We’ve officially reached the doldrums of the NFL season, which is a perfect time for 2025 NFL QB rankings.
Finally, after nearly a decade of bad quarterback play, the Denver Broncos have their guy in Bo Nix.
But even after an electrifying rookie season, national analysts are still ranking Nix in the bottom-half of the NFL. Where does he land on our list?
2025 NFL QB Rankings: There’s a new king
ESPN’s QB rankings from execs and coaches came out today, and guess who’s at the top of the list? It’s Patrick Mahomes.
You don’t have to be a film buff to know Mahomes isn’t the best quarterback in the NFL anymore. At least, not according to his play in 2024. The dude has slipped, even if he helped push that sad Chiefs team to a Super Bowl blowout loss.
The new top dog is Josh Allen. Allen has scored the most touchdowns than any quarterback over the last three years and it’s not close. He has 127, Jalen Hurts has 105, Mahomes has 100. After him, it’s MVP runner up Lamar Jackson. Jackson has become a great passer and is still one of the deadliest players in the league with the ball in his hands.
Tier 1: Best QBs in the NFL Today
1. Josh Allen: Giant arm, a load to tackle when he runs, plus he has enough speed to score from 20-plus yards out. Allen is a touchdown machine and simply the best quarterback in the NFL today. Of course, he and Jackson both need to get past the Chiefs at some point to cement true legendary status.
2. Lamar Jackson: Jackson probably should’ve been the MVP and he has been playing phenomenally the last few years. His TD/INT ratio (41/4) was the best in the NFL last year, and the dude nearly hit 1,000 yards rushing (915), too. He’s an unstoppable force on the football field.
3. Patrick Mahomes: He’s still Patrick Mahomes. But he’s lost a little something along the way. The Chiefs don’t have as many offensive weapons as they used to and the line is still a work in progress. Of course, he gives his team a chance to win on any given Sunday, but this may be the year the Broncos win the AFC West.
4. Joe Burrow: He missed the playoffs for a second straight time last year but still led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43). Watching him on Netflix’s Quarterback has been a great glimpse into who he is and how hard he works to be great. He’s a true gunslinger and maybe the best pure passer in the NFL today.
Tier 2: Super Bowl Caliber
5. Jayden Daniels: Daniels was an instant superstar as a rookie. He won Rookie of the Year, deservedly, and would be in the top-4 if the other four guys weren’t all in the league. He can make any throw from anywhere on the field, and he can take off with blazing speed when he wants to. The Commanders will be in the playoffs perennially, likely.
6. Jalen Hurts: Super Bowl champion, Jalen Hurts, that is. He may not be the best pure passer in the game, but he’s one of the best weapons on the gridiron. The Tush Push can’t be stopped and he ran for an insane 14 touchdowns last year as they limited his passes and opportunities for mistakes.
7. Justin Herbert: The Chargers quarterback has all the tools and one of the biggest arms in the game today. Los Angeles needs to give him more competent receivers to work with, though. Herbert was incredibly efficient last year, throwing an NFL-low 3 interceptions.
8. Matt Stafford: Stafford has become a bit more of a game manager as he’s gotten older, but he has won a Super Bowl and could again. LA constantly finds a way to compete and make the playoffs.
9. Jared Goff: Goff led arguably the best offense in the NFL last year in Detroit. He finished second in yards and fourth in passing touchdowns (37) at the end of his career year with the Lions.
Tier 3: Very Good, but Not Quite Great
10. C.J. Stroud: Stroud could be a top-5 QB, but his O-line was awful last year and he didn’t have enough weapons. His sophomore slump was somewhat surprising, but he could rebound in 2025.
11. Jordan Love: Love could be a superstar, but he’s been somewhat inconsistent to this point. His 2024 was a regression from 2023, so Packers fans have to hope he gets back to how he was playing two years ago. He also dealt with that knee and groin injury that hampered him all year.
12. Baker Mayfield: Mayfield went off last year. His 41 passing touchdowns were his most by a mile, and his 378 rushing yards were his career best, too. He did throw too many picks, tied with Cousins for the NFL lead (16).
13. Bo Nix: Nix shocked most of the world last year with his rookie performance. He came in third in Rookie of the Year voting and if it weren’t for Daniels spectacular play, Nix would’ve had the best rookie season for a QB in a long time. The Broncos gave him a very good tight end in Evan Engram, and two new running backs, too. With arguably the best O-line in football, Nix has a chance to be a top-10 QB this year. Considering how low he’s ranked on many lists, it seems like people didn’t watch much of him nor the Broncos last year. He and the team will be in the spotlight more this season, so the pressure will be on to make it back to the postseason. Or, even win the AFC West.
14. Dak Prescott: Dak is coming off injury and balled out in 2023. But, he never seems to win the big game.
Tier 4: Mostly Mediocre
15. Geno Smith: Smith looked like a dog in Seattle, at times. Now that he’s with the Raiders, it could be a long year for him. Or, he could shine with Brock Bowers at tight end.
16. Kyler Murray: Murray is coming off his best season ever and it was still mediocre.
17. Caleb Williams: He struggled as a rookie, but he could shoot up this list this year. His O-line was absolutely garbage (68 sacks) and the Bears probably need another playmaker or two to help him succeed.
18. Trevor Lawrence: Nate Tice is apparently really high on Lawrence, and he should see some improvement this year with Travis Hunter at receiver. He was also shut down in December last year with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder.
19. Kirk Cousins: Cousins called himself a “pocket passer” in the latest Quarterback documentary series on Netflix. His 16 picks led the league and then he was benched for Michael Penix.
20. Sam Darnold: Darnold had a great season for the Vikings, until he crashed out in the playoffs. His interception and lost fumble were a big reason why Minnesota was blown out by LA.
21. Brock Purdy: He’s a pocket passer/game manager who can’t win you a game but sure can lose you one.
Tier 5: Wildly Inconsistent
22. Tua Tagovailoa: Tua made his way back from another concussion and enjoyed the highest completion percentage in the NFL last year. But he was turned into a game manager and the Dolphins offense lost its punch.
23. Drake Maye: After sitting to start the year, Maye played decently. But he turned the ball over way too much (10 interceptions, 9 fumbles).
24. Aaron Rodgers: He wasn’t great, but he was somewhat decent last year. The former star doesn’t have it like he used to, though.
25. Russell Wilson: Oh, Russ. Good luck to him in New York with the Giants, he’s going to need it.
26. JJ McCarthy: This kid could be great, we just haven’t seen him play a down yet because he tore his meniscus in the preseason last year. He could be 10 spots higher at the end of the season.
27. Cam Ward: Rookies have a hard time playing well to star their career, especially with few weapons on offense in Tennessee.
Tier 6: Bottom of the Barrel
28. Justin Fields: Maybe Fields can get something going with the Jets this year? Probably not.
29. Bryce Young: He’s probably too short to play in the NFL and was on the way out last year before a little resurgence.
30. Anthony Richardson: The kid shows flashes now and then, but turns the ball over too much.
31. Tyler Shough: Who? The Saints are a mess.
32. Deshaun Watson: Shouldn’t be in the league for off-the-field stuff, but is also a terrible QB.
