The NFC quarterback hierarchy is coming into shape. Let's power rank the conference's QBs before the regular season begins. The conference definitely has a lot of capable quarterbacks who could thrust their teams into some sort of contention in 2025.
There really aren't many high-end passers in the NFC outside of a small handful, so in that regard, it's wide open in 2025 and perhaps beyond that. The final week of the preseason wraps up soon, and we'll then make our way to the start of the regular season, where the Cowboys and Eagles get us started.
Before we get to the regular season, let's power rank the NFC quarterbacks one final time.
Final NFC quarterback rankings before the regular season
Unranked. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy has not played in a regular season game before and will be unranked for a little bit. He missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury but is obviously the guy for the Minnesota Vikings. If nothing else, McCarthy has an insane group of players around him to succeed, but it's important to remember that he's still just 22 years old, and this entire operation might take a little while to get going.
15. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler is starting the Saints' final preseason game against the Denver Broncos, so that is a good indication he's won the starting job. Rattler and the Saints were a disaster in 2024 and are likely on track to be a disaster in 2025 as well. The Saints have needed to rebuild for years now, so you have to wonder if this season will finally force them to do that.
14. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
Getting some action near the end of the 2024 NFL Season, Michael Penix Jr is 14th in our power rankings. We still do not know if he's truly a franchise QB, but he does have a strong offensive line and elite weapons around him, so there are things going well for the Falcons.
13. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young did play well down the stretch in the 2024 NFL Season, but he's still among the most unproven quarterbacks in the NFL and is entering a crucial third year in the NFL. If Young can build on what he was able to do last year near the end, the Panthers will be in business.
12. Russell Wilson, New York Giants
I am 100% serious when I say this; does Russell Wilson even make the New York Giants' roster at this point? With how well Jaxson Dart has played this preseason, you have to wonder if Russell Wilson is going to be 'Matt Flynn'd.' Back in 2012, the Seattle Seahawks signed Matt Flynn to a free agency deal, and it was largely assumed that he'd start for them.
Well, then-rookie Russell Wilson outplayed Flynn and ended up earning the starting job, and Flynn became an afterthought. Over a decade later, could Wilson be in for the same fate thanks to Dart? As of now, we will assume that Wilson is the starter until further notice, but this is something to watch.
11. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
A sloppy rookie season from Caleb Williams still had him producing 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions. That TD:INT ratio is awesome, so Williams does clearly have what it takes to be much better than the 11th-ranked QB in the NFC. Now having a legitimate offensive mind as a head coach and a much better offensive line, year two for Williams could be prolific.
We can't rank him much higher than this, though, as he struggled to get the ball out on time and took way too many sacks. He's 11th in our power rankings.
10. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold had a great season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, but he was in one of the more stable and secure situations in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks have nothing close to that, so I am personally predicting that Darnold regresses big-time and just isn't close to what he was in 2024. He's a fine quarterback and could be a short-term solution, but he's nothing special at all.
9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
A dual-threat passer, Kyler Murray has never really taken that next step like many of us think he could. Well, what if this is all we have of the former first overall pick? If so, the Arizona Cardinals aren't ever going to go very far. Murray is ninth in our QB power rankings.
8. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
I have been lower on Jalen Hurts for years and am sticking by this. When we look at what Hurts has done in the NFL, we'd think that he's an unquestionably top-tier, elite QB, but he's not. He's a below-average passer in this league and not a player any offensive coordinator can build a legitimate passing offense around.
He's never displayed that at any point - he's never hit 25 touchdowns in a season and has never thrown for 4,000 yards. Sure, those might seem like arbitrary numbers, but it's a valid concern. Jalen Hurts has also been on some wildly-talented teams with the Eagles and is clearly a QB who is just along for the ride.
7. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
A solid quarterback, Brock Purdy is seventh in our power rankings and has been a part of two deep playoff runs in his first three seasons as the QB of the San Francisco 49ers. He's not an elite passer and isn't an exceptional athlete. He also doesn't possess elite arm strength, but he's great at some of the finer details of playing the position and has a very long career ahead of him as a starter. The 49ers inked him to a long-term extension this offseason.
6. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love is a good quarterback and is sixth in our power rankings. He's got all the tools of being a great QB, and it's important to remember that he's only entering his third year as a starter in the NFL, so this year could be the best yet. The Packers have done 9-8 and 11-6 in the first two years of the Love era, so things are trending up.
A QB with a rocket arm, great size, and plus athleticism, Jordan Love's ceiling is very high.
5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott has been a consistently solid QB for years now but has limited playoff success and has missed a notable amount of time with injuries throughout his NFL career. When on the field, it's sometimes hard to find 10 quarterbacks in the NFL who are more efficient.
Now yes, the lack of playoff success is notable, but we're not really talking about that. He plays the position at a high level and is outstanding at the line of scrimmage. Dak Prescott is fifth in our power rankings.
4. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's hard to argue with how good Baker Mayfield was in 2024 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Liam Coen was the offensive coordinator, but now that he's over in Jacksonville, it's worth wondering if Mayfield will be able to replicate what he did in the 2024 campaign. He threw 41 touchdown passes and 4,500 yards, so he had some high-end production.
Mayfield has really made a name for himself in Tampa. He's fourth in our NFC quarterback power rankings.
3. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff is quite the quarterback and has been consistently good for years now. Ever since being disposed of by the Los Angeles Rams, Goff has revived his career with the Detroit Lions. Detroit might need Goff to carry the load a bit more in the 2025 NFL Season since they lost both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson to head coaching jobs, though.
Goff isn't a dual-threat QB, so he's really got to be sharp with his arm to remain atop the league at the position.
2. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Chargers
Matthew Stafford seems to be trending toward being ready to go for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season, which would be huge. Stafford still feels a bit underrated, but he's a Hall of Fame-caliber passer and might need another strong year or two before truly cementing himself as a HOF player.
The Rams are in good hands as long as Stafford is on the field and healthy, and the NFL itself is a better product with Matthew Stafford.
1. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels may have been an elite QB as a rookie in 2024. He's top in our power rankings and is a lot closer to being the league MVP than he is regressing in 2025. Daniels is going to keep the Washington Commanders in contention for years to come. He's no. 1 in our power rankings.