Ranking the NFC South quarterbacks after the 2024 NFL season
The NFC South won't be bringing home a Lombardi Trophy this season, and they only had one shot at it, with Tampa Bay being the lone playoff team. The Buccaneers fell to the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card round and now join the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints on their couch to watch the remainder of the postseason.
Now that all teams in the division are done playing, it's a good time to take a look at where each quarterback sits as we enter the offseason.
4. Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)
Penix didn't get much of a runway into the offseason as the team's starter, but he played well enough in his three games as QB1 to lock himself into that role in 2025. He completed 61-of-105 pass attempts for 775 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
He saved his best game for the regular season finale, where he threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers, helping put up 38 points on the scoreboard. It wasn't enough, however, as the Falcons defense gave up a quick score in overtime. There's a lot to like about Penix's game, but with so many question marks about how good he will be, I can't put him anywhere else but fourth.
3. Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
It's starting to look like this whole Derek Carr in New Orleans experiment isn't going to work out. While he did a good job of protecting the football, the offense just felt so stale, so stagnant this season. The Saints have done all they can to try and remain a top team in the division, but it may be time to enter a rebuild and start over with a young quarterback.
Carr is entering his age 34 season and has dealt with a handful of injuries since landing in The Big Easy. He's a serviceable quarterback, but is he one you can make a run with? I think that ship has sailed.
2. Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
You'd be hard-pressed to find a better revival of one's career than Bryce Young. He was benched two games into the season, and the lack of comments from the head coach during his time on the sideline that suggested he would return to the starting role made for a murky feeling. Young did regain control of the starting job and ran with it.
In the final eight games of the season, he tossed twelve touchdowns to just three interceptions en route to winning three games and providing the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a scare. Carr may have had a slightly better season statistically, but Young's future is certainly brighter.
1. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Mayfield finishes the season/enters 2025 as the top dog in the NFC South, and deservingly so. He finished third in the entire league with 4,500 passing yards, sitting behind only Joe Burrow and Jared Goff, and finished tied for 2nd in passing touchdowns (41) with Lamar Jackson. Obviously, the one area he needs to improve is the interception total (16), but he did have a handful of fluky interceptions this season that skewed that number.
You could make the argument that Mayfield has the best weapons in the division, and while that may be true, he's still a massive part of their success. Someone still has to get those playmakers the football and Mayfield has given Tampa way more than they could have ever imagined.
- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -
Three reasons why the Carolina Panthers are best-positioned to win the NFC South in 2025
Panthers 7-round mock draft: Bryce Young finally gets his WR1
Carolina Panthers linked to tempting trade for former first-round WR
Peyton Manning points out problem for Panthers and Bryce Young