5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, $52 million per year
Lamar Jackson is the best dual-threat quarterback of all-time and is likely ending up in the Hall of Fame when it's all said and done. However, Jackson does get banged-up from time to time and isn't always available each week. It's simply the nature of the style of quarterback he plays, but he's not only emerged as an elite passer, but his rushing ability is historically awesome.
And, like other passers on this list, the overall lack of playoff success is obvious, but Jackson's ceiling at the position might be higher than any player in the NFL.
4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, $64 million per year
Patrick Mahomes is the highest-paid player in the NFL on a per-year basis, making $64 million per year on his deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Statistically speaking, Mahomes has not been his old self, and with the Chiefs having gotten blown out in the Super Bowl in 2024 and missing the playoffs entirely in 2025, there is a bit of a personnel transition that needs to happen.
Mahomes is also coming off a torn ACL, so as great as he's been for so long, this could be the period of his career where things slowly begin to look a bit different. It would not shock me if Mahomes turned into more of a pocket passer.
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, $55 million per year
Joe Burrow might be the best overall pocket passer in the NFL, but he does struggle to stay on the field at times. He comes in at No. 3 in our power rankings, as, while Burrow isn't always available in the regular season, his two appearances in the playoffs have yielded two deep runs.
It's clear that Burrow is the closest thing the league has to Tom Brady. His 'cool under pressure' nature makes him a threat from September to February, but the front office dysfunction and injuries have prevented a ton of potential success.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, $55 million per year
Josh Allen has been a top-5 quarterback for most of his career, and at this point, we all know the deal with Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Allen actually has the most playoff wins of any quarterback who has not started in a Super Bowl. Year after year, it's the same type of playoff heartbreak, but with each year that Allen completes in the NFL, he does etch his name further into NFL history.
He may already be an all-time player at the position.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams, $55 million per year
Matthew Stafford won the MVP award in 2025 and is the No. 1-ranked player in our quarterback power rankings. He also makes $55 million per year, along with four other quarterbacks. It's clear that Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are taking this thing year by year, which is smart given Stafford's age, but with how he played in 2025, he could have another 2-4 years left of high-end football.
He flirted with 50 touchdown passes and was simply better than every other quarterback. While you aren't picking Stafford to start a franchise with right now, it's impossible to deny how great he was in 2025, even if that doesn't end up being the case in 2026.
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