NFL Quarterback Power Rankings Week 2: Ranking All 32 Starting Quarterbacks From Worst To First

The first week of the NFL season is in the books. Here are all 32 Week 2 starters ranked worst to first.

Week 1 was not a good week for the league’s quarterbacks. Passing yards and passing touchdowns leaguewide were way down from recent years, and most passing games around the league struggled to consistently pick teams apart in the intermediate and deep parts of the field.

But, even with those struggles, some quarterbacks found a way to really stand out. Others, unfortunately, were part of the poor quarterback play that seemed to be everywhere in Week 1. Here are the 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 2 ranked worst to first.

32. Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson

Last Week: 24/45, 53.3%, 169 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 39 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. DAL

We all thought that the Deshaun Watson-Browns experiment probably wasn’t going to work after a disastrous 2023. On Sunday, what we all thought to be true was made very clear. Simply put, Deshaun Watson is a broken quarterback, and possibly a broken man. New sexual assault allegations came out against Watson this week, and Browns fans are living a nightmare with a truly bad and unlikable quarterback who is surrounded by the best roster the franchise has had since its reintroduction to the NFL. The worst part about the entire situation is it’s not particularly clear that Deshaun Watson even wants to be out there.

 

31. New York Giants QB Daniel Jones

Last Week: 22/42, 52.4%, 186 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, 15 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. MIN

It speaks to just how bad Deshaun Watson was last week that Daniel Jones isn’t last on this list. Don’t take that as any sort of endorsement of his play, though. Now in his sixth year in the league, Jones looks as lost as he was as a rookie, only this time with his mobility sapped by a torn ACL he suffered last year. There is not a single thing Jones does at this point in his career that is at a starting-caliber level, except his starting-caliber level paycheck.

30. Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young

Last Week: 13/30, 43.3%, 161 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, 12 rush yds, 0 rush TD @NO

Coming into the season, the hope was that new head coach Dave Canales could improve Bryce Young like he did Baker Mayfield last season as the Bucs offensive coordinator. That thought seemed to go up in flames on the first pass of the season, as Bryce Young was intercepted. He wasn’t much better the rest of the game, either. It’s hard to give up on someone who was so productive at every step of his career prior to the NFL and has a pedigree like Bryce Young. But, the clock is ticking before he gets a bust label that’s hard to shake.

29. Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis

Malik Willis will fill in for the injured Jordan Love for the foreseeable future as Love recovers from a knee injury. Odds are the former Tennessee Titan won’t be very good. But, he’d have to be really bad to be worse than the three quarterbacks ranked worse than him on this list.

28. Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis

Last Week: 19/32, 59.4%, 127 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 36 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ CHI

Will Levis has a ton of talent. But, the strong-arm second-year player needs to cut down on the ridiculous pass, like the underhand shovel pass he threw while getting sacked that turned into the go-ahead pick-six for the Bears as the Titans blew a 17-0 lead to lose, 24-17. 127 yards on 32 attempts is not a good use of Levis’s rocket arm, to say the least.

27. Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix

Last Week: 26/42, 61.9%, 138 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, 35 rush yds, 1 rush TD @ SEA

Bo Nix was a rookie quarterback in his first start, so a stat-line like that one wasn’t completely unexpected. Plus, he did make plays at times, and led an impressive scoring drive in the 4th quarter to get Denver back in the game. But, he didn’t show any ability to complete passes down the field consistently, the biggest concern on him as a prospect.

 

26. Las Vegas Raiders QB Gardner Minshew

Last Week: 25/33, 75.8%, 257 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 rush yds, 0 rush TD @LAC

In a slow week statistically for quarterbacks, Minshew put up respectable numbers in a lot of categories. But, like it’s always been with the veteran, his respectable numbers don’t always correlate to winning football.

25. New England Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett

Last Week: 15/24, 62.5%, 121 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 32 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ CIN

The Patriots were Week 1’s surprise winners, scoring a huge road upset of the Bengals. Mistake-free football from Jacoby Brissett was a big reason why. If he keeps avoiding costly turnovers and continues keeping the offense on schedule and out of negative plays, Brissett could hold off rookie Drake Maye for quite a while.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields

Last Week: 17/23, 73.9%, 156 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 57 rush yds, 0 rush TD

As long as you don’t make Justin Fields throw the ball over the middle, or read both sides of the field, he can get the job done. That’s exactly what happened for the Steelers on Sunday, as Fields not only didn’t hurt them, but also made some plays in the passing game to George Pickens as well as using his great running ability.

23. Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson

Last Week: 9/19, 47.4%, 212 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 56 rush yds, 1 rush TD

The duality of Anthony Richardson was on display on Sunday. His early touchdown to Alec Pierce was one of the greatest throws in NFL history, no hyperbole. Few, if any, other players could make 63-yard throw without being able to step into it and put it right on the money. But, you watch the rest of the game and it’s a guy that completed less than half of his attempts. The range of future outcomes for Richardson are as wide as any player in the league.

22. Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold

Last Week: 19/24, 79.2%, 208 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. NYG

This season is probably Sam Darnold’s last chance at a career renaissance. He got off to a great start in saving his career, completing his first twelve attempts en route to a solid day. It’s a great situation for Darnold to re-establish himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

21. Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Last Week: 17/24, 70.8%, 184 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 88 rush yds, 2 rush TD @ TB

It’s pretty clear that the Commanders will not be any good this year. But, early signs from their rookie second-overall pick are encouraging. Daniels made plays with his arm and legs and could end up having a pretty good rookie season.

 

20. Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith

Last Week: 18/25, 72.0%, 171 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 30 rush yds, 1 rush TD Vs. DEN

Geno Smith was steady on Sunday, and the contrast of the ability to deal with the speed of the NFL game between the veteran and rookie Bo Nix was apparent. At some point, the Seahawks are going to look for their next true franchise quarterback, but Smith wants to push that day back as far as possible.

19. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

Last Week: 14/29, 48.3%, 93 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 15 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. TEN

Those are some ugly numbers. There’s no way around that. But, Williams is too talented and the Bears offense is too talented for Williams to be putting up sub-100 yard passing games. Expect his immense talent and readiness to start to shine through Thursday night against Houston.

18. Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins

Last Week: 16/26, 61.5%, 155 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 0 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. PIT

At times on Sunday, Cousins looked like the guy that had become one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks the last few years. At other times, he very much looked like an aging quarterback still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last season. How close he plays to the former of those two things will determine how good of a year the Falcons have.

17. New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr

Last Week: 19/23, 82.6%, 200 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, 13 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. CAR

It wasn’t that long ago that Carr was considered one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks. If Sunday was any indication, he will be reaching that status again this year. Carr was fantastic against a bad Carolina team, showing off a level of comfort in the pocket he has been missing the last few years. Given the opponent, it could be a fluky performance, but Saints fans had to have liked what they saw.

16. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

Last Week: 21/31, 67.7%, 162 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 57 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ BUF

The good news is that Kyler Murray looked as healthy and confident moving around as he was before his torn ACL two seasons ago. The bad news is that he struggled to hook up with rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr., who only had one catch for four yards. Those two will need to get it going if the Cardinals offense is going to have consistent success. Still, Sunday was something to build on for Kyler Murray.

15. New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers

Last Week: 13/21, 61.9%, 167 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, -1 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ SF

At times, Aaron Rodgers looked like the player we’ve come to know, one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. At other times, he looked like a 40-year old coming off of a torn Achilles whose arm had lost just the tiniest bit of zip. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

Last Week: 12/21, 57.1%, 162 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 8 rush yds, 0 rush TD @MIA

Frankly, Trevor Lawrence played well enough to win on Sunday, showing some improvement from a down 2023. He looked much more like the player we saw at the end of 2022 that looked like he was going to rise into one of the top half-dozen quarterbacks in the NFL, the type of player the Jags thought they were getting when they drafted him first-overall in 2021. While the stats won’t blow you away, Sunday could be the start of a true breakout year for Trevor Lawrence.

13. Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff

Last Week: 18/28, 64.3%, 217 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 7 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. LAR

Sunday was a familiar story for Jared Goff. For most of the game, he was in control of the Lions’ offense, playing efficient football and accurately throwing the ball in the intermediate passing game. But, as is Jared Goff’s M.O., he threw really poor interceptions while leading in the second-half that ended up allowing the Rams to take the lead when it looked like Detroit was going to make it a two-possession game. If he would just cut down on the unforced errors, he cold f find himself much closer to the top five of this list.

 

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

Last Week: 24/30, 80.0%, 289 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT, 21 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. WAS

The Commanders secondary might be the worst in the NFL. But, you’ve still got to make the plays that are there, and that’s exactly what Baker Mayfield did. Any concerns that his fantastic season had to more to do with former offensive coordinator Dave Canales than it did with Mayfield seemed to evaporate, as he was fantastic. He could rise higher on this list if he continues to play at this kind of level.

 

11. Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa

Last Week: 23/37, 62.2%, 338 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 11 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. JAX

That stats show a prolific passing attack, but it took a while for the Dolphins offense to really hit its stride on Sunday. Only after a perfect throw to Tyreek Hill on an 80-yard touchdown did Tua and crew get it going. He still has limitations in his arm strength and playmaking. But, his accuracy and anticipation allow him to be a highly effective start in the NFL.

10. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy

Last Week: 19/29, 65.5%, 231 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 11 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. NYJ

Brock Purdy is consistently the toughest player to rank due to the fact that there’s no easier situation for a quarterback currently than in San Francisco. But, credit to Purdy, he is good at finding the (wide) open man that there seemingly is on every Kyle Shanahan pass play. And, he showed a lot of toughness standing in the pocket on Monday night. The question is, how many other quarterbacks would look great if they were in that situation? A lot of them, probably.

9. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

Last Week: 20/34, 58.8%, 278 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT, 33 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. GB

To put it simply, Jalen Hurts was not very good in the Eagles’ season-opening win against the Packers. He threw two dreadful picks and should’ve been picked off a few more times. But, Packers starter Jordon Love struggled, too, so I’m chalking it up to the unfamiliar surroundings of playing in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Expect Hurts to start to play much better. If he doesn’t, he will start to slip in these rankings.

8. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert

Last Week: 17/26, 65.4%, 144 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 6 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. LV

The numbers certainly weren’t gaudy, and it may be this way the entire season for Herbert and the Chargers. But, he showed off the great anticipation, timing, accuracy, and arm strength that makes him one of the league’s most talented quarterbacks. As new head coach Jim Harbaugh starts to trust Herbert more and more, look for the passing offense to open up more and more.

7. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow

Last Week: 21/29, 72.4%, 164 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 32 rush yds, 0 rush TD Vs. NE

There’s no doubt that Joe Burrow did not play up to the level that we normally associate with one of the league’s best pure passers. The Patriots defense is pretty solid, JaMarr Chase was on a snap count, and Tee Higgins was out. Most concerning is Burrow’s right wrist injury. He says it’s not bothering him or effecting his throws. We will believe him for now ane expect a bounceback week against the Chiefs.

6. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott

Last Week: 19/32, 59.4%, 179 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ CLE

Dak Prescott didn’t need to do anything special on Sunday in a game where his defense absolutely dominated Deshaun Watson and the Browns. He knew that, played within himself, and got the Cowboys off to a fast start just hours after signing a record contract extension. The offense will need to open up soon, but if Dak plays like he did last year, he will be ready.

5. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford

Last Week: 34/49, 69.4%, 317 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 0 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ DET

Last year, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp both missed time with injuries, and neither of them fully got in complete rhythm with each other. It’s safe to say after Sunday’s loss to the Lions that the two stars are ready to light it up once again. Don’t let the loss fool you. Matthew Stafford looks to be fully healthy and once again among the NFL’s elite.

4. Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud

Last Week: 24/32, 75.0%, 234 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT, 13 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ IND

This is a quarterback rankings slideshow, but we’d be remiss to not mention that the Texans were probably the best running team in the league in Week 1. That’s due in part to an improved offensive line and the strong running of Joe Mixon. But, CJ Stroud’s ability to complete passes down the field to a plethora of options means that defenses have to respect that, keeping numbers out of the box. Stroud could be leading a pick-your-poison offense this year in Houston.

3. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Last Week: 26/41, 63.4%, 273 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 122 rush yds, 0 rush TD @ KC

Lamar Jackson picked up right where he left off in his 2023 MVP season with a fantastic performance on the road against a Kansas City defense that shut him down in the AFC Championship Game a year ago. Despite facing pressure for most of the game, Jackson kept the chains moving and showed off his running ability that is the best of any quarterback in NFL history. He probably can’t play as physical of a game that he played last Thursday every week, but it was an impressive performance nonetheless that was an Isaiah Likely toe and a two-point conversion away from a big road upset.

2. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen

Last Week: 18/23, 78.3%, 232 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT, 39 rush yds, 2 rush TD Vs. Ari

Josh Allen is going to have to carry a Bills offense devoid of star power all year long if they want to win another AFC East title. He showed he’s more than capable of doing that on Sunday. His four total touchdowns show that he might be the single most valuable quarterback to their team. The offense is often the Josh Allen show in Buffalo. That’s an alright plan when it’s this version of Josh Allen we’ve had since midseason last year.

 

1. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Last Week: 20/28, 71.4%, 291 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 rush yds, 0 rush TD

Simply put, Patrick Mahomes is a joy to watch play quarterback. His metamorphosis from an elite playmaker teetering on the seesaw of brilliance and disaster for 60 minutes to efficient pocket destroyer is unlike few things we’ve ever seen in sports. He expertly carved up a strong Ravens defense that smartly took away his favorite target in Travis Kelce for most of the night. Never once did Mahomes force him the ball. Instead, he worked the ball to other targets like Noah Gray, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy. It’s the stuff of greatness.