My NFL QB Rankings After The 2025 Season

As the Super Bowl approaches this Sunday, I thought now would be the perfect time to rank my top 30 quarterbacks in the NFL for this year. The Super Bowl often gives us the tendency to overreact to one great performance or one bad one, so I wanted to get these rankings down before Sunday, without letting a single game sway my opinions.

I’m ranking the top 30 quarterbacks in the NFL this year who were their team’s starting quarterback going into the season. For example, Kirk Cousins, who started a lot of games for the Falcons this year, won’t be on this list, nor will anyone on the Browns or Jets, because I don’t even know who their teams truly considered their starting quarterback going into the year.

These rankings focus on the players who are, for the most part, unquestionably the QB1 on their team’s depth chart right now. When I do these rankings, I take into account the previous season, a player’s career track record, and I also project a bit for the future. So it’s a combination of past performance and potential.

1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Listen, I’m just as shocked as anyone that I have Mahomes this high. This was his worst year from a team perspective, and he’s coming off a torn ACL. But players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson had everything in front of them to go take that number one spot, and they just didn’t.

In Allen’s case, his team once again fell short in the playoffs. In Lamar’s case, they didn’t even make the playoffs at all. Until someone actually snatches the chain from Mahomes, he’s still the quarterback I’m taking as the number one player at his position in the league. Even coming off a a major injury, the throne is still his until someone rightfully dethrones him.

2: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Again, there’s not much that needs to be said about Josh Allen being the number two quarterback in the NFL, at least in my opinion. Sure, his team fell short in the playoffs once again, but he still put together another great regular season. If he had even just made it to the AFC Championship Game, I would have had him at number one.

He’s still, in my view, the best dual-threat quarterback in the league, a legitimate weapon as a runner with probably the best arm in the NFL. That said, the game against Denver, where he was awful and turned the ball over four times, ultimately cost him a real shot at the top spot.

Going into next year, Allen is still a top-two player at his position, but he simply didn’t do enough this season to pass Mahomes, even with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs having a down year themselves.

3: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

If you told me Stafford would be this high going into the year, I wouldn’t have believed you. He was 37 years old and entering the season with a back injury, but once again, Stafford was excellent all year long. He’s likely going to be the MVP winner, and he played the best football of his career down the stretch.

Whether it was the no-look passes or the throws downfield, whatever it was, Stafford was a nightmare for opposing defenses. As a Seahawks fan watching the NFC Championship Game, he struck fear in me every single time he had the ball. And even though his team didn’t go all the way this year, that wasn’t his fault at all.

For the duration of the 2025 season, Stafford was arguably the best player at his position in the NFL. Because of that, I have him firmly as a top-three quarterback coming out of this year.

4: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson takes a bit of a dip after missing some time due to injury and with his team failing to make the playoffs altogether. That said, when he is on the field, he’s still electric. Even though he’s starting to show some signs of aging and doesn’t look quite as fast as he once was, his highlight-reel plays are still among the best in the NFL.

Going into next year, I do have some concerns. The injuries are one part of it, but there are also questions about why he doesn’t seem to want to run the football as much anymore. And if Lamar isn’t running, he’s simply not the same level of threat that he’s been in the past.

I still believe in Jackson long-term, especially under a new coaching staff in Baltimore that could help unlock more from this offense. But after a rough season, it makes sense for him to take a small step back in these rankings.

5: Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Maye is on the cusp of one of the greatest sophomore seasons in NFL history, with the Patriots playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday and a chance to win their seventh Lombardi Trophy. Not to mention, first without Tom Brady under centre.

Listen, I was as high on Maye as anyone going into this season, and even he surpassed my expectations. Honestly, he would get my MVP vote. Stafford may have had more weapons and a better overall situation around him, but the leap Maye made this year was unreal to watch play out in real time. Even as one of his biggest supporters, I never thought he’d have the Patriots in this position this quickly.

He’s turned into one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, able to move in and out of the pocket with ease, and he arguably throws the best ball in the NFL. If the Patriots can finish the job here, the sky is the limit for just how good Maye can be with this team.

6: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

the Bengals quarterback has missed significant time over the past three seasons, and even in 2024, when he was fully healthy and played arguably the best football of his career, the team still missed the playoffs, barely finishing around .500. Overall, Cincinnati hasn’t made the postseason in three straight seasons, largely due to Burrow’s injury issues.

