Tennessee’s schedule is demanding in the upcoming 2024 season, and the odds are stacked against them in nearly every game. Who are the passers that stand in their way of becoming contenders again? Which one of the young upstarts can vault themselves into the top five conversations? How many, if any, rookie passers make the cut into the top 10? Let’s rank the 14 quarterbacks that Tennessee will face on their schedule! We will go worst to first in this rendition.
Note: All statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Reference
Ranking the 14 Quarterbacks on Tennessee’s Schedule
The Rookies
14. J.J. McCarthy | Minnesota Vikings
The rookie signal-caller from the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines gets the nod here as he’s locked in a duel with Sam Darnold. Tennessee will face the Vikings in Nashville during Week 11. He improved as a passer in 2023, showing poise and accuracy in the pocket. He displays a lot of athleticism in and outside the pocket, so the Titans must be wary of his legs.
13. Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders
Daniels is the defending Heisman Trophy winner and an electrifying athlete who improved as his career progressed. He’s an exceptional athlete but one that takes ferocious hits on the regular. The rookie will have a solid supporting cast with weapons like Terry McLaurin, Austin Ekeler, and Brian Robinson to pair with a great defense. What will be interesting is how the marriage of philosophies between LSU’s spread attack and OC Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid attack works. The Heisman winner is entering a good situation in the nation’s capital. The Titans play the Commanders in Week 13 in Landover.
12. Drake Maye | New England Patriots
Maye joins a Patriots offense that is somewhat bereft of offensive talent, so he’ll be behind the eight-ball from the get-go. OC Alex Van Pelt comes with a pedigree of developing quarterbacks, so there are some positives in the Commonwealth. The former North Carolina passer should be used to carrying the offense by himself after going through it last season. He’s a surefire lock to start some, but it’s not confident after the Patriots signed Jacoby Brissett as the veteran mentor. Interestingly, Tennessee hosts the Patriots in Week 9 during a stretch of two rookie quarterbacks in three weeks.
The Windy City Heir
11. Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears
The much-ballyhooed former Heisman winner and the first-overall selection gets his NFL regular season debut against the Titans. He enters an ideal situation with the weapons and OC around him to set him up for immediate success. Weapons like D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet, and Rome Odunze flank Williams. Chicago also has an aggressive defense, so the pressure won’t be on him to deliver Chicago’s first good quarterback in generations.
The Young Colt
10. Anthony Richardson | Indianapolis Colts
Richardson briefly flashed all of his compelling potential while he was healthy as a rookie. He profiles similarly to Cam Newton as a passer and athlete. If his health holds and the Colts can protect him, he’s in line for a bounce-back campaign under the auspices of Shane Steichen and OC Jim Bob Cooter. The talent is there; now, can he harness it into a winner? He’ll give the Titans and the rest of the AFC headaches if he can.
2023 Stats: 50/84 (60%), 577 yards, and three touchdowns to one interception; 25 attempts for 136 yards and four touchdowns
Ageless Wonder?
9. Aaron Rodgers | New York Jets
The future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback didn’t have the ideal start to his Gotham tenure after he tore his Achilles on the first drive. He gets a mulligan and will look to rebound behind an improved offensive line and a cast of weapons. Can the aging passer age gracefully or continue his downhill run of form in 2024? Given their sizeable investment in the once-elite superstar, the Jets better hope it’s the former. Talent for talent, he’s further down this list because of the regression he’s been facing and the youth of others.
Princes of the Jungle
8. Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars
The newly enriched father-to-be has been inconsistent in starting his promising career in Jacksonville. He has been average, even withholding the accounting for the rookie shambles of the Urban Meyer experiment. The prince that was once promised has yet to deliver any substantial evidence that he merits such an exorbitant contract. There’s still time for him to grow with a solid cast of weapons and an offensive line. He’ll likely climb the rankings this time next offseason.
