If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have anything in today’s NFL. And with the playoff race heating up, that’s never been more true.
We saw a ton of great action in Week 14 all around the league, and honestly, this might have been one of the best all-around weeks for the quarterback position we’ve seen this season. We saw rookies playing well around the league, veteran superstars doing their thing, and great battles between rising stars.
After a wild Week 14, how do each of the quarterbacks stack up against each other? Our latest NFL Power Rankings take a look at every quarterback around the league who played this week, and rank them based on their performance lately as well as their entire body of work this season. Prior MVPs and accolades are considered, but this season is a clean slate for everybody. Nobody is immune to falling deep on this list, and anyone can jump up to the top.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: Shedeur Sanders rises, Lamar Jackson falling in QB rankings
32. Brady Cook, New York Jets
If you knew that Brady Cook existed before the start of the weekend, you’re either a die-hard New York Jets fan or you’re one of his family members. With Justin Fields out dealing with a knee injury, Cook was just one Tyrod Taylor injury away from seeing NFL action, and that’s exactly what happened on Sunday.
We hope Taylor is okay, but Cook couldn’t really do much in his place. This game got out of hand rather early, and Cook did his best to keep the ship afloat. We didn’t see the Jets’ offense convert a 3rd-down chance until late in the 4th quarter.
31. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
It’s actually pretty wild that Kirk Cousins has fallen off to the degree that we’ve seen the past couple of years, but that’s the reality that we’re living in. The fact that the Seattle Seahawks were able to just coast by and completely take over this game from start to finish is not what you expect when an offense loaded with playmakers has a grizzled veteran leading the operation.
Cousins completed just 50 percent of his passes against Seattle with a pair of interceptions. They were 1-of-13 on third down chances offensively with just six passing first downs. Horrendous.
30. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
To be fair to Geno Smith, he led and orchestrated a great drive to open the game for the Raiders. He didn’t throw any picks in the loss to the Broncos, but he did leave the game early with multiple injuries. The shoulder injury put him out for the game and gave way to Kenny Pickett, who actually made some nice throws to get some garbage points for the Raiders.
It’s been a rough year for Smith in his first year with the Raiders. They’ve had a ton of injuries along the offensive line, they don’t have playmakers on the outside right now, and they just fired their offensive coordinator a couple of weeks ago. I still don’t think they’re going to run it back in 2026.
29. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals revealed this past week that they won’t have Kyler Murray back at all this season, and Murray posted “Weird Year” on his TikTok account with a video of he and his teammates on the practice field. Meanwhile, Jacoby Brissett is out there trying to lead this team against maybe the best overall team in the league.
There’s a lot going on there for Brissett, who has done a solid job for the most part this season. You have to grade on a curve a bit here, but it still isn’t good enough. Brissett would be an awesome backup for a really good team that had already won a lot of games. He’s not digging anyone out of any holes.
28. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Someone, at some point, is going to have to speak sense into Jaxson Dart. If he wants to see a second contract in the NFL, and I assume that’s the case, he can’t willingly take hits like we saw him take against the New England Patriots.
And frankly, we’ve seen him take way too many hits already this season before that. There’s a difference between toughness and recklessness, and Dart has been toeing that line all season long.
There’s no denying his talent. Obviously, Dart looks like he could be a franchise quarterback for the Giants. But he can’t be anyone’s franchise quarterback if he’s always on the injury report.
27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward continues to do a lot of things well on a weekly basis while having bouts of inaccuracy. It felt like he left some meat on the bone against the Browns, but he still had a solid overall performance. He completed just 50 percent of his throws and had an interception, but also threw three touchdown passes and helped lead his team to a win.
It didn’t hurt that Tony Pollard added 161 rushing yards and a pair of scores on the ground to give the Titans’ offense balance. Ward was only sacked one time in this game as well, an improvement over the rest of the season. This was his first multi-passing touchdown game of his rookie year.
26. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
This is the biggest possible jump that could have been expected for Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy this week. For the majority of the season, when he’s been on the field, McCarthy has been a walking meme. But “Nine” was out there dealing in a dominating 31-0 victory against the Washington Commanders.
This type of execution from McCarthy, and balance for the offense, is what Kevin O’Connell envisioned all along. A relatively favorable matchup against the Dallas Cowboys is on deck, so we’ll get a chance to see if McCarthy can start stacking at all.
25. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough is continually creeping up this list on a weekly basis, and may have just had one of his most impressive performances of the season. The New Orleans Saints went on the road to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had their lead in the NFC South at stake, and Shough took control of the game.
