The NFL has reached the end of the 2024 regular season, and so we will also end our quarterback rankings at 365Scores for the season with an epic recap of the MVP race between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
But let’s not forget that Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff are just the third and fourth quarterbacks respectively to ever win 15 starts in a season and could meet in the Super Bowl as No. 1 seeds. The 54-51 rematch is exactly what the NFL needs in February if you ask me, but I’d gladly take a divisional-round game between the Bills and Ravens too.
Unlike past weeks where we ranked the 32 starters from the weekend, this final edition is going to rank the main 32 starters for each team this season. That means we’re talking about Deshaun Watson instead of Bailey Zappe, but you can bet the Browns are dead last either way.
Below, each quarterback will be compared to where they ranked in our preseason quarterback rankings from July. It’s been real, but I don’t mind not updating this again until the summer after the free agency and draft bring a new crop of 32 starters for 2025. We’ll see if Aaron Rodgers returns or where Sam Darnold ends up starting.
Table of Contents
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Preseason rank: 3 (+2)
Lamar Jackson might be a victim of his own success at this point. You can call it voter fatigue or maybe voter’s remorse after the way the 2023 MVP award went down. But some people are seriously holding that award against him for this year, a whole new season with a very different selection of seasons to choose from. There would be eight or nine players who should have won the 2023 MVP if they had the season they did in 2024, and I’m not exaggerating. Throw in Saquon Barkley with these quarterbacks below.
Last year was just a historically weak race, and Lamar’s season was the default choice at the end. The fewest eyesores on the resume.
If people would stop living in the past, they should be able to admit that Lamar Jackson has been the best overall quarterback from Week 1 to Week 18 in 2024. He should be the first-team All-Pro quarterback, and he should win his third MVP, and it would be the most deserving of his career as the Ravens are not the same team they were in 2019 and 2023.
First, the defense took a step back after having such a great year under coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2023. It was a big step back early in the season, and only since Week 11 did the defense finally start turning things around. But another fault in the Ravens this year has been kicker Justin Tucker, the best to ever do it, after he missed 10 kicks this year. He’s no longer Mr. Reliable, and those missed kicks could have made a difference in a loss like Philadelphia.
The addition of Derrick Henry has no doubt helped Jackson this year, but they help each other in that relationship. Baltimore always has great rushing offenses under Jackson because of the way defenses have to account for his running. It’s not a coincidence that Henry started averaging a career-high 5.9 yards per carry the moment he got to play with Jackson this year.
Running backs who are 30 years old don’t just magically get better in that area. It’s hard to imagine Henry would have these stats in 2024 on any of the other 31 teams in the league, and the Ravens even lost multiple starters on the offensive line from last year. Baltimore is also tied with Kansas City for the second-most offensive holding penalties (29) this year.
But you still wanted to see something different in Lamar’s game this year, and I think we have. He’s had some well-documented struggles in his career with the Chiefs, Steelers, and the postseason. In Week 1, he played better against the Chiefs (at their healthiest) than he had in any game he ever played against them. It didn’t result in a win after Isaiah Likely’s foot was out of bounds on a late touchdown opportunity, but that version of Jackson can win in Arrowhead as he was more decisive than he showed in January during the AFC title loss.
People will point to the Ravens losing to the Raiders and Browns, two very bad teams this year, as proof that Jackson’s season is overrated. I don’t buy it, because it’s not like he played poorly in either game. You also would have to see the bogus pass interference call the Raiders got on third-and-long to spark their comeback and acknowledge that Kyle Hamilton had the worst dropped interception of 2024 against Jameis Winston in Cleveland, or else Jackson would have had another game-winning drive in that game. Winston also made the Browns much more competitive than their other quarterbacks.
But the Ravens also finished 7-3 against playoff teams, tied for the most such wins in NFL history in a season. One of the teams they tied with is Kansas City this year, ironically, and the Ravens have beat every team in the AFC playoff field this year except for the Chiefs. It was a difficult schedule, and with the defense nowhere close to a top 10 unit for most of the season, a 12-5 record is plenty respectable for Jackson, who won his past MVPs with the best defense in the league. That’s not the kind of team he led this year.
In fact, the Ravens were 0-5 when they didn’t score at least 28 points this year, a ridiculous standard to live by. Baltimore’s lowest scoring game was 16 points in Pittsburgh, a game where Jackson struggled, but so did everyone on the Ravens, including Henry, who fumbled on the opening drive. Jackson got revenge on the Steelers a few weeks later with the best game he’s ever had against them in a 34-17 win.
We’ll see if Jackson can beat the Steelers in the playoffs this week, and it’s also possible he’ll have to beat the Bills again and head to Arrowhead for the AFC title game if he’s going to reach his first Super Bowl.
If you don’t believe Jackson should win a third MVP, then don’t vote for someone else out of pity or charity. Maybe the proper argument to make is that Jackson’s struggles in the postseason are so consistent and significant that anything he does in the regular season should be taken with a grain of salt. No more MVPs until he puts together a deep playoff run and stacks good performances, something he’s yet to do.
I can get behind that, but I’m willing to give him one more shot this year to prove he can do it before I just disregard a season like 2024 that is arguably the best dual-threat season by a quarterback in NFL history. It’s hard to argue with the numbers:
- Jackson finished with 4,172 passing yards and 915 rushing yards, a combo that’s never been done before.
- Jackson led the NFL with 8.8 yards per pass attempt and 6.6 yards per rush attempt – another record feat.
- Jackson threw 41 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, the fewest picks ever for a season with over 40 touchdown passes. He also rushed for 4 touchdowns, and he’s not someone who pads his total with the quarterback sneak from the 1 (that’s Henry’s job).
- The Ravens led the NFL in yards per drive and were 31st in average starting field position, so they had long distances to cover for their 63 touchdown drives.
- Jackson’s 9.38 adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) is the third-highest season in NFL history, and he just had a few too many drops against Cleveland over the weekend or he would have been second ahead of Aaron Rodgers in 2011 (9.39).
- Jackson finished No. 1 in QBR (77.5), which is usually a good indicator for an MVP season.
- Jackson’s 119.6 passer rating is the fourth highest in a season in NFL history, and all three seasons ahead of him won MVP.
