The 2025 NFL Season is now nearing the end, as Super Bowl LX is in less than two weeks. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will take us home here in 2025. It's an unlikely Super Bowl matchup that not many people predicted before the season.
The Patriots might be one of the more unlikely Super Bowl teams in recent memory given how bad they were in 2024, but that's the beauty of the NFL. We've typically power-ranked the starting quarterbacks eack week this year.
So with about 10 days left of the season, we can do it one last time. We'll change it up a bit and power rank each team's normal starting QB, as there were a ton of backups who played this year, but we'll focus on the actual starters. Let's power rank them here using 2025's body of work but also using their overall ability at the position.
Power ranking all 32 starting QBs as the 2025 NFL Season comes to an end
32. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
It's honestly a bit embarrassing that Shedeur Sanders got an invite to the Pro Bowl. Not only was he bad this year, but he was honestly flat-out horrific and not a playable quarterback in this league. The Cleveland Browns should cut Sanders as soon as possible. There is virtually nothing redeeming about him as a QB in the NFL.
31. Justin Fields, New York Jets
Justin Fields may truly have to consider developing into a Taysom Hill-type of player to sustain his NFL career. He's far from a franchise QB and is definitely a very, very low-end backup at best, but he started the most games at the position for the New York Jets in 2025.
30. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
You get the sense that Geno Smith's tenure as a starting QB in the NFL is about up. He could likely settle into a backup role somewhere in 2026, but there isn't much appeal as a starting QB anymore. He was largely awful as a starter in 2024 and 2025.
29. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy just could not stay on the field for the Minnesota Vikings and is still having to prove a lot as a potential franchise QB.
28. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett is no. 28 in our QB power rankings. He's a good backup but isn't someone a team needs to be relying on each week as a starting QB.
27. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa is as good as gone from the Miami Dolphins, but some teams could view him as a potential reclamation project, perhaps like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield once were.
26. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr did play in nine games in 2025 and did see improvements in passer rating and completion percentage, but the injury bug is still with him, so the odds that he cements himself as a franchise QB at this point feel low.
25. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Despite having mediore numbers across the board in 2025, Bryce Young played the best football of his career. His ceiling is a high-end backup. The Carolina Panthers should bring in some insurance this offseason.
24. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward played quite well over the last month of the 2025 NFL Season for the Tennessee Titans and might honestly be someone who could really break out in year two. Brian Daboll is now his offensive coordinator, and that is honestly one of the best hires they could have made.
Ward is going to play well in 2026 and should shoot up into the teens at some point next year.
23. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough is another rookie QB that showed some nice things down the stretch in 2025 for the New Orleans Saints. If you told me Shough ended the 2026 season as the best QB in the NFC South, I'd absolutely believe you. The Saints really just need more offensive talent, but the infrastructure is there.
22. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones went 8-5 in 13 starts for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025. Before he tore his Achilles, you did begin to see some chinks in the armor, as the old Daniel Jones began to come out, but he should be back in 2026 as Indy's starter, which is a fine solution.
21. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud has been throughly average since the start of 2024, an average does not win a lot in the NFL. Houston might soon have a major decision to make.
20. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers might be able to justify playing one more year in Pittsburgh since Mike McCarthy is the head coach, but he had a very average season last year, all things considered.
19. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson just wasn't his self in 2025 and is no. 19 in our QB rankings. Perhaps an offseason where he can simply get healthy, and a new coaching staff, can get Jackson back into his old ways.
18. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Jaxson Dart has the goods, folks, but he has to learn how to protect himself. I believe John Harbaugh and his future coaching staff will get the most out of Dart.
17. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield had a down year, but the entire Buccaneers franchise did, so I'm not sure Mayfield was close to being the issue. He's been a prolific passer in this league before and should bounce back in 2026.
16. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels was fine when he wasn't hurt this year, but his dual-threat ability and overall thinner frame could make him more vulnerable to injuries as he gets older. Daniels settles in at 16 in our quarterback rankings.
15. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is a very limited passer, and unless he has a top-notch offensive coordinator, his limitations are going to be at the forefront. Hurts is a winner, sure, but he's nothing more than an average QB on a superteam.
14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams' completion percentage is an issue, but he's got the intangibles and helped lead his team deep into the playoffs. There is no reason to believe that Williams can't improve in this area in 2026 and shoot up to the top-10.
13. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is an excellent QB, but he can't seem to stay healthy consistently. The Cincinnati Bengals have now missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. Burrow's health has to be a concern, too. He's not someone we can rank very high given those circumstances.
12. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL late in the season, so there is no guarantee he'll be ready for the start of 2026. Mahomes' numbers were down a bit this year, but with Eric Bieniemy back as the offensive coordinator, some of the early-career Mahomes' magic might be back in 2026 and beyond.
11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy is a good QB, but he definitely has some physical limitations. He's never going to take a game over with his arm or legs, but he can operate an offense, is a bit more athletic than you think, and does tend to be a part of a ton of winning. Purdy is probably maxed-out as the 10th, 11th-best QB in the NFL when things are right.
But he's not going to ascend to elite status. The San Francisco 49ers went 12-5 this year, and Purdy did miss a good chunk of time.
10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert took a beating this year but did help lead the LA Chargers to the playoffs for a second year in a row. Herbert's three career playoff games have been a disaster, and besides the regular season statistics, what else has Herbert done? A top-10 ranking is really his ceiling in the NFL.
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers kind of sputtered down the stretch and lost a ton of players to injuries, but Love took notable steps this year as a passer and, if things go well in 2026, the Packers may finally be able to get over the hump, but we've been saying that for multiple seasons now.
Love is no. 9 in our updated power rankings.
8. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold becomes the first QB from the legendary 2018 QB class to appear in a Super Bowl. Darnold did struggle with turnovers this year, but he also ended up elevating his game in the playoffs. He's inside the top 10 in our QB rankings.
7. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Folks, Bo Nix has the goods, and if you can't see that, I really don't know what to tell you. Nix simply willed his team to victory down the stretch in 2025 on many occassions, and if the AFC title game was any indication, Nix covered up a lot on the Broncos' offense.
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence really began to heat up near the end of the 2025 season and is actually a finalist for the MVP award. Statistically, his numbers were that of other QBs like Dak Prescott or Jared Goff, but if you slice his season in half, he was flat-out excellent down the stretch.
5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen benefitted from an elite run game, but he still had great numbers and is an elite threat on the ground. He's no. 5 in our QB power rankings.
4. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions went 9-8 this year and justs barely missed the playoffs. They collapsed a bit down the stretch, but it wasn't because of Goff. If that defense can just stay a bit healthier throughout the season, the Lions will win a ton of games. Goff's efficiency has been near the top of the NFL during most of his tenure with Detroit.
3. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Thanks to a bottom-tier defense, Dak Prescott's amazing 2025 season went down the drain. As long as Dallas can get that defense to a league-average spot, they'll win double-digit games in 2026. Prescott is an excellent quarterback and put up some insane numbers this year.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye is playing in the Super Bowl in just his second year in the NFL. It's truly amazing what he's been able to do in year two. Sure, the Patriots have had a very easy schedule, but all they've done with that schedule is precisely what great teams should be able to do. Maye hasn't been very good in the playoffs, but you have to remember that this is still a team playing with a bit of house money.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
It's hard to put anyone other than Matthew Stafford atop this list. He's likely going to runaway with the MVP award this year and threw a whopping 46 touchdowns. Despite the playoff loss in the NFC title game, this year absolutely helps Stafford's future Hall of Fame case, which is already rock-solid. Stafford is no. 1 in our QB power rankings.