Burrow is still my favourite quarterback in the NFL, but it’s getting to the point where he’s going to have to start putting up winning results and carrying this team a bit more. While I still think he’s the best pure pocket passer in the league, he’s also arguably the quarterback with the most to prove in 2026.

A strong season could easily vault him back into the top four of these rankings. But if there’s another rough year, we could see him slide even further down this list.

7: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

After a rough rookie year and a difficult start to this season, the Bears quarterback was outstanding over the second half of the year, playing arguably some of the best football in the NFL.

His late-game heroics and clutch moments are a big reason why he’s ranked this high, but it’s really his raw ability that stands out. I honestly think he has the strongest arm in the league right now. The way he moves within the pocket, creates time for his receivers to get open, and then just launches the ball downfield has been incredible to watch.

As he continues to get more comfortable in Ben Johnson’s system, I think Williams is only going to get better. The Bears have a bright future, and the “Iceman” is a huge, huge reason why that’s the case.

8: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

If this list were based strictly on playoff performance, Herbert wouldn’t be this high. He was once again awful in the Chargers’ 16–3 Wild Card loss to the Patriots earlier in January, and he’s now 0–3 in the playoffs with three poor postseason performances overall.

That said, we still need to talk about how great Herbert was throughout the regular season. He dealt with a constantly shifting offensive line and was banged up, almost beaten to death all year long. There were even points in the season where he was playing with a broken hand and still finding ways to win games for the Chargers.

I do have to drop him a bit because there are several quarterbacks around the league, including two in his own division that I trust more in big moments. But if you’re simply asking me to rank the best quarterbacks in the NFL based on talent and overall play, Herbert is still very clearly a top-10 quarterback in my opinion.

9: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Going into the year, I had major concerns about Prescott and the Cowboys in general, but specifically about whether Dak’s best days might be behind him after multiple surgeries. Throughout the season, he answered those questions and showed he’s still as good as he’s ever been, and maybe even better.

In his first year with Brian Schottenheimer as head coach, Prescott looked closer to his 2023 form, when he finished second in MVP voting, and at times he arguably played even better. If he can stay healthy and the Cowboys can shake up this defense heading into 2026, I see no reason why Dallas shouldn’t be in the playoff conversation, and possibly even competing for the NFC East.

Like I said, though, it all comes down to whether Prescott can stay healthy.

10: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

I might be higher on Goff than most people across the NFL, but I think he’s one of the steadiest quarterbacks in the league. Sure, he probably needs more support around him than some other elite quarterbacks, but even in a rough season he still threw for 34 touchdowns and did a solid job orchestrating the Lions’ offense.

With a new offensive coordinator coming in next year, I expect Goff and the Lions to respond, as long as they can stay healthy on offense. He’s also quietly one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s led a team to a Super Bowl appearance, two conference championship games, and was the number one seed just last season.

In my opinion, Goff remains one of the more underrated players at his position, and even with Detroit missing the playoffs this year, I still have him as a top-10 quarterback in the league.

11: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

After years of teasing us with his talent, along with a couple of down seasons and injury struggles, Lawrence finally put together his best year as a pro. He was especially impressive over the second half of the season, leading the Jaguars to 13 wins and a division title while playing the best football of his career under new head coach Liam Coen.

One of the biggest positives this year was Lawrence running the ball more, which I loved seeing. When he commits to using his legs, I think he’s one of the more dangerous quarterbacks in the league. As he continues to grow within Coen’s system, I expect that part of his game and his overall play to keep improving.

I can’t put him in the top 10 just yet because the past few seasons were fairly rough, and he was really only elite over the second half of this year. But if he puts together another strong season, Lawrence should work his way right back into the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.

12: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Once again, he dealt with injuries throughout the season, starting with turf toe early on and then a shoulder injury midway through the year that forced him to miss significant time. But when he returned, he showed no signs of rust. He was mobile in the pocket, made plays on the run, and was excellent down the stretch.

Really, aside from the Week 18 game against the Seahawks and the Divisional Round matchup also against Seattle Purdy was outstanding when he was on the field. I still think he carries some of that “last pick in the draft” stigma when people talk about him, which we should be well past at this point. Every year he’s been healthy, the 49ers have been one of the elite teams in the NFL.