In most years, MVP wouldn’t even be a debate. Jackson would win by a significant margin. But because of what happened last year and some of the voter fatigue and disappointment with his playoff performances, you end up in this situation where people are arguing for someone else.
But I think Jackson is the MVP, he’s playing better than ever, and with the defense picking up steam going into the playoffs, this might finally be his year. If not, then we can start doing the grain of salt thing for his regular seasons in 2025. But just give the guy one more shot here. He’s had an incredible year that didn’t look like something he could do last year when the defense was still the strongest unit for the Ravens.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Preseason rank: 1 (-1)
Patrick Mahomes has no doubt had better statistical seasons before. But 2024 is without question one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable he’s been to the Chiefs in covering up their flaws to go 15-1 and clinch the No. 1 seed.
No one in NFL history has ever won this rate of games in a season while operating at such thin margins as Mahomes has for the 2024 Chiefs. There have been 228 instances of teams winning at least 15 games in a 16-game span since 1920. The only three teams to outscore their opponents by fewer than 120 points during those spans are the Chiefs going back to last year.
- Chiefs: +79 from 12/31/2023 to 12/15/2024
- Chiefs: +79 from 1/7/2024 to 12/21/2024
- Chiefs: +97 from 9/5/2024 to 12/25/2024 (Mahomes’ 16 starts this season)
For most of the season, the Chiefs were No. 1 on offense at converting third downs, which helped shrink the number of possessions in their games as they went on longer drives better than any offense. This meant Mahomes usually only had eight or nine possessions in a game, and with the defense producing just 10 takeaways through 13 games, they weren’t getting those extra possessions or great field position from turnovers.
While this depressed some of the offensive totals and made the defensive numbers look better than they were, it also left little margin for error for the Chiefs. After struggling early with turnovers, the Chiefs actually just tied the NFL record by not turning the ball over once in their last seven games.
Back when the Chiefs were 6-0, I pointed out the curious case of Mahomes’ 2024 season and the way people judge quarterback stats. At the time, Mahomes had solid quarterback stats across the board except for his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 6 touchdowns and 8 picks, practically unheard of for a quarterback completing 67.9% of his passes with a high success rate and 7.4 YPA.
I said he would turn that around, and he sure did with 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions the rest of the season. But the YPA also fell to 6.4 in those last 10 games as it was getting harder to find big plays in an offense that was struggling to protect Mahomes with major flaws at the tackle positions. That led to Mahomes taking a career high in sacks and hits before the offense finally figured out moving guard Joe Thuney to left tackle, their fourth different left tackle starter in 2024, and getting the ball out very quickly could be their best identity going into the playoffs.
After people criticized the Chiefs all year for barely getting by their opponents, they remain the favorites in the AFC to reach the Super Bowl and might even be the strongest team around if they can get a few players healthy during this extended rest period they have before the divisional round.
But who else would get this team to a 15-1 record despite losing your best wide receiver (Rashee Rice) in Week 4, not having your WR2 (Hollywood Brown) until late December, missing your top running back (Isiah Pacheco) for nine games? They survived this season with a 35-year-old tight end (Travis Kelce), a 21-year-old rookie who made his share of mistakes before getting better (Xavier Worthy) and traded for a 32-year-old veteran who is past his prime too (DeAndre Hopkins). They’ve even relied on three different kickers to make game-winning field goals.
That sounds very valuable, and yet people latched onto interceptions early in the season and didn’t seem to bother keeping up with the lack of takeaways on defense, the left tackle crisis, and the superior play Mahomes showed on third downs and in the fourth quarter to win so many games.
This is what value looks like:
- Mahomes led seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and overtime, tied for the second-highest amount in a season in NFL history.
- Four of those game-winning drives were finished on the final play of the game, meaning the defense didn’t have to take the field to uphold them.
- Mahomes accounted for 71.7% of his offense’s yards this season, outpacing that rate for Josh Allen (68.8%), Lamar Jackson (68.4%), and Jared Goff (63.9%).
- Mahomes was 7-1 against playoff teams this year, tied for the most such wins and best record in a season in NFL history.
- The Chiefs finished 29th in rushing yards per carry as all three of their top backs averaged 3.7 yards per carry or less.
- With Mahomes, the Chiefs were 6-1 when rushing for less than 100 yards, tied for the most such wins this season.
- With the receivers being either old or inexperienced, the Chiefs finished 29th in YAC Over Expected (YACOE) per completion, by far their worst ranking in the Mahomes era (source: Next Gen Stats). The Ravens (No. 1), Lions (No. 6), and Bills (No. 7) all ranked much higher this year with their athletes making better plays after the catch.
Even if you look at the one game the Chiefs lost this year in Buffalo, Mahomes led a flawless touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to make it a 23-21 game. But when you expect your defense to get the ball back, you don’t expect to get it back trailing 30-21 with a couple of minutes left. That’s why Mahomes’ record at game-winning drive opportunities is 7-0 as he never had the ball in a one-score game in the fourth in that Buffalo loss.
In NFL history, only nine teams have won at least 15 games in a season, and we happen to have two this year with the Chiefs and Lions. But when you look at that list, all of those teams had a lot more going for them beyond their quarterback:
- The 1984 49ers had Joe Montana, but they also had the No. 1 scoring defense and a top-3 rushing attack.
- The 1985 Bears provided Jim McMahon with a historic defense that produced 54 takeaways and the No. 1 rushing offense led by Walter Payton.
- The 1998 Vikings set the scoring record with a rookie Randy Moss catching 17 touchdowns and a kicker who never missed a field goal until the biggest one of the season in the playoffs.
- The 2004 Steelers gave rookie Ben Roethlisberger the No. 1 scoring defense and ran the ball a league-high 618 times.
- The 2007 Patriots not only gave Tom Brady a new arsenal in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, but it was the best offensive line play he ever had in his career, and he still had Bill Belichick’s defense.
- The 2011 Packers had the best receiving corps in the NFL for Aaron Rodgers, and while the defense wasn’t good, it had a league-high 38 takeaways.
- The 2015 Panthers got a career year out of Cam Newton, but he also had a top-five defense and a team that ran the ball more than anyone.
