Offensive production drives success in the NFL, where 12 of the top 14 most efficient offenses made the playoffs last season. Putting points on the board wins games.
But who has the league’s best offense? How heavily should we weigh quarterback performance, given that it’s the most critical position in sports? How much do complementary pieces matter?
Let’s answer all those questions by ranking the top offenses in the NFL heading into 2024.
Who Has the Best Offense in the NFL?
The San Francisco 49ers have the best offense in the NFL. Brock Purdy was ruthlessly efficient within Kyle Shanahan’s top-tier scheme, nearly leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl title in his first full season as the club’s starting quarterback.
San Francisco’s offensive depth chart is a veritable embarrassment of riches.
Christian McCaffrey is the NFL’s best running back and the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
Brandon Aiyuk exploded to make his first All-Pro team in 2023, while fellow WR Deebo Samuel scored 12 total touchdowns.
The 49ers held onto both veterans through the draft while adding first-round WR Ricky Pearsall.
Left tackle Trent Williams is still the top offensive lineman in the league. While San Francisco has questions elsewhere up front, Shanahan’s system typically does an excellent job hiding offensive line weak spots.
The 49ers’ offense should look exactly the same in 2024, and there’s no reason to think Purdy and Co. should be anything other than elite.
Ranking the Remaining NFL Offenses
2) Detroit Lions
The Lions will bring back nearly every member of an offense that went to the NFC Championship Game last year, as guard Jonah Jackson was the club’s only free-agent defection. Even offensive play-caller Ben Johnson will return after declining head-coaching interest around the NFL.
Guard Kevin Zeitler was Detroit’s only notable offensive addition, but Jared Goff already had so many weapons — RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and TE Sam LaPorta — that the Lions didn’t need to force a move. If 2022 first-round WR Jameson Williams can make a leap in 2024, Detroit’s offense could go nuclear.
3) Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford will be well-protected next season. The Rams spent heavily on their offensive line in free agency, re-signing Kevin Dotson before adding Jackson from the Lions once the market opened.
Sean McVay has re-imagined Los Angeles’ scheme over the past few years, and the Dotson-Jackson combination should be a behemoth in the run game. Puka Nacua broke every NFL rookie receiving record on the books in 2023 but could still improve in his second pro campaign.
4) Kansas City Chiefs
While the Chiefs finished outside the top 10 in EPA per play last season, a Patrick Mahomes-led offense can only be ranked so low. Kansas City figured it out in the playoffs, facing one of the most difficult postseason paths in league history to win its third Super Bowl in five years.
Rashee Rice’s ongoing legal situation and probable 2024 suspension will affect the Chiefs’ offense. But K.C. signed speed merchant Hollywood Brown to a one-year deal in free agency, traded up to draft the even-faster Xavier Worthy in Round 1, and found a potential long-term left tackle in second-rounder Kingsley Suamataia.
5) Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow was hampered by a calf injury at the beginning of last year, then suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11. Cincinnati narrowly missed the playoffs, but it still ranked 11th in offensive DVOA by the end of the season.
Jake Browning’s development under center has to comfort the Bengals in case Burrow goes down again. But head coach/offensive play-caller Zac Taylor deserves credit for his creative approach and could craft another dominant attack with Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the franchise-tagged Tee Higgins in 2024. Signing Trent Brown and using a Round 1 pick on fellow right tackle Amarius Mims should help keep Burrow upright.
6) Philadelphia Eagles
Hardly anything went right for the Eagles last season, and that included the offense. Jalen Hurts’ knee injury hindered him all year, while Philadelphia’s offensive disarray eventually cost play-caller Brian Johnson his job.
New OC Kellen Moore brings a successful track record to the Eagles and should run a more balanced attack that centers around Hurts’ strengths. Philadelphia is losing future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce to retirement and attempted to counteract his absence by adding a more dynamic running back in Saquon Barkley.
7) Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson was on fire down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, sewing up his second NFL MVP award with seven total TD passes in Weeks 16 and 17. Bringing Derrick Henry to Baltimore was an inspired move that felt like it should’ve happened years ago.
Can the Ravens’ typically strong offensive line hold up next season? Left guard John Simpson, right guard Kevin Zeitler, and right tackle Morgan Moses are gone, while left tackle Ronnie Stanley has been in and out of the lineup with a knee injury for several years.
8) Buffalo Bills
Buffalo’s offense can often devolve into the Josh Allen Show, which is probably why the Bills fired Ken Dorsey and replaced him with new play-caller Joe Brady at midseason. Brady will return in 2024, giving Allen and Co. continuity as they evolve their scheme.
The Bills’ offensive line was a pleasant surprise last year, propelling RB James Cook to the best season of his career. But Buffalo’s receiving depth chart is a question mark following the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Wideout Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid — the Bills’ first picks in the last two drafts — will be heavily relied upon, while free-agent addition Curtis Samuel could play an outsized role.
9) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins finished second in points scored last season, so ranking them ninth here could look ridiculous at the end of the 2024 campaign. Tua Tagovailoa was an MVP candidate based on statistics alone, but his inconsistencies and low ceiling ultimately dragged Miami down our list.
Still, any offense with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, the newly-signed Odell Beckham Jr., Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane can only be ranked so low.
10) Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love became an MVP candidate down the stretch, finishing second in the NFL with 32 TD passes before guiding the Packers to a wild-card playoff victory. The league’s youngest offense swapped out RB Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs during free agency but will otherwise return an impressive group that includes WRs Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson and TEs Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
11) Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud’s upside seems limitless, so there’s a chance Houston’s offense could absolutely explode in 2024. The Texans surrounded the second-year QB with plenty of weapons this offseason, acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Bills and Joe Mixon from the Bengals. Houston will also return WRs Nico Collins and Tank Dell, while TE Dalton Schultz inked a three-year extension.
The Texans’ offensive line remains underrated and could be a top-10 unit with better health luck in 2024. Meanwhile, OC Bobby Slowik came back to Houston after interviewing for multiple head-coaching positions. All the pieces are in place for the Texans to become one of the league’s best offenses.
12) Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott led the NFL in touchdown passes (36), while the Cowboys scored more points (509) than any team in the league in 2023. But how repeatable was that performance?
Dallas did next to nothing in free agency, leaving its roster with glaring holes entering the draft. The Cowboys will lean on OT Tyler Guyton and C Cooper Beebe as immediate starters, while Ezekiel Elliott is the club’s top RB option. If things don’t break the right way, Dallas could end the season far lower in our offense rankings.
13) Atlanta Falcons
No team will see a QB upgrade as significant as the Falcons in 2024. Dropping Kirk Cousins into a ready-made offense that already included RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts and now features new WRs Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore is beyond fun.
Atlanta’s solid offensive line gives this high-ceiling unit a similarly elevated floor. The Falcons’ shocking Michael Penix Jr. selection shouldn’t have much of an effect on the club’s 2024 performance — except for the opportunity cost of not adding another weapon at No. 8.
14) New York Jets
What will Aaron Rodgers look like after missing almost all of last year with a torn Achilles? Can a rebuilt Jets offensive line hold up? Will Mike Williams be able to stay healthy?
Those are the central questions facing Gang Green’s offense, but New York has done a solid job of adding reinforcements. First-round tackle Olu Fashanu can take over if Tyron Smith or Morgan Moses go down. Third-round WR Malachi Corley could be an intriguing slot option between Williams and Garrett Wilson.
15) Chicago Bears
Sure, ranking the Bears 15th is a vote of confidence in rookie QB Caleb Williams. However, few prospects have entered the NFL with as much promise as the ex-USC passer, and he’ll be surrounded by the best weapons for a No. 1 overall pick in recent league history.
