The NFL is truly heating up through the first 11 weeks, and there were some wild finishes here this week. The quarterback hierarchy is also shaping up a bit as well, and we've got some fresh QB rankings, so we'll see how the 32 starting passers stand with one another.
As always, we generally take the total body of work as the driving force for the rankings, but we also have to factor in the current week of play, as the NFL is very much a "what have you done for me lately" type of league, and that has been the case for years now.
Let's get into our updated QB power rankings following some wild Week 11 action here in the 2025 NFL Season.
NFL QB Rankings, Week 12: Sam Darnold falls as Bo Nix rises
32. Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
It’s hard to explain how bad Dillon Gabriel is, as we actually saw some Shedeur Sanders in the Browns loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The defense is top-tier, but the offense just cannot get anything going, and we might now see Sanders starting the rest of the way.
The Browns truly can’t do anything well on offense, and it’s becoming a massive issue. Gabriel is last in our power rankings.
31. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
One of the worst things JJ McCarthy could have done early in his NFL career is not just play bad like he has been, but telling the NFL world about his alter ego, who he calls “nine.” Well, I think McCarthy should ditch that alter ego and just focus on being McCarthy.
He’s simply been bad, but that’s OK. He’s making his first starts in the NFL, so things aren’t going to come easy. The de-facto rookie could still very well be a decent QB, but we’re truly a ways away from seeing that anytime soon. McCarthy is no. 31 in our power rankings.
30. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward has not thrown an interception in two-straight games this year, so that has to be a little win to an extent, but it’s been a season to forget for the Tennessee Titans and Ward, as they lose again and continue to spiral down the drain.
I think both things can be true, here; Ward has been bad, even for a rookie QB, but the Titans have not done him any favors, and their front office will have to hit the nail on the head over these next few offseasons to ensure Ward hits his stride, whatever that may look like.
This is one of those instances, though, where this rookie season, in a way, does not count, as this team is going to have a ton of new players on it next year, and there will surely be a new coaching staff as well, so Ward is going to see a lot of change, and it’s hopefully going to be for the better.
29. Jameis Winston, New York Giants
Jameis Winston got the start for the New York Giants in Week 11 because of Jaxson Dart’s concussion, and it was the perfect Jameis Winston experience. As predicted by many, the Giants lost this one, but Winston made some plays, and the Giants were in the game for the most part.
Winston, if nothing else, seems to be a beloved teammate and someone who is good to have in the locker room, and I do believe he should remain as their backup QB in 2026 and beyond, as the rookie Dart seems to enjoy having Winston as a teammate, and that is huge for his development. Winston himself is still a workable QB and someone who does bring value into the room, but he’s not someone you want starting more than a small handful of times, if at all in a given season.
Jameis Winston will continue to likely be ranked quite low in our QB rankings, but could fall off of the list when Jaxson Dart is healthy.
28. Davis Mills, Houston Texans
Davis Mills is who he is at this point - he’s a functional backup quarterback and has helped the Houston Texans win a couple of games this year. The Texans, after an 0-3 start, are now 5-5 on the season, so this team has gone 5-2 over their last seven games, which is nearly half the season.
All of a sudden, Houston has some life in the AFC playoff picture and actually now have the same record as the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, which almost sounds hard to believe, but here we are. Houston has a short week and plays on Thursday Night Football, and it’s not clear if CJ Stroud will be able to clear the concussion protocol in time.
However, Mills could do some damage against a pretty weak Buffalo Bills’ defense, so that could actually end up being quite the game. Mills is no. 28 in our QB rankings and is an average backup in the NFL.
He can clearly step in and win a couple of games for you, which is a great quality to have in a backup. Let’s hope, though, that CJ Stroud gets back soon, as the Texans need him, period.
27. Justin Fields, New York Jets
It is honestly hard to believe how bad Justin Fields is, and while that might feel harsh, it’s the truth. Fields is simply not an NFL-caliber quarterback at this point and should honestly not start for the New York Jets again unless there is an injury.
The Jets should demote Fields and see what they have with the rest of the room, as his performances are continually abysmal. Sure, the low interception totals might be worth a little something, but he isn’t able to throw the ball like a QB should in this league.
Fields is on his third team in as many seasons for a reason and is among the worst QBs in the NFL yet again. The Jets are likely cutting Justin Fields following the 2025 NFL Season.
26. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Saints are on their bye in Week 11
Tyler Shough actually played quite well against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, and the rookie did show a lot of poise in that game. He’s made just two starts in the NFL, so we really need to see more before ranking him any higher, but it’s a solid start if nothing else.
The interesting thing with Shough is that he’s 26 years old already, so he might be viewed as a polished product and might not have much more in the tank, which is a valid line of thinking. On a broader scale, it’ll be interesting to see what the New Orleans Saints do at the QB position, as they are surely going to have a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and might have a great QB prospect in range.
But, if Shough plays well with the rest of the 2025 season ahead of him, he might convince the Saints’ front office that QB isn’t much of a need for now. Shough is someone to watch out for to rise in our power rankings.
25. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders play on Monday Night Football
It might be time for the Las Vegas Raiders to send Geno Smith to the bench, as he is simply not a good QB at all. The Raiders play the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and even with the Cowboys’ defensive trade deadline additions, the unit as a whole might not be good enough, still.
Smith could light the Cowboys’ defense up if this is true, but the only thing the veteran QB has really lit up this season is the interceptions. He puts the ball in harm’s way too many times and has regressed big-time since that breakout season back in 2022.
Geno Smith is good enough to serve as a backup on a contending team, but he’s not a starting-caliber QB at this point, and the Raiders trading legitimate NFL Draft capital to land Smith from the Seattle Seahawks last offseason was honestly front office malpractice.
24. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Marcus Mariota has done a fine job for the Washington Commanders, filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels, but the Commanders simply keep losing, and it's not getting any better. Washington’s issues this year are that they fielded an old roster, and that old roster has been hurt for much of the season.
It’s a losing formula in today’s NFL, as Jayden Daniels has been off the field more than he’s been on it, and it’s turned into a giant mess. Washington is simply a bad team again and will have a giant mess to clean up for 2026 and beyond.
If I were the Commanders, I would shut Daniels down for the remainder of the season, as they are simply not going to do him any favors by throwing him back out there with the team in the shape that it’s in.
And that isn’t a dig at Mariota, but he’s the backup QB and is obviously not their long-term solution. Washington has to make sure it gets this roster right for Daniels in 2026, so Mariota, for now, can keep dealing with the slopfest they put on the field.
23. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a bad football team and are losers again. Michael Penix Jr was nothing special in Week 11, and this entire operation just needs redone. Penix doesn’t look all that good this year, and the coaching, outside of the defense, is just horrendous.
You have to wonder if a huge regime change is coming for the Falcons, as Raheem Morris has been a disaster of a head coach, and that might be putting it lightly at this point. Furthermore, the Falcons’ first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft belongs to the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s just as bad of a situation as you can imagine for the Falcons, and you’d have to wonder if they just want this year to be over already. I also have to admit I was wrong, here - I was high on the Falcons coming into the season and did think they had a shot to win the NFC South.
But the second-year QB Penix has not made that big of a jump, and again, the coaching is just abysmal. The Falcons are probably going to usher in some major change this coming offseason, but I do not believe that Michael Penix Jr is at risk of being replaced or anything, I think year three will be his final chance, but he’ll get 2026, for sure.
Penix is just no. 23 in our QB power rankings as Week 11 closes out.
22. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
Statistically, Joe Flacco has played well for the Cincinnati Bengals, this year, but it’s been nothing special, and the Bengals again lost, so I am not sure this team has any chances of making the playoffs this year, even if Joe Burrow were to return to the lineup.
Flacco has been slinging the ball all over the place and does tend to put the ball in harm’s way more often than you’d like him to. He is what he is at this point - a functional backup and someone who does sometimes have a high ceiling when he gets his chances.
But he’s been a losing QB for years now. If nothing else, though, Flacco continually displays the ability, even at his age, that he belongs in the NFL, so if he wanted to keep playing in 2026, which might be possible, he could absolutely find a home as a backup QB on a contending team, as he’s just seen so much in the NFL and has won a Super Bowl.
Flacco’s time in the NFL as a starter might also be coming to an end, so you figure he wants to go out with a bang, right? He’s no. 22 in our QB power rankings, and this is about as high as he can go at this point.
At one point in time, Joe Flacco was an ascending QB, and some did think he was elite, but that was well over a decade ago, now.
21. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young threw for nearly 450 passing yards in Week 11 and broke the Carolina Panthers’ franchise record for passing yards in a game, passing Cam Newton. The Panthers won in overtime and now move to 6-5 on the season, actually keep themselves alive in the NFC South playoff race, as wild as that might sound.
The Panthers trail the Buccaneers by just one loss, so this division could come down to the wire. Young was great in Week 11 and does deserve a lot of credit for this one. He now has 14 touchdown passes on the season and is definitely having the best year of his NFL career.
However, I am truly not sure if it would be enough for the Panthers to stick with him for 2026 and beyond, but if he can keep up playing efficiently, the Panthers would give him year four. You do have to wonder how high of a ceiling this team has with Young as their QB, but this was a huge win for the franchise, and the QB himself seems to be beloved by his teammates, and that does go far in today’s NFL.
Bryce Young is a so-so no. 21 in our power rankings, as he has not played well like this all year, to be honest.
20. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
In Brock Purdy’s return to the lineup for the San Francisco 49ers, he was solid and played well overall. Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 and moved to a healthy 7-4 on the season, which does keep them in a decent position to still compete for the NFC West this year.
Purdy missed a huge chunk of the season with a toe injury, and Mac Jones filled in quite well. I do wonder how the 49ers plan on going about this coming offseason, as they have both Purdy and Jones under contract, and I would bet that someone gets traded.
With how good Jones looked, I could truly see a world where the 49ers trade Brock Purdy, but Jones probably gets moved in the end. Brock Purdy is a fine quarterback and has already been a part of two very deep playoff runs, so he’s got a ton of experience despite not having a ton of NFL starts under his belt overall.
Purdy should rise in our QB rankings a few slots as he gets back into the swing of things more, and the 49ers could simply keep stacking wins as well. Purdy is no. 20 thus far.
19. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
The most completions in a game in the history of the NFL now belongs to… Jacoby Brissett. Yeah, it was that kind of game for the Arizona Cardinals. In the loss, I guess this is something that they can hang their hats on, but it’s been a season to forget for the Arizona Cardinals after a 2-0 start to the season.
Brissett can clearly run the offense more efficiently than Kyler Murray can, and it does seem like the Cardinals are going to move on from Murray this coming offseason. Brissett has played well enough to be brought back as the starter in 2026, but I bet the Cards would also hedge that bet with a QB in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Arizona loses again, but Brissett is far from the issue if you ask me. He completed nearly 50 passes in Week 11 and honestly had two games worth of production in one, which is flat-out insane. Brissett is no. 19 in our power rankings, as he’s honestly played quite well this year.
18. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence only has two games this year where he’s thrown more than one touchdown pass, and he has just overall played forgettable football this year. I feel like the Jacksonville Jaguars are winning in spite of their QB, but I guess they are still winning.
Lawrence simply has not been nearly as good as many of us thought he would be coming into the NFL back in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the Jaguars seem to have found something with Liam Coen, their head coach.
A huge win over the LA Chargers does give them a head-to-head tiebreaker over LA if they were to need it, and the Jags are now 3-0 against AFC West opponents this year. They play the Denver Broncos in a few weeks, so that should be an interesting game.
Lawrence just has not been that good this year but has also played well enough for the Jaguars to win six of their first 10 games, which is good for something. He is no. 18 in our power rankings. When can this QB officially turn the corner? If not soon, will he ever in the NFL? Is he just a late-bloomer?
17. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are now 4-7 on the season after a win over the Washington Commanders in the latest NFL international game. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have not been a great team this year, but they are clearly still playing for head coach Mike McDaniel, and it seems like both McDaniel and Tagovailoa will each return in 2026.
The Dolphins’ starting QB, if nothing else, has never finished a season with a losing record, and that is good for something in today’s NFL. His ceiling is a bit lower when you look at other QBs in the NFL, but he has consistently won in the NFL.
And he can also be a high-end passer in the league as well. I don’t think the Dolphins have enough to make a playoff push or anything, but they have at least begun to stack some wins together, and that’s good for something.
Winning just one game in the NFL is hard, but the Dolphins are showing some fight out there, and Tua Tagovailoa is capable of playing well from time to time, so we have to give him credit for that.
16. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers hurt his non-throwing wrist in Week 11 and was playing reasonably well before the injury. Rodgers and the Steelers now move to 6-4 on the season after a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11.