You can argue Goff this year in Detroit and Mahomes are getting to 15 wins with the least help on this list. But even Goff, who needed the 17th game to win his 15th, has a fantastic offensive line, an offensive coordinator in Ben Johnson who is almost certainly going to be a head coach in 2025, and a great running game and YAC-worthy receivers.
But the Chiefs? The defense is good but it’s not at 2023’s level. The Chiefs rank 11th in points per drive allowed. Even with a ton of takeaways down the stretch, they still only have 20 of them and rank 14th this year. They run the ball efficiently but not for any big plays or chunk plays. They have pass catchers you know but who aren’t in their prime anymore or not yet (Worthy).
Mahomes will probably be left off most MVP ballots, but it’s impossible to name five seasons more valuable than the quarterback who just carried a team seeking a three-peat to a 15-1 record while taking everyone’s best shot week after week.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Preseason rank: 2 (-1)
In our Buffalo preview this summer, I already laid out how Josh Allen could have an MVP case for 2024 built around succeeding this year without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Allen has done exactly that with the Bills improving to a 13-4 record while the offense got better, and the defense got a little worse in 2024. But that just gets you in the MVP conversation. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are the MVP and that your case is the strongest in the field of a lot of deserving players this year.
That’s where I disagree strongly with the oddsmakers and the Bills fans who seemingly want to give Allen an MVP not because he’s having his best season (he’s not), but because he’s never won one before. Why should Lamar Jackson get three MVPs before Allen gets one? Well, it should go to the player with the better case if you ask me.
When you review Allen’s season, it’s hard to deny he was the MVP front-runner through three weeks. But as we quickly learned, beating up on the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Jaguars isn’t quite the same as playing division winners like Baltimore and Houston. The Bills were crushed 35-10 in Baltimore in a prime-time game where Derrick Henry was the actual MVP and not the quarterbacks. Jackson was fine, but Allen was a no-show in that game.
Then in Houston, Allen completed 9-of-30 passes, including three straight misfires from inside his own 5 in the final minute that helped the Texans get the game-winning field goal in enough time. That drive deserves more scrutiny than it gets as no team in the play-by-play era has ever thrown incomplete passes like that from inside their 5 in a tied game in the final minute.
At this point, Jackson was racking up huge stats and Allen’s season was looking a bit bland at 3-2 after playing a pair of contenders. The Bills soon had to trade for Amari Cooper to get more firepower for Allen. But the MVP talk really cooled off until the big game in the AFC took place in November against Kansas City.
Allen’s had several games against the Chiefs that were better than that one in his career, but it was maybe his most iconic win over them because of his 26-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-2 in a tight 23-21 game to seal the victory and snap a 15-game winning streak for the Chiefs. That got him back at the forefront of the MVP discussion.
Meanwhile, let’s not forget that Jackson had his worst game of the year in Pittsburgh right before Allen’s win over Kansas City on November 17. Then Jackson had his second-worst game of the year against the Eagles on December 1, hours before Allen took the field for the first time since Kansas City to face the 49ers in the snow on Sunday Night Football.
Even though James Cook and the defense carried the way in that 35-10 rout, it was an unplanned receiving touchdown scored by Allen on a lateral decision from Amari Cooper that stole the show. Allen’s pass to Cooper was so poor that it created the whole play, and it was Cooper’s decision to pitch it back to the quarterback. I’m not sure how a third-quarter touchdown in a 21-3 game is a candidate for Play of the Year, but that one really took off and Allen even won AFC Offensive Player of the Week despite accounting for just 166 total yards.
This kicked off a December that was one hyped moment for Allen after another with some declaring the MVP race “over” with a month to go.
Allen had a 44-42 wire-to-wire loss in Los Angeles against the Rams and saw his MVP odds improve, something you never really see happen. The game was hyped as the first quarterback to score three rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns in a game even though Otto Graham already did that in an NFL Championship Game in the 1950s. Graham also didn’t need three quarterback sneaks from the 1 to do so, nor did he need two huge YAC plays (45+ YAC on throws that traveled 5 yards or less) to get there.
Keep in mind, the Bills trailed by multiple scores for their final seven drives in that game, and Allen’s need to rush twice to get the last touchdown cost them a valuable timeout. Then against the Lions in another big showdown, the roles reversed from the Rams game. The Bills were the team who led wire to wire, and Allen’s performance was more spectacular in that 48-42 win to end a long Detroit winning streak.
That was really Allen’s last chance to shine as the Bills were just going to be playing lousy AFC East teams like the Jets and Patriots in the final three games. Hell, CBS even bumped the schedule to put Allen in front of a national audience against Drake Maye and the Patriots, and he had his worst game since Houston in that one as the defense and running game carried the Bills to a win as Buffalo’s offense scored 17 points.
But NFL groupthink seemed to take over with many claiming that Allen is the MVP, and the sportsbooks are still agreeing with them today. Voting should take place this week and the results will come out in a few weeks.
But it just seems so forced in a way I’ve never seen before for a quarterback and this award. It’s not like Allen satisfied the usual ways that a quarterback wins MVP:
- He didn’t have a historically great season like 1984 Dan Marino, 2004 Peyton Manning, 2007 Tom Brady, or 2018 Patrick Mahomes.
- He didn’t get the No. 1 seed, something 75% of quarterbacks who win MVP get, and there were four teams who had a better record than Buffalo (13-4) this year.
- Buffalo also finished just 2-3 (.400) against playoff teams, nowhere near the great records that Jackson (7-3), Mahomes (7-1), or Goff (6-2) had in such games.
- Allen didn’t go on a second-half tear to win the award like 2008 Peyton Manning or 2015 Cam Newton did.
Allen’s passing success rate was 49.1% — he’s had had four seasons better than that in his career. But what he has done the best of his career this season is to avoid sacks and turnovers. That’s commendable in the scope of his career where he’s been criticized for turning it over too much. But seeing an offense with 8 turnovers all year (a record for a 17-game season) is a red flag to me. That means regression should be coming unless you think Allen’s teammates will go 17 games plus playoffs without losing a single fumble like they have so far. I’d be worried about that turnover regression hitting hard in the playoffs.
