Despite the Chiefs being in the midst of a dynasty, there are other AFC signal-callers with championship potential besides Patrick Mahomes.
At quarterback, the AFC is stacked beyond recognition.
Though he is the only young quarterback with a Super Bowl appearance record, Patrick Mahomes is by no means the only signal-caller with championship potential.
If the AFC roster is strong—which includes Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert in addition to Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Joe Burrow, and Aaron Rodgers—it is simple to argue that half of the starting players are title candidates.
The clubs who will be actively looking for an improvement at the position before 2024 are situated behind them, along with a few unanswered questions and difficult decisions.
We use a figure between 1 and 10 to represent our quarterback confidence index, which is based on talent, age, contract, cap hit, and injury history. There is greater confidence when the number is higher.
Now let’s get started.
Baltimore Ravens: 9
Although the Ravens’ season came to a difficult conclusion, the future looks bright. Lamar Jackson, who is 27 years old and will only cost $32.4 million against the cap in 2024, is the main cause of this. Jackson, a two-time MVP, is Baltimore’s best dual-threat quarterback, who is now supported by a respectable group of weapons.
Buffalo Bills: 9
Josh Allen will cost $47 million in the next season, after never having a cap hit of more than $18 million. Even with his struggles with turnovers, he is still ranked among the top five quarterbacks, which gives Buffalo a shot in every game it plays. With some changes to the roster expected this summer, Allen is the Bills’ main cause for optimism.
Cincinnati Bengals: 8.5
Although Joe Burrow is a fantastic talent, his numbers are somewhat lower than those of Buffalo and Baltimore due to injuries. Burrow has established himself as a consistent MVP contender and elite passer, but he has also missed 13 games over the course of four seasons because of an ACL tear and a ruptured wrist tendon. Additionally, Burrow had to play through the calf, which was severely hampered by the early going.
Cleveland Browns: 3
This cannot be a scenario that makes anyone in Cleveland pleased. It seems kind to give it a three. Having played in 12 games and thrown 14 touchdowns versus nine interceptions, Deshaun Watson has been a catastrophe since being acquired for three first-round selections. Even worse, Watson’s fully guaranteed contract, which has yearly cap hits of $63.9 million, still has three years left.
Denver Broncos: 1.5
With any luck, Russell Wilson will be released by the Broncos early in the summer. At $85 million, the dead cap amount will be huge. What comes next? Denver will most likely select a quarterback in the first round to challenge Jarrett Stidham, who is the backup. Sean Payton and company are in a difficult position.
Houston Texans: 10
With the possible exception of Kansas City, this is the finest quarterback scenario in the AFC. C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in 2023, showed himself to be an excellent selection right away. With a stunning division title win for Houston, the Offensive Rookie of the Year completed a pass for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against five interceptions. The Texans are in excellent condition with Stroud on a rookie contract.
Indianapolis Colts: 5.5
It’s difficult to gauge the Colts’ current condition. Despite playing in only four games and amassing 613 total yards and seven touchdowns in his limited rookie year, Anthony Richardson had a lot of promise. Indianapolis will be in a great position by 2024 if Richardson and head coach Shane Steichen can deliver on his promise.
Jacksonville Jaguars: 7
Yes, Trevor Lawrence spent the last part of the season playing despite ailments. It’s true that his offensive line was patchy. However, last year Lawrence was expected to make a huge improvement, but instead he threw 21 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions. More significantly, Jacksonville lost badly in the last games and missed the playoffs. Although Lawrence still has a lot to show, he is an excellent talent.
Kansas City Chiefs : 10
Patrick Mahomes had to deal with mediocre offensive linemen and a long list of receivers who were determined to mishandle every other pass that was thrown to them for the most of 2023. Even yet, he completed 16 games with 4,183 passing yards and 27 touchdowns before guiding the Chiefs to yet another Super Bowl victory. No matter how long he signs, Patrick Mahomes is still the finest value in football.
Las Vegas Raiders: 2.5
The Raiders have a quandary. Jimmy Garoppolo, who will probably leave the team after 2024, and Aidan O’Connell are obviously not the team’s future under center. However, with a 13th pick overall, would Las Vegas attempt to upgrade elsewhere and cobble together a quarterback, or will they try to grab someone like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix?
Chargers of Los Angeles: 8
For Justin Herbert, who is only owing $19.3 million for the next season, this is his final year of low cap hits. But in order to address their cap predicament, the Chargers must make big cuts elsewhere, which puts further pressure on Herbert and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Although Herbert possesses unique skills, Los Angeles needs him to perform at the highest level if they are to contend in the AFC.
Miami Dolphins: 6.5
Tua Tagovailoa is eligible for an extension, and the Dolphins need to make cap space available. The wise man predicts Miami will sign him for a long time. Even so, was that the correct decision? In 2023, Tagovailoa passed for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns, but he also had some serious struggles against superior opponents. Although he is an excellent quarterback, will he be able to win it all?
New England Patriots: 0
Before Robert Kraft, Bill Parcells, and Drew Bledsoe joined the team in the early 1990s, the Patriots were essentially the same team. They lack a quarterback, have little arsenal, and an inexperienced coach. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are not selected by New England early enough, while Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe are not excellent players. Hey Jayden Daniels, ready to go?
New York Jets: 6.5
There is a lot of intrigue around the Jets. Coming off an Achilles tear, Aaron Rodgers will be 41 years old the following season. He could get back to the form that made him the MVP in 2019 and 2020. Alternatively, he may appear as a wheel-chair quarterback behind a subpar offensive line at 41 years old. We’ll find out.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 2
Here, there’s no need to hold back. It’s not good, Kenny Pickett. In just two years, he has thrown 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He’s so awful that at the conclusion of the season, Mason Rudolph seemed like a huge improvement. Whether it’s a first-round pick or a seasoned player like Ryan Tannehill, Pittsburgh has to be active this season in its search for an improvement.
Tennessee Titans: 4.5
Depending on your opinion on Will Levis, this rating may vary. Despite only finishing 58.4% of his passes for 1,808 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut campaign, he showed promise. As the Titans restructure their roster under new coach Brian Callahan, Levis will have to demonstrate his value.
