Who’s the NFL’s best quarterback? Who’s the NFL’s worst quarterback? Since the season is ongoing, it’s only fair to evaluate all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks based on their 2025 performance. That means the typical greats like Patrick Mahomes won’t rank No. 1, simply because he hasn’t been at his very best this year. Scroll down for the full 2025 NFL QB rankings, from 1-32.
1. Matthew Stafford (Last Week: 1)
Facing off in the Stafford-Goff showdown, the Rams managed to come out ahead thanks to excellent QB play. Stafford did toss an interception to Aidan Hutchinson on the first drive, but he settled in nicely to finish with 368 passing yards and two touchdowns. The crazy part is Stafford even missed a few throws, which would have led to an even better stat line for the MVP favorite.
2. Drake Maye (LW: 2)
While he didn’t win the first Allen vs Maye showdown of the season, the Patriots’ QB got off to an incredible start, rushing for touchdowns on back-to-back drives. Unfortunately, New England’s offense went ice-cold in the second half as Maye produced just 47 more yards and an interception in 30 minutes of play. After finishing with just 155 yards, Maye’s MVP candidacy took a hit.
3. Josh Allen (LW: 4)
The Bills’ offense got off to a slower start by trailing 21-0. Then, the beast woke up, with Allen leading the Bills on five consecutive touchdown drives to keep the AFC East title in play. The final stat line wasn’t anything impressive. He completed 19-of-28 passes for 193 yards, but he did manage to pass for three touchdowns. Plus, Allen tacked on 50 yards as a rusher, doing everything he needed to will his team to victory.
4. Jared Goff (LW: 5)
Goff couldn’t win the matchup against his former team, but he did everything he could to rally the Lions to victory. The former No. 1 pick went off for 338 yards and two touchdowns in a high-scoring affair that went down to the wire. Goff was only sacked once and he didn’t commit any turnovers, but Detroit’s rushing game couldn’t get anything going and that put the Lions in a lot of tough situations that Goff just couldn’t consistently pull them out of.
5. Dak Prescott (LW: 3)
The Vikings’ pressure-heavy defense largely kept CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in check, but Prescott still racked up 294 passing yards. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to find the end zone, and Brandon Aubrey missing two field goals made the end result look even worse. Dallas now needs to win out to even have a chance at the postseason, but at least their franchise QB is back to being elite.
6. Jordan Love (LW: 6)
Facing one of the NFL’s toughest defenses, Love had his fair share of ups and downs. The Packers QB completed 24-of-40 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown, but it was the two interceptions that ended Green Bay’s hopes of knocking off one of the NFL’s hottest teams. Though, to be fair, one of them bounced off his receiver’s hands. Considering the difficulty of his opponent, Love performed well.
7. Sam Darnold (LW: 7)
Darnold’s play has tapered off as of late. That continued Sunday against the Colts, where he completed 22-of-37 passes for 271 yards. But he wasn’t able to find the end zone. He didn’t toss any interceptions and was only sacked once. But he struggled when under pressure, leading to six field goals from Jason Myers. Yet, Darnold was able to get his team in scoring position when it mattered most, and that keeps Seattle moving in the right direction.
8. Jalen Hurts (LW: 13)
Blowing out the Raiders, Hurts didn’t even need to play the full game to put up a strong stat line. Hurts was nearly flawless, completing 12-of-15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. He even added another 39 yards as a rusher. This one should make A.J. Brown a bit happier after he caught a touchdown pass while seeing his QB thrive in all other areas.
9. Patrick Mahomes (LW: 8)
For the first time since he became the Chiefs’ starter in 2018, Kansas City won’t be playing in the AFC Championship. They won’t even be in the playoffs. More concerning is the knee injury suffered late in the loss. Yet, even before the injury, Mahomes wasn’t playing his best. He’d finish the game with an underwhelming 189 yards and a pick.
Related: 11 Kansas City Chiefs QB Solutions in 2026 After Patrick Mahomes ACL Injury
10. Bo Nix (LW: 14)
Nix put forth one of his best games yet on Sunday, completing 23-of-34 passes for 304 yards and tying a career-high with four touchdowns. Amazingly, he did all this without taking a single sack or committing a turnover. Winners of 11 games in a row, it feels like Nix can do no wrong right now.