Allen also had the best average starting field position in the league, a benefit of having a defense that gets a lot of turnovers as the Bills forced 32 takeaways. Again, those can regress too, and it’s especially possible when your defense isn’t great at stopping first downs like the Bills this year.
But these are more concerns to be made in a playoff preview for how the team might fare in January. As for the MVP, I think the most overlooked aspect of Buffalo’s season is the offensive line play. It’s been spectacular, the best of Allen’s career, and that’s usually what helps a team play at a higher level. For as much as Tom Brady enjoyed his new receivers for the 2007 Patriots, it was the outstanding pass protection (Super Bowl 42 aside) that was the main reason for why that offense was so historically great.
Allen is benefitting from some great blocking that combined with his mobility and playmaking ability, it’s a deadly combo for the Bills. New offensive coordinator Joe Brady is also doing a wonderful job, especially with how they use their trio of backs, another position that has played better than ever for Allen this year. They don’t have Diggs anymore, but they have a reliable chain mover in Khalil Shakir, and defenses are left guessing where he’ll throw to as Diggs is no longer the go-to who needs his volume of targets, and Davis was the designated deep threat.
This offense has far more versatility and is keeping defenses guessing. We’ll see if they can keep it up through the playoff run here.
This idea that one player has won too many MVPs, so let’s spread the wealth might fly for some (Joel Embiid fans check-in). But I’m not feeling it at all, and I say that as someone who said a good bet before the season was Allen for MVP. Besides, do you really want the award when 2022 Patrick Mahomes is the only player since 2000 to win MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season?
The Super Bowl is still the ultimate prize here, and hopefully, we can end the MVP debate (a regular-season award where the playoffs have no bearing) and get onto what really matters the rest of the way.
4. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Preseason rank: 29 (+25)
Jayden Daniels basically had Offensive Rookie of the Year locked up in September. That was after he led 16 straight scoring drives (excluding kneeldowns), the longest known streak in NFL history, and after he completed 21-of-23 passes against the Bengals on a Monday night, including that dagger throw to Terry McLaurin for a touchdown.
The truth is a rib injury against Carolina may be the only reason we aren’t seriously choosing Daniels as the MVP despite being a rookie. That denied him a chance to pad stats against a bad Carolina defense, then he was a little off for the next few games, including a bad performance against the Eagles, and a game against the Steelers where I still say he wins it if Zach Ertz runs a proper route on fourth down.
But Daniels had iconic moments this year from the Hail Mary win against Chicago, which was a great drive to even get that set up after his defense gave up the lead so late. He also should have had a better clutch touchdown in the last minute against Dallas, but they didn’t win that game because the game-tying field goal was missed.
Daniels was able to deliver with five touchdown passes in his rematch against the Eagles, including the game winner in the final seconds, and then he threw a walk-off touchdown in overtime against Atlanta for his fourth game-winning drive this season. That clinched an 11th win for Washington, something this franchise hasn’t done since 1991. Every other team in the NFL had multiple 11-win seasons in that time.
That’s one of the best arguments for the greatness of Daniels’ season. He has made the most irrelevant franchise of the salary cap era relevant right away. The Commanders are in the playoffs with some real excitement because of how he plays so efficiently and delivers in big spots. He even led the team with 891 rushing yards while still throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns – numbers only outdone in NFL history as a dual threat by Lamar Jackson this year.
There’s also the way Daniels has lifted his offense:
- Terry McLaurin never caught more than 7 touchdowns since 2019, but he caught 12 from Daniels this season.
- McLaurin also set career highs in receiving success rate (58.1%) and catch rate (70.1%).
- Tight end Zach Ertz is 34 and has been in the league since 2013, but he had his highest success rate (63.7%) by far this year.
- Olamide Zaccheaus has been in the league since 2019 and he just set a career high with a 70.3% catch rate.
Can you imagine what this offense can do with a better WR2 or younger, more athletic tight end? The future is so bright for Daniels. Let’s hope the new regime in Washington doesn’t screw this up. But first, let’s see how his postseason debut goes after what has arguably been the best rookie quarterback season in NFL history.
5. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Preseason rank: 13 (+8)
Jared Goff has had some impressive seasons in his career, but 2024 is definitely his best yet. In fact, I think he’d get more MVP consideration if he didn’t throw 5 interceptions in Houston in a nationally-televised game. Never mind the fact that he was still better than C.J. Stroud that night, or that Detroit won by scoring 26 points, or that some of the picks weren’t his fault or didn’t really matter. People just can’t get over this hangup with interceptions, and he threw almost half of his season total in that one game.
But to go 15-2 in what has been the best division in NFL history? That’s impressive. Goff had a lot of help early this season, but the defense started racking up injuries, and that’s led to more on his plate and shoulders and he’s responded well. The win in San Francisco is a great example of overcoming his defense for a win.
But with the defense stepping up against the Vikings, the Lions clinched the No. 1 seed and won’t have to travel this postseason. Goff is very comfortable at home and has the highest passing success rate (54.7%) in 2024. He’s started a Super Bowl before and while that went poorly, he has that experience under his belt and is playing the best football of his career.
It’s very realistic that the Super Bowl this year will be determined by whether or not Goff is on the money with his fourth-down throws against whichever AFC team the Lions have to slay.
6. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Preseason rank: N/A (J.J. McCarthy was No. 30)
It feels like we’re a bad wild card game from Sam Darnold away from writing off everything he did this year. But that wouldn’t be fair. It’s hard to put up the numbers he had this year for 17 games. Darnold didn’t always have the best protection, but he still completed 66.2% of his passes, threw 35 touchdowns, averaged 7.9 yards per attempt, and had a 102.5 passer rating.
He doubled his career totals with three fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives to help this team to 14 wins despite a preseason win total of 6.5. No one expected this season from Darnold or the Vikings. We didn’t even have him in the article in the summer as rookie J.J. McCarthy was supposed to be in competition to start, but he tore his meniscus after one preseason game. Darnold stepped in and had a rare breakout year in Year 7.
