If you don’t have a quarterback in today’s NFL, you don’t have anything. Many teams are quickly finding that out the hard way, while plenty of other teams are quickly discovering the answers they thought they had weren’t answers at all.
It’s only (already) been three weeks of the 2025 season, but so far, there’s been a ton going on when it comes to the quarterback position. We’ve gotten some great early season surprises and a number of young quarterbacks who were expected to break out have a lot of work to do.
How do each of the quarterbacks stack up this early in the season? Our latest NFL Power Rankings are taking a look at each starting QB in the league this past weekend and where these guys stack up. Who’s stock is on the rise and who is on the decline?
2025 NFL QB Rankings: Ranking every QB after Week 3 frenzy
32. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Nobody was under the illusion that things were going to be great with a Joe Burrow injury in Week 2, but Jake Browning has been an inefficient turnover machine. He’s obviously a backup, so you can’t be too harsh, but the way the Bengals laid flast against the Vikings – who were also using a backup QB – was disappointing. Browning had another pair of interceptions and the offense lost three fumbles. Ugly.
31. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
Tyrod Taylor threw a pair of touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown made that game fascinating in the 4th, but inefficiency and turnovers plagued the Jets. Taylor had an interception and a lost fumble in this game, but the Jets put up a much better fight than we saw last week. We’ll see how he can do stacking starts if Justin Fields has to miss more time.
30. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
In a tight defensive battle, all you really want from your quarterback is efficiency and no turnovers. The Browns didn’t really get either from Joe Flacco against the Packers, but they got just enough. Everybody knows what Joe Flacco is at this point. He made just enough plays in this game to help the Browns get a much-needed first win of the season against a really quality team.
29. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
This was a game you obviously want a mulligan if you’re Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons got blown out by their division rival Carolina Panthers, a shutout loss on the heels of an impressive primetime win against the Minnesota Vikings. And Penix is obviously going to have dirty hands with a shutout loss. He had a pair of interceptions and has struggled badly in the first three weeks of the season.
28. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
This was our first true “clunker” of a performance so far this season from Spencer Rattler and the Saints. After showing some nice glimpses in the first two weeks of the season, Rattler came crashing back down to earth a bit with a rough performance against the Seattle Seahawks. The Saints were decimated, and there wasn’t much Rattler could do about it from the very start. Now that the Saints are 0-3, it’ll be interesting to see how long the leash is.
27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Nobody was under any illusion going into the 2025 season that the Titans were some world beaters out there. They are a rebuilding team, and Cam Ward is suffering from that. Obviously, Ward himself also looks like a rookie but you can see the glimpses of growth. He had a touchdown pass but also an interception and took four more sacks against the Colts.
26. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
It’s pretty impressive that all Bryce Young needed to do for the Panthers to beat the Falcons 30-0 was completed 16 passes for 121 yards. He had a really nice rushing touchdown against Atlanta as well to help the Panthers to a win, but Young got a lot of help from his friends in this one. Still, this game was an encouraging sign if you’re a Panthers fan for both Young and the defense, which has struggled to start the year.
25. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francsico 49ers are dealing with life without Brock Purdy right now, but they’re still 3-0 heading into Week 4 action. There’s no question that Purdy is the leader of this team, but Mac Jones is holding down the fort quite nicely. In a hard-fought battle against the Cardinals, Jones and the 49ers’ offense came through. He had a strong showing with 284 passing yards and an absolute dime deep down the right side of the field to Ricky Pearsall.
24. Russell Wilson, New York Giants
Even with some flashes of brilliance at times, you just get the impression that we’re not far off from the Russell Wilson era in New York giving way to the Jaxson Dart era. The Giants clearly want it to happen at some point in the near future but Russ has done a decent job, all things considered. He had a couple of bad interceptions against the Chiefs, and could have had more, but he doesn’t go down without a fight.
23. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Do not be fooled by the box score in this one. Geno Smith did some stat padding against the Washington Commanders and finished with 289 yards and three touchdowns, but it was after this one got way out of hand, 34-10 going into the fourth quarter. Smith was horrendous against the Charger son Monday night and struggled early against the Commanders as well.
22. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
It looked like the Miami Dolphins were about to potentially do something fun and interesting against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, but Tua Tagovailoa had a really awful interception at the worst possible time. For Dolphins fans, it’s the same old song again. He’s got five touchdowns, four interceptions, and a fumble through the first three games of the season. And Dolphins fans are getting fed up quickly.
21. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Aside from a lost fumble, which came on the back end of a really nice run, Marcus Mariota was kind of awesome in his 2025 debut for the Commanders. Everyone in Washington hopes to get Jayden Daniels back on the field as quickly as possible, but there’s a reason why Mariota is such a coveted backup. He had 207 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and the Commanders coasted to 41 points and a win.
20. Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O’Connell strikes again? The last time we saw Carson Wentz, he and the Kansas City Chiefs were getting absolutely blown out in the final week of the 2025 regular season against the Broncos. Wentz was barely able to get the Chiefs’ offense to midfield. And in his first start of 2025 in place of JJ McCarthy, he threw a pair of touchdowns as the Vikings absolutely obliterated the Bengals.
19. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
It feels like the AFC South quarterbacks who are “supposed” to be good are in the quarterback equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. The Jacksonville Jaguars got a win on Sunday against the Texans, but how much do you really say Lawrence had to do with that? He completed 50 percent of his throws and the Jaguars were 4-of-15 on third downs. The offensive operation has yet to take off, to say the least.
18. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
It’s like the Monstars came and stole CJ Stroud’s special abilities. Nothing about what we’ve seen from Stroud dating back to early in the 2024 season makes any sense based on what we saw from him as a rookie. The Texans have to be wondering the same at this point. Stroud had another pair of interceptions and needed 25 completions to eclipse 200 yards passing. His final INT sealed the victory for the Jaguars.
17. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have flirted with disaster the first two weeks of the season, and playing like that as a team got them burned in Week 3 against the 49ers. Kyler Murray had just 159 passing yards in a big divisional matchup, though he might have had at least 200 if Marvin Harrison Jr. wouldn’t have dropped that one pass…Regardless, Murray and the Cardinals have bigger problems facing them with James Conner’s injury. Murray is going to have to put more of the team on his back.
16. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
The struggles for the Denver Broncos’ offense persist here early in the season. The expectation has been for quarterback Bo Nix to take the next step, but Nix missed a number of opportunities in the Broncos’ loss to the Chargers, and he might be feeling the pressure. It’s clear he’s not able to get into a groove out there right now, but there are big plays waiting to be made.
15. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye is simply being asked right now to do too much for the Patriots’ offense. The Patriots had three fumbles from their top running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, and Maye had a pair of turnovers himself. He was also sacked five times against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so it’s clear this Pats team is a work in progress. And for Maye, it’s about the glimpses. He threw for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a close game.
14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Since this is just a weekly thing, Caleb Williams making a huge jump like this is not against the rules. What we’ve seen from Caleb Williams in the first two weeks compared to what we saw in Week 3 was a night and day difference. Williams was getting everyone involved against Dallas’s defense, throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers while also not taking a single sack. Overall, and considering the week prior, it might have been the best performance of his NFL career so far.
13. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers gives the Steelers a veteran savvy they desperately needed, and even with an interception against the Patriots, you could feel that veteran presence really coming into play for them. Rodgers only threw for 139 yards against the Patriots but had a pair of touchdown passes. The offensive operation has to pick up the pace very soon for the Steelers but Rodgers has proven early on how big he can be for that team.
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
It wasn’t the best week for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, losing on the road to the Chicago Bears. But that doesn’t negate all that Prescott has done so far this season. He threw a pair of interceptions in the loss and Dallas was an ugly 3-of-11 on third downs in this game. It was not a great day at the office but Prescott has played well for the majority of the year so far and I expect him to bounce back quickly.
11. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
After a rough first week in Seattle, Sam Darnold has bounced back over the past two games. It was a dominant effort by Seattle overall on Sunday, but Darnold did his part. He threw a pair of touchdown pass and needed only 14 completions overall to get the win at home on Sunday. Maybe the most important stat of the day – the Seahawks kept Darnold clean. He was hit just twice and wasn’t sacked at all against the Saints.
10. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
I don’t know where to put Patrick Mahomes on a list like this. Part of me wants to be reverent of his accomplishments, and part of me wants to be honest about where he and the Chiefs’ offense are at. It just feels like we’re seeing a shell of the Chiefs each week. The dynasty hangover, if that’s a thing. But Mahomes is still Mahomes. Where does that leave us? Inefficient weekly offense with occasional Mahomes moments, and the Chiefs inevitably “in” every game?
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
It’s difficult to go up against the Cleveland Browns’ defense these days, and Jordan Love found that out the hard way. Even with extended rest after playing the Thursday prior, Love was overwhelmed to the tune of five sacks and an interception against the cleveland defense. We obviously expect him to bounce back, but this was a really tough outing overall. You’ve got to credit the Browns, who forced Love and the Green Bay offense into 18 third-down situations.
8. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
I guess Week 3 is about as close as we’ve come to Daniel Jones coming crashing back to earth. The Colts actually punted in this game. Jones had just one touchdown. But once again, he did not turn the ball over and operated Shane Steichen’s offense to near-perfection. And when Jonathan Taylor has three rushing touchdowns and over 100 yards on the ground? Jones doesn’t have to doo too much anyway.
7. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The cardiac Bucs were at it again on Sunday as they pulled another rabbit out of their hat for the third straight week. Baker Mayfield thrives in the pressure situations and good news – his team has had the ball last the first three weeks of the season. The Bucs have a great leader under center and while Mayfield doesn’t play perfect every week, he knows how to come through in the clutch and make big-time plays.
6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford and the Rams did better than most against the Vic Fangio-led Philadelphia Eagles defense. Obviously, the Rams weren’t able to close it out, but they were a blocked field goal away from going on the road and winning in a hostile environment. The drive Stafford led to potentially win it was what we’ve come to expect from him in those clutch moments. He’ll bounce back.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
It’s pretty clear right now that Justin Herbert is playing on another plane when he’s at his best. He struggled at times on Sunday with the injuries to the offensive line and Denver’s pass rush taking advantage, but when it mattered, Herbert made some unbelievable throws and orchestrated the two-minute drill to perfection. He is looking like he’s taken that next step in year two under Jim Harbaugh.
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
You can call it whatever you want, but Jalen Hurts feels more like a chameleon than anything else. If the Eagles ask him to air it out and throw 40 times, he can do that and do it effectively. If they want to grind out the clock and run the ball into the ground, he can do that as well. If they need him to be clutch…He does it all. Hurts was marvelous against the Rams on a day in which the running game struggled. He put his team in position to win, and they did.
3. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff plays Monday night vs. Ravens
What we saw from Jared Goff in Week 2 was much more what we’ve come to expect from both him and the rest of that Detroit Lions offense over the past couple of years. After putting up a complete dud in Week 1, Goff proved that Week 1 is a dirty liar and had an outstanding, surgical game against the Bears last week. He’s going to need to be on top of his game on Monday night to have a repeat performance against the Ravens.
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson plays Monday night vs. Lions
The Monday night matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions could be a Super Bowl preview, but it’s going to require Lamar Jackson playing much better in January than we’ve seen in recent years. This will be a great test because this game could very easily get into a bit of a shootout, and Jackson is going to have a lot put on his shoulders to make plays per usual.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen had half as many touchdowns (3) as he did incompletions (6) in a win on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins. Even with the Dolphins making a game out of it, it just felt like Allen was constantly in command…because he is. The reigning MVP is on another level, even in tight games. It just feels like there’s no situation right now in which Allen and the Bills do not have the advantage.