Seattle Seahawks 2024 Schedule: Ranking Opposing Quarterbacks

With several opponents breaking in rookie quarterbacks as well as others having established stars under center, which opposing signal callers stand out as the best on the Seahawks schedule?

Dec 15, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) passes in / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

As the unofficial holiday that is NFL schedule reveal day looms on May 15, fans will soon learn when the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams play against known opponents during the 2024 season.

With Geno Smith returning after a second straight Pro Bowl selection, the Seahawks will be in good hands under center entering the Mike Macdonald era and in many cases, they may have the advantage at the game's most important position. However, while the team could see as many as five rookie quarterbacks next season, Macdonald's new look defense will face numerous standout veteran signal callers with tough out of division games against AFC East and NFC North opponents.

Looking towards the new season, which opposing quarterbacks stand out as the best on Seattle's upcoming schedule? Splitting every projected starter into three tiers, here are all 14 opponents ranked in order from unknown rookies such as Bo Nix to former MVPs such as Aaron Rodgers:

Journeymen/Unproven Rookies Division

14. Jarrett Stidham/Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

After cutting ties with Russell Wilson in March, the Broncos don't have a proven starting quarterback on their roster, but coach Sean Payton has been encouraged by what he's seen from Stidham in limited starting action and Nix jumped out to him during the pre-draft process following a splendid final season at Oregon. It remains to be seen whether or not the rookie signal caller will be ready to start out of the gate and neither prospective starter would be viewed as a franchise quarterback at this stage, but depending on when the Seahawks play their former AFC West rivals on the schedule, they could see the athletic 12th overall pick under center for his first game at Lumen Field.

13. Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

After backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco, Sam Darnold may get the first crack to start for Minnesota as Kirk Cousins' replacement, but J.J. McCarthy waits in the wings. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Since coming into the league as a top-five pick with the Jets, Darnold hasn't come close to living up to expectations while playing for three different teams, completing under 60 percent of his passes with 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions. But with him only turning 27 in June, he remains a young enough quarterback to still right the ship with an offensive-minded coach in Kevin O'Connell. With him being just 21 years old, McCarthy may need some time on the sideline before he's ready to run an NFL huddle, making this one a bit tougher to project for who will start against the Seahawks.

12. Daniel Jones/Drew Lock, New York Giants

Only two years ago, New York rewarded Jones after leading the Giants to a berth in the Divisional Round of the playoffs with a lucrative multi-year deal, but he struggled early last season before suffering a torn ACL. While he's expected to be fully recovered for the start of training camp, that hasn't stopped Lock, who backup up Geno Smith the past two years in Seattle, from being rumored as a legitimate threat to push him for the starting job. Most likely, Jones will be the one under center against the Seahawks, but a possible Smith versus Lock matchup would be intriguing.

11. Jacoby Brissett/Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Though he hasn't been a full-time starter since filling in for Deshaun Watson in Cleveland in 2022, Brissett has been a solid backup and serviceable spot starter in eight NFL seasons with 51 touchdowns and just 23 interceptions. Offering a strong arm and underrated athleticism, Maye will eventually be the starter, but it wouldn't be surprising if New England opts for a conservative approach with the rookie quarterback who only started two seasons at North Carolina and let the veteran run the offense for most of the year as his understudy learns the ropes.

10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Unlike the other rookies already mentioned on this list, Williams should be the starter for Chicago right from the outset after the team traded Justin Fields to Pittsburgh in March, as veterans Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien aren't threats to beat him out in training camp. The No. 1 overall pick has immense talent with a powerful arm, explosive running skills, and a rare ability to create when plays break down, which could cause problems for defenses from the get go. Nobody knows how he will perform as a rookie, but joining a team that won seven games last year, he could hit the ground running for a potential playoff sleeper.

Steady Veterans/Rising Youngsters Division

9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Sidelined for the first half of the 2023 season due to a prolonged recovery from a torn ACL, Murray returned for the final eight games and though the Cardinals only won three of those contests, he completed 65 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and rushed for 5.5 yards per carry, looking fully healthy coming off the knee injury. Along with not having to worry about rehab this offseason, he will have a new weapon in No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw to, instantly making Arizona's passing attack much more dangerous.

8. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

After throwing at least 25 touchdown passes in eight consecutive seasons, Cousins saw his lengthy streak of underrated quarterback play go up in flames when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon just eight games into the 2023 season. Coming off a significant injury with his 36th birthday looming in August, the Vikings ended up letting him walk in free agency and he signed a lucrative multi-year deal with the Falcons, bringing stability under center that the franchise hasn't had since Matt Ryan. If fully recovered, his veteran presence should make Atlanta's offense much more effective and a tough matchup for Seattle on the road.

7. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

A blossoming star in Green Bay, Jordan Love took the mantle from Aaron Rodgers and looks to have the Packers back in the running for Super Bowl contention. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Stepping out of Aaron Rodgers' shadow in his first year as a starter in Green Bay, Love overcame a slow start to help lead the Packers to a playoff win, throwing 32 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in a breakout season. Only 25 years old, his best football should be in front of him, especially as he continues to build chemistry with a young receiving corps headlined by Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Nobody knows how high the former Utah State star's ceiling is, but at the helm for an ascending team, the Packers will be a challenging opponent for everyone moving forward.

6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Rebounding from concussions that put his career in doubt at one point, Tagovailoa started all 17 games for the first time in his career and put up gaudy numbers throwing to star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, tossing for a league-best 4,624 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The smooth-throwing lefty struggled down the stretch as Miami ultimately ended up losing the division lead to Buffalo in the AFC East, but with Hill and Waddle now teaming up with Odell Beckham Jr., expectations will be even higher for the Dolphins as a Super Bowl contender.

Elite/All-Pro/Pro Bowl Division

5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

If this ranking had been assembled this time last year, Rodgers would likely be a few pegs higher. But the multi-time NFL MVP played just four snaps in his debut season with the Jets before tearing his Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the season. Now 40 years old and coming off a brutal injury, it will be interesting to see how much he has left in the tank as he looks to rebound. But if he's able to rediscover his prior form with an improved supporting cast around him, New York should be in the hunt in the AFC East and present a formidable foe for Seattle on the road.

4. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Shaking off an injury-marred 2022 season, Stafford put the resurgent Rams on his shoulders to guide the team back to the postseason with a wild card berth. Starting all but two games, he completed 62.6 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, benefiting from the arrival of rookie sensation Puka Nacua on the outside. Due to his injury history and advancing age, Stafford may be on the downswing of his career, but he's still as good of a gunslinger as there is in the league and with a healthy Cooper Kupp back in action, Los Angeles should once again have a ferocious passing attack in 2023.

3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

For those who wondered whether or not Purdy's rookie season was a fluke, the former Mr. Irrelevant silenced critics by masterfully orchestrating Kyle Shanahan's offense with a wide array of weapons at his disposal. Possessing a quick trigger and surprising escapeability in the pocket, he threw 33 touchdowns while completing close to 70 percent of his pass attempts, coming back from an elbow injury suffered in the playoffs in January 2023 to guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance. With the same elite supporting cast around him and Shanahan calling the shots, it's time to view him as one of the league's premier signal callers.

2. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

No longer viewed as a placeholder at quarterback in Detroit, Jared Goff now belongs in the discussion as a top-five player at his position. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

At one point, after the Rams jettisoned him as part of the trade to acquire Stafford, some wondered when the Lions would draft a quarterback to eventually replace Goff. But instead of keeping the seat warm for a future successor, a successful pairing with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has transformed Goff into a viable top-five quarterback and he marched Detroit all the way to the NFC Championship Game with 30 touchdown passes last season. With all of his key receivers and running backs returning and Johnson opting to bypass head coaching opportunities, he may be an MVP wild card to watch in 2024.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Supporting cast-wise, Allen has endured a difficult offseason with star receiver Stefon Diggs traded to the Texans among other notable departures. But if there's a quarterback who can overcome the personnel losses in similar fashion to what Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes did the past two years, Allen's dual threat playmaking capabilities make him the prime candidate. He has thrown at least 29 touchdowns and rushed for at least seven touchdowns in five consecutive seasons, demonstrating rare consistency in all facets that make him one of the game's true superstars regardless of who he has to throw to.