There has already been a good bit of movement in the AFC quarterback hierarchy this offseason. Let's power rank the starting QBs.
Between Justin Fields signing with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers, Russell Wilson no longer in the picture, and now Anthony Richardson hurt, the AFC starting QBs have changed a bit. The Cleveland Browns also have no clear starter, and rookie Cam Ward is in the picture in Tennessee.
The interesting thing about the conference is that it's quite loaded at the top, but the bad teams are truly bad.
As we approach mandatory minicamp and then training camp, let's roll out a power ranking for all 16 starting QBs in the AFC.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking the AFC quarterbacks following Aaron Rodgers-Steelers signing
16. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward has not taken a snap in the NFL, so it's simply not fair or logical to rank him higher than 16th. It's likely that he'll be named the starter at some point this offseason, but he and the Titans have a long way to go before becoming relevant again.
15. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
With Anthony Richardson now out for a period of time, the Indianapolis Colts may be angling to start Daniel Jones in the 2025 NFL Season. No matter how you slice it, Jones or Richardson would both be disastrous situations, so the Colts are just not in a great spot at the moment.
14. Justin Fields, New York Jets
Justin Fields is on his third team in as many years for a reason - he's a bad starting QB and again among the worst in the AFC.
13. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
I guess Joe Flacco is the favorite to be the Cleveland Browns starter? It would not shock me if both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel got some action in 2025, though.
12. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Geno Smith was traded for a third-round pick this offseason, so that kind of tells you just how the Seattle Seahawks felt when making that deal. He's now on the Las Vegas Raiders and has an uphill battle in 2025.
11. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye could absolutely shoot up these rankings in the 2025 NFL Season. I am personally predicting he and the New England Patriots to make a sizeable jump in the coming year.
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence just has not found his footing in the NFL thus far, but most of that could be due to the Jacksonville Jaguars being a total mess. The Liam Coen era might be one of the last chances this franchise has to get things right with Lawrence before the QB himself perhaps becomes tired of it all.
9. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa is a good, efficient QB when he's on the field, but that's the main problem. The starter for the Miami Dolphins comes in at ninth in our power rankings.
8. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
To be fair to Aaron Rodgers, he did throw for 28 touchdowns in 2024, and that was on a pathetically bad Jets team. If nothing else, the Steelers can at least stay relevant and aren't always a giant mess. Rodgers isn't going to light it up or anything, but another moderately-efficient year for the veteran QB is on the table.
7. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans regressed a bit in 2024 after a promising 2023. Only time will tell if the offensive line overhaul was enough, but this team absolutely has the talent on either side of the ball, and Stroud himself can be quite lethal.
6. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
When you look at the splits from Bo Nix during his rookie season, you'll see that he was simply playing out of his mind over the final eight games of the season. His season-long statistics really don't scream at you, but when you peel the onion back a bit, Nix was on fire. He could ascend in our QB rankings as the 2025 season progresses.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is a perfect "B+" quarterback, but that's all he's been thus far. He's unquestionably a good player and consistent, but he's missing that 'it' factor and just does not have much when the playoffs roll around. He's fifth in our AFC quarterback rankings.
4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Over the past two seasons, Patrick Mahomes has not been all that efficient, but the Chiefs have still won a Super Bowl and appeared in another. While Mahomes is the best player on the planet when the playoffs roll around and can be on any given Sunday, it's hard to rank him higher than this.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen truly should not have won the MVP award in 2024, but we can't change the past. The Buffalo Bills again fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, but Buffalo had the better team, roster, and QB all season. Can this franchise get over the hump?
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow had the best season of his career in 2024, but it was all for nothing, as the Cincinnati Bengals won just nine games and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. And now, they've released long-time linebacker Germaine Pratt, so who knows what this team's plan is on defense for 2025.
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson should have won the MVP award in the 2024 NFL Season, but here we are. I personally think Jackson lost because of 'voter fatigue,' but perhaps I'm wrong. Unquestionably the best QB in the NFL right now, Jackson and the Ravens are experts during the regular season but seem to crumble when the playoffs begin. This franchise has not won multiple games in the postseason since 2012.