Week 8 of the NFL season is in the books. Here are all 32 projected starting quarterbacks for Week 9 ranked from worst to first.
Do you remember the beginning of the NFL season, when quarterback play around the league was being rightfully criticized? Things have stabilized quite a bit, and there aren’t that many truly bad quarterback situations left in the league anymore. It helps when players like Anthony Richardson and Deshaun Watson are replaced by competent veterans.
For the purpose of these rankings, we are assuming Jordan Love will get the start for the Packers and Drake Maye will start for the Patriots.
32. Tennessee Titans Quarterback Mason Rudolph
Last Week: 22/38, 57.9%, 266 yds, 1 TD / 2 INT
Season Stats: 83/125, 66.4%, 699 yds, 5 TD / 7 INT
Rudolph isn’t really that bad. He’s definitely a competent backup and a sport starter that can win you some games. But, With the typical bottom-feeders on the list being hurt or benched, someone has to be at the bottom.
31. Las Vegas Raiders Quarterback Gardner Minshew
Last Week: 24/30, 80.0%, 209 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 138/204, 67.6%, 1,377 yds, 6 TD / 8 INT
Like Minshew, Rudolph isn’t actually that bad, but someone has to be at the bottom. Honestly, if he eliminated the ridiculous turnovers, he’d be an alright quarterback. He’s shown he can move the ball this year, and did just that for the Raiders against the Chiefs. He will be employed for a long time as a fringe starter in the NFL.
30. Carolina Panthers Quarterback Bryce Young
Last Week: 24/37, 64.9%, 224 yds, 2 TD / 2 INT
Season Stats: 61/102, 59.8%, 523 yds, 2 TD / 5 INT
Given the terrible situation in Carolina, Bryce Young showed real signs of life on Sunday. It’s probably not going to work out in Carolina. But, for many teams, he’s worth acquiring at the trade deadline with a Day 3 pick and letting him retool and rework his game for the NFL. He showed considerable improvement from early in the season.
29. New York Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones
Last Week: 24/38, 63.2%, 264 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 174/278, 62.6%, 1,706 yds, 6 TD / 5 INT
The numbers never tell the story of how bad Daniel Jones truly is. When you watch him play, he makes so many small plays that are losing plays. Giants fans are thrilled that the end of the Daniel Jones era is near.
28. New England Patriots Quarterback Drake Maye
Last Week: 3/6, 50.0%, 23 yds, 0 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 53/84, 63.1%, 564 yds, 5 TD / 2 INT
Maye didn’t last long before getting knocked out of the team’s win over the Jets with a concussion. That’s a shame, as he looked great his first two starts. He will look to build on that momentum, assuming he can suit up in Week 9.
27. Cleveland Browns Quarterback Jameis Winston
Last Week: 27/41, 65.9%, 334 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 33/53, 62.3%, 417 yds, 4 TD / 0 INT
Winston had some interceptions dropped by the Ravens secondary. But, he made the kinds of throws that this offense hadn’t seen all year. The Browns looked so much better with him under center. If he continues to play well, he could rise up this list.
26. Denver Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix
Last Week: 28/37, 75.7%, 284 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 165/261, 63.2%, 1,530 yds, 8 TD / 5 INT
The Carolina Panthers are awful. But, Bo Nix played a fantastic football game and showed of the entire skillset that had Sean Payton so excited to draft him. His ability to throw accurately from the pocket and create outside of it makes up for his average arm. A long way to go, but things are looking good so far in his development.
25. Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Joe Flacco
Last Week: N/A
Season Stats: 71/108, 65.7%, 716 yds, 7 TD / 1 INT
Anthony Richardson has been benched, and Joe Flacco will return to the lineup for the Colts. He was good for the Browns last year, and looked solid while filling in for the Colts earlier this year.
24. New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Last Week: 17/28, 60.7%, 233 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 175/284, 61.6%, 1,896 yds, 12 TD / 7 INT
The Jets offense is listless. Yes, the offensive line isn’t great, but the weapons are good. And, the Patriots defense is awful. For Rodgers to only complete 60% of his passes and look so-so throwing the ball down the field against that defense, it shows he’s clearly regressed.
23. New Orleans Saints Quarterback Derek Carr
Last Week: N/A
Season Stats: 90/128, 70.3%, 989 yds, 8 TD / 4 INT
Carr is set to return to the lineup after missing time with an oblique injury. He won’t be enough to save the Saints, but he had played some solid football earlier in the season.
