Gus’ Tiers: 2024 AFC South quarterbacks

Welcome to the latest edition of “Gus’ Tiers” at 1010XL/92.5 FM!

Each Wednesday, I’ll be using Tiermaker dot com to create a 100% correct ranking of a timely subject related to the Jacksonville Jaguars/NFL landscape.

For this week’s Tier, I ranked quarterbacks in the AFC South entering the 2024 season.

Franchise changers: C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence has led the Jaguars to 21 regular season wins and one AFC South title in the past three seasons after the team won 12 games in the three seasons prior. Meanwhile, Stroud led the Texans to 10 wins and the divisional crown last year after Houston won 11 games from 2020-22. 

Stroud has a slight edge over Lawrence in terms of who’s the better player right now, but there’s no doubt that these championship-less franchises have a quarterback they want on their roster for the next decade-plus. 

Could be a superstar: Anthony Richardson

Richardson was easily the second most impressive rookie quarterback last year (behind Stroud), though it was in limited action. The fourth overall pick sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5. 

He’s still very inexperienced, but Richardson isn’t as raw as many fans assume. His footwork and pocket presence are already top-notch, and even when he rifles an inaccurate pass, his process is usually sound. It won’t take long for the results to catch up, especially in an offense engineered by a sharp coach in Shane Steichen. 

Could be a star: Will Levis

The third-most impressive rookie passer last year was Levis, who took over as Tennessee’s starter in Week 8 and finished 3-6 as a starter. He has a bit more polish than Richardson but is still very much a work in progress himself. The good news for Mayo Man is that the Titans went all-in this offseason to boost his environment by hiring Brian (and Bill) Callahan, signing Calvin Ridley, and drafting J.C. Latham. 

Immobile backups: Joe Flacco, Davis Mills, Mac Jones

Flacco, Mills and Jones are all capable second-stringers with the mental acumen to keep the chains moving if they’re thrown into action. Their lack of mobility and playmaking outside the pocket keeps them in backup territory. 

Mason Rudolph: Mason Rudolph

The most memorable moment of Rudolph’s career is a brawl with Myles Garrett. Woof.

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