Wait? Where's Trevor Lawrence? Even though Justin Fields didn't finish the season as a starter, he deserves to be on this list because in his six games as the Steelers' starter, he played better than Lawrence. Fields is very likely to get what may very well be his last chance at a starting job this season, which he undoubtedly deserves.
Credit to Bryce Young for bouncing back after initially getting benched for Andy Dalton. Young performed well enough down the stretch that his starter status is no longer in question. Now let's see what he can do with his improved confidence.
It was a rough rookie season for Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick struggled with consistency. While he did protect the ball well, throwing only 6 interceptions, but he didn't do much to win games, throwing for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. Nevertheless, Williams showed enough that a more competent coaching staff could turn him into a top 10 QB.
The Patriots kind of shackled Drake Maye as a rookie. He didn't start until Week 6 and coaches didn't want him running as much as he can in a lost season. Maye flashed considerable upside anyway and looks poised to be a starter for the next 15 years.
Does the system make Brock Purdy better than he is? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean Purdy isn't a great quarterback. In three seasons, he's come one yard away from winning the Super Bowl and has 64 touchdowns against 27 interceptions.
The Packers haven't proven to be more than merely a playoff team, but Jordan Love is clearly their long term answer at QB. In two years as a starter, he's taken them to the playoffs twice and remains the only No. 7 seed to win a playoff game.
After one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, C.J. Stroud regressed considerably as a sophomore. However, there were extenuating circumstances. Tank Dell wasn't himself and then got hurt. Stefon Diggs went down midway through the season and Nico Collins missed five games. Meanwhile, the offensive line was a disaster. Stroud is still one of the most talented young QBs in the league.
The Chargers' game plan doesn't call for Justin Herbert to air it out 650 times anymore, but that's not to say he can't. Herbert threw 23 touchdowns against a league low 3 interceptions last season.
In just four years as a starter, Jalen Hurts has taken the Eagles to two Super Bowls, winning the most recent one. Hurts threw 18 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions last season, while rushing for 14 scores.
The undisputed greatest rookie QB in NFL history, Jayden Daniels took the Commanders from four wins to the NFC Championship Game. Daniels ran away with offensive rookie of the year honors with 3,568 passing yards, 25 pass TDs, 891 rushing yards and 6 rush TDs.