It’s not been a great season for the Steelers, but they are again in a position to make the playoffs for the millionth year in a row, and probably lose in the first round yet again.
This team just is not special at anything, and the same goes for Rodgers - he’s still clearly an effective passer in the NFL and could honestly probably play well into 2026, but the Steelers did not need to sign Rodgers this year - they have to get serious about the QB situation if they hope to compete in the loaded AFC.
You could argue that Rodgers deserves to be higher in these power rankings, but no. 16 feels right. He’s a modest producer at this point of his NFL career but can also bring you some good and some bad as well. Can the Steelers close the deal and win the AFC North this year?
15. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers got their rear ends kicked in Week 11, and this was a result that I just did not see coming - I did think the Jags were capable of a win, but I did not see a blowout.
Despite the loss, the Chargers are still 7-4, but doesn’t it feel like this team is 4-7? The offensive line is banged up. The run game just isn’t there, and Justin Herbert hasn’t played all that well this year. With the Denver Broncos winning, the Chargers are now two full games behind them in the AFC West, and they travel to Denver near the end of the season.
Unless something radical changes, the Chargers are going to lose to the Broncos and likely have to settle for another Wild Card playoff berth. Justin Herbert drops to no. 15 in our QB power rankings, as this team went in the wrong direction in a massive way here in Week 11. Can something change? If not, this 2025 season is going to be a waste for the Bolts.
14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Yet again, the cardiac Chicago Bears come through in a big way. The Bears kicked a game-winning field goal in Week 11 to beat the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears are now 7-3 on the season, and their magical first year under head coach Ben Johnson continues.
Caleb Williams has been pretty amazing this year. Sure, he’s not really lighting up the stat sheet, but he’s honestly doing a lot of what Bo Nix has done - playing well when it matters the most.
The Bears figure to stay in the NFC North race for the rest of the season, but even if they do not win the division this year, they should still be able to clinch a Wild Card seed in the playoffs, and that is a huge accomplishment for this franchise, which has been struggling for years now.
Ben Johnson clearly has the skills to be a head coach in the NFL, and I would be shocked if Caleb Williams was not the Bears’ long-term answer at the position. This has been a great season for the Bears, and even if they went one-and-done in the playoffs, it would still be a great year.
13. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It might be time to worry about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they are now 6-4 on the season and actually only leading the 6-5 Carolina Panthers by a half-game in the NFC South standings. It’s hard to believe, but the Buccaneers might not be able to slam the door shut on the division this year.
The offense has largely been fine under Baker Mayfield, and he has consistently been a top 10-15 QB since signing with the Bucs back in the 2023 NFL Season. He’s done himself a ton of favors with this franchise, but his defense really hasn’t had his back much this year.
The Bucs lost to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, and it really was the defense that wasn’t able to close the deal. We’ll see if things change, but this might be something where Mayfield and the offense really have to lead the charge down the stretch, as Tampa is too talented to not make the playoffs this year.
Mayfield has also been a very good QB and in a way deserves to be in the playoffs, as he continually and consistently does a fine job for his teammates. Mayfield is no. 13 in our power rankings, as he and the Bucs have been sliding a bit, but they are absolutely able to improve.
12. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold takes a big hit in our latest QB rankings. A four-interception day from Darnold is about as bad as you could have predicted from the veteran QB, and this seems to be a theme with him, as Darnold collapsed down the stretch for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Season, and that could have been a main reason why the Vikings let him leave in free agency.
Darnold now has seven interceptions over his last four games and 10 on the season, which is a crazy figure. The Seattle Seahawks lost in Week 11, and this game kind of told us what we needed to know about this team, as the Seahawks vs. Rams was billed as one of the biggest games of the season.
I guess it isn’t a surprise that Darnold got out-played big-time and that Seattle lost. The Seahawks are still a very good team, but this just was not a good outing from Sam Darnold, and you have to hope that he can rebound, as Seattle’s season is going to go off the rails if he cannot here in the coming weeks.
Seattle is still within reach of the NFC West title, so the games will only get more important.
11. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are now 5-5 on the season and have won four games in a row since an injury-riddled 1-5 start just a month ago. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were not at their best in Week 11, but it was one of those expected, messy divisional games against a top defense in the Cleveland Browns.
But, in today’s NFL, a win is a win, and the Ravens did just that. With this team getting healthy at the right time, they could continue to stack these wins and do enough to win the AFC North this year, as the Pittsburgh Steelers just do not look that good if you ask me.
