6. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold has been very good for the Seattle Seahawks this year, but the turnovers and inability to consistently show up in big games could come back to bite the team in the playoffs. The Seahawks earned the first seed in the NFC and will now host the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the NFL playoffs.
Darnold and the Seahawks should be fine for this one, as the 49ers just do not have the personnel to go blow-for-blow with a heavyweight team like the Seahawks. The veteran QB has been able to throw the ball down the field very efficiently this year and has overall been a good quarterback.
He's not quite as prolific as he was in the 2024 NFL Season with the Minnesota Vikings, but you get the sense that the Divisional Round should not be much of an issue for this team. However, it's not accurate to put Darnold in the conversations with some of the best remaining quarterbacks in the postseason.
5. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos host the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, and Nix does not have to carry a huge load here. However, the Broncos might need Nix to come through in the fourth quarter, which is something he's been able to consistently do this year.
Nix and the Broncos seem to play at their best when the game clock is winding down, and it's left the Broncos with some dramatic finishes. Some have argued that this type of winning isn't sustainable in the playoffs and that Nix is going to have to begin the game better. Both of those things are probably true.
Bo Nix has not lit up the stat sheet this year by any means but has helped lead the Denver Broncos to 24 regular season wins over the past two seasons, which is an insane start to a career. Nix is fifth in our QB rankings.