It feels like we have seen a ton of different starting quarterbacks this season, and many teams across the league have been down to their second or even third-string passers this year. Over the past few seasons, it's really been a luxury for teams that have their starting QB not miss any time.
And it also goes to show you just how important a backup quarterback is in this league, as it feels like just about every player on an NFL roster is going to get hurt, so having solid backups is legitimately how teams make a deep playoff run and win the Super Bowl.
Let's get into our weekly quarterback rankings, and there are a ton of QBs on this list who did not begin the year as the starter. We take the total body of work for these rankings since the regular season is about over.
Week 18 NFL quarterback rankings: Drake Maye puts a late stamp on the MVP race?
32. Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to see how Max Brosmer even survives in this league into 2026 - he is so clearly overwhelmed by it all and is simply not an NFL-caliber QB, not even someone who could make a living on the practice squad.
31. Brady Cook, New York Jets
Brady Cook and the New York Jets are a team that just wants the season to end at this point, and I don’t really blame them. Cook and the Jets got blown out by the New England Patriots in Week 17.
30. Chris Oladokun, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Oladokun was thrust into action thanks to two left ACL tears by Gardner Minshew and Patrick Mahomes in back to back weeks, and it’s pretty obvious that the rest of the Chiefs’ roster wanted to try and win that game for the third-stringer.
29. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, but Shedeur Sanders again had a shaky performance. It’s hard to imagine that Sanders is this team’s quarterback come Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Season.
28. Josh Johnson, Washington Commanders
Nearly 40 years old at this point, Josh Johnson got the start for the Washington Commanders in Week 17 on Christmas and can at least bring experience to the QB room, but he’s a below-average backup overall.
27. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
It’s clear that Philip Rivers still knew how to play the game, and he played extremely well all things considered, but the Indianapolis Colts once-dream season has fallen flat on its face, as they have been eliminated from the postseason.
26. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Throwing another two interceptions here in Week 17, Geno Smith’s 2025 season may have been the nail in the coffin of his short starting stint in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders may just cut ties and start fresh in 2026.
25. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins
Quinn Ewers and the Miami Dolphins upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17, and Ewers looked pretty sharp, but we are another 10, 15 starts away from saying anything relatively definitive about the young quarterback.
24. Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens
Tyler Huntley is one of the more capable backup quarterbacks in the NFL and proved that in Week 17. The Baltimore Ravens now have a ‘winner take all’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 for the AFC North title. The loser of that game goes home and does not make the playoffs.
23. Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
Malik Willis has been one of the best backups in the NFL at this point. He’s 22nd in our QB rankings and can clearly put the Green Bay Packers in a position to win games. The Packers have clinched the seventh seed in the NFL playoffs this year.
22. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Throwing for 54 yards in Week 17, Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers were not at their best, but they didn’t necessarily need to win this game, as the winner of their matchup in Week 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the NFC South.
21. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals need a house cleaning. Jacoby Brissett has been fine this year and has been able to rack up a ton of empty yards and touchdowns in garbage time. The Cardinals got blown out by the Cincinnati Bengals, and it’s just been a year to forget for Arizona. They surely didn’t expect to start Brissett this year.
20. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins plays on Monday Night Football
Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons face off against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Cousins took over for the injured Michael Penix Jr, and he’s been fine in his late-season starts, but this is another team that surely did not want to be starting their backup QB this year.
19. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward is rising in our quarterback power rankings, as he’s making big throws just about every week and is doing about as much as the Tennessee Titans could hope for in an encouraging rookie season in the NFL. Ward could absolutely breakout in 2026.
18. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Jaxson Dart has shown flashes during his entire rookie season, but the concussions are already an issue, and the New York Giants are going to need a new coaching staff, so this franchise could look a lot different in 2026, and Dart will need to learn how to protect himself better.
17. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Cleveland Browns have been a tough team for opposing quarterbacks to go up against, and Aaron Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, proved that in Week 17. Rodgers and the Steelers just weren’t good and are now at a huge risk of missing the playoffs entirely this year. Rodgers has been fine this year, but nothing more.
16. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken a huge step back this year and are now at risk of missing the playoffs entirely. It feels like some major coaching changes are on the horizon. Mayfield has been OK this year, but much of what has gone on is not close to being his fault.
15. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud seems to be a perfectly ‘good’ QB and nothing more. Sure, he’s still only in year three, but Stroud has never really been able to ascend to that upper echelon of quarterback play in this league. There is something to be said about the Houston Texans winning double-digit games in each year of his career, though.
14. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Is this too high for Tyler Shough? He now has a 92.1 passer rating on the season and is really turning out to be a great pick by the New Orleans Saints. If this pace keeps up into the 2026 season, Shough and the Saints are going to compete for the NFC South title. The Saints have now won four games in a row and are trending in the right direction.
13. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams will have played on Sunday Night Football
Caleb Williams played on Sunday Night Football and has had a pretty solid season, but you’d ideally love to see that completion percentage increase, and the Chicago Bears’ passing attack as a whole is very much still a work in progress. At some point, we need to see more from Williams in that regard, but 11-4 going into Week 17 is quite impressive.
12. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is a top-tier QB when healthy and on the field, and he’s proven that for years, but it’s also been a bit of a problem. If the Cincinnati Bengals can simply shore up the offensive line a bit more and field an average defense, this team is going to be a contender again, and that is a huge testament to how good Burrow is.
11. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles win again, and the offense was beginning to hit their stride, but they got stuck in a rainy slopfest in Week 17. I am not sure the Eagles are currently good enough to make a Super Bowl run in the NFC, but Hurts does have that ‘it’ about him that could be a huge factor when the playoffs roll around.
10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has been dealing with a lot this year, but I don’t think it excuses some of the bad decisions he’s made with the football. Herbert is a pretty good quarterback under normal circumstances, but it feels like he’ll have to wait another year for his first postseason win, as the Chargers have too many roster issues right now.
9. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold has been playing good football for two years in a row now and has been on double-digit win teams in back-to-back seasons. Darnold still has his moments, but we’ve seen a lot more good than bad since the start of the 2024 NFL Season. He’s inside the top-10 in our updated QB rankings.
8. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos have now won the AFC West - Denver is now divisional champs for the first time since the 2015 season, and the team has also won 23 total games since the start of the Nix era in 2024. Winning sometimes follows people, and we’ve seen Nix come through more times than not for his Broncos’ team.
7. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy will have played on Sunday Night Football
Brock Purdy will have played on Sunday Night Football, and I bet he carves out a very strong performance. He’s an efficient passer and has been heating up at the right time. You almost wonder if the toe injury he was dealing with is now truly 100%.
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars barely got by the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, but in this league, a win is a win. The Jags now move to 12-4 on the season and are on the doorstep of the AFC South title.
5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
It was a bad loss for the Buffalo Bills in Week 17, but the Bills are still 11-5 and have won a ton of games this year. With the loss, though, the AFC East belongs to the Patriots, so the BIlls are going to have to go on the road in the first round of the playoffs.
4. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions had a rough Week 17 performance, but Goff himself has still been very, very good this year and isn’t close to the problem for the Lions. He’s well into his career and is who he is at this point.
3. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Another QB who has dealt with poor defensive performances this year is Dak Prescott. Prescott would be a top MVP candidate if he was on a team that had a stable defense, and it’s really that simple. He’s an excellent player, period.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are now AFC East champions thanks to the Buffalo Bills’ loss in Week 17, and Maye tossed five touchdown passes in their win over the New York Jets.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford plays on Monday Night Football
Still the MVP of the NFL, Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Stafford should have a multi-touchdown performance in this one.