Quarterback is arguably the most important position in all of sports. Having the right player under center is extremely important, as it could be the difference between an NFL team contending for a Super Bowl and missing the playoffs altogether.
Who is the starting quarterback for each NFL team? Below is a list of the starting signal-callers across the league. This is based on each team’s depth chart and current situation. For teams with an ongoing QB position battle, we’ve listed both candidates to start.
Note: The current list of starting QBs is accurate as of the start of Week 16 of the NFL season.
NFL Starting Quarterbacks in 2024 | AFC
- Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson - Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen - Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow - Cleveland Browns
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
(Deshaun Watson ruptured Achilles in Week 7)
(Jameis Winston benched after Week 15) - Denver Broncos
Bo Nix (Rookie) - Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud - Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson - Jacksonville Jaguars
Mac Jones
(Trevor Lawrence injured in Week 13) - Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes - Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O’Connell
- Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert - Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa - New England Patriots
Drake Maye - New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson
(Justin Fields was benched after Week 6 once Wilson’s calf healed) - Tennessee Titans
Mason Rudolph
(Will Levis benched in Week 15)
NFL Starting Quarterbacks in 2024 | NFC
- Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr.
(Kirk Cousins after in Week 15) - Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray - Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young - Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams (Rookie) - Dallas Cowboys
Cooper Rush
(Dak Prescott injured in Week 9) - Detroit Lions
Jared Goff - Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love - Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford - Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold
(Drafted J.J. McCarthy, who is out for the year after knee surgery) - New Orleans Saints
Desmond Ridder
(Derek Carr injured in Week 14) - New York Giants
Drew Lock - Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts - San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy - Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield - Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels
Who Are the Rookie Quarterbacks in 2024?
- Caleb Williams | No. 1 overall
Chicago Bears - Jayden Daniels | No. 2 overall
Washington Commanders - Drake Maye | No. 3 overall
New England Patriots - Michael Penix Jr. | No. 8 overall
Atlanta Falcons (currently QB2 on the depth chart) - Bo Nix | No. 12 overall
Denver Broncos - Spencer Rattler | No. 150 overall
New Orleans Saints (started in place of injured Derek Carr)
Who Are the NFL’s Oldest Starting Quarterbacks?
- New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, 40 years old
- Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, 36 years old
- Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, 36 years old
- Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson, 35 years old
- New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr, 33 years old
- Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith, 33 years old
Now that Tom Brady has retired and moved on to broadcasting, Rodgers is the oldest active quarterback in the NFL. The top two oldest starting QBs — Rodgers and Cousins — both tore their Achilles during the 2023 season.
Joe Flacco, 39, was briefly the second-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL after the Colts briefly benched Anthony Richardson (the youngest QB in the league). However, Richardson is once again starting for Indianapolis.
Who Are the NFL’s Youngest Starting Quarterbacks?
- Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson, 22 years old
- Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams, 22 years old
- New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, 22 years old
- Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud, 23 years old
- Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, 23 years old
- Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young, 23 years old
- Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix, 24 years old
Believe it or not, Richardson is actually younger than this year’s rookies (Williams, Maye, Daniels, and Nix). Richardson, Stroud, and Young are all sophomores who were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
J.J. McCarthy is only 21 years old, so he had to chance to become the youngest starter in the NFL this season, but the Vikings rookie QB suffered a season-ending torn meniscus during the preseason.
Who Are the NFL’s Highest-Paid Quarterbacks?
- Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, $60 million
- Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, $55 million
- Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love, $55 million
- Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, $55 million
- Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, $53.1 million
- Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff, $53 million
These are the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks based on the average annual value of their contracts. Prescott signed his record-breaking deal with the Cowboys just before the start of the 2024 season, becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history. The four-year, $240 million pact features $231 million in guaranteed money.
You might be wondering why Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson aren’t on this list. Well, Mahomes is currently the 12th-highest-paid quarterback ($45 million), Allen is 14th ($43 million), and Jackson is eighth ($52 million). Check out the complete list of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.