Another week of the 2025 NFL season has come and gone with a ton of drama all over the place. There have been so many surprises this season, especially at the quarterback position, and we're just getting started.
Thanksgiving is on deck, but we have plenty to look back on from Week 12 before taking a look ahead to Week 13. How do each of the quarterbacks around the league stack up after what we saw this past weekend?
We're ranking every quarterback that played this past weekend, and taking a look at their individual performance, but also the entire body of work this season (when applicable). Although you have to obviously consider some of a player's history prior to 2025 as well, that plays less of a role in these weekly updates. Let's dive into our latest NFL QB Power Rankings for Week 13.
NFL QB Power Rankings, Week 13: Shedeur Sanders solid in debut, JJ McCarthy plummets
32. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
This is an evaluation year for the Vikings and JJ McCarthy at this point, but the former first-round pick out of Michigan has been brutal in his "redshirt" rookie year with the team. Aside from a couple of brilliant quarters against division rivals, it has been a tough first season to watch for McCarthy with 10 interceptions already this year and a completion rate under 55 percent.
It's been below replacement level, and McCarthy has genuinely been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this season. The reality of the situation is that the Vikings have time to develop him, but will there be fallout of rolling with McCarthy and letting Sam Darnold walk to the Seahawks? That's a decision that is looking worse and worse by the day for this organization.
31. Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
Playing in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph continued to prove that he's one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL, but that was also part of the problem in this game. Rudolph looked good coming on in relief of Rodgers last week, and he was solid once again in the Steelers' loss against the Chicago Bears.
He threw for just 171 yards on 31 attempts, however, and the Steelers gave him some solid backing in the running game to keep this one against Chicago tight to the end. There is always a sect of fans in every team's fan base who love to call for the backup QB, and a lot of Steelers fans call frequently for Mason Rudolph. This game might keep them quiet for at least a week.
30. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
The Geno Smith thing for the Las Vegas Raiders is an abject disaster. It's one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL right now, and that's saying something. The Raiders not only traded for Smith this offseason, but they actually gave him a contract extension sight unseen. It wasn't a Russell Wilson-caliber debacle, but the Raiders were obviously just letting Pete Carroll get his little band back together.
Smith was sacked 10 times against the Cleveland Browns, bringing his total up to 41 times in 11 games this season. It's just ugly for Smith this year. If he's not taking sacks, he's throwing picks. He didn't have any interceptions against the Browns on Sunday, but did have a pair of fumbles and lost one of them on a strip-sack.
29. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
Frankly, watching Tyrod Taylor on Sunday, it's hard to imagine he would have been a worse option for this team over the entirety of this season compared to Justin Fields. The only reason Fields isn't dead last on this list, or close to it, is because he didn't play this past Sunday. It was Taylor out there against his old team -- the Baltimore Ravens -- and he at least looked competent as a passer.
Taylor had one touchdown pass and one interception against the Ravens, completing 17-of-28 passes in the process. He actually engineered a touchdown drive to give the Jets a lead before the end of the first half, but the Ravens started taking over in the second half.
The Jets still have arguably the most obvious need for a franchise QB beyond this season, but Taylor is still a strong backup option.
28. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
We're all eagerly anticipating the return of Jayden Daniels at this point, although nobody really knows when that's going to come. The Washington Commanders were on a bye in Week 12 with a home game against the Denver Broncos looming, and so far this season, Marcus Mariota has started the majority (7) of their games.
And he's played about as well as you could have possibly expected. Mariota brings the Commanders the ability to keep their offense relatively intact if Daniels has to miss time with his dual-threat capabilities, but he's obviously not nearly as dynamic. He isn't going to have many 300-yard passing games at this stage, but when he's at his best, Mariota is a solid game manager and capable of winning games if the defense can steal him an extra couple of possessions.
27. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are in evaluation mode as a franchise, which obviously means letting Tyler Shough drop back and sling it 43 times. The second-round pick is getting his opportunity to show what he can do, at least to a certain degree. You've got to wonder why, when you're trying to get a look at a young quarterback, you would pull him off the field for Taysom Hill in red zone chances.