Chicago acquired WRs DJ Moore and Keenan Allen over the past two offseasons, then watched as fellow pass catcher Rome Odunze serendipitously fell into its laps at No. 9. D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett give the Bears ample RB/TE depth, while the club’s offensive line remains underrated.
16) Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s clear room for improvement in Jacksonville, where injuries slowed Trevor Lawrence for most of the season. The Jaguars bolstered their interior offensive line by adding center Mitch Morse and re-signing left guard Ezra Cleveland (a midseason trade acquisition). But how Gabe Davis and first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. fare as Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones’ replacements could determine Jacksonville’s ceiling.
17) Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Noah Fant, Kenneth Walker III, and Zach Charbonnet are all back in 2024, as are third-year OTs Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, both of whom dealt with injuries last season. First-year OC Ryan Grubb orchestrated a dominant offense at the University of Washington, but he’s never coached in the NFL.
18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has hardly made a change on the offensive side of the ball, electing to re-sign QB Baker Mayfield and WR Mike Evans and bring back last year’s depth chart. But play-caller Dave Canales is gone after taking the Carolina Panthers’ head-coaching job. Can new OC Liam Coen help Mayfield keep it up after a career year?
19) Indianapolis Colts
The Colts could easily end up as a top-10 offense in 2024 if second-year QB Anthony Richardson can stay healthy and fully harness his athletic potential. Shane Steichen nearly guided Indy to the playoffs last year with Gardner Minshew under center.
Getting an entire season of Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor behind a revitalized Colts offensive line could result in fireworks. Indy moved back in Round 2 of the draft but still managed to nab Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell, a size-speed threat viewed as a potential first-round prospect who should add a new element to the Colts’ aerial attack.
20) Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins is out, J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold are in. The Vikings barely had to move up to land McCarthy in Round 1. Will the Michigan product begin the season as Minnesota’s starter? Or will Kevin O’Connell roll with the more experienced Darnold?
Darnold has never proven himself in the NFL, but this would be the best offensive environment he’s ever played in. WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson, and newly-added RB Aaron Jones will give Darnold — or McCarthy — a comfortable surrounding.
21) Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award after working through various QB injuries to get the Browns into the postseason. This year, he’s hoping Deshaun Watson can stick in the lineup and give Cleveland something closer to the Pro Bowl performance he proved capable of with the Texans earlier in his career.
The Browns’ offensive line remains elite, while Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore comprise an intriguing WR corps. If Watson struggles again, could Cleveland turn to newly-signed backup QB Jameis Winston?
22) New Orleans Saints
The Saints ranked in the middle of the pack in most offensive metrics in 2023, and it’s challenging to see them making much of an improvement next season.
Derek Carr is what he is, while Alvin Kamara will be another year older and running behind an offensive line that added first-round OT Taliese Fuaga but is missing several key contributors. New Orleans hopes first-year play-caller Klint Kubiak can unlock different results from a relatively stagnant depth chart.
23) Tennessee Titans
One way or another, the Titans should have a good idea of whether second-year QB Will Levis has what it takes as a long-term NFL starter after the upcoming season.
MORE: NFL QB Rankings 2024
Tennessee spared no expense adding free-agent reinforcements around Levis, signing WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tony Pollard, and C Lloyd Cushenberry to expensive multi-year pacts before grabbing OT JC Latham with the No. 7 pick in the draft. New head coach/play-caller Brian Callahan should devise a more modern scheme for the Titans after helping Jake Browning succeed as the Bengals’ fill-in in 2023.
24) Los Angeles Chargers
With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett gone from Los Angeles’ roster, Justin Herbert has become the Chargers’ version of the Will Smith empty room meme. First-round OT Joe Alt and second-round WR Ladd McConkey should improve Los Angeles’ offense, but even Herbert can only drag this unit so high on our rankings.
25) Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray looked comfortable in Arizona’s new scheme by the end of last year and should only make more strides with another offseason in OC Drew Petzing’s system under his belt.