Jackson is also, for the most part, and in most circumstances, the best QB in the NFL, so he is going to get hot at some point. Baltimore should at least earn a Wild Card seed this year and are right back in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, is now no. 11 in our QB rankings has a ton of momentum going his direction. I would not be shocked if he made a huge leap in our QB rankings as the season progressed.
10. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers earned a hard-fought win over the New York Giants in Week 11. It’s not been easy for the Packers this year, as they have simply not risen to that level that a lot of us think they can hit, and it’s a bit concerning.
If we’re being real, here, the Packers should have blown out the Giants, but a win is a win in this league. Love has a 103.2 passer rating this year and was, for the most part, sharp in Week 11. However, the Packers still need to begin stacking more wins if they hope to gain some ground in the NFC North, and you could argue that Love has been the third-best QB in the division this year.
Overall, if nothing else, the Packers seem to be a good team, and that could be it right now. They might not be ready to make that leap into contention, and that could be due to the QB. What they have in place is a high-floor type of situation where they can continually win 9, 10, 11 games per year, but we’ve been wanting more from the Packers for a while now. Can Jordan Love bring that?
9. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos just keep finding ways to win, and I did elevate Nix quite a bit in our latest QB rankings. He might not be playing quite as well statistically as he was in 2024, but there is a different element to his game this year, and it comes out in the fourth quarter.
Nix and the Broncos kicked another walk-off field goal to win, and it brings them to 9-2, gives them their eighth win in a row, and also makes things very tough for the Kansas City Chiefs to catch up in the AFC West.
Bo Nix clearly has a clutch gene in him, and that is going to take the Denver Broncos quite far this year. The Broncos are now tied for the best record in the NFL and have not lost in two months now. Denver is on their bye in Week 12 and will have a perfect time to get rested and ready for the stretch run.
Nix has been a bit up-and-down this year, but he tends to buckle down when his team needs him the most, and the Broncos might be forced into that kind of situation when the playoffs roll around. Bo Nix should be able to guide his team in that event.
8. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen had six total touchdowns for the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it was one of those games for Allen. He did throw two interceptions, which wasn’t good, but he and the Buffalo Bills tend to respond well after a rough patch.
Buffalo got blown out by the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 and simply needed to win this game to get right. The Bills are still second in the AFC East, though, as the Patriots keep winning and are 9-2 on the season.
Allen, though, is one of the more experienced QBs in the NFL, so one slip-up from the Patriots could give Buffalo a shot at reclaiming the division, which is something they have won for years now.
Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and can be the best QB in the NFL in any given week. He’s just inside our top-10 through the first 11 weeks of the season and could climb a bit more if the Bills stack some wins and if Allen continues to fill up the stat sheet, much like he did this week.
7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles will have played on Sunday Night Football
There are still the same issues with Jalen Hurts, but he’s thrown just one interception on the year, so that’s good for something. As it’s been his entire career, Hurts is just not a consistent dropback passer in today’s NFL.
He’s not someone who a team can entrust to throw the ball 35 times per game and does need a lot to go right around him to be efficient. Hurts is averaging just 206.7 yards per game approaching Sunday Night Football and has been sacked 25 times in nine games.
His 112 passer rating approaching SNF would be the highest of his career, but I really have doubts about his ability to go toe-to-toe with Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. Hurts is an efficient passer in smaller doses but is not a QB who can air it out consistently.
Some have come at me for my takes on Jalen Hurts, but I just do not think he’s a special QB and is someone who the Eagles are simply winning with, not because of.
6. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Colts are on their bye in Week 11
With four interceptions over his last two games, Daniel Jones hasn’t really played super well lately. He’s also got six fumbles over the past two games and has been sacked 12 times over the last two as well.
The bye week may have come at a perfect time for the Indianapolis Colts, as the QB just hasn’t been that good lately. Still, though, the total body of work has been quite strong and is something being encouraged by.
The Colts are probably looking to extend Daniel Jones for a few seasons, as this team is 8-2, and it’s largely because of how efficient Jones has been for the bulk of the season.
But with Indy having a brutally tough schedule to end the 2025 NFL Season, some have wondered if the wheels could begin to fall off for Jones, as we have seen that over the past couple of games. The Colts lost two weeks ago and needed overtime to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones is in a good spot in our power rankings, but is also on shaky ground a bit.