It doesn't make sense to me, but what do I know? I won't be coaching an NFL team anytime soon. The Saints feel like they obviously have a good grasp on what Shough can do, but it still feels like they're going to be moving in a different direction after the season. He hasn't been terrible, but he's not lighting it up, either.
26. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
One of the most anticipated games of the entire slate in Week 12 was the Cleveland Browns taking on the Las Vegas Raiders on the road, and for one reason. It wasn't Myles Garrett, although he is probably going to break the NFL all-time single season sack record. No, the main attraction wasn't Ashton Jeanty or Brock Bowers. It was Shedeur Sanders, the fifth-round pick out of Colorado.
Sanders made his starting debut for the Browns and was solid. He had a touchdown and an interception, throwing for over 200 yards despite just 11 completions. Most importantly, Sanders became the first quarterback since the Browns returned in 1999 to win his first start with the team. You have to give the rookie credit, and he earned more of a look going forward.
25. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
For a second there, I really thought Joe Flacco was going to lead a miraculous comeback against the New England Patriots on Sunday. It looked like the Patriots had the game well in hand, especially because the Bengals had offensive weapons dropping like flies. But they cut the lead to 23-20 late in the 4th quarter on a weird drive in which Flacco was hurt, Andrei Iosivas was hurt, and Tee Higgins was hurt. It ended with a Flacco touchdown pass.
The Bengals couldn't get the ball back to the offense without allowing the Patriots to score again, so Flacco's comeback bid -- and possibly his season -- ended in defeat. We'll see if the Bengals will risk throwing Joe Burrow out there now that they are pretty much completely out of the playoff mix.
24. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Despite all the losing, the Arizona Cardinals are sticking with Jacoby Brissett. And I really don't blame them for it. Even though they got blown out by the Seahawks and 49ers in consecutive weeks, they continued to roll with Brissett against the Jaguars, and it almost paid off for them.
The Cardinals just can't close out games these days, and they blew a 300-yard passing performance from Brissett. If there was any running game to really speak of for the Cardinals, maybe things would be different. Brissett shouldn't be out there throwing the ball 49 times a game, but he is.
If you're putting your backup out there to jumpstart the offense, you're already in a rough spot. But for the Arizona Cardinals, the pivot to Brissett is a signal-fire of major things to come this offseason.
23. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
It had to feel good for Kirk Cousins to finally come back and play a really solid all-around game. After all that's transpired over the last two years, this was the type of game that Cousins needed. Not that it means much in the long run, but now that Cousins is taking over for the remainder of the regular season, you could see that he was much more settled in out there against the Saints.
He had a pair of touchdown passes along with an interception, but it was much better than we've seen in recent appearances for Cousins overall. And what's impressive is that he put together this performance without Drake London out there.
Cousins might be relegated to high-end backup types of contracts in the offseason, but if he's going to keep playing after this year, this is his audition opportunity.
22. Jameis Winston, New York Giants
It's hard not to like Jameis Winston, at least a little bit, right? Winston has come in for the injured Jaxson Dart and done a decent job holding down the fort at quarterback for the Giants.
And at receiver...
Winston is one of the most unique personalities at the quarterback position in the NFL, but beyond the quirks, he's honestly just a fascinating player. He helped the Giants in their upset bid of the Packers last week, and then they had the Lions on the ropes this week. Ultimately, nothing matters if you're not winning the games, but we see what Winston is doing these last two weeks. It's more impressive than most of what we saw from Russell Wilson, for whatever that's worth at this point.
21. Davis Mills, Houston Texans
You have to tip your cap to Davis Mills and the Houston Texans. The AFC South looked like it was going to be the Colts and Jaguars all year, but the Texans have made an incredible comeback. It's been especially remarkable considering the adversity they've faced along the way.
CJ Stroud has not played since suffering a concussion in Week 9 against the Broncos, which is obviously a huge concern. Davis Mills came into the game in relief for Stroud and looked borderline incompetent against Denver's defense. Since then, he's actually kind of rocked. He has five touchdowns in his three starts, with just one interception, and a huge (signature) win over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Mills has kept the Texans firmly in the mix, and looking dangerous, dare I say.
20. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
With 17 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions so far this season, Tua Tagovailoa has been a walking example of "feast or famine" at the quarterback position. As much as the Dolphins have galvanized since the team parted ways with GM Chris Grier, Tagovailoa's future with the team feels firmly in limbo.