2023 Stats: 370/564 (66%), 4,016 yards and 21 touchdowns to 14 interceptions; 70 attempts for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
Goff represents the tail end of a hellacious five-game stretch for the Titans, where they go up against some of the best passers in the league. After being jettisoned from the City of Angels, he’s carved out a very nice career in the Motor City. He leads an impressive offensive line and skill position group that should contend for many seasons under Dan Campbell’s leadership. Retaining OC Ben Johnson was a huge positive sign for Goff’s further development.
2023 Stats: 407/605 (67%), 4,757 yards and 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions
The King Fish?
6. Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins
Another young veteran who’s looking for a life-changing payday is Tagovailoa. Miami has been hesitant to give him such a contract up to this point. Given their failures in the do-or-die months of December and January, it is a reasonable stance. Can the southpaw prove the doubters wrong when it matters most? He has tremendous amounts of talent surrounding him. The Dolphins will be out for revenge for last year’s crunch time failure against Tennessee early on in the season.
2023 Stats: 388/560 (69%), 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns to 14 interceptions
The “Love” of Cheese
5. Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers
Love is another youngster who’s looking for a gigantic pay increase, and there are questions on if and when it’ll happen in Cheesehead Country. He emerged as a potentially top-ten quarterback last season as a first-time starter. Can he parlay it into another great season that solidifies him as a rising superstar for one of the most hallowed teams in the league? Historically, Tennessee has had limited success against the Packers, going 2-2 in the past four matchups.
2023 Stats: 372/579 (64%), 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions; 50 attempts for 247 yards and four touchdowns
Texan Two-Step
4. C.J. Stroud | Houston Texans
The rising sophomore had a brilliant rookie campaign, leading the Texans to a playoff berth under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. After just one season, he’s put himself in the discussion of upper-echelon passers. What can he do for an encore? Houston has undoubtedly surrounded him with talents such as Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon. The defense gets a boost, too, with the additions of Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter. The future is bright in Space City under Stroud’s guidance.
2023 Stats: 319/499 (64%), 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to five interceptions; 39 attempts for 167 yards and three touchdowns
The Mayor of Tinseltown
3. Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert got his megabucks contract and gained another coaching staff after the enigmatic Brandon Staley administration flamed out. Enter the fiery Jim Harbaugh and his run-heavy offensive approach. After losing veteran stalwarts like Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen, the Chargers have a revamped offensive skill group. They will rely on unproven players like Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer, and Ladd McConkey. The running attack will feature a pair of former Ravens, Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Herbert can potentially be the most talented non-Mahomes passer in the league on his day. Can he remain healthy behind a retooled offensive line and lead a young receiver room?
2023 Stats: 297/456 (65%), 3,134 yards and 20 touchdowns to seven interceptions; 52 attempts for 228 yards and three touchdowns
King of the Jungle
2. Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals
The famed Bengals superstar has suffered a bit of a downturn in fortune. He’s been injured throughout his career. Last season, he missed multiple games due to leg and wrist injuries. Burrow is an uber-talented thrower and is considered a top-five quarterback in most quarters of the football world. As a result, he is the second-highest-ranked quarterback on the Titans’ schedule in 2024. Tennessee gets a shot at the all-world passer again, this time armed with his former offensive coordinator in charge.
2023 Stats: 224/365 (67%) 2,309 yards and 15 touchdowns to six interceptions
The Money Man
Simply put, Allen is the best passer on Tennessee’s schedule. The Madden cover athlete is a mega-talented star who can make any throw and is athletic enough to make things happen on the run. He leads a retooled receiver room that lost Stefon Diggs via trade but gained rookie Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Chase Claypool, MVS, and Curtis Samuel. Can he overcome the overall talent drain that the Bills Mafia endured due to salary cap reasons? He certainly has the skills to do so.
2023 Stats: 385/579 (67%), 4,306 yards and 29 touchdowns to 18 interceptions; 111 attempts for 524 yards and 15 touchdowns
Main Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA Today Sports