While the Cardinals lost Hollywood Brown in free agency, GM Monti Ossenfort held onto the No. 4 overall pick and drafted Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Arizona didn’t stop after adding the draft’s top pass catcher, filling in the rest of its offensive depth chart with mid-round picks like RB Trey Benson, TE Tip Reiman, OL Isaiah Adams, and WR Tejhaun Palmer.
26) Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders missed out on the draft’s top six quarterbacks, ensuring that Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell should start a majority of the team’s games in 2024.
Las Vegas added first-round TE Brock Bowers and OL Jackson Powers-Johnson to a depth chart that already included Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer. The Raiders’ line should be improved, but their RB room is among the league’s worst, while Minshew and/or O’Connell don’t offer much upside under center.
27) Washington Commanders
While the Commanders used free agency to raise their offensive floor, they’ll still need No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels to lift the ceiling. As a dual-threat QB playing inside Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme, Daniels — the 2023 Heisman winner — could threaten for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Washington already had a solid set of receivers in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but it added complementary pieces like RB Austin Ekeler, TEs Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott, and OL Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti, and Brandon Coleman. Left tackle remains a potential concern, but the Commanders could still bring in a free agent.
28) Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers signed Russell Wilson at a league-minimum rate, but does he move the needle over Kenny Pickett? Trading WR Diontae Johnson to the Panthers might’ve been a mistake and will deprive the Steelers’ offense of its best route runner and separator, but Pittsburgh hopes third-round pick Roman Wilson can help fill that void.
New play-caller Arthur Smith almost has to be an improvement over Matt Canada, but there are questions about scheme and roster fit. If a new-and-improved Steelers offensive line that includes first- and second-round rookies Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier can hold up, this unit could rise in our rankings.
29) Carolina Panthers
Diontae Johnson went to Carolina, giving Bryce Young the best weapon of his brief NFL career. Day 1 and 2 picks Xavier Legette and Jonathon Brooks add dynamism, while the Panthers also beefed up Young’s interior protection — probably a wise idea for a 5’10” QB — by inking guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.
Carolina is trying to build a more workable atmosphere around Young after he ranked 29th in QBR during his rookie campaign. How he responds to new head coach/offensive play-caller Dave Canales’ teaching could determine whether Young will stick as the Panthers’ long-term starter.
30) New England Patriots
Although the Patriots improved their long-term offensive outlook by selecting UNC QB Drake Maye at No. 3 overall, New England will still face challenges in 2024. The Pats could have enough concerns about their offensive infrastructure to play veteran Jacoby Brissett over Maye, at least initially.
New England added more juice to its receiving corps by drafting Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, and RB Rhamondre Stevenson is an every-down weapon when healthy. If the Patriots can put together a left tackle solution, this offense could perform above expectations.
31) New York Giants
Daniel Jones, rehabbing from the torn ACL that ended his 2023 campaign, may have to compete with free-agent addition Drew Lock to win the Giants’ starting QB job. Whoever wins the gig will get to work with No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers, New York’s most explosive wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants made a concerted effort to improve their offensive line during the offseason. But adding Nabers was somewhat offset by losing RB Saquon Barkley, and it’s challenging to see much upside for Big Blue.
Who Has the Worst Offense in the NFL?
While Sean Payton could turn things around quickly, the Denver Broncos have the worst offense in the NFL heading into the 2024 season. In need of a quarterback after cutting Russell Wilson, Denver reached for Oregon’s Bo Nix. While Nix is a scheme fit for Payton’s system, he ranked 34th on PFN’s Industry Consensus Board — the Broncos took him 12th.
KEEP READING: NFL Defense Rankings
Denver’s offensive line is still of league-average quality, but Nix doesn’t have the best weapons to work with. The Broncos already traded Jeudy, leaving Courtland Sutton (who received trade interest during the draft), Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims Jr., and fourth-round rookie Troy Franklin as Nix’s top receivers.