He’s already led a team to the Super Bowl, where he left the field with the lead in overtime. Purdy remains one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the league, and I expect him to continue getting better under Kyle Shanahan in the years to come.

13: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold is one of the main reasons I wanted to make this list now and not after the Super Bowl. If he has a great performance against the Patriots on Sunday, I’ll be tempted to push him into the top ten. If he’s awful, I’d probably want to drop him even further. So for now, this feels like the right spot.

In his first year in Seattle, Darnold has the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and he’s shown that his 2024 season with the Vikings was not a fluke, when he threw for 35 touchdowns and led them to 14 wins. Over the past two seasons, he’s played for two different teams and won 14 regular-season games with each. Combined, he holds a 30–7 record with playoff appearances. At some point, that has to count for something.

He’s clearly no longer just a product of the system, and he’s proven he’s not a bust after a rough start to his career. If he wins on Sunday against the Patriots, it would be one of the greatest career turnarounds in NFL history, and maybe sports history in general.

While he can still be a turnover machine at times, as long as he plays clean football and continues to make explosive plays down the field, I think number thirteen feels right for him heading into next season.

14: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

I’ll admit it, I was probably one of the people who overrated Hurts after he and the Eagles won the Super Bowl last year, especially with him taking home Super Bowl MVP.

Hurts had a rough season offensively this year, and while I place a lot of that blame on the offensive coordinator, it did highlight something important: Hurts is one of the quarterbacks in the league who is more dependent on who’s calling plays for him. Even with a stacked roster including one of the best offensive lines in football, two elite receivers, and a great running back in Saquon Barkley, he struggled more than I was comfortable with.

While Hurts has shown in the past that he can rise to the occasion and deliver in clutch moments, that wasn’t consistently the case this season. Because of that, I have to drop him pretty significantly after his championship run last year.

With a strong bounce-back season, Hurts could easily climb back up this list, but for now, this feels like the right spot.

15: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

this spot felt a bit low while I was making the list because I do consider myself a Jordan Love supporter. That said, I just don’t think he’s improved as much as I expected after his first year as the starter in Green Bay.

Love and the Packers have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, and they’ve entered the postseason as the seven seed every year of his career so far. I do think Love can continue to get better, but we also need to remember that he is already 27 years old. Because of that, there’s a real chance that this is largely who Jordan Love is going to be for the rest of his career.

When he’s at his best, like we saw in the first half of the Wild Card game against the Bears, he looks like one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s just not consistent enough for my liking, and for that reason, I have him at number fifteen.

16: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Again, this might be a bit low, especially considering that in his first year he helped take the Washington Commanders all the way to the NFC Championship Game. That said, recent history shows there are legitimate injury concerns with Daniels.

This season, he played only seven games, and that has to count for something. Even when he was on the field, the Commanders weren’t winning as many games as I would’ve liked. Because of that, I do have questions about his long-term ability to stay healthy.

Like many players on this list, if Daniels puts together a strong season next year and gets Washington back to the playoffs, he’ll make a massive jump up these rankings. But for now, based on what he didn’t do this season, and what the players ranked above him did I have to place him at number sixteen.

17: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

if this were a list of quarterbacks I want in the fourth quarter or late in a close game, Nix would probably be in my top five. He authored so many comebacks for the Broncos this year and made a ton of big-time plays. He’s genuinely one of the quarterbacks I trust most in the NFL when a game is tight.

That said, I do have to take the full picture into account. For most of the season, Nix was pretty inconsistent and shaky for large stretches of games. People love to point to the comeback from down 19-0 and 26-8 against the Giants, but I also have to ask: how was he down to the Giants in the first place? While the comeback showed toughness and fight, the situation itself matters too.

I will give him a ton of credit for the playoffs, though. Against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, he was arguably the best quarterback that entire weekend. And if he had been healthy against the New England Patriots, I truly think the Broncos would be getting ready for the Super Bowl.

This ranking might feel low to some fans, but I need to account for the first three-and-a-half quarters of games, not just the last 6 minutes. If Nix can become more consistent from start to finish next season, he’ll climb this list quickly. I just need to see it.

18: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This one hurts as a Mayfield fan. Early in the season, he looked like a legitimate MVP frontrunner. Then he and the Buccaneers completely collapsed down the stretch, and Mayfield’s struggles were a huge reason why Tampa Bay wasn’t playing playoff football this year.

