8. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa needs to stay on the field more, as he's actually never finished a season with a losing record in his NFL career. It's a bit shocking to hear that statistic, but it's true. While he's efficient on paper, he's never demonstrated that he can carry a team and lead them to victory like some of the top QBs in the NFL can, but he's good enough to always have a starting job.
Tagovailoa is eighth in our power rankings - right in the middle, and that feels right.
7. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
After a major breakout season in 2023, CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans' offense regressed in the 2024 NFL Season. Stroud is a pocket passer and is going to make a living as one. Him not being all that mobile with his legs could be a major reason why he never ascends to elite status, but I promise you that the Houston Texans love that he's their QB.
I expect that CJ Stroud is going to bounce back and have a great year in 2025.
6. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix threw zero touchdowns against four interceptions in his first two games of his NFL career. The Denver Broncos were 0-2 through those two games, but over the next 15 contests, the Broncos went 10-5, and Nix threw 29 touchdowns against just eight interceptions, so he was incredibly efficient. The one stat I love to reference when talking about Nix is that over the final eight games of the regular season, he was on a 45-touchdown pace.
He's likely taking a bigger role in the passing offense in 2025 and will now have more reliable weapons at his disposal. Nix is sixth in our power rankings.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has been a B+ quarterback for his entire career and has not really changed much at all. Herbert took care of the football at a high level in the 2024 NFL Season, but it really did not matter when the playoffs rolled around.
Herbert and the Chargers have gotten blown out in both playoff appearances they have made, so you have to wonder if this is the ceiling from Justin Herbert. He's not an elite QB and is not in the 'big four' of the remaining AFC quarterbacks.