The Dolphins have won three of their last four games and Tagovailoa has had moments in each of them. He is averaging just 193 yards passing per game, which is the worst mark of his career so far, but the Dolphins not having Tyreek Hill undoubtedly has a little something to do with that.
Once again, it feels like Tagovailoa's future is hanging in the balance with the Dolphins coming off of the bye. The team winning might not even be enough, either, because when a new GM comes in and gets fresh eyes on the roster, a GM typically wants to pick their own quarterback to build around.
19. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward has proven himself to be the Titans' franchise quarterback this season, which is the best possible news for the fan base. The Seattle Seahawks have one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and one of the best defenses overall. The Mike Macdonald scheme is no joke, and he's got his guys playing at such a high level this year.
With that in mind, Cam Ward gave them a run for their money on Sunday afternoon. He had 256 yards on nearly 67 percent completion rate with a touchdown, no picks, and a rushing touchdown. Titans fans are absolutely elated right now despite the fact that they loss, because they obviously realize the most important thing about this season: Seeing if Cam Ward's got the goods.
He's got 'em.
18. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been so much fun this season, winning seven games and legitimately competing for the AFC South and making things interesting here in late November for the (suddenly) struggling Colts. But what are we supposed to make of Trevor Lawrence at this point? He had three touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.
Good, right?
But he also had three picks. Lawrence has been in that realm of just "meh" all season long for the Jaguars, but you can't argue with results. He has six interceptions over his last four games, but the Jags have been scoring points in bunches anyway. At some point, the Jags might have to question whether or not Lawrence is holding the offense back from reaching its full potential, but that day isn't today.
17. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Young plays Monday night vs. 49ers
Just like with every quarterback in the NFL this season, nothing has been overly consistent from Bryce Young. Certainly not perfect. But what we saw from Young right before the bye week was about as close to perfect as we've seen from the former Heisman winner and #1 overall pick since he came into the league.
Against the Falcons, he completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 448 yards and three interceptions with no interceptions. It was a borderline cathartic performance for Panthers fans, watching their #1 pick not only play his best game, but with a lot on the line as well. The Panthers moved into a tie in the win column with the Bucs at the top of the NFC South.
Coming out of the bye, we'll see if he can keep it up or even come close to matching those numbers in a tough matchup against the 49ers.
16. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert's name value is buying him a pretty high spot on this list. The last time we saw Herbert on the field, he obviously got banged up, but he also had just 81 yards passing and 21 rushing yards. It wasn't a good performance from him, regardless of the injury, and the injuries to his starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt have compounded the issues.
Herbert is throwing way more interceptions this year than we saw last season (nine in 11 games), but that's not the only issue we've seen from him. Once again, you have to treat Herbert like the guy who is capable of going off on any given week, right? You can't just assume he's dropped off of a cliff, because he hasn't. The physical talent and ability to make clutch throws are obviously there. The consistency this season is not.
15. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
At this point, we can safely say that the month of November hasn't exactly been the month we're going to brag about at the end of the season for Jordan Love. Although the Packers have gotten a couple of wins in a row, Love has had a tough month overall. He has just two touchdown passes in November so far, both of those TDs coming in last week's win against the Giants.
Although Love is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, capable of making any and every throw you could ask, he's also not immune from struggling. He didn't throw any touchdowns in a win against the Vikings, and that was his third game in the month of November without a TD pass. He's still a ridiculous talent and when you're winning divisional games 23-6 and closing drives with touchdowns, the stats don't matter.
14. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Dare I say, Lamar Jackson is human?
Last week, Jackson had a pair of interceptions in a close win for the Ravens over the Browns. You kind of watch a game like that and raise your eyebrows a bit, but you give a player like Jackson the benefit of the doubt. This is a guy who is a perennial MVP candidate and one of the best all-around weapons the quarterback position has ever seen.
But watching the Ravens this past weekend, I mean, Jackson looks human. He doesn't look like he's operating on the same plane that we saw from him last season. He had just 153 yards passing against the Jets, along with just 11 rushing yards on seven carries. You have to be ready for the explosion from Lamar at any moment, but he doesn't look like the MVP version of himself right now.
13. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
After getting off to a solid 14-6 lead against the Chiefs on Sunday, the Colts and Daniel Jones couldn't make enough plays as the game went along, and they let the Chiefs steal the headlines right out of their hands.
Jones, for his part, completed 19-of-31 passes for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Coming out of the bye, we were concerned about his turnover issues, but he didn't have any interceptions against Kansas City (although he came close), didn't have any fumbles, and he didn't get sacked. In the fourth quarter and overtime, when the Colts needed the offense to come through, Jones and the offense had four straight three-and-outs.
You simply can't have that if you want to win your division and make any noise at all in the postseason.
12. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While it may have been a bit of a steep fall from MVP talks earlier in the season, I'm not giving up on Baker Mayfield this season. Not with all of the injuries the Buccaneers have been dealing with offensively, and not with how well he's played this season, especially late in games making clutch play after clutch play.
Even with a couple of rough games over the last month for the Bucs as a whole (not just Mayfield), we've seen Mayfield go for one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios of his NFL career (17-3 in the first 10 games), and a couple of strong performances even in defeat.
Mayfield and the Bucs have much bigger issues at hand right now than falling down an NFL QB Power Rankings list or or falling down the MVP ladder. I have faith he's going to get things corrected, but it's been a tough go in the month of November. We'll see if he can bounce back.
11. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are hot, and Caleb Williams is making progress as a player under head coach Ben Johnson. If you're a Bears fan, it's all music to your ears. Caleb Williams threw three touchdown passes in Chicago's latest win over the Steelers (and what ended up being a very entertaining game), but there might be a stat even more important than the three touchdowns.
Williams was just sacked one time against Pittsburgh. Maybe even more important than that? Williams hasn't thrown an interception since October 26. He's starting to get a little bit dialed in. The Bears are contending for the NFC North title and Williams is obviously a big reason why.
10. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Well, at least AJ Brown should be happy. The Philadelphia Eagles lost, but Brown got his targets and receptions, and another 100-yard performance. He doesn't love it when the Eagles are winning ball games and he's not getting the rock consistently, but Jalen Hurts got him his targets here and the Eagles blew a 21-0 lead against their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
And this game was really a great example of what's been so frustrating about the Eagles this season. They are not playing for each other, but they have such a margin for error in terms of the talent on the roster. Not in this game. Jalen Hurts has the ability to light up a stat sheet as a passer and runner, but he's just never been the most consistently dominant passer. There's nothing overly wrong with that, unless you're AJ Brown.
Hurts is an elite athlete who is a great game manager at the position, and he's capable of stretches of dominant play with the clutch factor mixed in.
9. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
This is not meant to be a hot take or diss toward Patrick Mahomes, not by a long shot. Obviously, when you look at the entire body of work this season, Mahomes has struggled. Anyone can admit that without saying he is a bad player or making really any sort of ridiculous sweeping statements. Mahomes played himself a game against the Indianapolis Colts, coming up with some clutch throws to put his team in a position to win.
That doesn't negate the fact that he's struggled at times this season, and is looking like a handful of his fellow MVP-winning peers around the AFC: Human.
Mahomes obviously is one of the few guys you'd trust late in just about any situation. He's obviously one of the best quarterbacks the league has seen. But this year? Right now? This is about where he's at.
8. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
It's fair to say that Bo Nix has not exactly had the best overall season, but he's been phenomenal for the Broncos when it matters the most. Nix has also been dealing with the most dropped passes for any quarterback in the league this season (per game), but that's neither here nor there. The offense for Denver has been inconsistent this season, but Nix has found ways to help his team win both through the air and on the ground.
And while the Broncos were on a bye this week, Nix was coming off of one of the most impressive all-around games we've seen from him in a win against the Chiefs. Nix was throwing the ball accurately to all levels of the field and proving his poise in a big situation for the Broncos. It was an impressive outing in a season loaded with impressive moments for the second-year QB.
7. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy plays on Monday vs. Carolina Panthers
I find it really difficult to rank Brock Purdy on a list like this. For the majority of the season, we've been evaluating Mac Jones and the outstanding work he did keeping the ship afloat for the 49ers. While Jones made himself a bunch of money, Purdy already earned his big-money deal, and he's been dealing with injuries.