11. Justin Herbert (LW: 10)
While he’s no longer being listed on the injury report, the Chargers are taking the ball out of Herbert’s hands more in the past few weeks as he recovers from a broken hand. Herbert wasn’t asked to do much, but he performed well when called upon, completing 19-of-29 passes for 190 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Most importantly, the Chargers got another win and even eliminated the Chiefs in the process.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
12. Lamar Jackson (LW: 15)
We haven’t seen a lot of magic from the two-time MVP this season, and the Ravens didn’t ask a ton of their weapon this week either. Yet, when Jackson was put into action, he was excellent. He completed 8-of-12 passes for a robust 150 yards and two touchdowns. He did have an interception and only added 26 yards as a rusher, but the Ravens were dominant in this one, so he didn’t have to do anything too risky.
Related: 1 Bold Prediction for Each Game on NFL Week 15 Schedule
13. Baker Mayfield (LW: 12)
As someone who will be self-described “haunted” by his performance in Thursday night’s loss to Atlanta, Mayfield is readily admitting that he hasn’t been himself as of late. It’s true. The two-time Pro Bowler has completed just 76-of-139 passes (54.6%) for 161.4 YPG in his past five contests. Yet, the former No. 1 pick has also been battling a left shoulder injury, which seems to be impacting him more than he and the Bucs are ready to admit.
14. Caleb Williams (LW: 19)
Taking on the best defensive end in football, Caleb Williams performed brilliantly under pressure. While the rest of the Browns’ defense has some holes, Williams did his best to find them, completing 17-of-28 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He even had social media buzzing after throwing a dime of a touchdown across his body through a pinhole window.
15. Trevor Lawrence (LW: 21)
The former No. 1 overall pick made history as the first player to pass for five touchdowns, run for another, and finish with 50 rushing yards. Lawrence was locked in against the Jets, playing arguably the best game of his career. The question is, can he and Liam Coen keep it up?
16. Aaron Rodgers (LW: 16)
Rodgers just finished with the second-highest completion rate of his career. It’s a sign that the four-time MVP is locked in as the Steelers try keeping their playoff hopes alive. Rodgers didn’t turn the ball over once and he still managed to produce a respectable 224 yards to go with two scores all while playing carefully, yet effectively.
17. C.J. Stroud (LW: 19)
While he and the Texans started their season on a low note, they’ve both been much better as of late. This time, Stroud was in the zone, connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. With the Raiders up next, the Texans should be able to maintain their momentum for at least another week.
18. Bryce Young (LW: 17)
The former No. 1 overall pick has strung together some excellent performances as of late, but the Panthers didn’t get his best on Sunday. Young completed just 15-of-24 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, but he did manage to add 49 more yards as a rusher. Young got lucky with a defender dropping a would-be interception here, but he had a few other nice throws in what was overall another up-and-down game from the 24-year-old.
19. Brock Purdy (LW: 22)
Purdy put forth his best effort of the season yet, completing 23-of-30 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. He even added another 44 yards as a rusher. But of course, it came against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Still, Purdy looked elite in this one.
20. Jacoby Brissett (LW: 18)
Brissett has now started six consecutive games without a win, yet expectations should have been low against the NFL’s best defense. Considering his tough opponent, Brissett didn’t perform poorly. He completed a respectable 27-of-40 passes for 249 yards, three touchdowns, and one red zone interception. The Cardinals would be wise to draft a QB and let him compete with Brissett next season, who will be playing in a contract year.
21. Joe Burrow (LW: 11)
Burrow’s third start back from a turf toe injury that robbed him of nine games didn’t go according to plan. The Bengals QB completed 25-of-39 passes for 225 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. Afterward, he said that no NFL QB could have won while playing the way he did. We’d have to agree.
22. Jaxson Dart (LW: 25)
Dart is getting used to playing without his top weapons, but he’s been able to build some strong chemistry with Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson, while Darius Slayton has had some tough drops. Dart kept the Giants in this one by completing 20-of-36 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Of course, Dart also chipped in 63 more yards as a rusher too. We’re intrigued to see what he can do with Cam Skattebo in the backfield and Malik Nabers split out wide next season.
