The NFL’s divisional landscape shifts constantly from year to year, and no factor drives those changes more than quarterback play. For better or worse, the success of a division often rests solely on the shoulders of its signal-callers.
In this article, we break down and rank every division by the strength of its quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season.
Power ranking each NFL division by QB strength for the 2025 NFL Season
8. NFC South- Michael Penix Jr., Spencer Rattler, Bryce Young, Baker Mayfield
The NFC South is a very young and developing division with several young quarterbacks who are trying to figure things out. Baker Mayfield is the only established quarterback, but Bryce Young, Spencer Rattler, and Michael Penix Jr. are very unproven, and need a big 2025 season to prove their worth.
7. AFC South- Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones, Cam Ward, C.J. Stroud
Similar to the NFC South, this division is also quite young and still developing. C.J. Stroud is the only young quarterback who has proven to be very good, whereas Trevor Lawrence has shown flashes but has been quite inconsistent. Daniel Jones seems to be a stop-gap starter, and Cam Ward is only a rookie.
6. AFC East- Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, Drake Maye
The AFC East is carried pretty hard by 2024 MVP Josh Allen. Outside of him, Tua Tagovailoa is the next best, but injuries have seriously derailed his career. Both Drake Maye and Justin Fields have tons of talent to become cornerstone stars, but for now they are mostly unproven.
5. NFC North- Jared Goff, Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, J.J. McCarthy
The NFC North is mostly very young, with Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy both only in their second season and Jordan Love only being 26 years old. Jared Goff is the veteran quarterback of this division, and for now is probably the best of the four. This division has loads of talent, and will rise up the rankings very soon.
4. NFC East- Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Russell Wilson
Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts have been running the NFC East for the past few years, but recently Jayden Daniels has disrupted this order. Russell Wilson also adds another proven veteran to this division, and rounds out a very solid set of quarterbacks.
3. NFC West- Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold
The NFC West is a very good division with four quarterbacks all in the prime of their careers. Matthew Stafford for now is the best in the division, but due to age this won't last long. Kyler Murray and Sam Darnold have a lot to prove in 2025, but have shown great play in recent years. Brock Purdy is probably the most reliable starter of the four, and looks to man the Niners offense for the foreseeable future.
2. AFC North- Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers
The AFC North features quarterbacks who are either established veterans or in their prime, with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson clearly leading the way. Aaron Rodgers, now over 40, is well past his prime, and Joe Flacco is no longer the player he once was. Still, with Burrow and Lamar among the league’s elite, this division earns its higher ranking largely because of them.
1. AFC West- Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Geno Smith
The AFC West has completely transformed the past few seasons to become arguably the best in the NFL. The biggest upgrades have been with the quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes is arguably the best quarterback in the league. Justin Herbert and Geno Smith are both in top 10 quarterback conversations. And Bo Nix had an incredible rookie season that, if he can build on, will put his name up there with some of the league’s best.