That's not something you can knock him for, but we just don't have a large sample size from this season. What Purdy showed in his return to the field last week was impressive, and he looks like he can lead the 49ers to a division title. If only those pesky Seahawks and Rams would allow them to gain some ground. With three touchdowns and no picks in his return to the field, Purdy looked as dialed in as we've seen him.
6. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff had a bit of a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, but he bounced back nicely in Week 12 against the Giants. And while that game was a little close for comfort, it was a big win for the Lions as both the Bears and Packers also won games in Week 12. Goff had a pair of touchdown passes and an interception, and frankly might not be playing the best ball of any QB in the NFC North over the last month, but he has the most impressive body of work so far.
And let's be honest about it, your job is pretty easy when you can turn around and hand it off to Jahmyr Gibbs, isn't it? Goff likes watching his guy just sprint to the end zone from 69 or 70 yards out multiple times a game. That's his game, too: Let your playmakers make plays, and be fine playing point guard.
5. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Not many quarterbacks have played better football this season -- and over the last two regular seasons -- than Sam Darnold. That feels like such a weird thing to type because of the way his NFL career started. Darnold had a nice bounce-back week for Seattle this weekend against the Tennessee Titans, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and no interceptions.
That was a breath of fresh air after he had four interceptions just a week ago. Darnold had 35 touchdown passes a season ago and already has 19 so far this season. Even though he's still not immune from the stinker occasionally, you can definitely say at this point that Darnold has raised the floor of his game and is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.
4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Call it a hot take if you want, but I've been riding the Dak Prescott train all year long. And it started before Week 1 of the season, when he played a similarly strong game against the Philadelphia Eagles (but in defeat).
Prescott and the Cowboys have been awesome at home for the majority of this season, even with the struggles of the defense. At one point, they were averaging 40-plus points at home, but Prescott has not been immune from struggling here or there. And that's been the story for every quarterback around the league, so even if you don't like grading on a curve, Prescott has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
He's got six touchdown passes over the last two games and was playing possessed against the Eagles on Sunday after seeing his team down in a 21-0 hole. The comeback win got the Cowboys to 5-5-1, and Prescott looked like an MVP in that game.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
We obviously have to be careful about not living too much in the moment, right? With Josh Allen, you know what you're getting every single week. This is one of those players in the NFL who can truly put an entire team on his back and will them to victory. That didn't happen on Thursday night against the Texans, but we've seen it happen plenty.
Josh Allen, as we've said about numerous others in these NFL QB Power Rankings for Week 13, is human. We're seeing that very clearly in games like he played against the Houston Texans, where he was sacked a whopping eight times.
But the week before that, Allen accounted for six total touchdowns. He's still one of the most dangerous players in the entire NFL. Even if he's not playing the best out of any quarterback in the league right now, there aren't many youd take in front of him if you had to go win a game on a given week.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Objectively speaking, very few quarterbacks around the NFL have played as well on a consistent basis this season as Drake Maye. Maye is the first NFL quarterback this season to reach the 3,000-yard passing milestone and he's done it by throwing for 250-plus in five straight games. The Patriots are winning ballgames (a lot of them), and Maye is a humble superstar in the making, at that.
He's flawed, just like everyone else in the league, and we caught glimpses of that against the Bengals. The fact of the matter is, there's just not much to not like about Maye. If you compare quarterbacks to sets of golf clubs, he's got every one in the bag. He can hit any throw from any point on the field, and he has athletic traits to beat you with his legs when he needs to as well. The only game this season in which Maye doesn't have a touchdown pass is his team's big win over the Patriots.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford has flat-out played like an NFL MVP this season. In a year in which you can tell a lot of quarterbacks around the league are struggling, Stafford has been one of the most consistently dominant. When there are rumors running rampant about Stafford having lingering injuries and contemplating retirement, apparently we should all just take that as a sign to buy stock in him.
Stafford has been a man possessed this season, throwing 27 touchdowns in his first 10 games and then looking locked in against the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. Stafford is playing at a level that we've never really seen from him. Typically, his best seasons include not only touchdowns but interceptions as well. He's taking care of the ball, spreading it to his plethora of receivers, and is generally looking like he is playing on "rookie" mode.