18. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Mac Jones and the San Francisco 49ers are now 5-2 on the season after a primetime win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. Jones is now 4-1 as the 49ers starter with six touchdowns, four interceptions, and a solid 89.8 passer rating. He’s actually thrown for 1,404 yards already, which is nearly 281 yards per game.
Jones is far from perfect, but he’s a capable backup and can absolutely be one of the 15 best quarterbacks in the NFL in a given week, and you cannot at all argue with the record. I do have to wonder just how long they could ride this out with Mac Jones, as Brock Purdy continues to miss time, but the 49ers keep winning games.
Mac Jones comes in at about right in the middle in our latest QB power rankings as the 2025 season rolls on.
17. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett has actually been quite solid for the Arizona Cardinals in his two starts, but the Cardinals are 0-2 in those starts. Brissett has tossed four touchdowns against one interception for a solid 97.7 passer rating.
This is another example of the backup QB actually playing better than the original starter. Mac Jones is the other one, and I really do not see why the Cardinals can’t stick with Brissett. He’s run this Cardinals’ offense better than Murray has, and you do not get the sense that Kyler Murray is a slam-dunk to return in 2026.
The current regime has actually built a strong roster, but Murray hasn’t really ever played at a super high level in the NFL, and he doesn’t always feel like a franchise quarterback.
I have to wonder if there is a path for Brissett to remain this team’s starter in 2026 and the Cardinals to take a major swing on a QB in the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe I’m way off, but that could be a viable solution if they aren’t sold on Murray.
Brissett’s solid play is good for no. 17 in our rankings.