Ranking quarterbacks every week is fun because the lineup never stays put. Caleb Williams gets hurt, so you turn to his backup, Tyson Bagent. Then he's injured too, and suddenly you're deciding where 38-year-old Case Keenum fits.

He's hardly alone. A surprising number of teams have already turned to a third-string quarterback this season, and the position has become a revolving door of players moving on and off the bench and hoping to stay healthy. 

Who knows who will still be starting in a week or a month, but all anyone can do is rank whoever is under center.

With that in mind, here's how the league's 32 starting quarterbacks stack up, from No. 32 to No. 1, ahead of Week 4, according to The Big Lead.

32. Jameis Winston, New York Giants

Winston's confusing press-room quotes have become the most reliable output from a Giants offense that rarely sustains drives or scores. The situation is dire enough that New York acquired J.J. McCarthy.

31. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

Willis is putting in the effort, but his completion rate sits near the bottom of the league, just ahead of Jordan Love's. A first win for the Dolphins may be far off.

30. Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay has handed the job to an undrafted rookie who stayed at one college for all six of his seasons. He takes over from Baker Mayfield on a team without a win, which is hardly an easy introduction.

29. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta got its first victory of the year as soon as Penix was back in the lineup. That suggests the backup-quarterback chapter may be closed.

28. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

His numbers have been so poor that even skeptics are baffled. He tops the league in interceptions, and Sunday brought one of the oddest turnovers of the season.

27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

Questions have begun to surface about whether the Titans will sit their 2025 top overall pick, and the head coach is the one fielding them.

26. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

After recovering from a Week 1 concussion, Murray returned, and Minnesota won. He's likely to pass the 200-yard mark for the season this week.

25. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland has won two straight, and Watson's 114 yards and two touchdowns helped the latest one. A Thursday night meeting with Aaron Rodgers on a short week should be compelling.

24. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Jones has produced one touchdown pass and one interception in all three games, and his legs no longer add a dimension to the offense.

23. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

The season is young, but Herbert is tracking toward by far the weakest year of his career, and his struggles have the Chargers winless.

22. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Sunday was a high-volume day for Brissett: 38 completions on 52 attempts and three touchdowns.

21. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are undefeated, and Cousins is playing so well that talk of Fernando Mendoza has faded. He's even generating viral moments, proof he hasn't aged a day.

20. Geno Smith, New York Jets

A big game against the Lions put Smith 10th in passing yards, and no quarterback completes a higher share of his throws. The Jets have stayed competitive with him.

19. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Houston hasn't won yet, but that's not on Stroud, who has played decently.

18. Case Keenum, Chicago Bears

Chicago's top two quarterbacks were unavailable, so Keenum, 38, took over Monday night and dismantled the Eagles in a 27-7 win. He finished with 247 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.

17. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

At 42, Rodgers has still completed at least 60 percent of his passes in every season he's started.

16. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix has played acceptably, though nothing about his season stands out.

15. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Love's completion percentage is second-worst in the league, ahead of only Winston's, but the yardage keeps coming. The bigger concern is Green Bay's defense, which has allowed the third-most points.

14. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

Washington got three touchdowns and no turnovers from Mariota against Seattle, rounding out a capable stretch replacing Jayden Daniels.

13. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

A big hit Monday night makes Hurts' season hard to judge, since his numbers and the Eagles' record might look different without it.

12. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold aired it out as soon as he returned, going 31 of 45 for 279 yards and four touchdowns. But two of his interceptions were turned into touchdowns, and Seattle lost by two points.

11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

A few forecasters had the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, a prediction that looks very far off right now.

10. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

No quarterback has thrown for more yards than Young through three games.

9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff is tracking toward another outstanding season, as usual, with accurate throws, a moving offense, and plenty of points.

8. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Shough has met expectations and sits second in the league in passing yards.

7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow played very well in a loss, a familiar feeling for him.

6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence has been very good this season, and the gap between him and Maye in Sunday's game was glaring.

5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Since returning stateside, Stafford has been airing it out, and he and Davante Adams make one of the best pairs in football.

4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City is undefeated with Mahomes clicking, and the officials are favoring the Chiefs again. He's also involving Travis Kelce enough to keep television audiences interested.

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Jackson has been steady but unremarkable over two weeks. With Baltimore at 2-1, he remains a leading MVP candidate.

2. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Purdy ranks eighth in passing yards, fourth in completion percentage, and first in touchdown passes, and he hasn't been sacked all year. With injuries piling up in San Francisco, he's one of the few key players still healthy, which gives fans reason to be nervous.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the MVP front-runner. He has five touchdown passes, and only Derrick Henry has more rushing touchdowns. Buffalo's offense is rolling, and the whole team is with it.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco