The quarterback position is the most scrutinized, critiqued, and discussed in the NFL. While the NFL is a team game, the quarterback position has more impact than any other position. That's why the spotlight shines so bright on this position and why fans and NFL talking heads debate it so much.
Before training camps get underway, I thought it would be fun to sit down and rank the starting quarterbacks of every NFL team from 1–32. I've broken them into six tiers to help add a little clarity on where I see divisions amongst the QBs as well. So without further ado, let's kick things off with the best of the best.
Quarterback Tier 1: The NFL's Best
1. Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
When I did my offseason quarterback power rankings a year ago, I had Mahomes in his own tier. While I still think he's the clear number one, another season of lower statistics (by his standards) has closed the gap a little.
2. Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
Flip a coin between Allen and Jackson for the 2/3 spots. They are both physical freaks who have been absolute stars in the regular season but haven't been able to get past Patrick Mahomes and win the big one yet.
3. Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
See the comments for Allen above.
4. Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
I think this is the correct spot for Burrow. He's in the elite tier but doesn't have the freakish physical upside of Allen or Jackson or the Super Bowl rings like Patrick Mahomes.
Quarterback Tier 2: Top Ten Talent
Let me preface this tier by admitting that I swapped the order of these four quarterbacks about a dozen times. I had to pick an order here, but unlike some of the other tiers where I felt pretty solid on the order, this one was really hard for me. I do think they are all clear top ten talents.
5. Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders
Ultimately, Daniels ended up at the top of this tier because I think he has the most upside. He also could suffer a sophomore slump, but he won me over last season. I'm a believer.
6. Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
It's hard to argue with being the reigning Super Bowl champion. Hurts has times when he looks like he belongs alongside Allen and Jackson in the tier above, but other times he looks like he really needs Philly's run game to help carry the offense.
7. Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
Stafford is the most proven and consistent of this group, but he's also the one who is now in decline. I think he still has another top ten season in him. He just has to stay healthy.
8. Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
While Herbert doesn't have the rushing upside of Daniels and Hurts, he has the best upside as a pure passer in this tier. In fact, he has some similarities as a player to Stafford, who is right ahead of him in these rankings. Chargers' fans have to hope that this is the season that he finally lives up to that potential and becomes a true star.
Quarterback Tier 3: Really Good But Not Great (Yet?)
This tier is a weird mix of guys who excel in quarterback-friendly systems, some young up-and-comers, and some veterans whose ceiling is probably fringe top ten.
9. Jared Goff - Detroit Lions
Goff is the king of the "system guys." I'd say he's a lock to put up top ten numbers again, but with Ben Johnson now in Chicago, will his "system" still run as smoothly? If it does, it will give Goff fans a case for him moving up a tier next year.
10. Brock Purdy - San Francisco 49ers
A younger version of Goff. It's probably not fair, but if Purdy does well, people credit Shanahan, and if he struggles, then it's his fault. He's shown enough promise, though, that there's reason to believe he'll be very good again this season.
11. C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans
Stroud was not a top ten quarterback last season, but it's hard to deny the potential he's shown in his first two seasons in the NFL. He's at 11 now, but I feel confident that he won't be in this same spot a year from now. He'll either have developed into a clear top ten guy, or the fraud alert will be going off and he'll be sliding down the board.
12. Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
Love and Stroud are very similar in outlook. They both have shown huge upside, but neither has quite proven their upper-tier status yet. Like Stroud, Love has a chance to jump up the board, but if he doesn't, it might be time to question if he ever will.
13. Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There is an argument to be made that Baker belongs several spots higher on this list and should be in the top ten after last season. He did have a top ten season, but I believe last season was his ceiling. If he proves me wrong this year, then I'll eat my words and bump him up higher.
14. Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
Prescott is actually a good example of why I'm not sold on Baker as a fixture in the top ten. Prescott has had top ten seasons but just isn't consistently great. Prescott is better than half the quarterbacks in the league, but I just don't believe we'll see him carry a team and claim elite status.
Quarterback Tier 4: Veteran QBs With Some Questions
This is another interesting mix of different quarterbacks, but all have something to prove.
15. Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
It seems like there is a stretch each year where Kyler Murray looks like a top ten quarterback, but then he either gets injured or defenses catch up to what the Cardinals are doing, and things fizzle out. If he's ever going to beat that reputation, he needs to do it soon.
16. Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
I know I've said this about several other quarterbacks at this point, including Murray in the last spot, but it's put-up-or-shut-up time for Trevor Lawrence. He has all the physical tools, and now he has a couple of first-round wide receiver talents to throw to. I think there's still elite upside in him, but there's also a reason I have him a tier below guys like Stroud and Love.
17. Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
Dolphins fans will claim that Tua belongs in the tier above with Goff and Purdy, but at the end of the day, I've seen less overall from him. He hasn't delivered at all in the playoffs, and it looks like the Dolphins team as a whole is trending in the wrong direction.
18. Geno Smith - Las Vegas Raiders
I really wanted to put Geno Smith higher in these rankings. I like Smith and think he's a more proven product than the three guys above him in this tier. The problem is that his best wide receiver in Las Vegas is Jakobi Meyers, and his best overall pass catcher is his tight end (a position he didn't really utilize in Seattle).
19. Aaron Rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers
Could Aaron Rodgers embrace a run-heavy, tight end-heavy, play-action-based offense that features deep throws to DK Metcalf and have himself one last top ten-caliber season? Sure, but he could also butt heads with Arthur Smith and try to force him to run the system he's been running for years despite the Steelers not having the personnel for it, and things could quickly turn into a giant dumpster fire. I lean toward the latter.
Quarterback Tier 5: Young Promising Talent (and Russell Wilson)
20. Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears
I was a believer in Williams coming out of college. Last year wasn't great, but the system was a mess. I believe in Ben Johnson, Williams' talent, and their pass catchers, so I still have him at the top of this promising young talent tier.
21. Bo Nix - Denver Broncos
Broncos fans will probably be mad that I slotted Williams ahead of Nix, when Nix outplayed him last season, but I have more confidence in Williams taking a big step forward this season and think it will be enough just for Nix to prove that his rookie year wasn't a fluke.
22. Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers
After an awful start to his NFL career, Young looked like he had turned it around in the second half of last season. I'm going to need to see a full season of that level of play (or better) before I become a true believer, but at least there is some hope now.
23. Michael Penix/Kirk Cousins - Atlanta Falcons
I am a pretty big Penix fan and think he has a chance to have a breakout season this year. He's got a lot to prove, but he has the weapons around him to make it happen. I'm hoping Cousins embraces the mentor role and commits to helping Penix.
24. Drake Maye - New England Patriots
I wish I felt better about Maye's supporting cast because I liked what I saw from him last season in an awful situation. I'm just not convinced that the Patriots added enough around him to let him shine in year two.
25. J.J. McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings
I believe in Kevin O'Connell and the pass-catching options in Minnesota, so J.J. McCarthy has every reason to succeed this year. He just has zero experience and is coming off an injury. Could he be great? Sure, but I'd keep the expectations low in his first real season.
26. Russell Wilson/Jaxson Dart - New York Giants
Starting the veteran Wilson and letting Dart have time to adjust to the NFL and learn the offense is the right call, but I'm worried that Wilson could be a nightmare fit for a hot-tempered head coach and young diva wide receiver. This could get messy quickly.
27. Cam Ward - Tennessee Titans
I think Cam Ward has upside, just maybe not first-overall-pick-level upside. I'm guessing Ward will get thrown to the wolves early, and I'm not sure that's what is best for him. He'll likely have some "wow" moments, but with a whole lot of growing pains mixed in.
Quarterback Tier 6: Teams Already Scouting The 2026 QB Prospects
28. Sam Darnold - Seattle Seahawks
This ranking probably isn't fair to Darnold. He's a more proven NFL starting caliber quarterback than most of the guys in the tier above him and I won't be surprised if he outplays a lot of them. The problem is that he is a guy that needs things really good around him to succeed and he just downgraded in coach/scheme and pass catching weapons. I think he's one and done in Seattle.
29. Justin Fields - New York Jets
Fields couldn't beat out Russell Wilson last season. I think that about says it all. He'll have some nice plays with his legs and will hopefully force-feed Garrett Wilson, but he isn't the long-term solution in New York.
30. Joe Flacco/Shedeur Sanders - Cleveland Browns
The Browns have the messiest quarterback situation, maybe ever. Flacco is good for a few YOLO starts (and throws) but shouldn't be a starting quarterback anymore. Sanders has every reason to be motivated to prove the NFL wrong, but does he have the talent to back it up? I'm doubtful, especially in this mess of a situation.
31. Anthony Richardson/Daniel Jones - Indianappolis Colts
The Colts desperately need Anthony Richardson to come in and prove he is ready to lead and improve over last season. If he isn't any better as a passer, or if they have to turn to Daniel Jones, it will be a long season and they'll definitely be in the market for a new QB in 2026.
32. Tyler Shough/Spencer Rattler - New Orleans Saints
Shough was a questionable pick as a developmental heir to take over for Derek Carr in a year or two, but when Carr had to retire because of injury issues, it became an even more questionable pick. Spencer Rattler may be the opening day starter, and I'm guessing Saints fans aren't feeling too optimistic about the long-term potential of either of these two quarterback options. Go ahead and start the Arch Manning speculation now.