Week 5 has come and gone. Here are all 32 starting quarterbacks for the upcoming Week 6 ranked worst to first.
Teams are officially getting restless with their quarterback situations. Both the Raiders and Patriots are making quarterback changes, meaning that Aiden O’Connell and Drake Maye enter the rankings this week. And, with Derek Carr hurt, the Saints are turning to Spencer Rattler, necessitating his inclusion as well.
One team not making a change is the Cleveland Browns, who seem to be married to the idea of Deshaun Watson ruining their season.
Without further ado, here are all 32 Week 6 starters ranked worst to first.
32. Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Last Week: 15/28, 53.6%, 125 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 106/176, 60.2%, 852 yds, 5 TD / 3 INT
Each week, it’s the same story with Watson. His play is uninspired, his teammates aren’t playing hard for him, and he doesn’t seem to want to be out there. It’s well past time for Jameis Winston to get a shot in Cleveland.
31. Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis
Last Week: Bye
Season Stats: 67/98, 68.4%, 604 yds, 4 TD / 6 INT
The Titans were on their Bye Week in Week 5. Levis is expected to resume starting duties in Week 6, and will be hoping to avoid the backbreaking turnovers that has plagued him so far this year.
30. Miami Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley
Last Week: 18/31, 58.1%, 194 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 32/53, 60.4%, 290 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT
Huntley was the winning quarterback in the Dolphins’ 15-10 win over the Patriots. That’s pretty much all the good you can say about his performance, but that win could loom large if Tua Tagovailoa comes back and they get hot down the stretch. At 2-3, their season is not over.
29. New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler
(No stats this season)
Rattler, a 5th-round rookie out of South Carolina, is most famous for losing his job at Oklahoma to Caleb Williams. But, he had pockets of scouts throughout the NFL that were very high on him in the draft process. He has some NFL traits, and we will see what happens on Sunday against the Buccaneers.
28. New England Patriots QB Drake Maye
Season Stats: 4/8, 50.0%, 22 yds, 0 TD / 0 INT
The Patriots have decided to give their third-overall pick his first start this weekend against the Texans. He’s an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett, but his first start being against a great pass rush while being protected by a bad offensive line isn’t setting him up to succeed.
27. Las Vegas Raiders QB Aiden O'Connell
Last Week: 10/20, 50.0%, 94 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 19/32, 59.4%, 176 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT
O’Connell will start over Gardner Minshew this week against the Steelers. The second-year man out of Purdue showed flashes last season, and it makes sense for the Raiders to figure out what. they have in him.
26. Carolina Panthers QB Andy Dalton
Last Week: 18/28, 64.3%, 136 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 18/28, 64.3%, 136 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT
Dalton was great in his first two starts, but regressed to the mean in Week 5’s loss the Bears. Bryce Young played well in relief, and could be close to getting back his starting job.
25. Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix
Last Week: 19/27, 70.4%, 206 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 102/165, 61.8%, 866 yds, 3 TD / 4 INT
Bo Nix had his best game yet, and for the first time the Broncos won in part because of Nix, not in spite of him. The upward trajectory has to be encouraging to Broncos fans. He’s never going to be great down the field, but Sean Peyton wants to turn him into a guy with a high completion percentage that can also do some damage with his legs. Week 5 was the best example of that so far.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields
Last Week: 15/27, 55.6%, 131 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 92/136, 67.6%, 961 yds, 5 TD / 1 INT
Turns out, Justin Fields may not be much-improved, after all. The only thing saving his job right now is the lack of turnovers. But, that’s largely due to fumble luck, as he’s coughed it up five times already, only for all five to be recovered by the Steelers. Goodwill from leading the steelers to a 3-0 start is quickly running out after two straight losses, and Russell Wilson is breathing down his neck.
23. New York Giants QB Daniel Jones
Last Week: 23/34, 67.6%, 257 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 114/178, 64.0%, 1,138 yds, 6 TD / 3 INT
Daniel Jones played competent football once again, helping the Giants beat the Seahawks. He’s playing better than he has at any time in his career, even better than the 2022 season that earned him the ill-fated $160 million extension. The Giants are still likely to move on after the year, but someone is going to bring him in as a stopgap starter.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
Last Week: 28/34, 82.4%, 371 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 93/156, 59.6%, 1,100 yds, 6 TD / 2 INT
Lawrence struggled mightily early in the year after getting paid this offseason. But, Sunday’s performance was much more in line with what the Jaguars hoped they were paying for, and is the kind of performance someone with his raw talent should be having more often. A tough matchup awaits against the Bears, but he has a performance he’d like to build off of now.
