There could be a slew of quarterbacks across the NFL who breakout and hit their stride in 2025. Let's cover the most obvious ones here.
Besides playing QB, the hardest thing to do in sports might just be finding that quarterback. No team in the NFL is going to sustain long-term success without a high-end, franchise QB. Now yes, there are exceptions from time to time (Jalen Hurts), but teams really do need an elite QB to make any noise in this league.
Fortunately for these five teams heading into the 2025 season, their starting quarterbacks have the necessary players and coaches around them to hit their stride and breakout in a massive way. Let's dive into them right here.
Predicting obvious breakout quarterbacks for 2025
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
If you aren't on the Drake Maye bandwagon right now, you're going to miss out on one heck of a ride. Mike Vrabel is the Patriots head coach and Josh McDaniels is back yet again as the offensive coordinator. New England also invested a ton along their offensive line and drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the 2025 NFL Draft, a dual-threat RB who is going to make an immediate impact.
Maye is going to vault into top-10 territory during year two and could help thrust the Patriots back into playoff contention in no time. Please, I beg you, do not sleep on this team.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Another second-year QB who is poised to breakout is Caleb Williams. Chicago needed to improve their offensive line and just find a consistent offensive identity this offseason, and they did just that. Not only did they overhaul the interior OL, but Ben Johnson is now the head coach, and the Bears also added Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Offensively, there may not be many more talented units in the NFL than what Chicago is going to field in 2025. Caleb Williams also threw just six interceptions in 2024, which is quite the impressive mark for a rookie.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young really started to put things together near the end of the 2024 NFL Season, and it seems like head coach Dave Canales may have again worked his magic with a QB in the NFL. His recent stops were with Seattle and Tampa Bay, helping revive the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield.
Bryce Young might be the next player who benefits from Canales' magic. The Panthers do have a strong on paper and did add WR Tet McMillan in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard hightlight a deep backfield with two 1,000-yard rushers as well.
The stage is set for Young to takeoff in 2025.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
I have been high on Kyler Murray for a while now, and it seems like many of us have been waiting for Murray to hit his stride in the NFL. He's now already entering year seven in the league and has never really been more than average, but could 2025 bring better fortune?
Marvin Harrison Jr is in year two, and with what Arizona has built thus far, going from four to eight wins over the last two years, this team could take another step forward and find themselves in playoff contention in 2025. This team was 6-4 at one point in 2024, so it's not like they are all that far away.
Many QBs have played their best football well into their careers. Perhaps Kyler Murray is the next?
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix threw for 29 touchdowns in his rookie season, good for fifth in the NFL. The Broncos also won 10 games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015. With an elite offensive line set to return and added talent on offense in Evan Engram, JK Dobbins, and Pat Bryant, the Broncos offense could explode in 2025.
We haven't yet even mentioned a HOF offensive coach in Sean Payton, who clearly knows what he's doing. The Broncos aren't missing much of anything on paper, as they even went out and found a way to improve their defense, and a great defense helps out the offense in a big way.
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are a team to watch in 2025 - they seem to be the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, and Denver has played them quite well over the last two seasons.