5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are now 5-5 on the season after a pretty ugly loss to the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs not only fall farther behind the Broncos in the AFC West, but they are again outside of the playoff picture, looking in.
There is a world where the Chiefs miss the playoffs this year, as the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars are in a Wild Card position thus far and already have a win over the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was simply bad in Week 11 against a tough Broncos’ defense, but he’s still been among the best QBs in the NFL this year.
And he typically always is, but I really do not think the Chiefs are going to magically figure things out this year - they are now 0-5 in one-score games after winning all 11 of those games in the regular season back in 2024.
Mahomes still has that magic in him, but it only impacts so much, as the talent around him just isn’t that good anymore, and the Chiefs looked shockingly bad after their bye week, which is usually when they are at their best. Mahomes is still a healthy no. 5 in our QB rankings.
4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys play on Monday Night Football
Dak Prescott has been great this year and is fresh off the bye week. The 3-5-1 Dallas Cowboys play the Las Vegas Raiders and are sporting two new defensive additions in Logan Wilson and Quinnen Williams, two players they acquired at the NFL trade deadline.
And it was good to see Jerry Jones do this, as the Cowboys have a great offense, and Dak Prescott is having another insane season. He has 17 touchdowns this year through nine games and a stellar 98.8 passer rating approaching Monday Night Football.
Prescott has always been a high-end QB but does have a lot of hate come his way because he plays for the Dallas Cowboys. However, there isn’t much Prescott can’t do from the position, and he’s going to end his NFL career very high on some major QB categories.
The offense has done its job this year, but it’s now time for that improved defense to hold their own. If the defense is better, then the Cowboys would be good enough to go on a bit of a run, as Dak Prescott has played at an MVP level during 2025, period.
3. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Lions will have played on Sunday Night Football
With 20 touchdown passes through nine games, Jared Goff has to be seen as an MVP candidate approaching Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles, and if the Lions were to win this game, I think we would need to have a pretty interesting conversation about the QB if he’s a reason why they won.
Goff has been very good for most of his NFL career, but his fizzling out those last couple of years with the LA Rams got him sent to the Detroit Lions. Goff has revived his career and currently has a 117.7 passer rating and is completing 74% of his passes, which is just an insane number.
Goff is also approaching the 40,000-yard mark and is just 31 years old, so he’s also a QB who could rise up some of these all-time leaderboards over the next few seasons. The one thing that might go against Jared Goff is that he’s not a dual-threat QB, so he doesn’t have that pizzazz that other QBs do like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen.
However, he is absolutely in that tier and could play in the Super Bowl this year, as the Lions might just be good enough to make a run. The veteran QB continues to rank high in our QB rankings.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Average nearly 260 yards per game, Drake Maye is playing out of his mind. He’s thrown 20 touchdown passes through 11 games this year and has a stellar 113.2 passer rating. He has taken 36 sacks this year, which is a number you’d love to see fall, but Maye’s second year is a true breakout, and the New England Patriots are 9-2 on the season
After beating the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, the Pats got to sit back and watch the rest of the NFL. It’s honestly hard to believe how good this team is, but Mike Vrabel has made quick work of this team, and pairing Maye with Josh McDaniels was an outstanding move.
Maye is also completing nearly 72% of his passes, which would be an elite figure for an eight-year veteran, so being able to do this as a second-year player just makes this season even more wild.
We’re to the point where we have to ask if Drake Maye is an elite QB and already among the very best in the NFL. With the Patriots headed toward an AFC East title and a top-3 seed in the playoffs, they’ll have a chance to make a deep playoff run.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford has not thrown an interception since September 21st, and the Los Angeles Rams cruised to another victory, this time over the Seattle Seahawks in what seemed to be one of the biggest games of the season for both teams. The Rams now improve to 8-2 on the season and seem to be in a great position to win the NFC West this year, but I guess we can’t count out the Seahawks or Niners from making a late run.
However, at the end of the day, Stafford has been the best QB in the NFL this year and is honestly rumbling toward his first NFL MVP award, and it would be much-deserved, as the Rams are a juggernaut, and Stafford is playing the best ball of his career.
He is again no. 1 in our power rankings and likely isn’t slowing down anytime soon. It’s quite amazing to see someone like Stafford playing this well, as he was always incredibly talented but sometimes fell under the radar a bit.