the right sideline to Olamide Zaccheaus in the second quarter.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- He threw too far in front of an open McLaurin on a slant in the first quarter.
- Midway through the second quarter, McLaurin underthrew a vertical route from the slot run by Dyami Brown that was ultimately broken up.
Summary: The Commanders didn't give Daniels the entire game in Week 18 against the Cowboys, which was the smart decision. Overall it was a normal, completely fine game for the star rookie quarterback. Nothing sensational, though.
Grade: B
Season Summary: Daniels did get loads of experience in college, but he still played beyond his years in his rookie season with the Commanders. From the jump, we saw him find the open receiver quickly, throw with plus accuracy, particularly underneath and at the intermediate level, and as the season progressed, he became more of a weapon with his legs. Outstanding debut season in the NFL for the Commanders passer.
2024 Season Grade: B (84.4)
Week 18 stats
- 25 of 34 for 251 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- Young's second attempt of this game was a perfectly placed back-shoulder throw to Adam Thielen for 25 yards.
- There was a quality throw against tight coverage on an in-breaker to Jalen Coker for 14 yards.
- Young made an anticipation throw down the right sideline against zone to Ja'Tavion Sanders for 28 yards. Gorgeous.
- His final throw of the regular season was a fun flip to Coker while scrambling left.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- He missed Tommy Tremble while stepping up and to the right in the pocket in the third quarter.
Summary: Young diced one of the worst secondaries in football to cap a remarkable turnaround in his second professional season. Not everything was perfect, yet he put his entire skill set on display in this overtime win.
Grade: A-
Season Summary: Young looked like he did as a rookie -- abysmal -- before his benching in Year 2. Afterward? A completely transformed quarterback. Now, it does feel like Young's physical abilities are pushed to the limit when he's make spectacular plays, but at least they appeared in the second half of 2024. He was mostly outstanding down the stretch for the Panthers.
2024 Season Grade: B- (82.2)
Week 18 stats
- 21 of 29 for 148 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the third quarter, early, Williams fit a pass to Keenan Allen down the right sideline between two defenders for 13 yards.
- A few plays later, he somehow avoided multiple defenders deep in the pocket and managed a 3-yard scramble.
- On a third down in the fourth quarter, Williams spun away from a free rusher off the edge and fit a pass through a reasonably small window to D.J. Moore crossing the field.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- He threw wide on a screen to Moore that bounced off a blocking Roschon Johnson's helmet and was caught.
- Williams missed high on another screen in the fourth.
Summary: Williams had a gutsy performance against the Packers inside Lambeau Field to conclude his rookie season. The game plan was, once again, loaded with screens, but he did connect on a few of the longer throws he attempted in this last-second win.
Grade: B
Season Summary: Everything went south for the Bears after the Hail Mary loss to the Commanders. And Williams took a considerable amount of hits. The offense at stretches was agonizingly stagnant. Individually, I thought Williams held his own, mostly made smart decisions -- had some wayward stretches -- but also routinely demonstrated his arm talent and creativity eluding rushers. His season was better than its reputation in my estimation.
Season Grade: B- (80.1)
Season Summary: The physical traits shined for Maye as a rookie. Bucket throws deep, connections downfield on the move, efficient scrambles -- it was all there. He also trusted his arm a bit too much and took a variety of hits in the pocket. Despite the normal rookie negatives, the Patriots should be very encouraged by what he showed with a reasonably barren roster in 2024.
2024 Season Grade: C+ (79.3)
Week 18 stats
- 26 of 29 for 321 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- While not a perfect throw -- which would've led to a touchdown -- Nix hit Courtland Sutton downfield for 47 yards with a defender in his face in the first quarter.
- His touchdown to Sutton was an awesome display of anticipation and connection with his star receiver.
- Late in the second, Nix ripped a fastball down the right sideline to Sutton for 32 yards against tight coverage.
- Nix zinged a laser to Devaughn Vele down the numbers for 32 yards with a trailing defender close in coverage.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- One of Nix's touchdowns -- the ricochet caught in the second quarter -- was actually a throw behind his intended target that bounced off a Chiefs defender.
- His only incompletion in the first half was a hurried miss toward an open Javonte Williams while scrambling that would've been another touchdown.
