Final NFL QB Rankings After 2025 Season

Every week, Bleacher Report has watched, analyzed and graded every quarterback performance. Now, the 2025 regular season is complete, and it's time for the final assessment.

Some teams experienced a huge upswing thanks to improved quarterback play. The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars immediately come to mind. Conversely, other squads fell apart because of poor or inconsistent quarterbacking. Looking at you, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals (among others).

The idea of a "quarterback-driven league" may be cliche, but it's 100 percent accurate. If a team doesn't receive quality play from the position behind center, it's constantly facing a Sisyphean task.

In the end, how should every franchise feel about its current quarterback setup coming out of the most recent campaign? The majority of teams seem settled going into 2026, which is a positive. However, uncertainly still pervades multiple situations.

32. Las Vegas Raiders

Photo by Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini

Grade: F

The Las Vegas Raiders' grand plans to hire the oldest head coach in NFL history and pair him with a veteran quarterback, since the two worked together previously at a different stop, backfired spectacularly.

Pete Carroll has already been fired after only one season. Geno Smith isn't expected to be with the team once the new league year begins, not after leading the NFL with 17 interceptions.

The Raiders can release Smith this offseason and save $8 million toward the 2026 salary cap, which will assuredly be used toward the rookie contract for this year's No. 1 overall pick.

The Raiders fielded the NFL's worst quarterback setup in 2025. An argument can be made it did work out in some warped manner since Las Vegas now owns the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is overwhelming favorite to be the selection.

Some light may emerge after years of ineptitude, because the Raiders finally have a shot at acquiring a legitimate franchise QB. They couldn't have reached this point without finally bottoming out and completely failing during the 2025 campaign.

31. New York Jets

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Grade: F

The New York Jets' season essentially became the embodiment of the famous Arrested Development meme.

"Well, did [Justin Fields] work for those people?" she asked.

He answered: "No, he never did. I mean, these people somehow delude themselves into thinking it might...

"...but it might work for us."

The Jets gave Fields his third opportunity as a starting quarterback and experienced the same letdown as the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers before them.

With Fields eventually benched, veteran Tyrod Taylor couldn't do much before suffering a knee injury. Finally, New York turned to undrafted rookie Brady Cook, who didn't have a chance, as the Jets lost their final five games by an average of 27 points.

Needless to say, the Jets' quarterback setup proved to be a calamity.

Fortunately, the team finished poorly enough to earn the second overall pick in April's draft. Now, the Jets must hold their breath and see if Oregon's Dante Moore declares early to give the incoming class a pair of top-tier QB prospects.

30. Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Grade: F

When a $212 million quarterback ends the season on the bench and the decision wasn't dictated by an injury, things have gone terribly wrong. The Miami Dolphins find themselves in that exact situation.

Head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tua Tagovailoa prior to Week 16, with seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers taking over as the team's starting quarterback.

The Dolphins placed themselves in a difficult position thanks to Tagovailoa's contract. No team will want to trade for him with three years remaining on his current deal. Instead, Miami will likely need to eat an extra $11 million on top of his projected 2026 salary-cap figure even after designating him as a June 1 cut. At that point, the team will incur a $67.4 million dead cap hit.

Ewers had some moments during his three starts, but a recent late-round draft pick isn't going to sway the Dolphins from making a change at quarterback. Instead, a reclamation project on a prove-it deal feels like a far more likely outcome, with the organization hoping it lands the next Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield or Daniel Jones.

29. Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Grade: F

Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett split time this season as the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback, though Brissett made the majority of the starts with 11.

Brissett entered the lineup after Murray suffered a foot injury. The team initially hoped Murray would return and he possibly could have. However, Brissett played relatively well at first, which helped lead the team toward a decision to place Murray on season-ending injured reserve.

Two things became obvious during this setup.

First, Murray no longer appears to be the future in Arizona. He's now 28 years old and seven seasons into his professional career. The 2019 first overall draft pick hasn't developed into the franchise-changing talent the Cardinals originally hoped. Arizona can release Murray with a June 1 designation and save $5.7 million toward the 2026 salary cap, per Over The Cap.

Brissett wasn't the answer, either. He put up numbers, but a large chunk of those occurred during garbage time. The veteran backup-turned-started led a squad that lost nine straight games to end the season.

Thus, a quarterback reset feels like the most likely path forward in the desert.

28. Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/John Locher

Grade: F

Considering the standard at which Kansas City operated over the last decade, the 2025 campaign can't be viewed as any other than a failure.

From a quarterback perspective, Patrick Mahomes remains among the league's elite, but even he couldn't pull his offense out of a tailspin, as he had done time and time again earlier in this career. Instead, his season ended in the worst way possible, with a surgery to repair and torn ACL and LCL in his left knee.

Gardner Minshew II then suffered a season-ending knee injury a week later, which left the Chiefs with Chris Oladokun and Shane Buechele to finish the campaign

Mahomes suffering a catastrophic injury in a year where the Chiefs missed the postseason for the first time since 2014 is about as bad as it gets for a franchise that grew accustomed to competing for a Super Bowl on an annual basis. The timing of Mahomes' knee surgery might not have him ready for the start of the '26 campaign, either.

27. Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Grade: D

The biggest concern with Jayden Daniels when evaluating him as an NFL prospect revolved around the slender quarterback enduring too many car crash-like hits at the collegiate level.

Up to that point, Daniels didn't suffer any major injuries. Professional football is different, though. The NFL is a 100-percent-injury league. Everyone is going to get banged up. It falls on the athlete to ensure his body is ready for the weekly pounding and he doesn't take any unnecessary hits.

Daniels wasn't as fortunate during his sophomore NFL campaign. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year suffered a left knee sprain then a dislocated elbow on his non-throwing arm. In total, Daniels missed 10 games.