Darnold passed so many tests this year, but on Sunday night in Detroit in the biggest game of the regular season, he failed miserably. He couldn’t throw a red-zone touchdown pass to save his life despite numerous chances. He couldn’t solve the man coverage the Lions were playing against his talented receivers. He kept missing high even when receivers were open. He folded on the big stage, and that’s been the fear all year long for Darnold in Minnesota.
The good news is the Vikings are still in the playoffs and he got that trial run of what a big game is like. It went poorly, but I’ll just say this. Nick Foles had a hideous game on Christmas night against a bad Raiders team in 2017 for the Eagles. But he still went on a Super Bowl run that year and won Super Bowl MVP against Bill Belichick’s Patriots.
Crazier things have happened. If Kevin O’Connell is the Coach of the Year material many say he is, he’ll figure out some answers for man coverage if there’s a rematch. But first, the Vikings have to figure out a way to get past the Rams or they risk going 14-0 against teams not named the Rams or Lions this year and 0-4 against those two teams.
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Preseason rank: 6 (-1)
We’ll have to revisit this Joe Burrow season in the long offseason. But for now, it stands as one of the best quarterback seasons that did not result in a postseason berth. However, for anyone to call it an MVP-caliber year, you have to make the playoffs as a quarterback to really earn that respect. When O.J. Simpson rushing for 2,000 yards in 14 games and missing the playoffs is your precedent, that’s not really a good argument for Burrow winning MVP.
The truth is the Bengals largely sealed their fate in Week 1 when they lost 16-10 at home as a big favorite against the Patriots, who were one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. Otherwise, the Bengals did a good job of beating up on the bad teams, but they were just 2-7 against winning teams and both of those wins were at the end of the year against Denver and Pittsburgh. Still too little too late.
Burrow will have to continue getting better at situational play. He didn’t lead enough game-winning drives this year, which is how you offset that struggle from the defense by winning the close ones. Basically, those games against the Ravens prevented this team from winning the division title. In the first one, Burrow threw a pick when he had a chance to run out the clock, which allowed the Ravens to force overtime where they won. In the rematch, Burrow wasted multiple drives with bad throws on fourth-and-short where he went deep, then he didn’t convert the 2-point conversion in the final minute.
Even when they beat Denver, there was mismanagement of the clock in regulation, which led to Chase Brown getting hurt and the game going to overtime when it should have just ended 20-17.
You can’t cry about terrible defense and lose a home game 16-10 to a 4-win team. You can’t blame the defense for actually doing a good job in Kansas City, a game where the Bengals only trailed in the fourth quarter after Burrow coughed up the ball on a fumble returned for a touchdown. They had the lead before that blunder.
The Bengals aren’t far off from competing again, but they have to reconsider their approach as they haven’t even made the playoffs the last two years despite having Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson (back-to-back years with 17.5 sacks). If those players all get paid top dollar, that leaves little for the rest of the roster.
The math just doesn’t add up here. Just like how going 9-8 and beating up on the Titans and Browns doesn’t equate to an MVP season or playoff appearance.
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Preseason rank: 4 (-4)
Justin Herbert has been waiting for a competent coach and defense in his career. He finally got it in Jim Harbaugh and a scoring defense that ranked No. 1 this year. It led to 11 wins and Herbert threw just 3 interceptions since he wasn’t feeling the need to force the ball so much to keep up in shootouts. He also got it done without the greatest receivers after they gutted his familiar corps this offseason. But Ladd McConkey is an excellent rookie wideout and he surpassed 1,000 yards with Herbert throwing him the ball already.
You’d like to see a higher success rate from Herbert in the passing game as he only ranked 24th in that stat. But they are trying to win differently in Los Angeles this season, and it has a chance to get Herbert deeper into the playoffs than ever before.
9. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Preseason rank: 18 (+9)
Tampa Bay asked Baker Mayfield to replace Tom Brady and all he’s done is win back-to-back NFC South titles. This year was his best season yet as he threw 41 touchdowns while rushing for three more. He destroyed the Eagles, he won in Detroit against the Lions, and he took the Chiefs to overtime in Arrowhead without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He also dropped 40 points on a top-ranked Chargers defense on the road, and he used his legs to lead a comeback win against the Saints on Sunday.
It’s been a great season for Baker, and he’d probably get serious MVP consideration if he didn’t lead the NFL in interceptions (16) and fumbles (13). He can be reckless with the ball, but this is an elite offense that can score with anyone this season. Should be fun to see what he can do in another playoff run.
10. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Preseason rank: 7 (-3)
Jalen Hurts has become a forgotten man this season with Saquon Barkley’s pursuit of a 2,000-yard rushing season, the improved defense in Philly, and some quality play out of Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee in the last few weeks since Hurts had a concussion against Washington.
But if the Eagles are going to get back to a Super Bowl, Hurts will have to do his part, especially if it comes down to scoring enough points to beat the Lions in the NFC Championship Game should it come to that. We saw against the Steelers how effective this offense can be at throwing the ball when Hurts is in a rhythm with his receivers.
But Hurts has to get out of the concussion protocol first. It was reported Monday that he’s still in it, and that’s not great news with a wild card game against Green Bay this Sunday afternoon. You have to think he’ll play as it’s been a few weeks and he’s not a known repeat victim of that type of head injury like Tua Tagovailoa, but the Eagles are being very careful right now.
11. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Preseason rank: 9 (-2)
By most metrics, Jordan Love was better in 2024 than he was in 2023 even if it doesn’t feel like it. I think I know exactly why that is though.
In 2023, we saw Love turn it on in the second half and go on an impressive hot streak with MVP-type numbers as he won in Detroit, scored the most points anyone did against the 2023 Chiefs, shredded the Cowboys in the playoffs, and gave the 49ers a scare.
But this year, Love was injured on the final drive in Week 1 in Brazil, lost to the Eagles, got swept by the Lions, got swept by the Vikings in games that weren’t as close as the final score suggests, and the offense looked creative and functional when Malik Willis was the quarterback.
That’s why Love’s 2024 is lacking those signature wins, and he’s not going into the playoffs on a hot streak at all. In fact, he left Sunday’s game with an elbow injury, which isn’t good news going to Philadelphia for the wild card.