Summary: Nix almost exclusively played against backup Chiefs defenders in this game, but he absolutely shredded all afternoon long. The easy stuff was incorporated into the game plan as usual, yet his ad-libbing was on point, and the rookie made impressive, high-velocity throws down the field when he needed to.
Grade: A
Season Summary: Nix was the ideal quarterback for Sean Payton in 2024. He got the ball out of his hands in a flash. Very accurate underneath. Took the check down when it was available. As the season went on, Nix got more comfortable letting it rip, which helped the Broncos advance to the postseason. Nix's athleticism was a clear plus to his game, too. There were stretches where his accuracy and decision-making left a bit to be desired.
2024 Season Grade: C+ (78.6)
Season Summary: Stroud regressed slightly in 2024 after bursting onto the scene as a rookie. Some of it had to do with losing Stefon Diggs reasonably early while losing Nico Collins for several games before losing Tank Dell for the season in December. But it wasn't strictly because of those key injuries. His accuracy wasn't as reliable as it was during his rookie campaign, and he had more problems combating pressure in his second NFL season. The remarkable plays were still there, and he made an assortment of awesome throws without much room to operate in the pocket all season.
2024 Season Grade: C+ (78.1)
Week 18 stats
- 24 of 34 for 214 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the first quarter, he threw with plus anticipation on a deep stop route run by Jakobi Meyers.
- To start the second quarter, while being hit low, O'Connell threw a dime through layers of coverage for 22 yards.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- He aimlessly flipped a checkdown that was intercepted by a Chargers linebacker.
Summary: Classic O'Connell game. Arm strength and mobility limitations were apparent throughout, yet he made the most of his talent because of quick decisions and quality accuracy.
Grade: B-
Season Summary: Now two years into his NFL career, it feels like we know what we have with O'Connell. He can be a serviceable backup or spot starter when needed and has the ability to distribute the football underneath and occasionally at the intermediate level. Yet he simply doesn't have requisite arm strength or athleticism to elevate those around him.
2024 Season Grade: C+ (76.9)
Season Summary: The Year 2 jump never really occurred for Richardson, who did have a few impressive outings that were outweighed by his drastically inaccurate, overwhelmed contest. His accuracy was scattershot in most situations. Then right when Richardson would seem like a lost cause with his ball placement, he'd rip a 50-yard pass on target. There were rushing flashes, but he never dominated with his legs. Richardson is an enigma at this point.
2024 Season Grade: C- (73.2)
Week 18 stats
- 26 of 42 for 240 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- Rattler ripped a fastball over the middle between two defenders late in the first quarter for 15 yards.
- Early in the second quarter, with a defender undercutting the route, Rattler threw a strike on a deep over to Juwan Johnson for 26 yards.
- With under 20 seconds in the first half, Rattler placed a ball perfectly in the end zone near the sideline, over the top of the cornerback, but the receiver was just out of bounds.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Midway through the second quarter, Rattler threw low and wide on a outside WR screen that fell incomplete.
- On a roll to the left, Rattle missed Cedrick Wilson coming across the field near the numbers.
- Potentially a miscommunication, but Rattler floated a pass deep downfield that should've been intercepted.
- His second-to-last throw, after scrambling right, was underthrown and nearly picked.
Summary: Rattler started strongly against a hungry Buccaneers team in Tampa Bay, then his accuracy waned as the game tightened in the second half.
Grade: C-
Season Summary: For the most part, I was reasonably impressed with Rattler during his debut NFL season. The circumstances in New Orleans were not great, and many times his lacking athleticism and maybe overly aggressive nature held him back. But he made a handful of quality throws and looked the part of a rookie quarterback who was not completely in over his head in his first year.
2024 Season Grade: C- (72.8)
Week 18 stats
- 9 of 17 for 175 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- From deep in his own end zone to start the fourth quarter, Levis found Calvin Ridley deep down the right sideline.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- His first-quarter interception probably shouldn't have been thrown and hung in the air for far too long.
- There was a fourth-quarter heave deep down the middle to Ridley that was woefully overthrown.
- On a third down midway through the fourth, Levis airmailed a crossing route at the intermediate level.
Summary: It was a fitting end to a hugely disappointing Year 2 for Levis. He connected on one long ball to Ridley but otherwise was inaccurate and took plenty of hits in the blowout loss to the Texans, who weren't playing for anything.