I still believe that when he’s in a system that supports him and surrounded by elite talent, Mayfield is a good enough quarterback to lead a team on a deep playoff run. But after such a rough finish to the season, I need to see him put together a fully healthy year, get the Bucs back into the playoffs, and actually make some noise for him to climb back up this list.

On top of that, I do have some concerns about his shoulders going forward. He’s now dealt with two major shoulder injuries in his career, and there are some legitimate long-term questions that come with that.

19: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

I miss the rookie version of Stroud that everyone fell in love with. The one who didn’t turn the ball over and consistently made smart, efficient decisions. If the Texans had gotten that version of Stroud this season, they’d probably be getting ready for the Super Bowl right now, especially considering how elite their defense is.

This offseason, I think Stroud really needs to look in the mirror and realize he doesn’t have to constantly prove he was the number two pick in the draft. He needs to play a more complementary style of football. Honestly, talking to someone like Alex Smith about game management wouldn’t be the worst idea.

As long as the Texans have this elite defense and DeMeco Ryans on the sideline, they’re going to be in close games almost every week. If Stroud simply avoids losing the game himself like he did against the Patriots in the Divisional Round and nearly did against the Steelers in the Wild Card Round, Houston should be one of the last teams standing in the AFC year after year moving forward.

20: Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

I don’t know if Rodgers plans on playing in 2026, and if I were him, I would probably step away. Even though he’s still a top-20 player at his position, I do think he showed a lot of people this past season that the Jets version of himself, where they only won five games, was more on the Jets than on Rodgers. He actually impressed me a ton this past season with how he was able to stay up most of the year, and he can still spin it with the best of them.

Is he what he was before? No, probably not. Actually, not at all. He’s not as mobile as he once was, which was part of what made him an all-time great. If he does decide to come back with Mike McCarthy now as the Steelers head coach, I can respect it. I just hope for his sake that he goes out on this note after winning a division title, because I don’t think it’s going to get much better for him going forward.

21: Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Jones was one of the best stories of the NFL this season. He had the Colts looking like they were going to make the playoffs. He was fitting in so well into Shane Steichen's system, then the injuries hit. Apparently he broke his fibula at one point, and then the dagger came when he tore his Achilles in week 14.

For a player who I already had major concerns about based on what we’ve seen in the past with him, that Achilles tear has me really questioning what he's going to be going forward. Especially since his mobility is such a huge part of this game. So if Jones is just going be a pocket passer going forward, I don’t think I can have him going much higher. But if he rebounds next year, stays healthy, and plays like he did this year when he stayed upright, he will be higher.

22: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Murray is going to be going elsewhere next year as the Cardinals are all but certain to move on from him. And depending on where he goes, I still think Murray can be a good quarterback in this league.

I do have concerns about his health and his size as he ages, but I do think if he goes to a solid organization and a solid coaching staff, I do think that Murray could be our next bounce-back candidate at quarterback. Especially since the Cardinals just seem like an unserious franchise. I still think he's going to be fairly athletic going forward and has a pretty underrated arm.

I think if you put him with some solid supporting cast and coaching staff that can be harsh with him, I do think Murray can be pretty good going forward.

23: Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Young had his best year as a pro, getting the Panthers to the playoffs. He showed some fight in that playoff game, keeping Carolina in position to pull off one of the major upsets of the last decade against the Rams.

Do I believe in Young much going forward? To be honest, not that much. But I do think the Panthers need to give him another chance. He’s shown that he’s never going to give up and has proven doubters wrong throughout his NFL career so far. If Bryce has another year, he could get the Panthers back into the postseason, and he’s shown a connection with receivers like Tetairoa McMillan; perhaps he could be their quarterback of the future.

24: Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

I loved what I saw from Dart all season long.

He showed that he’s not shy about contact, and wow, that did land him in the tent a bunch with the concussion spots. He just showed a certain moxie that you don’t see in many quarterbacks nowadays. I think with a new coaching staff and John Harbaugh leading the way for the Giants, Dart in New York has a chance to be one of the major surprises in the NFL next year.

What if Dart and the Giants are next year's Maye and the Patriots? I’m not saying they’re playing in the Super Bowl next year, but would I be entirely shocked if they won the NFC East and Dart finished in the top eight of MVP voting? No, I wouldn’t. That’s how high I am on Dart going forward.

25: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Shough was one of the better surprises over the last half of the year with the Saints. As soon as he took over in New Orleans under centre, the team started looking more competitive and even began winning games.