22.Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Russell Wilson
Last Week: 20/28, 71.4%, 278 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 36/57, 63.2%, 542 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT
Wilson has now looked solid in his first two starts for the Steelers. Most importantly, the offense looks significantly better than it did under Justin Fields. If Wilson keeps playing like this, the Steelers are absolutely Super Bowl contenders.
21. Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott
Last Week: 25/38, 65.8%, 243 yds, 2 TD / 2 INT
Season Stats: 167/262, 63.7%, 1,845 yds, 10 TD / 8 INT
Dak Prescott continues to struggle. A chunk of his stats came while facing a huge deficit and he was atrocious when the game was truly on the line. He’s not as bad as he’s been playing lately, but he has to start playing better.
20. Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
Last Week: 28/38, 73.7%, 234 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 68/100, 68.0%, 717 yds, 3 TD / 3 INT
Tua played a solid football game in his return from the vicious concussion he suffered in Week 3. Most importantly, he looked comfortable in the pocket and wasn’t scared to get hit. That’s a good long-term sign.
19. Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams
Last Week: 10/24, 41.7%, 131 yds, 0 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 140/223, 62.8%, 1,448 yds, 9 TD / 5 INT
Week 8’s performance was a big step back for Williams after a few good performances in a row. That being said, he played a very good 4th quarter, and the play-calling regressed into the terrible game plans the Bears were using early in the season. Still, Williams should’ve played better.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Last Week: 21/32, 65.6%, 308 yds, 2 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 152/243, 62.6%, 1,835 yds, 11 TD / 4 INT
A costly fumble hurt the Jaguars significantly, but Lawrence quietly had a very good month of October. He very much looks like the player that got a big extension this offseason. The Jaguars are a mess, but Lawrence has seemingly worked out his early season issues.
17. Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Geno Smith
Last Week: 21/29, 72.4%, 212 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 212/308, 68.8%, 2,197 yds, 8 TD / 7 INT
Inconsistency has been an issue not just for Geno Smith, but for the entire Seahawks team. He does lead the league in passing yards, but the TD:INT numbers aren’t great. Ultimately, he’s a middle-of-the-road starter that makes it tough to beat great teams, but he will usually get it done against weaker opponents.
16. Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love
Last Week: 14/22, 63.6%, 196 yds, 0 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 124/201, 61.7%, 1,547 yds, 15 TD / 9 INT
Few players in the league are making as many “wow” throws as Jordan Love is this season. But, the turnovers are costly and often times pretty bad. Not all interceptions are created equal. Love continues to have a bad one seemingly every game. That was the case before he left Sunday’s win over the Jags early due to injury. He should be good to go for a huge showdown against a gettable pass defense in the Lions this weekend.
15. San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy
Last Week: 18/26, 69.2%, 260 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 156/242, 64.5%, 2,101 yds, 10 TD / 7 INT
Week 8’s win over the Cowboys was a great bounce-back game for Purdy after a bad performance against the Chiefs in Week 7. Purdy looked much more in control of the offense this week, and made some nice plays with his legs, too. He needs to be a bit more consistent this year, though. Christian McCaffrey returning after the Bye Week could help.
14. Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts
Last Week: 16/20, 80.0%, 236 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 132/191, 69.1%, 1,544 yds, 8 TD / 4 INT
Jalen Hurts is really starting to heat up. He’s been fantastic the last few weeks as AJ Brown has returned to the lineup. The Eagles going under center more has really helped Hurts. If he keeps this up, he will find himself in the top ten soon.
13. Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Kyler Murray
Last Week: 26/36, 72.2%, 307 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 156/232, 67.2%, 1,638 yds, 11 TD / 3 INT
Kyler Murray is playing a really fun brand of quarterback this year, and the Cardinals offense is fun because of it. He’s winning from in the pocket and out of it. The big key going forward is developing a better rapport with Marvin Harrison Jr. Sunday’s win over the Dolphins was a step in the right direction to that end.
12. Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Sam Darnold
Last Week: 18/25, 72.0%, 240 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 127/189, 67.2%, 1,610 yds, 14 TD / 5 INT
The Vikings lost for a second-straight week. But, it wasn’t because of Darnold. At this point, if you won’t acknowledge he’s playing like a solid starter, that’s on you. Darnold is playing the position really well, at a near-MVP level.
