The offseason is here. What better time to argue about quarterbacks?
This list is not to be taken as a ranking of how QBs performed in 2024, but rather where they stand heading into 2025. All things being equal, who are you taking to win you a game right now?
Let's discuss.
The core 4
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes leading this list is bound to be controversial after a Super Bowl beatdown, but it really shouldn't be. The Chiefs star is still on a Tom Brady-like career path, and there's no one you'd rather have on your team if you want to win.
Josh Allen
Nobody saw the Bills going as far as they did this year, but anything is possible with a unicorn quarterback under center. An all-time great set of physical skills alongside what's now a borderline mistake-free style of play is a devastating combination. Allen's MVP award may be the first of many.
Lamar Jackson
Jackson became the first player in NFL history to throw for 40-plus touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions. He also added a position-best 915 rushing yards, a total that pushed him past Michael Vick as the career leader among quarterbacks. Jackson remains the most dangerous weapon in football.
Joe Burrow
Burrow would have been right there in the MVP conversation were it not for a dreadful Bengals defense. He bounced back from last year's wrist injury to play the best football of his career, leading the league in yards and touchdowns. The Bengals may have a tough time keeping his supporting cast together, but they'll be just fine as long as Burrow is running the show.
Ceiling raisers
Justin Herbert
This is where the real debates start. Herbert hasn't won nearly enough for most to consider him in this spot. His four-interception game in this year's playoffs doesn't help - but it came after a regular season in which he got picked off just three times. The pure passing talent is right on par with the group at the top of this list, and the wins should come when the Chargers get the chance to add playmakers around him.
Matthew Stafford
Don't let age deceive you. Stafford has always exemplified the way a pocket passer can elevate an offense, and he's not showing any signs of slowing down. If the Rams can't figure out his contract situation, the 37-year-old immediately becomes the best option for any team needing a quarterback.
Jalen Hurts
Hurts has his limitations when it comes to dealing with pressure and working through progressions. He demonstrated en route to a Super Bowl MVP that it doesn't much matter. The Eagles star is an outstanding leader, he throws vertical shots as well as anyone, and he's always at his best in the biggest games. Hurts is also a dynamic runner - he now has the two best rushing performances by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. All he does is win.
Dak Prescott
The Cowboys are the butt of a lot of jokes these days, and deservedly so. Prescott catching strays by association is a bridge too far, as he remains one of the best pocket passers in the game. The Cowboys are fortunate to have stumbled onto him, and his extension is one of the few good decisions they've made lately.
C.J. Stroud
Stroud struggled at times as a sophomore, but that had more to do with the Texans' scheme and offensive line than a talent regression. A coordinator change and an opportunity to upgrade the pass protection should set him back on the superstar trajectory he established as a rookie.
Knocking on the door
Jared Goff
Goff was once the poster boy for average quarterback play. It's a tough label to shake, but he did it. He's improved every season since making the move to Detroit, culminating in a career-best EPA/dropback mark in 2024. Goff's steady presence gives the Lions a chance to soften the blow of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's departure.
Geno Smith
It's easy to understand why people are hesitant to truly believe in Smith's emergence - he spent six years as a backup before finally getting another chance as a starter in Seattle. But the tape doesn't lie. The former Jets bust has revitalized his career to the point where his arm talent and downfield aggressiveness truly elevate the situation around him. The wins will come if the Seahawks can put together an offensive line that doesn't get him beat up.
Jordan Love
Love being exposed as a Toyotathon merchant is incredible content. His play isn't actually connected to the annual car sales event's timing (we think), but the hilarious theory perfectly encapsulates his hot-and-cold stretches. There are some rough patches of decision-making and then some playmaking highs that few in the league can match. He's oddly reminiscent of Brett Favre. Complimentary? Derogatory? Depends on the day. The upside is what championship dreams are made of.
Jayden Daniels
Daniels was easily the best player in a stacked rookie quarterback class. We'll hold out for another year before moving him even further up this list, but he's off to a fantastic start. Never flustered in the pocket, the LSU product has already shown incredible growth from his college days - and NFL defenders are having just as much trouble catching him as a runner. The Commanders might have the league's next superstar quarterback.
Solid starters
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa has mastered Mike McDaniel's offense. His limitations in terms of athleticism and arm talent would probably keep him from being as successful in other systems, hence the mid-level ranking. But that takes nothing away from what he's accomplished in Miami with his elite timing and anticipation. The Dolphins can compete with Tua under center.
Kyler Murray
Murray might have a case for a spot in the second tier if this list were only about peaks. His arm talent and ability to make things happen off schedule open the door for all sorts of big plays. But that can't be the basis of an offense. Murray has been far too inconsistent when it comes to working within structure for the Cardinals, and it's fair to wonder whether that will ever change.
Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence should be a top-10 quarterback at this point. He's played at that level at times, but the Jaguars' entire operation was a mess last season. Considering the talent Lawrence showed before things started falling apart around him, don't be surprised if new head coach Liam Coen gets him back on track. A healthy Lawrence at the controls of a Bucs-like offense could provide some fireworks.
