The hope is that the Seattle Seahawks will have a much better defense in 2024, of course. The talent might not be vastly improved, though it should be somewhat with the addition of rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. Seattle's defense should be better simply because of the new direction of head coach Mike Macdonald.
Even if the defense is better, however, the unit is going to be challenged by a number of very good quarterbacks. The top five that follows could be interchanged by a couple of other quarterbacks. Plus, we would only assume all of these quarterbacks are going to be healthy enough to play against Seattle and that does not seem likely based on 2023 when 66 different quarterbacks started a game.
The Seahawks' Geno Smith is arguably anywhere from the best quarterback in the NFC to the worst. In terms of total QBR in 2023, Smith was third-best in the division (his 59.5 was 15th-best in the league) while Brock Purdy (72.8) was first in the NFL and Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (63.5) was sixth. Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals was 23rd at 47.2. Here are the best quarterbacks Seattle could face in 2024.
Ranking the five top quarterbacks the Seattle Seahawks will face in 2024
First, some honorable mentions who, again, could wind up being in the top five during the course of the season. Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets is an all-time great and the Jets should be better overall with their offseason moves. Rodgers, though, is 40 years old and with a recent injury history.
Kirk Cousins, new to the Atlanta Falcons, should be solid too. Statistically, he has almost always been good in the regular season and he has a lot of offensive weapons. He is prone to mistakes, though.
Caleb Williams might turn into a fantastic quarterback, but he will only be a rookie. Possibly, he is playing extremely well by the time Seattle takes on the Chicago Bears but ranking him higher than other quarterbacks right now would just be a guess and nothing based on proof. Chicago, with its new (and former Seahawks) offensive coordinator Shane Waldron should be fun, however.
No. 5 - Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Ranking Purdy this low when he was recently ranked as the second-best quarterback in the NFL by a CBS Sports writer might seem silly, but NFC West fans know the truth. The 49ers are a fantastic and well-rounded team capable of defeating opponents no matter who they are playing. Purdy makes them better than his backup, but the 49ers are not who they are because of Purdy.
Still, no one runs the scheme of their designed offense any better. Purdy does not try to overdo anything or go off-script fairly often. He understands what he has in terms of the uber-talented Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and a host of excellent receivers, plus a great offensive line. Purdy's kind of self-awareness and humbleness is a talent as well and not one that should be undervalued.
No. 4 - Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff has an interesting story. Most NFL fans assume that Rams head coach Sean McVay is an offensive guru and there is no real reason to dispute that. He was immediately successful after taking over the Rams in the mid-2010s and he has maintained a level of success after losing quite a bit of talent. Did anyone expect the Rams to make the playoffs in 2023, for instance?
Goff has been more successful after leaving McVay than he was with the Rams, though. That proves that many times fit with a team is as important as the raw talent of the player. Goff has been excellent with the Lions. As Detroit still has offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, fans can assume that the Lions will have a good offense again and that Goff will excel as well.
No. 3 - Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa might not be the most perfect quarterback, but he is the most perfect quarterback in the Miami Dolphins offense, and that makes him and the Dolphins extremely dangerous. The hope is that Seattle faces Miami later in the season as the Dolphins seem to weaken, for whatever reason, as the season grows old. Plus, when Miami plays a team that is physically imposing they seem to fold.
The hope, of course, is that Mike Macdonald will create a culture where Seattle is more bullish than finesse. This worked well for him with the Baltimore Ravens but has not been the Seahawks' normal way the last few years. This transition could take a bit of time to get used to by the players but they should be in tune later in the season. If Seattle faces Miami in Week 3, there could be issues.
If the game is in Week 14, the Seahawks should get the win and shut down a Miami offense that does not do well against a team trying to dictate tempo and physicality.
No. 2 - Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
The concern for 12s against the Packers and Love is that he got better as 2023 drew on while playing in his first full season as the starting quarterback. He had an overall fantastic season last year with 32 touchdown passes and just 11 interceptions. 10 of those interceptions came in Week 10 or before, though. After that, he threw 18 touchdown passes and just one pick. Of the 10 games he had with a quarterback rating greater than 100, seven of them came in the final eight games.
Love is only 25 years old and is just beginning to fully come into his own as an NFL quarterback. He could ascend to being a top-five QB in 2024 and in many seasons beyond. He has great arm talent, a total grasp of the offense, and good mobility to go off-script when needed. 12s cannot know for sure which extra wrinkles Love will develop in 2024 but one thing is for sure, he will be difficult to defend.
No. 1 - Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Speaking of difficulty to defend, Allen can beat a team in lots of different ways, of course. He can throw over a team, or run through a defense. His ability to excel at many different elements makes him difficult to predict and requires creative versatility in trying to stop him. Unlike many of the other quarterbacks on this list who are products of their offensive system, the Bills' offense is structured to what Allen needs.
Allen could be much more of a problem late in the season as well, though at least Seattle gets Allen at Lumen Field instead of in Buffalo. The weather might not be great in Seattle, but almost certainly there will not be bitter cold and lots of snow. If the game is early in the year, Allen might also be trying to figure out who his top receiver is as Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs this offseason. Later in the season, Allen might have found a new favorite receiver and that would be more difficult for the Seahawks.