11. Los Angeles Chargers Quarterback Justin Herbert
Last Week: 20/32, 62.5%, 279 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 127/196, 64.8%, 1,443 yds, 8 TD / 1 INT
Herbert is going to be hampered as long as Greg Roman is his offensive coordinator. But, he’s playing well in the system he’s been given. Herbert was able to attack downfield a bit more in Week 8, and look great doing it. Right now, he’s probably the most underrated quarterback in the league. In a different system, he’s an MVP candidate.
10. Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins
Last Week: 23/29, 79.3%, 276 yds, 4 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 185/271, 68.3%, 2,106 yds, 14 TD / 7 INT
Kirk Cousins absolutely shredded the Bucs in a huge divisional matchup. That’s the kind of performance that the Atlanta Falcons signed him for. When he gets clean pockets, he is going to slice and dice defenses. It was encouraging to see him get Kyle Pitts involved. That’s a huge key for that offense.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield
Last Week: 37/50, 74.0%, 330 yds, 3 TD / 2 INT
Season Stats: 202/284, 71.1%, 2,189 yds, 21 TD / 9 INT
Baker Mayfield is without his two best weapons in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, with Godwin out for the year. But, he played a pretty solid game against the Falcons despite being asked to throw it 50 times. He continues to look like the long-term answer to the quarterback position in Tampa.
8. Houston Texans Quarterback C.J. Stroud
Last Week: 25/37, 67.6%, 285 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 177/266, 66.5%, 1,948 yds, 11 TD / 4 INT
The Texans offense still isn’t quite right, and they suffered another injury loss as Stefon Diggs will miss the rest of the year with an ACL tear. But, Stroud had a much-needed rebound from a poor performance in Week 7. It’s a slight regression from his incredible rookie year, but he’s still pretty darn good.
7. Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford
Last Week: 25/34, 73.5%, 279 yds, 4 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 157/232, 67.7%, 1,671 yds, 7 TD / 5 INT
Stafford was playing better than his numbers suggested when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were out. We were reminded just how good he is when they returned to the lineup on Thursday. Stafford shredded the Vikings. In year 16, he’s still an excellent quarterback.
6. Washington Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels
Last Week: 21/38, 55.3%, 326 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 148/206, 71.8%, 1,736 yds, 7 TD / 2 INT
Daniels’ game-winning Hail Mary will be an all-time highlight. Outside of that, it was an up-and-down performance against a very good defense. He struggled in the red zone, but moved the ball all day. It’s been a sensational rookie season. Sunday didn’t change that.
5. Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow
Last Week: 26/37, 70.3%, 234 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 185/263, 70.3%, 1,993 yds, 15 TD / 3 INT
The Bengals once again wasted another solid Joe Burrow performance with a terrible defensive performance. Burrow continues to play at an All-Pro level, and his defense refuses to help him out.
4. Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Last Week: 27/38, 71.1%, 262 yds, 2 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 154/225, 68.4%, 1,651 yds, 8 TD / 9 INT
Another game, another interception for Patrick Mahomes. But, it was another tipped pass at the line of scrimmage, and he looked very good otherwise. I know that he hasn’t played his best football. But, are you really taking the guys behind him on this list over him?
3. Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen
Last Week: 24/34, 70.6%, 283 yds, 2 TD / 1 INT
Season Stats: 143/223, 64.1%, 1,766 yds, 14 TD / 1 INT
Josh Allen finally had his first turnover of the season, the final quarterback to throw an interception this year among all qualified starters. But, that doesn’t mean he had a poor game. He was magnificent once again. No player is doing more with less in terms of weapons than Josh Allen is.
2. Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff
Last Week: 12/15, 80.0%, 85 yds, 3 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 140/189, 74.1%, 1,695 yds, 13 TD / 4 INT
Goff wasn’t asked to do much of anything in the team’s 52-14 win over the Lions. Not much to glean from a game like that. A bigger test against an opportunistic Packers secondary awaits.
1. Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson
Last Week: 23/38, 60.5%, 289 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Season Stats: 158/236, 67.0%, 2,099 yds, 17 TD / 2 INT
Yes, the Ravens lost to the Browns. But, Jackson continued to play at a high level, and is the MVP of the league through eight weeks. He’s never thrown the ball better from the pocket. At this point, he’s the hardest quarterback to plan for in the entire league.