I don’t think he’s going to be anything special going forward, but he could be in a position next year where the Saints are competing for the division title, as long as they improve the supporting cast around him. I do believe in Kellen Moore as a player caller, and I think he will do his best to get the best out of this quarterback. Whatever that may look like.

26: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

I hate even having Ward ranked this low because I can’t really make an opinion on his rookie season. That’s how bad the situation was in Tennessee. He had no receivers, no offensive weapons, and the head coach, Brian Callahan, got fired early in the season. This was an entirely lost rookie season for Ward.

However, he did show glimpses throughout the year of his athletic ability and some flashes that give the Titans at least some hope going into 2026. I like the coaching staff they’ve put together so far, with Robert Saleh coming in as head coach to take care of the defense, and bringing in one of the better offensive coordinator candidates on the market, Brian Daboll, who was the head coach of the Giants just last year and played a large part in Josh Allen’s development in Buffalo when he was the offensive coordinator there for the early parts of Allen's career.

If Ward is going to be anything special in this league, I think we’re going to find out fairly quickly next year in Tennessee with this new coaching staff. This offseason in Tennessee has to be all about putting a supporting cast around him on offense, which means drafting receivers, spending big in free agency, and doing anything to make life easier for him next year. Like I said, I don’t really have a takeaway from his rookie season. That’s how bad the situation was for him.

27: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Another player who is likely going to be elsewhere next year. I’m going to be honest: if I were a fan of a team that needs a quarterback, this is one of the last guys I would want. He can’t stay healthy, he’s afraid to stay in the pocket, and he can’t throw the ball down the field. I just don’t see what’s so great about Tua. I think he’s destined to be a backup at some point next season, and while that might be good for his career in the long term, I just don’t think he’s a good quarterback anymore despite his somewhat young age.

If I were the Miami Dolphins, I would have kept Mike McDaniel as head coach and gotten rid of Tua. I think when McDaniel gets to work with a real quarterback next year in Justin Herbert as the Chargers offensive coordinator, McDaniel will be seen as a cult hero for somehow getting Tua to the playoffs in back-to-back years at one point.

28: Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

In the games we saw from Penix this year, I just don’t think he was that great despite having so many weapons on this Atlanta offense like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, and not to mention one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. He still struggled to stay healthy.

I do think with Kevin Stefanski as his head coach, Penix will show more flashes in 2026, but he is coming off a partially torn ACL, which is just another knee injury he’s suffered throughout his football career, going back even to college. I would have loved to have him ranked higher because I was a huge supporter of him coming out of college, but the injury concerns and the lack of explosiveness I saw out of him in his first year starting have me concerned about his long-term growth.

29: Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Not many people had a worse 2025 season than Geno Smith. He wanted out of Seattle after he couldn’t work out a contract extension, hoping to reunite with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. What did the Raiders do this year? They finished in last place in the NFL. They’ll have the number one overall pick to draft his replacement, while his former team, the Seahawks, is getting ready to play in the Super Bowl this year.

Smith once again struggled with interceptions, which he’s done over the last two years. There’s a real question about whether he’ll be a starter in the league next year.

Honestly, I don’t think Smith was as bad as he looked in Vegas this year; that was more on the team around him. But it will likely be difficult for him to find a starting job next year. If that’s the case, Smith had a great run over the past four years reviving his career after people wrote him off, but this could be the end of the line for Geno as a relevant quarterback in this league.

30: J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

I’m not going to meme him or make fun of him anymore, but there’s no question McCarthy was the worst starting quarterback in the league this year. He couldn’t stay healthy, and when he did, he constantly turned the football over. He had a Vikings offense featuring weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson, yet it still looked like a team that belongs in the CFL despite having a great play caller in Kevin O’Connell.

I do blame a lot of McCarthy’s struggles on O’Connell, who should have realized his quarterback wasn’t ready to go this year and should have had a backup plan just in case McCarthy had to sit. I can’t blame J.J. entirely, but the injury struggles and the lack of great play we saw this year make me question whether he’s a long-term quarterback in Minnesota.

I do think that if he stays upright, he will be much better next year, and I don’t expect him to be at the bottom of this list if he plays a full season with the supporting cast. But for right now, there’s no question in my mind: McCarthy was the worst starting quarterback in the NFL this year.