Week 6 NFL QB Rankings: No. 1 picks Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and Caleb Williams shine

By Andrew Buller-Russ

·Updated: October 8, 2024

Who is the best quarterback in the NFL? Who is the worst quarterback in the NFL? Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings have a new look after Week 5.

Fans are always debating player rankings, and when it comes to the NFL, no position is more hotly debated than quarterback. This is why we maintain our quarterback rankings all year round.

Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson are widely viewed as some of the best players in football. While they set an elite standard for quarterback play, our 2024 NFL QB rankings capture how all 32 signal-callers perform every week. Come back and see how they change after each game.

32. Tyler Huntley, Miami Dolphins (Last week: 32)

The Week 5 version of Tyler Huntley was much better than the one who took the field last week. He had more than double his previous passing yardage total, but still recorded just 194 yards and an interception. Huntley didn’t even add much as a rusher, finishing with seven yards on the ground. If Miami had played a more competent opponent, their 13 points wouldn’t have been enough to get a win.

31. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (LW: 30)

Levis made more headlines for his memes than he did with his play last Monday night. Levis dove for a first down, which he seemed to get despite being given a bad spot. But the worst part was that he landed on his throwing shoulder and may have lost his job to Mason Rudolph, who delivered the first win of Tennessee’s season. Brian Callahan says Levis is still the starter, but the Titans could opt to slow-play Levis’ return from injury while seeing if Rudolph can create an everlasting spark.

30. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots (LW: 29)

For the fifth start in a row, Jacoby Brissett failed to top 200 passing yards. We understand the Patriots are likely worried about putting their rookie behind a patchy offensive line, but there’s no way Drake Maye doesn’t lead a more explosive passing attack. Brissett averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt and took two sacks on a day when the Patriots mustered just 10 points. It’s time to turn to Maye.

29. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (LW: 23)

After the Browns got thrashed 34-13 by the Commanders, Cleveland’s coach Kevin Stefanski let everyone know he wasn’t going to make a QB change. Fine, it’s your call, coach. But Watson finished with a single-digit QBR for the second time this season. On Sunday he dropped back to pass 35 times, yet only passed for 125 yards and a touchdown. He also took seven sacks behind what has to be the worst offensive line in the NFL right now due to injury. Sure, he’s also been subject to the most dropped passes heading into Week 5, but let’s just see what Jameis Winston is capable of already.

28. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (LW: 31)

Don’t expect Bo Nix to air it out any time soon. Sean Payton’s keeping a tight leash on his rookie quarterback, but the Broncos have won three games in a row. Nix got up to 206 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding another rushing score, but no one should be afraid of facing the 12th overall pick who’s averaging just 5.2 YPA.

27. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (LW: 25)

OK, so maybe it is time to go back to Bryce Young. The Panthers aren’t going anywhere this season anyway, and while it was nice to see Dalton lead a competent offense, we need to see what the former No. 1 pick is capable of. Dalton tallied just 136 yards and an interception on 28 attempts in Carolina’s 36-10 loss to Chicago, which to us is enough to pull the plug.

26. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 27)

Antonio Pierce couldn’t even make it through four more quarters of Gardner Minshew. He pulled the plug after the Raiders QB totaled just 137 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions against a red-hot Broncos defense. But for what it’s worth, Aidan O’Connell also threw an interception in relief, so it’s not like either of the Raiders’ QBs did well against Denver.

25. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (LW: 28)

There’s the generational talent Chicago was looking for. Caleb Williams had what was easily the best game of his young career in Sunday’s 36-10 win over Carolina. The No. 1 overall pick racked up an efficient 309 yards and two touchdowns while completing 20-of-29 passes. He also only took one sack and tacked on 34 yards as a rusher too. Carolina allows the most points in the NFL, and next week’s opponent comes into the week allowing the third-most, so the rookie’s success could continue into Week 6.

24. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 20)

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Jalen Hurts had a chance to get revenge on the team that eliminated the Eagles from the Wild Card round last season. But he didn’t have his top two receivers. It led to just 170 combined yards, which included one rushing score and a lost fumble. A bye week gives the Eagles a chance to get healthy and more time for Hurts to get back in the film room to help dissect his next opponent.

23. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 24)

Out of nowhere, just when all hope was lost for the winless Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence has arguably the best game of his career. The 371 passing yards are a new personal best, but where did this newfound accuracy come from? He came into the day with a 53.3% completion rate on the season, yet had the third-best mark of his career on Sunday at 82%. But he did still have an ugly interception, so it wasn’t all perfect.

22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (LW: 22)

Daniel Jones is starting to open the eyes of Giants fans who wanted to move on from their franchise quarterback. He had his best start of the season, defeating a good Seahawks team and their 12th man on the road. Danny Dimes got up to 257 passing yards and two touchdowns to go with 38 rushing yards in the Giants’ biggest win of the year. Keep in mind, he did all this without Malik Nabers on the field.

21. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 21)

Even with Micah Parsons out, Justin Fields took on a defense filled with playmakers on Sunday night. He had the Steelers in a position to potentially win after avoiding turnovers, but once again, Pittsburgh’s offensive output wasn’t quite enough to win. Fields was limited to just 131 passing yards, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt, but he did have two passing touchdowns. He didn’t quite do anything to suggest Russell Wilson should take over, but more nights like this could cause a change.

20. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 19)

Coming into Week 4 dealing with a high ankle sprain while being without his starting tackles, Herbert looked limited in last Sunday’s loss. He wasn’t particularly agile, failing to pick up any yards on the ground. This would have been fine if he had a big day through the air, but he mustered just 179 yards and a touchdown on 27 attempts. Herbert will be better once he and his team get healthier.

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19. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts (LW: Not ranked)

It’s safe to say Flacco made a wise decision to sign with the Colts this offseason. He didn’t get the win in Week 5, but the 39-year-old is proving he still deserves a starting role. Flacco’s day included 359 passing yards, three touchdowns, plus an improbable sloth-like scramble for 21 yards. He’s certainly created a spark for Shane Steichen’s offense.

18. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (LW: 18)

Until Matthew Stafford gets a healthy offensive line or his star receivers back from injury, it’s hard to judge him too drastically. Stafford didn’t have many big plays without his top playmakers, with his longest completion being a 31-yard connection to Jordan Whittington, but he still collected 260 passing yards. He also just had one touchdown and an interception. The good news is Cooper Kupp’s return is near.

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17. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (LW: 12)

The four-time MVP revealed he had a low-ankle sprain after the Vikings’ defense recorded three sacks on the 40-year-old QB. Rodgers clearly wasn’t at his best on a day when he had just the sixth three-interception game of his career. But the bigger issue may still be a lack of chemistry between him and his receivers.

16. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (LW: 17)

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After a historic start where the Lions QB finished with the most yards and completions without an incompletion, Goff is rightfully climbing our rankings. Sure, 218 of Detroit’s 292 passing yards were gained after the catch, but Goff deserves credit for delivering the ball on time with accuracy, setting his receivers up to make big plays.

15. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (LW: 20)

There’s the Kirk Cousins we’ve been waiting to see. While he flashed some of his traits with a game-winning drive over the Eagles in Week 2, no one expected him to put up a new career-high in passing yards, just four games into his Falcons career. Yet, here was a 36-year-old player coming off an Achilles tear, passing for 509 yards and four touchdowns in one of his most memorable wins yet.

14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (LW: 15)

Murray set the tone with a 50-yard touchdown run, and he capped the game off with a 4th-and-5 completion to Marvin Harrison Jr, saving his magic for when the Cardinals needed it most. The overall effort wasn’t great, Murray finished with 195 passing yards, with a touchdown and an interception, but the 83 rushing yards plus another score was enough to salvage the day.

Related: NFL MVP odds 2024

13. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (LW: 10)

Purdy was his typical self in Week 5, using his athleticism and pocket awareness to escape would-be tacklers. He also had multiple explosive plays, including a 53-yarder to Brandon Aiyuk. But it was the two interceptions in the second half that sent the 49ers to 2-3. While the picks were on tipped passes, Purdy missed several throws on Sunday in an overall erratic performance.

12. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (LW: 14)

Suddenly the early MVP form of Derek Carr has vanished, as predicted. Despite going up against an average pass defense, Carr couldn’t get into a rhythm, passing for just 165 yards. He somewhat made up for it by throwing two touchdown passes, including a beauty to Rashid Shaheed, but he couldn’t come up with enough explosive plays to hang with Patrick Mahomes.

11. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7)

OK, so maybe Sam Darnold isn’t an MVP candidate. The former No. 3 overall pick still has the highest touchdown rate of his career, but the most impressive part of his start is leading the Vikings to an undefeated record. However, Darnold showed more flaws against the Jets, where he finished with just a 45% completion rate plus a badly thrown interception. Yet, Darnold’s still having an excellent season, setting himself up for a massive payday in free agency.

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10. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (LW: 11)

Jordan Love had the ugliest play of Week 5, trying to avoid a safety, only to turn it into a pick-six. Blasphemous plays have become the norm for the Packers QB, but they’ll take the lows because moments later, he’ll pull a rabbit out of his hat for a big throw downfield after buying 10 seconds of time. Love had ups and downs in Week 5, but he still powered his team to victory.

9. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (LW: 13)

Geno Smith’s luck ran out in Week 5 against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, with the Giants sacking him seven times. When he had time to throw, Smith was excellent, completing 28-of-40 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown. He even picked up 32 yards with 100 seconds to go on a scramble to put the Seahawks in position to win, but a blocked field goal ended all hope.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (LW: 8)

Dak Prescott had three turnovers on Sunday night. But he saved his very best for last. First came his heads-up play, diving on a fumble in the red zone to keep the Cowboys’ hopes alive. Two plays later, he finds Jalen Tolbert on fourth down for a game-winning touchdown. Prescott delivered mixed results, but all anyone will remember is the end, and he got the Cowboys a win.

7. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (LW: 9)

Running away with the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Jayden Daniels may have thrown the second interception of his career in Week 5, but it didn’t matter. The Commanders’ franchise QB made up for it by passing for 238 yards on just 14 completions, adding a magnificent 66-yard blast to Terry McLaurin. He also led Washington with 82 rushing yards to get him up to a total of 320 in a huge 34-13 win over Cleveland.

6. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (LW: 6)

C.J. Stroud’s stat line looks great, but he actually had several mistakes that complicated Houston’s win. Throwing an interception and losing a fumble are never positives, but he also had a crucial intentional grounding penalty late in the fourth quarter. If he wasn’t so great throughout the game, Stroud’s flaws would have been haunting. Instead, he finishes with 331 passing yards and a touchdown in an up-and-down performance.

Related: 2024 NFL offense rankings

5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (LW: 2)

A week after passing for just 180 yards, Josh Allen had the lowest completion rate in his career, at a pathetic 30%. Allen’s nine completions did go for 131 yards and a touchdown, and he added 54 yards as a rusher, but this was easily his ugliest stat line of the season. Yet, Allen also fell victim to several dropped passes from his receivers. Maybe it’s time Buffalo makes an offer for Davante Adams that’s too good to refuse.

4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3)

It took until Week 5, but Mahomes finally had his first 300-yard game of the season. Seeing JuJu Smith-Schuster come back to life surely helped. If Mahomes can maintain that momentum while building chemistry with the rest of his receivers, Kansas City’s offense could be ready to explode after the bye.

3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 7)

We rarely see an NFL QB complete 80% of his passes, including four touchdowns and no turnovers, yet still lose a game. That’s what happened to Baker Mayfield in Week 5, going toe-to-toe with Kirk Cousins in primetime. Mayfield had an excellent game, yet it still wasn’t enough to keep the Buccaneers out of the loss column.

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2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 4)

How do you throw for 392 passing yards and five touchdowns yet find a way to lose? Meet the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow was magnificent on Sunday, but he did throw a costly interception near the red zone when the Bengals were ahead by three points. Burrow deserved a better fate, but a botched field goal ultimately ended Cincinnati’s chances of avoiding a 1-4 start.

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1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (LW: 1)

The Ravens got into a shootout with the Bengals on Sunday, and it led to a huge game from Lamar Jackson. Sure, he could have been more efficient. Jackson completed 61.9% of his passes, but they were extremely productive, going for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 55 rushing yards to keep the Bengals guessing in a thrilling overtime win where the Ravens scored 41 points. There’s no question Jackson deserves the top spot in our NFL QB rankings.

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