I have no concerns about Love’s status as a franchise quarterback, but this does look like a season that isn’t going to advance the team a step further in the playoffs just based on the way they’ve looked against contenders since Week 1.
12. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Preseason rank: 5 (-7)
We’ll see if the 49ers pay Brock Purdy an extension this year or wait one more year as they have time. But the price only goes up, and that number could be over $60 million per season given the new benchmark that Dak Prescott set this season.
But I believe in Brock Purdy, and the record won’t ever show how well he played in 2024, which wasn’t that unlike his 2023 when you consider the massive amount of injuries on both sides of the ball that this team had. They also blew fourth-quarter leads in four different division games, or else that NFC West race could have gone much differently. They also have a terrible kicker in Jake Moody who does Purdy no real favors, and Purdy suffered a couple of injuries late in the year that kept him out of two games the team lost badly.
He should bounce back in 2025 with what should be a healthier roster, but it is going to get harder to keep these players together as they get older and more expensive, starting with the quarterback who will go from a Mr. Irrelevant salary to top-dollar any day now.
13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Preseason rank: 11 (-2)
It’s been a strange season for Matthew Stafford as he took the Lions into overtime in Week 1, a loss that looks even more impressive now. But then he lost his wideouts in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for several weeks until they returned for the Minnesota game where he threw four touchdowns in an upset win he’ll be trying to recreate in the wild card round.
Stafford’s also had some strong moments like the win over Buffalo, but since that game, the Rams haven’t been scoring many points and he hasn’t even thrown for 190 yards in his last three starts. They’re still winning because the defense is playing better, but he’ll have to do more in the playoffs if this team is going to get back to a Super Bowl.
But it is something how Nacua has replaced Kupp as the best receiver in this offense and Stafford’s new go-to weapon. No quarterback has arguably been better in NFL history at feeding his top guy than Stafford going back to Calvin Johnson in Detroit and Kupp in 2021.
14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Preseason rank: 19 (+5)
Kyler Murray bounced back with one of his best seasons, but you would still like to see a little more consistency from him. The Cardinals had more games where they didn’t break 18 points (1-6 record) than they had with 30 points (4-1 record).
But when the offense was on, it was quite good. It could stand to get better next year with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. going into his second season. He had a bad habit of disappearing after the first quarter in this offense, and you’d also like to see Murray get better at using Trey McBride in the red zone. He didn’t catch a touchdown until Week 17.
15. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Preseason rank: 32 (+17)
After that rough September, I wouldn’t have guessed that rookie Bo Nix would finish with 29 touchdown passes (12 in the last four games) and a 10-7 playoff team record. There’s a roughness in his game that you’d expect from the sixth quarterback drafted in the top 12 picks, but there’s also a pretty solid base to work with for coach Sean Payton, who has Nix in control of this offense right now as a passer and runner.
If Jayden Daniels’ rookie season wasn’t so impressive, we’d probably be highlighting Nix even more here. But we’ll see what he can do in Buffalo in the first playoff game for Denver since Super Bowl 50.
16. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Preseason rank: 20 (+4)
What an exciting/confusing/frustrating season for Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh. He missed the first six games due to a calf injury, then Mike Tomlin made the right call to bench Justin Fields for him. He immediately rewarded his coach with big games where the Steelers were scoring points and moving the ball in ways they hadn’t since before Ben Roethlisberger had his elbow surgery.
But as it turned out, those defenses like the Jets, Giants, Commanders, and Bengals weren’t the best litmus tests for Wilson. In the last month, Wilson has gone 0-4 with costly turnovers, not nearly enough points to win games against good competition, and he followed up his best game against Cincinnati with a total dud on Saturday night where he couldn’t even manage the clock properly in a game-winning drive opportunity.
Some of the blame should definitely go to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for the absurd ways he uses his weapons, but Wilson also should take responsibility for not having much to offer outside of checkdowns or moonballs. There’s little in between with this offense, and now he has to face the Ravens again, a defense that already forced him into a terrible game at home and a couple of bad turnovers in the rematch the Steelers lost.
It’s hard to say the Steelers should bring Wilson back for next year unless he’s willing to pay for peanuts again while Denver is still paying him handsomely in dead cap money.
17. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Preseason rank: 8 (-9)
My preseason MVP pick, C.J. Stroud took some steps backwards from last year’s Rookie of the Year season. It still wound up as a 10-win season and division title, and we’ll see if he can win another playoff game this week against the Chargers. But it was supposed to be much better than this.
Injuries certainly haven’t helped. He lost Stefon Diggs early, Nico Collins missed several games, and Tank Dell had a gruesome season-ending injury against the Chiefs. Joe Mixon has also been banged up and inconsistent with the run blocking in front of him, and the Texans lost some close games to contenders like the Packers, Lions, and Chiefs.
It hasn’t been a disaster for Stroud, but it’s just not a case of him improving on his rookie year and ascending into that elite class. His picks more than doubled from last year, his sack rate went up, the big plays went down, and his ability to manufacture offense with seemingly every receiver just wasn’t there like we saw in 2023.
18. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Preseason rank: 17 (-1)
It’s such a weird ending to the season for Geno Smith as he hit contract incentives for completion percentage, passing yards, and wins (10) in the final quarter of the last game to earn himself $6 million. That’s a pretty sweet consolation prize for missing the playoffs.
By going from Pete Carroll to rookie coach Mike Macdonald, the goal was getting a better defense for Geno. Mission accomplished on that front, and it helped that the 49ers were a choking mess this year and fell to 6-11 after a ton of injuries in the division.
But the Seahawks still found a way to miss the playoffs at 10-7 despite another four game-winning drives and comeback wins engineered by Smith. But he did throw 15 interceptions, a higher number than the last two years, and his touchdown rate was down, his overall efficiency was lower, and he somehow threw 13 of his 15 picks in home games.
For as good as his game-winning touchdown run against the 49ers was, he’d love to have that pick-six at home against the Rams in Week 9 back as that arguably cost them a division title.
19. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
Preseason rank: 12 (-7)
If I told you Aaron Rodgers would start all 17 games for the Jets, manufacture a trade for Davante Adams, throw 28 touchdowns, and lead three game-winning drives, you would probably guess the Jets had a good record, right? Maybe 11-6 even?