Grade: D
Season Summary: Many expected Levis to take a leap in his second NFL season. That simply didn't happen whatsoever. It felt like his coaches lost trust in him early, given his rash of turnovers and bad decisions, he got injured, and never really recovered. There absolutely were flashes but they were few and far between in his second pro season. Levis received grades in the "D" range in his final three outings of the 2024 campaign.
2024 Season Grade: C- (71.5)
Spot Starters / Relief Appearances
Week 18 stats
- 22 of 29 for 241 yards 1 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the second quarter, after moving out of the pocket to his right, Milton found Kayshon Boutte beyond the deepest Bills defender and uncorked a rocket for a 48-yard touchdown.
- Milton slid off a sack attempt while scrambling and fell forward for a first down in the third.
- While taking a hit on a roll to his left, Milton fit a pass to Demario Douglas on a deep over for 15 yards.
- Late in the third, after escaping to his left, he lofted a perfect touch pass to one of his running backs in the front left corner of the end zone, but the ball fell incomplete.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- In the third, Milton threw slightly behind a quick out run by a tight end from the slot that allowed the linebacker to break up the throw at the catch point.
Summary: Milton was very impressive in this long audition in Week 18. Now, his competition level has to be considered, as the Bills played their second and third-string defense for essentially the entire game -- minus the opening drive. We knew about Milton's arm talent. Beyond that, he threw with plus accuracy and mostly made quick decisions throughout. His athleticism and sack avoidance were awesome, too.
Grade: A-
Season Summary: This is really the longest we saw Milton all season, and maybe he should been on the field more when Drake Maye was injured.
2024 Season Grade: A- (92.5)
Week 18 stats
- 21 of 38 for 312 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- His second pass was a ridiculous fastball through layers of coverage to his target near the sideline. No idea how the ball got through.
- Penix demonstrated plus athleticism on his diving scramble touchdown in the second quarter.
- While rolling left, Penix found Drake London near the sideline for 26 yards.
- With under 30 second remaining in the first half, Penix dropped one in the bucket to Ray Ray McCloud for 42 yards.
- Right before the end of the half, he placed a back-shoulder throw into the outstretched arms of London for a 20-yard score.
- Near the end of the third, Penix threw the football out in front of London running across the field for what amounted to a 39-yard gain.
- He threw with tremendous anticipation and placement on a deep out run by London to pick up a 3rd and 10 late in the game.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Penix's first throw was wide of Drake London underneath.
- His third throw of the game was an airmailed deep comeback.
Summary: Penix was facing arguably the worst defense in the NFL in a meaningless game for Carolina. Remember that. But this was an aerial show from the rookie passer.
Grade: A-
Season Summary: Penix was pushed onto the field, in December, with the division hanging in the balance. While the Falcons weren't ultimately able to win the division, we can't say it was Penix's fault. He certainly had some ball-placement issues at times. He also made a litany of tremendous throws that simply were not part of the offense when Kirk Cousins was the starter. Very encouraging mini audition for the rookie.
2024 Season Grade: B- (80.8)
Week 18 stats
- 27 of 41 for 269 yards 2 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- His first throw of the game was a designed roll right and he threw with ideal placement purposely behind the receiver who had an underneath linebacker in tight coverage.
- McKee's next throw was a laser on a flag route while under pressure.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- He missed on a designed roll throw into the flat near the end of the first.
- McKee missed a running back down the numbers in the first half.
- Near the end of the first half, there was a forced throw near the sideline that should've been intercepted.
- McKee skipped a checkdown attempt near the end of the game.
Summary: A strong start for McKee against the lowly Giants at home hit a rough patch in the middle before he finished with plenty of underneath throws with the late lead. Solid albeit mostly unspectacular outing.
Grade: C+
Season Summary: This is really the longest we saw McKee for any stretch of the 2024 season, and his arm talent was on display throughout. So was his lack of mobility and at times poor decision-making.
2024 Season Grade: C+ (77.5)
Season Summary: One qualifying game for Haener in his second season -- in Week 8 filling in for Spencer Rattler that, stat-wise didn't go well, but did feature a few quality throws.
Season Grade: C+ (77.5)
Season Summary: Thompson-Robinson struggled mightily on the Browns this year. There was really nothing positive to take from his audition after Jameis Winston was benched. Week 16 wasn't brutal.
Season Grade: D+ (66.8)
