3 toughest QBs Denver Broncos will face in 2024 not named Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, but besides him, who are the three toughest QBs the Denver Broncos will face in the coming season? The Broncos are set to have one of the harder schedules in the NFL, but you just never know how it'll play out until the season starts.

Denver started 1-5 in 2023 thanks to a historically bad defense. All of a sudden, the defense caught a spark and the team sat at 7-6 with a handful of games left and a legitimate shot at the AFC West title at that point. Losing three of their last four games put a sad end to the 2023 season, but there was a lot to like about the Broncos last year.

Their offensive line played well; the defense got right, and the team was overall way more disciplined, improving by three wins from 2022 to 2023. Well, can the 2024 Denver Broncos build on their 2023 success?

3 toughest QBs Denver Broncos will face in 2024 not named Patrick Mahomes
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

A two-time MVP, winning the award in 2019 and 2023, Lamar Jackson is already the best dual-threat quarterback in the history of the NFL. Jackson's 2023 season wasn't exactly a slam-dunk MVP season, but nonetheless, the award went to him. His running ability is second to none, and it just puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses to keep the shifty runner near the pocket.

He's also got a very strong arm and can make every throw on the field. Across his regular season career, Lamar Jackson has a 58-19 record, but he's never started and finished a full season in his NFL career.

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Already suffering two season-ending injuries, Joe Burrow may actually be approaching the injury-prone label. When on the field, there isn't another human being on the face of the Earth who can go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes besides Burrow. Of active QBs, Burrow is the only one to have taken down Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs.

And as long as Burrow is on the field, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be very good. The Denver Broncos will travel to Cincinnati and play the Bengals during the 2024 NFL Season. The two teams met back in 2021 in Denver with the Bengals getting the narrow win.

3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

While I am a lot lower on Justin Herbert than most, he'd be the third-best QB the Broncos face in 2024, save Mahomes. The Denver Broncos have never had trouble beating the Herbert-led Chargers, as they swept LA last year. Justin Herbert entered the NFL as a rookie in 2020 and was a B+ quarterback.

And as he enters year five, he's still a B+ quarterback. Time will only tell if the Chargers finally having a legitimate head coach in Jim Harbaugh will make a difference for the Chargers, whose roster still needs a ton of work and lacks depth overall.