Well, they finished 5-12 in what could be described as Rodgers’ most disappointing season yet. There were several games where it felt like you could show statistically that was “the least productive half of Rodgers’ career” like in the games against the Texans and Jaguars before he turned it around. There were also many moments where he looked closer to 50 than 40 with his slow movement in the pocket.
There was chaos with Robert Saleh getting fired after a 2-3 start, the GM was fired, he threw Mike Williams under the bus to get Davante on the team, and the Jets blew a league-worst six leads in the fourth quarter.
In that regard, they probably should have won closer to 10 games and been in the playoff mix instead of a 5-12 afterthought with Rodgers pondering retirement after throwing his 500th touchdown pass on Sunday. Rodgers was better than his record, but the team lost so many close games, the special teams were terrible in big spots, and it never felt like there was a leader in that locker room. I’m not sure why the Jets would want to run it back with a 42-year-old quarterback next year and another new coach.
20. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Preseason rank: 14 (-6)
I think 2024 dealt a serious blow to any Tua supporters still out there. He suffered the fourth concussion in his NFL career on a completely avoidable hit where he went head first into Damar Hamlin’s chest in Week 2, a night where he played a horrible game before that scary moment.
Upon his return, he was playing legitimately some of his best football, but when push came to shove on the road against a good team (Packers) on Thanksgiving, he folded once again in a loss.
Then when the Dolphins needed him these final games for their playoff push, he was out with a hip injury and Tyler Huntley had to start the last two games, finishing 8-9 after losing to the Jets on Sunday.
While Tagovailoa led the league in completion percentage (72.9%), his yards per completion dropped to 9.9, his lowest since his rookie year. That’s a full 2.0 yards below his 2023 mark, and keep in mind he was at 13.7 in this Mike McDaniel-coached offense in 2022 when things started with Tyreek Hill, who apparently wants out now in Miami.
Feels like some big changes are coming in Miami for 2025, and while McDaniel and Tua may still be there together, something needs to change for this team. It’s not working out if you actually want to be a challenger for the Super Bowl.
21. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Preseason rank: 21 (0)
It feels like forever ago when the Saints were 2-0 and lighting up the league with 15 straight scoring drives against the Panthers and Cowboys. We learned quickly those defenses just weren’t playing well to start the year, and Derek Carr was pumping his stats up on a high dosage of play-action passes to an offense that was talented and healthy.
But once the injuries started piling up (to Carr himself, too) and the opponents got tougher, the Saints embarked on a 7-game losing streak where Carr couldn’t score enough points to get the wins. For the second year in a row, the Saints didn’t win a single game when trailing in the fourth quarter, which used to be a Carr specialty with the Raiders.
After those first two games, his numbers regressed to very normal Carr standards with a 93.8 passer rating and 7.1 yards per attempt – nothing quite like 142.4 and 11.36 like he started the season 2-0 with.
Carr also helped Dennis Allen get fired as his coach for the second time in his career, and we’ll see if the Saints decide to bring him back or not with their new coach in 2025. Injuries did this team in for 2024, but let’s not act like that start was ever going to be sustainable.
It’s just a pity we didn’t get to see Carr face the Raiders in Week 17.
22. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Preseason rank: 25 (+3)
It was quite the journey for Bryce Young this year. He was benched after two games under rookie coach Dave Canales after more historically bad production. But upon returning to the lineup, Young showed some real improvement, the offense started consistently scoring 20 points, and he even threw 7 touchdowns to no picks in the final three games, including 5 total touchdowns in Sunday’s 44-38 win in Atlanta.
Maybe the turning point game was against Kansas City when Young looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback and tied the game at 27 the last time he touched the ball before the Chiefs won on a last-second field goal. Hardly anyone scores 27 on the Chiefs’ starters the last two years, but Young did in that game. He also should have had a game-winning touchdown pass against the Eagles, but Xavier Legette dropped the ball.
We’ll see what pieces the Panthers can put around him for 2025 to get even better, but this finish is going to change the perception of him in Carolina. He’s definitely the starter for 2025, which is something I wouldn’t say about others in his draft class who are struggling.
23. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Preseason rank: 15 (-8)
If Kirk Cousins got to play the Buccaneers every week, he’d have been the 2024 MVP. He was fantastic in those games with 8 touchdown passes and 785 yards through the air. But the rest of the season? Cousins looked even less mobile than usual a year after the Achilles injury, and the Falcons couldn’t rely on him down the stretch.
He threw four picks at home in a very winnable game against the Chargers, then they barely even used him in the passing game against the Raiders, which would be his last start. The team went to rookie Michael Penix Jr. for the final three games, but it was already too late as the Buccaneers came back to win the NFC South.
It was always the worst-case scenario that Cousins would be bad enough to get benched in Year 1 for Penix, and that’s what played out in Atlanta. Now, they’ll probably try to trade him or just take a dead cap hit similar to what Denver did with Russell Wilson.
24. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Preseason rank: 10 (-14)
It’s a good thing Dak Prescott got paid before the season started, because this was easily the worst year of his career. He became the NFL’s first $60 million quarterback (annually), and he never looked right in this offense from Week 1. Even in his brightest moment, a game-winning drive in Pittsburgh, he turned the ball over multiple times that night to lead up to that point in what should have been a more comfortable win.
A hamstring injury ended his season, and the defense didn’t start playing better until after Dak was done for the year. The Cowboys finished 7-10 and will probably keep Mike McCarthy as the head coach. But it’s hard to see things getting much better for Dallas after three straight 12-win seasons that didn’t get past the divisional round preceded this year.
25. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Preseason rank: 16 (-9)
It was a frustrating season for Trevor Lawrence, who saw his defense get roasted in most of his starts in which he was 2-8. But he also continued his trend of going 0-6 in games where he didn’t complete 60% of his passes. He threw a brutal game-ending interception in Philadelphia to prevent what could have been a huge comeback win.
But that game also led to an injury that caused him to miss the next two games. Then when he returned to face Houston, he was knocked out of the game with a concussion on a nasty cheap shot that ultimately ended his season.
