Ranking the top 10 quarterbacks age 24 and under in the NFL

There's a decent chance that Jones is playing out his final few games as the starter for the Giants, which probably checks out given that his inability to protect the football might be a fatal flaw. Certainly, though, Jones has been burned by a lack of coaching stability, disastrous offensive line play and consistent injuries from Saquon Barkley. He's probably more geared to be a high-end backup, but it would hardly be surprising if the former No. 6 re-emerges in a more stable situation and performs at a higher level.

Fields has missed the last two games because of cracked ribs, and has four more interceptions (eight) than touchdown passes (four) in his rookie season. However, he has flashed his unteachable athleticism on a few cases, and we remain intrigued about what he could do with a different coaching staff, which is likely to come in 2022.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio opined last week that the seemingly credible Deshaun Watson to Miami buzz likely negatively affected Tagovailoa's play, and that the former Alabama star has benefitted from the trade deadline passing. That's probably true, as the Dolphins have won four straight games and Tagovailoa has tossed five touchdowns to just one interception. Still, it is fair to question whether Tagovailoa has any truly elite physical traits that will stop the Dolphins from revisiting the Watson sweepstakes in the offseason.

While it's fair to wonder whether he'll ever be able to go blow-for-blow with some of the sport's elite passers, Hurts has done a pretty good job of taking care of the ball, outside of a three-interception performance in a Week 12 loss to the New York Giants. He's not Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields on the ground, but he can still be a game-changer in that aspect, as evidenced by his 695 rushing yards and eight touchdown scampers this season. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles proceed this offseason, given that they are on track to have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, and there's a chance that multiple established quarterbacks become available via trade.

Those that believed Jones was the most pro-ready quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft class have been proven right. Jones has 16 touchdown passes to eight interceptions in 2021, and in a year without many clear Super Bowl favorites, the 8-4 Patriots seemingly could make a deep run in the postseason. He wasn't the most physically-gifted prospect in last year's draft class, but it's fair to assume that if the 2021 NFL Draft could be redone, Jones wouldn't make it to the Patriots at No. 15.

Lawrence hasn't had the best season among rookie quarterbacks, but he's kept his poise through all the Urban Meyer-induced drama in Jacksonville. Our guess is that someone other than Meyer will be the team's head coach in 2022, and if the team gets Travis Etienne back and is able to continue to add talent around Lawrence, he's going to have a very good career.

Rather amazingly, Jackson is in his fourth NFL season and won't celebrate his 25th birthday until January. Jackson was the 2019 NFL MVP, and is certainly deserving of a massive second contract in Baltimore. But while Jackson has a chance to rush for over 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season, his passing has felt a bit manic in 2021. Two years after tossing 36 touchdowns to just six interceptions in his MVP season, Jackson has thrown 16 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 2021.

Burrow does lead the league with 14 interceptions, but he's also tossed 23 touchdown passes to along with that. Two seasons after going 2-14, Burrow has given the Bengals a legitimate chance to reach the postseason. As much as anyone on this list, Burrow has a culture changing quality that very few quarterbacks in NFL history possess. He landed with an organization that badly needed that type of player.

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Herbert has tossed 27 touchdowns to 11 interceptions for the Chargers in his second season. He has a Matthew Stafford-like ability to make every throw you ask of him, but with much more mobility. There's some teams that would take him over Burrow if we re-did the 2020 NFL Draft. Every team would take him over Tagovailoa, and possibly Chase Young.

Oh yeah, he's still only 24. Murray is one of the slipperiest players that the NFL has ever seen, certainly when you just limit the discussion to quarterbacks. He also has a Russell Wilson-type ability to avoid contact when he takes off. With 19 passing touchdowns and five more on the ground, Murray has solidified himself as one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, and a legitimate MVP candidate.