The box score doesn’t do justice to the way Shough stepped up for his team in this game. He had no touchdown passes and an interception, but that INT seemed to happen on a miscommunication with his receiver as no one was in the zip code. He had a pair of rushing touchdowns to help pull off the upset victory. He has been impressive.
24. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The best games for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa these days are the games in which he can just play an easy-going point guard out there. He’s one of the quarterbacks in the NFL that seems to do worse the more he’s asked to do, and there wasn’t a ton to evaluate from this game that Tua did poorly.
His box score stats won’t blow anyone away, but it wasn’t like he had to be out there slinging the ball around the yard as the Dolphins got out to a 21-0 lead and faced the Jets’ third quarterback for the majority of the game. The Dolphins ran for 241 yards, so Tagovailoa did his part by not turning the ball over and only taking one sack.
23. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders just ripped apart the Tennessee Titans’ defense (I know, I know) to the tune of 364 yards with three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. And Kevin Stefanski pulled him off the field for a two-point attempt at the end of the game.
The Browns predictably lost.
Regardless, I think what we’ve seen in the small sample from Sanders so far this year is impressive. He hasn’t had to face off against the greatest teams around the league, but you play who’s in front of you. He’s got the Browns’ offense looking as competent as we’ve seen in recent years and deserves a look for the rest of the year. Putting forth this kind of performance on the same field as the #1 overall pick felt like a statement.
22. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Before this week started, I think you could have made a reasonably strong argument for Jayden Daniels needing to play to get more reps this season, since Marcus Mariota has been the Commanders’ primary starting quarterback. I think you could have also made a compelling argument that he should have never played against the Minnesota Vikings, because of exactly what happened in the game:
Daniels ended up in the medical tent.
The Commanders can’t risk Daniels’s long-term future for anything that could happen yet this season. Of course, they want to compete, but even with Daniels out there, they were oblterated by the Vikings, and Daniels looked horrible. Injury on top of insult this week, and you can only hope that nothing further happens this season.
21. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (Riley Leonard)
It’s hard to know exactly where to rank Daniel Jones this week. You just feel gutted for the guy after an Achilles injury that knocked him out of the Colts’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, paving the way for Riley Leonard to get some action.
Obviously, Jones has been fantastic for a good chunk of this season. He had an interception early against the Jaguars and obviously went down with the injury, and because of the nature of the injury, this might be the last time we rank him this year. Leonard came in and made some solid throws but also had an interception of his own and the Colts got crushed.
Jones is going to be a free agent in the Spring, so hopefully, he has a quick recovery process.
20. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts and the Eagles play Monday vs. Chargers
Jalen Hurts is the type of guy who will play his way to a low ranking on a list like this, and then we’ll see him flip a switch on a dime. That’s the way he’s always been. That’s not to say Hurts has consistent streaks every year of horrendous play, but he’s very much a rhythm player who thrives when there’s balance to the offense.
Every quarterback loves a good running game, but Hurts needs it. He really struggled on Black Friday against a Chicago Bears defense that can force turnovers in bunches, so we’ll see how he responds against a Chargers defense that’s been one of the best against the pass all year.
19. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
It’s obviously been a smaller sample size for Brock Purdy this year, but the 49ers have done well with and without him. And actually, they might have played better without him. We’re still waiting patiently for him to fully return to form after dealing with injuries, but the completion rate was low against the Browns, and he threw three interceptions the week before that against the Panthers.
Purdy is still capable of playing at an extremely high level in the Kyle Shanahan offense, but right now, he’s got plenty to prove in terms of working his way back up our power rankings list.
18. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
There is undeniably something wrong with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. It’s become abundantly clear that the cheat code is who Lamar Jackson used to be. You just haven’t seen the same impact from him on a week-to-week basis this year, even with the caveat that he’s been hurt.
Jackson had a chance to go out and lead his team to a victory on their home field to claim first place in the AFC North from the Steelers, and he couldn’t do it. As much as it’s a team game, you expect a game-changing player like Lamar Jackson to play a lot better than we’ve seen this season, especially in big games.
17. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
There have been a couple of games this season where the Aaron Rodgers of old comes out to play, and it happened at the perfect time for the Steelers this week. They went on the road against the Baltimore Ravens and put a lot of pressure on Baltimore to play outside their normal game, thanks largely to Rodgers being locked in from the start.
It hasn’t been the greatest year overall for Rodgers with the Steelers, but in a high-stakes game, this was why you brought him in. He gave Pittsburgh a putaway drive in the 3rd and they just had to play keepaway in the 4th from Lamar Jackson.
16. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I get that receiver injuries play a factor here, but we were legitimately talking about Baker Mayfield playing MVP-caliber football in the first couple of months of the season. That chatter has quieted down substantially, especially because the Bucs, as a team, have suffered in recent weeks.
This team just dropped a tough one at home to the Saints, and Mayfield didn’t do nearly enough to lead his team to a win. You have to take into account the conditions in the game as well, but he completed less than 47 percent of his passes and the Bucs have now lost five of their last seven games.
They need Mayfield to start putting it together quickly and playing like we saw earlier this year.
15. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence only needed 17 completions to rack up 244 passing yards in the Jaguars’ win on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, and he continues to play solid football this season. He’s gotten some interesting targets emerging for him here in the second half of the season with trade acquisition Jakobi Meyers making an impact as well as veteran Tim Patrick coming up with some big plays lately.
We also saw Brian Thomas Jr. come to life a bit in this game, leading the Jaguars in receiving yards with some explosives. If they can get him heating up, this offense is going to be dangerous. Travis Etienne is already taking a lot of pressure off of Lawrence, as well as an opportunistic defense that knows how to create takeaways, but he’s doing his part with three straight multi-touchdown games.
14. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
If you want to make a rankings list like this based on players who have had some of the biggest games in recent weeks, Bryce Young probably needs to be a lot higher. He was outstanding a couple of weeks ago against the Falcons, and may have been even better considering the situation against the Los Angeles Rams last week.
A stinker against the 49ers’ defense is the only thing preventing him from cracking the top 10 overall this week. The Panthers need more out of Young down the stretch this season as they have a legitimate chance to win the NFC South. They won’t do it if he regresses
13. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The Patrick Mahomes who threw 50 touchdown passes once upon a time is just not the same guy we see out there suiting up for the Kansas City Chiefs these days. It's fair to say that nobody has been a better player in the NFL over the last 10 years than Patrick Mahomes, and it's also fair to say that he's struggled the past couple of seasons.
Nobody is immune to the struggle when it comes to facing that Houston defense, either. They are elite in every possible way. But when the Chiefs needed plays from the offense, Mahomes and company failed to deliver, especially in the 4th quarter. It's bizarre to witness. Mahomes is human, and the Chiefs' window looks like it's closed.
12. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
After the way things ended for him last year in Kansas City, you know CJ Stroud had this game circled somewhere in his locker. Going on the road to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in their house requires a special level of competitive edge and "it" factor, and Stroud made plays when he needed to the most.
Stroud wasn't reckless in this game like his counterpart, Patrick Mahomes. He faced down that Steve Spagnuolo blitz-happy defense, he made throws when he needed to, and he ultimately got the job done. There are throws from this game Stroud will wish he had back. There were opportunities missed. But you can't complain about going on the road and gutting out a win.
11. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Sunday’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers was really a tale of two halves for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. In the first half, he was almost completely shut out by Jeff Hafley’s defense. The Bears only put three points on the board, and Williams struggled to get anything going.
But with his back against the wall in the second half, we started to see him make some big plays and get his team back in the game. Williams had a 4th-and-1 deep in Green Bay territory late to try and get his team at least to tie, but he threw an interception to Keisean Nixon in the end zone. It was a brutal way to drop the top seed in the NFC, but we’ll see how he bounces back.
10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert and the Chargers play Monday vs. Philadelphia
Justin Herbert’s status for Monday night’s game is going to be fascinating to watch. On a weekend in which we saw Geno Smith leave a game with lacerations on his hand, forgive me if I’m a little bit pessimistic that it’s just going to be “okay” for Herbert to play after just having surgery on his non-throwing hand this week.
At the very least, it’s going to change his game slightly. There’s no way we can expect him to be as much of a playmaker out there until he proves us (me) wrong. We absolutely know when he’s on top of his game, Herbert is capable of making the most ridiculous throws you’ll see, but he has streaks of really rough play as well. He’s historically struggled against the Vic Fangio defense.
9. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
At this point, there are a couple of things we cannot deny about Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. First and foremost, he might be the most clutch quarterback in the NFL this season. Second, he’s taken his game up a notch over the past three games the Broncos have played. His performance against the Raiders was one of his better games this season.
Nix was extremely accurate with the ball. He was decisive, he was on-time, and he made some big conversions. He also did an outstanding job making plays with his legs, and has done so all year long. We’re witnessing nice weekly growth from Nix at this point, which is exactly what that Denver offense needs.
8. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow giveth and Joe Burrow taketh. This was one of the most bizarre games of the week because the snow seemingly had no effect on Burrow early on. And then in the second half, when it looked like the Bengals were about to completely put the game away, Burrow made two mistakes on back-to-back plays that ultimately gave the Bills the win.
He had four touchdowns in this game against Buffalo and was absolutely dialed in for about 95 percent of the game. That brief blip in the game for Burrow ended up doing his team in, but the league is better when he’s playing ball.
7. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold just continues to play awesome football this season. Perfect? Maybe not, but pretty phenomenal overall. Darnold had another three-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons, and was able to get contributions from Cooper Kupp. If the Seahawks can have Kupp ready to roll down the stretch this season, this offense will be tough to match up against.
This was Darnold’s 7th multi-passing touchdown game of the season and he had the Seahawks rolling, but it did take a ridiculous second half onslaught. A game that ended 37-9 in favor of Seattle was 6-6 at halftime. That Seattle offense is dangerous.
6. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
When it’s good to be Jared Goff is when he’s playing point guard, and everybody else is making the big splashes. Goff doesn’t get enough credit for the way he operates that Detroit offense when they are really cooking, but the offense he’s running right now flows through Jahmyr Gibbs first and foremost.
Goff just has to go out there and make sure he’s not making any mistakes.
Against the Dallas Cowboys in a must-win game for Detroit (who already has five losses this season), Goff was exceptionally efficient, completing 73.5 percent of his passes with a touchdown and no interceptions. With a 26-to-5 TD/INT ratio so far this season, it’s clear that Goff is one of the most under-appreciated quarterbacks in the NFL. But he’s going to have a ton of pressure on him down the stretch.
5. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Time after time, Jordan Love is able to overcome mistakes or slow starts with big-time throws. He had a number of huge plays in the Packers’ win against the Chicago Bears, including two deep balls to Christian Watson for touchdowns and another to Bo Melton. Without Tucker Kraft in the lineup, it’s been a tad more feast or famine for the Packers’ passing attack when it comes to attacking every level of the field.
Not having Kraft has forced Green Bay to go to their secondary players at that position, and you can just feel that dynamic missing. But Watson’s return to the lineup has been huge, and now Jayden Reed is back in the mix as well. Love is taking advantage by hitting those shot plays deep downfield. He’s one of the hottest three-point shooters in the game right now.
4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott had a couple of interceptions in his team’s loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but one of them was directly the fault of George Pickens. Even though Prescott threw for 376 yards in this game, Pickens left another 40-plus out there by inexplicably not trying to catch a perfectly thrown deep ball from Prescott.
So with CeeDee Lamb going down with a concussion, Prescott decided this was going to be the Ryan Flournoy breakout game, and he gave the young receiver a bunch of great looks.
I still feel like Prescott could make things extremely interesting in the playoffs, but the Cowboys have to find a way to get there. With six losses as a team, they have virtually no margin for error.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen definitely needed some help from his defense in this one, but he turned on a switch in the second half and there was nothing the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense could do about it. Allen finished the game with three touchdown passes when it looked like he was about to let Joe Burrow come onto his field and steal a December win.
Thankfully for Allen’s sake, the defense wasn’t having it. They picked off Burrow on consecutive plays and Allen made them pay. Not only did he have three touchdown passes (and no picks) in this game, but he also added a rushing touchdown. When Allen needs to put on the cape, there’s really no one in the NFL that’s better.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
I don’t think it’s a hot take to say Drake Maye is playing just as well as about any other quarterback in the league right now. Has he been perfect? No, but pretty darn close.
The breakout from Maye this season has been everything the Patriots hoped for and then some. We saw Josh McDaniels work magic when Mac Jones was a rookie, and we’re seeing Maye thrive in his system just five years later. Not only is Maye thriving, but he’s making guys around him better.
It may not be to the point that he’s playing his way into the MVP conversation, but we’re on the cusp of exactly that with just four games left to play.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford just continues to be completely dialed in. He’s had a couple of rough games this year, including last week when he threw multiple interceptions on the road against the Panthers. But this game against the Cardinals, he really didn’t have any problems.
What you see from Stafford when he’s dialed in to this degree is a number of just incredible throws that seem routine. They seem routine for a couple of reasons. First, because Stafford’s accuracy is insane. Second, because the receivers are making the plays when the ball gets there. This team could roll all the way to the Super Bowl to represent the NFC if Stafford plays this well. Of course, you ain’t playing the Cardinals every week.