Ranking each 2024 AFC West starting quarterback from worst to best

There is not a single position in all of sports that is more important than the quarterback position. An elite quarterback can elevate a bad roster while a horrible quarterback can pull down the best roster in the league. LA Chargers fans know about the former all too well.

Comparing quarterbacks to their current peers is a good practice as it can help fans shape their predictions for the upcoming 2024 season. While it does not follow it to a tee, the quarterback rankings often reflect the real-life NFL standings for that given season.

With that being said, the hierarchy of the AFC West really starts to take shape when you compare the four starting quarterbacks in the division to each other.

Ranking each quarterback in the AFC West in 2024:

4. Bo Nix, Denver Broncosa

Sean Payton has come a long way from coaching a future Hall of Fame quarterback with the New Orleans Saints. Heading into the 2024 season, Payton has the choice between first-round pick Bo Nix and perennial backup Jarrett Stidham to be the starting quarterback.

Barring injury or an awful training camp, Nix is in line to get the start in Week 1 and it is unclear how he is going to do. Nix had an up-and-down collegiate career that really didn't see him come into his own until his last two years with Oregon. That being said, Nix was in his fifth year of eligibility, was older than most college quarterbacks and had one of the best receiving corps in the country in 2023.

Nix's numbers were great but his skill set does not necessarily scream "NFL franchise quarterback". Nix could prove his doubters wrong and turn into a solid pro but it would be very surprising if he didn't have a rocky start in his first year with the Broncos.

3. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders

Aidan O'Connell could technically be the starter for the Las Vegas Raiders but Antonio Pierce would be silly to not give the job to Gardner Minshew. Minshew may not be an elite quarterback but any stretch of the imagination but he has proven to be an over-qualified backup who deserves a starting chance.

That being said, the ceiling is naturally limited with Minshew as the starting quarterback. There is a world in which Minshew struggles as a full-time starter and Nix ends up playing closer to his ceiling than expected. If that happens then Vegas will undoubtedly have the worst quarterback room in the division.

But for now, the Raiders project to have someone who will be good enough to keep the team from having a high pick to take a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft while not being good enough to actually make the playoffs.

2. Justin Herbert, LA Chargers

Justin Herbert has actually turned into one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league after 2023. The 2023 season was a disaster for Herbert and the Chargers as his supporting cast was zapped and his own injuries slowed his production before ultimately ending his season.

The fact of the matter is Herbert is an elite quarterback who is absolutely good enough to pilot any team to a Super Bowl. Herbert appears to be the main reason why Jim Harbaugh decided to take the Chargers job in the first place. That should tell the entire story.

Will Herbert ever be the best quarterback in the division? Probably not, but that is not even his fault. Herbert can win the MVP award next season and firmly establish himself as the second-best QB in the league and he still won't be the best QB in the AFC West.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league, plain and simple. As long as he is still suiting up and playing then he will be the best quarterback in the league. There is no window for someone to come in and take his crown. There is no regression on the horizon. Mahomes is the guy.

That does not mean that Mahomes will always outplay the other quarterback or that the Chiefs are always destined to win the Super Bowl (although it feels like it after the last two years). Someone like Herbert is absolutely good enough to outplay Mahomes and beat the Chiefs in a big game. The odds are stacked against a team like the Chargers, but it is possible.

It seems absolutely ludicrous to say after Tom Brady just called it quits, but NFL fans might be watching the greatest quarterback of all time in Mahomes. He still needs to piece together a very long, successful career to match Brady but he is already well on his way.