Ranking every starting quarterback the Chargers play in 2024

The 2024 preseason is officially in the books and with that, any longstanding quarterback battles have officially been decided. While the LA Chargers didn't have a starting quarterback battle, several upcoming Chargers opponents did.

Of course, anything can change throughout the season that can alter the starting quarterbacks the Bolts face. Injuries and demotions can (and will) happen, so the list of starters the Chargers are facing before the season might be different than who the team faces.

However, we can still rank all of the starters the Bolts are projected to play. With quarterback being the most important position in any American sport, this list can give Chargers fans a decent idea of what to expect in 2024.

Ranking every starting quarterback the Chargers play in 2024:

14. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers, Week 2

There is a chance Bryce Young blossoms in his sophomore season and puts together a much better year than in 2023. But if his rookie season is any indication, Young may go down as one of the most disappointing first-overall picks in recent memory.

The Chargers catch Young and the Panthers early in the season so even if Young develops into a better version of himself, he will likely still be finding his footing in Week 2.

13. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders, Week 1 and 18

Gardner Minshew will start for the Raiders in Week 1 and he might not be the starter by the time the Bolts play Vegas again in Week 18. But even if he is replaced, it is not like the Raiders have a game-changer waiting in the wings.

Aidan O'Connell is nothing to be afraid of. By the time the Chargers play the Raiders again, Vegas may be in tank mode as they should be eyeing a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.

12. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns, Week 9

Casual football fans would be shocked to see Deshaun Watson's name this low in the rankings but the fact of the matter is he has not been a good quarterback for a long time. If he does not figure it out in 2024, he may never be a good quarterback again.

Watson has started 12 games for the Browns in his two seasons with the team since his suspension. He has completed 59.8% of his passes with 14 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 184.8 passing yards per game.

11. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 3

Russell Wilson is simply not a good quarterback anymore. It might seem a bit harsh to rank him this low, especially considering some of the quarterbacks who are going to rank higher on this list.

There is a reason why the Broncos wanted nothing to do with Wilson and why they were willing to take a chance on drafting a rookie QB despite not having a top-10 pick. If the Steelers are going to win games in 2024, they have to limit Wilson's mistakes (which is easier said than done).

10. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans, Week 10

Will Levis might not end up being the franchise guy in Tennessee but he at least has potential. Levis has more potential than Young and is playing better than him at this stage of their careers despite being selected later in the draft.

When compared to the rest of the league, though, Levis is still a bottom-tier quarterback the Chargers don't need to be scared of.

9. Drake Maye, New England Patriots, Week 17

By the time the Chargers play the Patriots in Week 17 Drake Maye will be the starter, even if he does not earn the starting job at the beginning of the season. The Patriots will want to get some reps under Maye's belt heading into the future.

Maye was a talented college quarterback who has all the tools in the world to be a good NFL quarterback. However, he might be a bit green and in a bad situation, is not a massive threat to the Bolts.

8. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos, Week 6 and 16

Bo Nix has not played an NFL game yet so it is hard to totally judge him compared to quarterbacks who have. However, it is worth mentioning that Nix actually looked quite good in the preseason, which might bring some concern to Chargers fans.

The Broncos drafting Nix was dunked on at the time but he might end up being a competent NFL quarterback. At the very least, he should be more pro-ready than almost anyone in the class considering he is the fifth-oldest rookie quarterback to start a season opener since 1950 (hence why he is above Maye).

7. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals, Week 7

Kyler Murray is the most difficult quarterback to analyze on this list. Murray was getting legitimate MVP buzz not that long ago and is still only 27 years old, so if anything, he is only entering his athletic prime.

However, Murray has been inconsistent in both his play and his ability to stay on the field. At his best, Murray ranks at least two spots higher on this list, if not more. At his worst, he would not even be on this list and the Chargers would be playing Clayton Tune (who, spoiler alert, would rank dead last).

6. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 15

Baker Mayfield had a bounce-back season in 2023 that completely changed the trajectory of his entire career. While Mayfield was good in 2023, he still isn't considered an above-average quarterback and the fact he ranks sixth on this list is telling of who the Chargers play.

Mayfield is good enough to win games if everything around him is working but is not someone who is going to put a team on his back. By the time the Chargers play him in Week 15, they will know exactly which category the Bucs fall in.

5. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints, Week 8

It really is a toss-up between Mayfield and Derek Carr and quite frankly, there are not any discernable differences between the two quarterbacks. Carr gets the nod in this ranking because his down year in 2023 was similar to Mayfield's bounce-back year, which indicates Carr has a higher ceiling.

But he is still not someone who the Chargers should be particularly afraid of. Carr is not going to lose the Saints very many games but he definitely is not going to win them many games, either. He is who he is: a completely average quarterback.

4. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons, Week 13

36-year-old Kirk Cousins, who is coming off a torn Achilles, is the fourth-best starting quarterback the Chargers are going to play in 2024. If that is not telling of how easy the Bolts have it with the quarterbacks they face then nothing is.

Cousins might be terrible in 2024 as the regression cliff is looming around the corner. Sometimes it happens quicker than you expect, just ask Matt Ryan. If Cousins is the exact same quarterback as last year, he ranks fourth.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, Week 11

The Chargers play a lot of mediocre to bad quarterbacks in 2024 but they also have to play three of the best quarterbacks in the sport. Joe Burrow is one of them as he will look for his first career win against the Chargers in Week 11 (which is played at SoFi Stadium).

It will be interesting to see how Burrow plays coming off his injuries from the 2023 season. He should be the same guy he was before but even if he isn't, he is still definitively better than anyone below him on this list.

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Week 12

One week after playing Burrow the Chargers get to welcome the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson to SoFi Stadium. Jackson has always been criticized more than any other quarterback in the elite tier even though he has been a bona fide winner and is the only one who has disrupted Patrick Mahomes' MVP reign with two MVPs of his own.

Normally a matchup between two elite quarterbacks would be the main selling point of a game but that won't be the case in this one. instead, it will be sold as the Harbaugh bowl as Jim and John face each other for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Week 4 and 14

It really is unfortunate that the Chargers have to play in the same division as the best team in the league who has the best quarterback in the league. Mahomes is on a tier of his own as the best quarterback on planet Earth and there isn't anyone who is coming close to him.

It is also worth mentioning the Chargers play their four-toughest quarterback opponents in four consecutive weeks. Cousins may not even be close to this top three but he still makes up the Mount Rushmore and is part of this tough four-week stretch that consists of Burrow, Lamar, Cousins and Mahomes.