Brock Purdy
The Purdy debate has always been fascinating. His success in his first two seasons was undeniable. But how much of it was due to a cast of superstars? We found out this year as injuries hit the 49ers' offense in a big way. The reality: Purdy probably isn't as bad as he appeared this year, nor as good as he seemed beforehand. He's somewhere in the middle, right where he is on this list.
Ascendant young guns
Caleb Williams
Williams' rookie season didn't quite go according to plan. The Bears' coaching and protection issues didn't help matters, but he also led the league in sacks where the QB was responsible, according to PFF. The traits that made him a No. 1 pick did occasionally become visible, however, and Ben Johnson's offense should help that happen more consistently. Williams still has a chance to be the best quarterback from his class.
Drake Maye
Maye's rookie season understandably flew under the radar - most people had stopped paying attention to the Patriots when he took over as the starter. Just make sure you're watching in 2025. The No. 3 overall pick was quietly spectacular despite a horrific supporting cast. The upgrade in coaching, along with some potential big-money moves around him, could have Maye poised to take off.
Bryce Young
Patience is paying off in Carolina. Young has all but shed the bust label after an incredibly promising sophomore campaign. His size will always present challenges, but his renewed confidence after an early-season benching allowed the playmaking qualities that made him a superstar at Alabama to resurface. Young could soar up this list if next season brings more of the same.
Bo Nix
The Broncos may have themselves a quarterback. Some of Nix's rookie-season production can be chalked up to the Broncos' scheme - 26.1% of his pass attempts were to a receiver behind the line of scrimmage, according to Next Gen Stats - but he also flashed the ability to push the ball downfield. Nix could be the perfect player to manage coach Sean Payton's offense.
Capable vets
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield has re-established himself as a capable starter in this second act of his career, and it's one of the coolest stories in football right now. The veteran quarterback has guided the Bucs to division titles in his two seasons in Tampa Bay. The offense did the heavy lifting in 2024 despite some injuries at receiver, with Mayfield leading the way to a fourth-ranked finish in scoring.
Sam Darnold
Although Darnold's breakout may have been aided by an outstanding situation in Minnesota, he deserves credit for getting his career back on track. The talent is there if he can continue to improve his decision-making.
Derek Carr
Carr is a perfectly fine starter. The price tag will never match the production - he's on the books for a $51.4-million cap hit in 2025 - but he was actually playing some of his best football this season before the injuries.
Vets near the end
Aaron Rodgers
For a few fleeting moments this season, it seemed like Rodgers had a little something left in the tank. Perhaps he could give you mid-level quarterback play another year removed from his Achilles injury. Gambling on that, and doing everything necessary to make him comfortable, won't be worth it for most teams.
Kirk Cousins
Cousins may well be washed, but let's give it one more year to be sure. He revealed after the season that he was playing through arm and shoulder injuries from Week 10 until his benching. Before that point, he was tied for seventh in EPA/dropback. Could he bounce back when healthy? Cousins will be available on a league-minimum deal if the Falcons release him despite a fully guaranteed $27.5-million salary.
Russell Wilson
Wilson is a one-trick pony now that age has robbed him of his mobility. Those vertical shots down the sideline are still a beautiful thing, but they can't sustain an offense alone, as the Steelers discovered. Wilson needs a perfect situation to be an impact starter at this stage.
Too early to tell
Michael Penix Jr.
Three games to finish the season is a small sample size, but it's easy to be encouraged about what Penix displayed down the stretch as a rookie. The arm talent is real, he's not afraid to rip it, and he made good decisions with the ball. Penix is one to watch in 2025.
Anthony Richardson
Nobody should give up on Richardson yet. The former No. 3 pick always needed reps to put it all together, and he's shown flashes of the talent that made him such an intriguing prospect. That said, the Colts will run out of patience if his accuracy and decision-making don't improve quickly.
J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy seems poised to take over the starting job in Minnesota after missing his rookie season with a knee injury. We won't know much until he gets on the field in the regular season, but it would be a serious vote of confidence if the Vikings let Sam Darnold walk for nothing after a 14-win season.
The rest
Aidan O'Connell
O'Connell is probably best suited to be a quality backup. A lack of athleticism limits him exclusively to the pocket, and he doesn't quite have the arm talent to make that work consistently. He'll have a long career nonetheless.
Will Levis
Levis still has some upside. A rare combination of arm talent and athleticism is always worth a look. But the chaotic decision-making that often leaves him watching in disbelief as the defense takes the ball back the other way won't fly in the NFL. Levis needs to rein it in if he's ever going to live up to his potential.
Drew Lock
Lock wasn't much of an upgrade over Daniel Jones. He's a backup who has a chance to get hot if he's forced into action.
Deshaun Watson
Watson probably won't play next season after a setback in his recovery from an Achilles injury. If his performance is any consideration, the Browns probably won't let him see the field ever again. Only Zach Wilson produced a worse EPA/dropback among QBs with at least 19 starts over the last three seasons. The Watson trade and subsequent contract remain the worst moves in NFL history.