21. Indianapolis Colts QB Joe Flacco
Last Week: 33/44, 75.0%, 359 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 49/70, 70.0%, 527 yds, 5 TD / 0 INT
Joe Flacco played well for the Browns last year, and has picked up right where he left off. There’s no doubt that he gives the Colts a better chance to win than Anthony Richardson does, and the veteran should continue to be the starter there.
20. New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers
Last Week: 29/54, 53.7%, 244 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Season Stats: 111/182, 61.0%, 1,093 yds, 7 TD / 4 INT
54 attempts for 244 yards is simply not good. Factor in 3 interceptions and Rodgers clearly hobbling around out there, and it’s no wonder that the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh in an attempt to save its season. Ultimately, Rodgers looks like a guy who missed all but a few snaps last year and spent the offseason doing things other than focusing on football as much as he should’ve.
19. Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love
Last Week: 15/26, 57.7%, 224 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 64/114, 56.1%, 873 yds, 8 TD / 5 INT
Love’s pick-six against the Rams, throwing the ball underhand out of his own end zone, was as bad of a decision as you’ll see all year. But, he made some truly great throws. At this point, we just need. to see more consistency out of Jordan Love to move up the rankings any further than this.
18. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams
Last Week: 20/29, 69.0%, 304 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 107/170, 62.9%, 1,091 yds, 5 TD / 4 INT
After a slow start, Caleb Williams is really figuring it out, as he’s now played five straight good halves of football. Expect Williams to continue to take big leaps and establish himself as one of the league’s better quarterbacks before his rookie year is over.
17. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
Last Week: Bye
Season Stats: 90/132, 68.2%, 930 yds, 4 TD / 4 INT
The Eagles had a much-needed bye week in Week 5. Hurts should get back his top two weapons in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith this week. Judging by the passing game in their absence, he will get a boost from their return.
16. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy
Last Week: 19/35, 54.3%, 244 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 103/157, 65.6%, 1,374 yds, 6 TD / 4 INT
Brock Purdy’s fans aren’t going to want to hear it, but the bubble is slowly starting to burst. It turns out that when he doesn’t have the full disposal of all-world weapons in San Francisco, he struggles to get it done, especially in crunch time. At 2-3, he needs to start playing like the franchise quarterback people think he is.
15. Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith
Last Week: 28/40, 70.0%, 284 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 143/199, 71.9%, 1,466 yds, 5 TD / 4 INT
Smith certainly wasn’t bad against the New York Giants, and he had to escape pressure all night due to a ferocious Giants pass rush. But, you would’ve liked to see him take advantage of one of the league’s worst secondaries a bit more than he did. Still, nothing to be too concerned about in Seattle.
14. Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold
Last Week: 14/31, 45.2%, 179 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 87/137, 63.5%, 1,111 yds, 11 TD / 4 INT
For the first time in his Vikings’ tenure, Sam Darnold looked like the Sam Darnold of old. But, he avoided a total implosion against a great Jets defense, and made enough plays to win. He needs to revert back to the form he had the first four weeks, and he will have the Bye Week to get things straightened out.
13. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
Last Week: 19/30, 63.3%, 195 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 94/138, 68.1%, 972 yds, 7 TD / 2 INT
The biggest question facing the 2024 Cardinals was whether Kyler Murray was truly their franchise quarterback, or if they needed to find one elsehwere. So far, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Murray showed he has far more talent ability than Brock Purdy in a much worse situation, and it was he who made the plays to win down the stretch. The Cardinals are a year or two away from serious playoff contention, but they know that Kyler is still their guy at quarterback.
12. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Last Week: 29/42, 69.0%, 352 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Season Stats: 125/191, 65.4%, 1,424 yds, 8 TD / 4 INT
Week 5’s win on Sunday Night Football over the Steelers featured some pretty low lows for Prescott, including a bad interception in the red zone that led to a spat with CeeDee Lamb. But, the game-winning drive and go-ahead touchdown pass on 4th and goal with just seconds remaining may have saved the Cowboys’ season and showed the best of Dak Prescott.
11. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Last Week: Bye
Season Stats: 59/91, 64.8%, 578 yds, 5 TD / 1 INT
The Chargers were on their Bye Week in Week 5. After a 2-0 start, they’re 2-2, and they will look to Herbert to help them beat the Broncos in a crucial divisional matchup this weekend. Herbert has been sharp so far this year.
10. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Last Week: 29/45, 64.4%, 260 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 118/175, 67.4%, 1,238 yds, 3 TD / 3 INT
Stafford is doing the best he can without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. The fact that he’s being somewhat productive without them shows just how good he still is. But, the Rams are 1-4, and it may be a lost season.
9. Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Last Week: 42/58, 72.4%, 509 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 119/177, 67.2%, 1,373 yds, 8 TD / 5 INT
Cousins broke Matt Ryan’s single-game franchise passing yards record on the night where Matt Ryan was honored at Mercedez-Benz Stadium and inducted into the Falcons’ Ring of Honor. Kirk seems to be getting more and more comfortable on his surgically repaired Achilles. Given the weapons in Atlanta, they could soon have one of the league’s very best offenses.
8. Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
Last Week: Bye
Season Stats: 88/124, 71.0%, 1,015 yds, 5 TD / 4 INT
After his 18-18 performance in Week 4, the Lions were on their Bye Week in Week 5. Goff had a slow start to the season, but Week 4 should have him back on the right track.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
Last Week: 19/24, 79.2%, 180 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 110/153, 71.9%, 1,164 yds, 11 TD / 2 INT
The Buccaneers lost their Thursday Night Football game to the Falcons in heartbreaking fashion, but it wasn’t Mayfield’s fault. If anything, the Bucs took the ball out of Mayfield’s hands too much down the stretch, as he was playing lights-out. That’s how he’s played all year, and he’s established himself as a real MVP candidate. The Browns surely wish they never moved on from him, given how things played out.
6 Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
Last Week: 9/30, 30.0%, 131 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 79/131, 60.3%, 945 yds, 8 TD / 0 INT
There’s no sugarcoating a 9/30 performance, one that used up a lot of the momentum Allen had built the first three weeks of the season when he was the NFL’s best quarterback. There’s no reason he can’t turn it around, but a tough matchup with the Jets awaits. Still, this is one of the league’s very best quarterbacks, and Sunday was more of a blip than anything.
5. Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Last Week: 14/25, 56.0%, 238 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 101/131, 77.1%, 1,135 yds, 4 TD / 2 INT
For the first time since Week 1, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense. But, after an early turnover, he didn’t get rattled, and was effective using his legs, even if he wasn’t quite as efficient through the air as he had been all year. Right now, he’s arguably the MVP, and has a chance to have the best rookie season of all-time, even better than the guy ranked directly ahead of him on this list.
4. Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud
Last Week: 28/38, 73.7%, 331 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 122/177, 68.9%, 1,385 yds, 7 TD / 3 INT
Watching CJ Stroud throw from the pocket each week is a joy. Few quarterbacks in the league can layer throws as well as he can. Couple in processing ability that we’ve basically never seen in the history of the league from someone who just turned 23, and it’s no wonder that in a redraft of the entire league, he may be the first pick, given his cheap contract.
3. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Last Week: 26/42, 61.9%, 348 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT
Season Stats: 98/150, 65.3%, 1,206 yds, 9 TD / 1 INT
We all know how good Lamar Jackson is as a runner, and it’s his legs that have helped him win two MVP’s in his first six seasons. But, Jackson is throwing the ball better than he ever has. He absolutely torched the Bengals defense on Sunday, delivering accurately down the field from the pocket. If this is a long-term trend, MVP number three could be coming sooner rather than later.
2. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Last Week: 28/39, 71.8%, 331 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 111/160, 69.4%, 1,235 yds, 6 TD / 6 INT
Mahomes continued his streak of throwing an interception in every game this season. But, unlike the others, this one was not his fault, as a strike to JuJu Smith-Schuster was dropped and ended up in a defender’s arms. Ironically, it was his connection with the newly reacquired Schuster, as well as old pal Travis Kelce heating up after a slow start, that led to his most productive passing game of the year. This is not a strong stretch of play for patrick Mahomes, and he’s still averaging nearly 250 yards passing per game on 70% completion percentage with injured weapons. That’s his floor as a player, and that’s why he’s widely considered the best quarterback in the league. Oh yeah, the Chiefs are 5-0, and he’s turned into arguably the league’s best leader. Vegas thinks he’s the MVP favorite, too.
1. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow
Last Week: 30/39, 76.9%, 392 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Season Stats: 125/173, 72.3%, 1,370 yds, 12 TD / 2 INT
Patrick Mahomes has the best Vegas odds for MVP, but that’s only because the Cincinnati defense has been an absolute disaster and has contributed heavily to a 1-4 start for the Bengals. That’s in spite of absolutely sensational play from Joe Burrow. Since a Week 1 clunker against the Patriots, Burrow has been the best quarterback in the league, and has been carving up defenses from the pocket at an elite level. All of the tools that had him as a consensus top three quarterback in the league prior to his injury plagued 2023 season are on display. Let’s hope the Bengals defense starts playing a bit better, because we need to see a healthy Joe Burrow at the top of his game in the playoffs this winter.