Lawrence will have a third head coach in 2025 as the Jaguars just fired Doug Pederson after three years. We’ll see who they get down there, but at least Lawrence knows he has a stud No. 1 wideout in Brian Thomas Jr.
26. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Preseason rank: 31 (+5)
Remember when the Patriots were supposed to keep Drake Maye on the bench because he’d get “killed” behind the New England line? Fun times. In the end, Maye finished with a lower sack rate (9.14%) than veteran Jacoby Brissett (10.1%) and much better stats across the board as well.
Given the line, receivers, and coaching that Maye had this year, he was impressive as a rookie with his ability to make plays a la Josh Allen, the quarterback he should try to emulate. I’d argue he even outplayed Allen in their first head-to-head meeting, but the running backs for New England had other plans that day.
This touchdown pass to force overtime against the Titans was one of the plays of the year:
Unfortunately, Maye ended that game with a pick in overtime. In fact, the only win that Maye started and finished this year was the 19-3 win over Chicago. That would be one knock on his rookie season as he didn’t have that signature moment to lead to a win for the Patriots.
But with Jerod Mayo fired an hour after Sunday’s game, we’ll see who the Patriots can get to help Maye out next year in what should be one of the more anticipated sophomore seasons.
27. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Preseason rank: 28 (+1)
When we talked in May about Caleb Williams being in the best position for a rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall, we clearly underrated the coaching and offensive line flaws they had in Chicago.
Between his weapons and his defense being average, Williams did still have one of the best teams around him for a quarterback drafted first. But the coaching flaws were severe as the Bears fired their offensive coordinator and head coach during the season after some disastrous losses. They also looked like they never practice the two-minute drill as their clock management was atrocious in games the national public watched against the Lions (Thanksgiving) and Seahawks. We also saw early on in Houston that their offensive line is a joke, and Williams’ indecisiveness was a negative when combined with that weakness as he took 68 sacks.
But I still see real potential in Williams with the right offensive coaching staff. He led his first official game-winning drive of the season against Green Bay on Sunday, but he could have had two against the Packers if his special teams didn’t get blocked the last time. Not to mention the Washington collapse with the Hail Mary that set the Bears on a 10-game losing streak. Williams had enough 300-yard passing games and very few picks to show he can move the ball without being a turnover machine.
There’s just a long way to go for him and he was the least impressive overall of the main rookies who started this year.
28. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Preseason rank: 24 (-4)
Anthony Richardson had to show the Colts he was durable and improved in his second season. He frankly did neither as he had two different injuries early and late in the season, and he was benched for being so ineffective midway through the season.
It’s really hard to win with a quarterback who completes 47.7% of his passes as Richardson did this year. If throwing the ball 40-plus yards was all it took to play quarterback, then Richardson would be the best in the game. Unfortunately, he can’t hit the layups, and while he doesn’t take an excessive number of sacks, he threw a high rate of interceptions this year.
To Richardson’s credit, he did make the best throw of the year back in Week 1 vs. Texans:
Plays like that are why it’s hard to quit him so soon. But if the Colts are going to run it back in 2025 with Richardson and coach Shane Steichen, they’ll have to see substantial improvement, or neither should be back for 2026.
29. Gardner Minshew/Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
Preseason rank: 27 (-2)
We listed Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew going into the season as the Raiders had the worst long-term quarterback plan in the league going into 2024. It’s no surprise that the position let them down this year with coach Antonio Pierce benching Minshew multiple times before he suffered a season-ending injury.
I would say O’Connell gave them a little more juice as a starter, and he’s worth keeping around as a backup or someone to develop. But they need a legitimate starter to deal with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and even Bo Nix is much better in that division.
With Tom Brady becoming a minority owner of the Raiders, he will reportedly be involved with the decision to find the Raiders’ next quarterback. Good luck on that. Just don’t bother bringing Derek Carr back or signing Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins.
30. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Preseason rank: 22 (-8)
We already know the Daniel Jones era is over in New York after the team released him soon after benching him after a loss in Germany to the Panthers. He was given almost six full seasons in New York, and it was painfully clear that giving him a coach like Brian Daboll and a No. 1 wideout like Malik Nabers still wasn’t enough to get him playing like a franchise quarterback. He’s currently with the Vikings.
The Giants are getting similar production out of Drew Lock since releasing Jones. They’ll need a new quarterback for 2025, but at least we don’t have to entertain the idea of another season of Vanilla Vick in the Big Apple.
31. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Preseason rank: 26 (-5)
If the Will Levis era in Tennessee is over, it was great for memes and not much else.
The Titans finished 3-14 and wrapped up the No. 1 pick in the draft on Sunday. Levis did not elevate his game at all under rookie coach Bill Callahan as he saw his interception and sack rates soar as he couldn’t stop making laughable mistakes on the field, which led to him getting benched for Mason Rudolph.
It says a lot that the only win that Levis started and finished was in Houston, a game where he had great passing stats, but he still took 8 sacks and threw a pick-six. Levis (27.6) finished last in QBR this season among qualified starters.
This may not be the draft where you want to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, but clearly, the Titans need to look elsewhere for their signal caller in 2025.
32. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Preseason rank: 23 (-9)
Ignore any personal opinions you have of Deshaun Watson as a man. Forget about the cap space he occupied for the Browns. Just on the basis of quarterback play, he was absolutely dreadful in 2024 before he tore his Achilles.
The Browns were 1-6 when he started, never scoring more than 18 points in any game despite having some decent weapons and a good offensive coach in Kevin Stefanski. Watson couldn’t stop taking sacks. His 23.1 QBR would have been the fourth-lowest season since 2006 if he had just enough plays to qualify for the all-time rankings.
But the most damning evidence against Watson is that as soon as Jameis Winston entered the lineup, he led the Browns to 29 points and an upset win of the Ravens soon followed by a win over the Steelers. The Browns would have won more games this year if Winston was the starter all season as he elevated Jerry Jeudy to a Pro Bowl. Watson does not make his teammates better and provides zero confidence as a leader.
There’s already a story going around this week that Watson’s suffered a setback in his Achilles recovery. Maybe a potential out for the team in 2025. But let’s not forget they had good knowledge of what they were taking on in 2022 when they traded for him. But somehow, Watson’s play has been even worse than imagined.
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