23. Kirk Cousins (LW: 32)
Coming off what will likely (and hopefully) be his worst start of the season, Cousins put forth what will surely be his best performance. The 4x Pro Bowler established what looked like an unstoppable connection with Kyle Pitts while going off for 373 passing yards and three touchdowns. That could be enough for a team to give him a chance at a starting role again in 2026. Or will Atlanta hold on after the Michael Penix ACL injury?
Related: 6 Atlanta Falcons 2026 QB Fixes After Penix’s Reconstructive Knee Surgery
24. Tua Tagovailoa (LW: 23)
The Dolphins got out to yet another slow start, and Tua Tagovailoa’s early interception didn’t help. Though, they do deserve credit for rallying the troops for 12 points in the fourth quarter. Yet, if Tua had been able to avoid the four sacks taken or protect the football, then we’d be a lot more impressed with the 253 yards and two touchdowns he produced.
Related: 2025 NFL Report Card: Grading All 32 Teams Before Week 16
25. Tyler Shough (LW: 26)
The Saints may have found their franchise QB with the 26-year-old Tyler Shough. He’s led the Saints to win in three of their past five contests, with each win coming against his NFC South divisional opponents. He only had 13-of-20 completions for 144 yards and a pick, but Shough surprisingly added 55 yards and two touchdowns as a rusher. We’d imagine he’ll return in 2026 as the starting QB, but we wouldn’t be surprised if he faced some competition.
26. Marcus Mariota
Playing much more than Washington ever wanted, Mariota had performed better than most expected. That continued with a win on Sunday, completing 10-of-19 passes for an impressive 211 yards and a touchdown. He chipped in another 43 yards as a rusher, but he did lose a fumble too. Chances are he’ll be back out there, trying to show teams he’s capable of being a high-end backup again next year.
27. J.J. McCarthy (LW: 29)
It looked like the former first-round pick was about to post another dud game, starting with a tipped pass that went for an interception. Then, McCarthy turned the night around and settled in for one of his best games yet. He’d complete 15-of-24 passes for a respectable 250 yards and two scores (plus a rushing touchdown). The Vikings have nothing else to play for, but McCarthy found a way to rally the troops anyway. It was a very positive sign for Minnesota’s QB room.
28. Shedeur Sanders (LW: 27)
The Browns aren’t giving their fifth-round rookie QB much help by way of protection or his pass-catchers, but Sanders deserves some blame in the 28-point loss. Five sacks and three interceptions are not acceptable, but one of those picks should have been a touchdown had Jerry Jeudy not been robbed by Jaylon Johnson. Otherwise, Sanders completed 18-of-35 passes for 177 yards, but he had some really nicely placed passes. He’s been the Browns’ best QB this season, by far.
29. Cam Ward (LW: 31)
Facing Robert Saleh’s defense, Ward managed to record his second consecutive game with multiple touchdown passes, showing his recent growth. The final stat lines still aren’t pretty. Ward completed 18-of-29 passes for 170 yards and only had two rushing yards. Yet for the first time all season, the No. 1 pick didn’t get sacked once, and that is a big win for Tennessee.
30. Philip Rivers (Daniel Jones ranked 9th)
Taking the field after 1,800 days without throwing an NFL pass, Rivers performed about as expected for a 44-year-old grandpa. He’d complete a respectable 18-of-27 passes, but only for 120 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He wasn’t particularly impressive, but he gave the Colts a chance to win. It’s enough to build off of, but obviously he’ll have to be better to give Indianapolis a shot at the playoffs.
31. Brady Cook (Tyrod Taylor ranked 30th)
An undrafted QB making his first NFL start, what did the Jets expect? Cook ended with three interceptions (including one in the red zone), while completing 22-of-33 passes for 176 yards in a game that was never close. As sad as it is, this looks like a typical passing line from Jets QBs this season, though the completion rate is a bit higher than they’re used to. For a team that’s competing for draft picks rather than wins, the Jets would be better off evaluating Cook and/or Justin Fields (if healthy) to finish out the season.
32. Kenny Pickett (Geno Smith ranked 28th)
After 13 ugly starts from Geno Smith, Raiders fans became desperate to see a new starting quarterback. They got one after Smith’s injury. Somehow, Kenny Pickett was even worse. He played the entire game, but he finished with just 64 passing yards and an interception. We never thought we’d say this in 2025, but getting Smith back under center would be a big win for Las Vegas (at least compared to Pickett).