Unsurprisingly, the Commanders experienced significant regression without Daniels in the lineup. Washington went from appearing in the previous year's NFC Championship Game to winning only five games, which tells everyone exactly how well Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson played in Daniels' stead.

26. Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

Grade: D

The Cleveland Browns aren't any closer to finding out who their starting quarterback is than the day the 2025 campaign began.

The 40-year-old Joe Flacco opened the campaign as QB1 only to be traded to the Cincinnati Bengals by Week 5.

Then, head coach Kevin Stefanski inserted third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel into the lineup. When the Browns originally drafted Gabriel at the tail end of the draft's second day, the selection was generally viewed as a reach because of the prospect's physical limitations. In a best case scenario, Gabriel could serve as the team's long-term backup. Instead, he was forced into the lineup and those limitations became readily apparent during Gabriel's six starts.

Finally, another rookie, Shedeur Sanders, got his chance to prove himself.

In seven starts, Sanders certainly showed more than Gabriel and provided the Browns with a slight spark thanks to the fifth-round rookie's playmaking ability. However, Sanders suffered through his share of mistakes and stretches of poor play. At the very least, Sanders provided a glimpse into something more if the franchise decides to gives him another look.

All in all, no one who started for the Cleveland Browns should dictate what the team does this offseason when addressing the quarterback position. The search to find a new starter continues unabated from the land where a positional vortex seems to exist.

25. Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt

Grade: D

The Minnesota Vikings made the wrong decision by letting Sam Darnold walk in favor of J.J. McCarthy becoming the starting quarterback.

Essentially, the team became a victim to the sunk-cost fallacy. The Vikings could have re-signed Darnold to a deal of similar length (three years) and still handed the offensive reins to McCarthy before his rookie contract expired.

But the Vikings can't get a do-over. Meanwhile, the front office should be disappointed with what it saw from McCarthy in Year 2.

An argument can be made that the 22-year-old was essentially a rookie this past season, because he missed the entirety of of the 2024 campaign due to a knee injury. Then again, injuries prevented McCarthy from playing in seven games during his sophomore season. He even left Sunday's contest early due to a lingering issue with his hand.

When on the field, McCarthy's low moments became more plentiful than any bright spots. The former 10th overall draft pick did show progress, particularly during two games in mid-December, which was then derailed by injury.

At this point, Minnesota can go into next season with the expectation of McCarthy being QB1, but the franchise requires a better insurance plan than Max Brosmer as the backup option.

24. Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/David Dermer

Grade: D

Three different versions of Joe Burrow showed up for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025.

First, the Bengals dealt with an injured Burrow once again. He missed nine games because of a serious turf toe injury that required surgery, which forced the organization to trade and play the 40-year-old Joe Flacco. It's the third time in the quarterback's six season that he played in 10 or fewer games during the regular season.

Second, Burrow sent shockwaves throughout the NFL community with his comments coming off the injury.

"If I want to keep doing this, then what am I trying to do with myself?" Burrow told reporters. "And I have to have fun doing it. You know, if it's not fun, then what am I doing it for? So, that's the mindset."

The final version of Burrow was a quarterback seemingly enjoying himself when winning two of the Bengals' final three games.

All of it encapsulates a volatile season in the Queen City, and the Bengals organization needs to respond or run the risk of losing its star quarterback.

"We don't want to be in the spot we are in now, so something's got to change," Burrow told reporters last week. "Whether it's players we have continuing to improve and get better and play championship-caliber football or bringing in guys that will or whatever it may be. Obviously, something has to [change]."

23. Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Grade: D

The Baltimore Ravens' season ended on a missed field goal. Prior to that point, quarterback Lamar Jackson looked like his old self, willing his team toward another postseason berth. Unfortunately, he wasn't that player through most of the 2025 campaign.

He dealt with soft-tissues injuries that caused him to miss four games. Those injuries also limited the two-time MVP's overall effectiveness when he was on the field.

In fact, Jackson experienced three-year lows in completion percentage, passing yardage, touchdown passes, quarterback rating and QBR, as well as a career-low 349 rushing yards.

Unsurprisingly, the Ravens failed to extend their campaign and finished just under .500. Jackson is a special talent, but wear and tear finally got to him in 2025.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Grade: C

The Pittsburgh Steelers ended up exactly where they've been the last few seasons, albeit with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback this time.

Pittsburgh won 10 games and squeaked into the postseason for the third straight year. Odds say the Steelers won't do much in the playoffs since the team hasn't won an extra game since 2017.

Basically, the organization decided to bring in a 42-year-old quarterback, push any kind of real solution down the road for another season and continued to spin its wheels, while staying in the same spot it already found itself.

Eventually, the Steelers must stop using Band-Aids to cover a gaping wound.

No, Ben Roethlisberger isn't walking through that door, but the organization can look back and see it invested a first-round pick to acquire his services. Kenny Pickett didn't work out. So what? The solution isn't bypassing the QB position early in the draft.

Unless Rodgers and Co. go on a magical (and unexpected) postseason run, the Steelers must change course and invest in a young and talented quarterback, even if it means taking a step back for a season or two.

21. Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Grade: C

The Atlanta Falcons suffered a role reversal between the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.

Prior to the start of 2024 season, the organization brought Kirk Cousins in as a heralded free-agent signing to lead the squad, then surprised everyone by selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the subsequent draft. Cousins was then benched midseason and the rookie took over as the starter.

Fast-forward a season and Penix opened the campaign as Atlanta's QB1. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL, which placed Cousins back in the lineup. The veteran signal-caller played well enough down the stretch to help Atlanta win its last four games. Now, he'll likely depart for another starting opportunity elsewhere.

Basically, plans went awry as they often do. Atlanta failed to meet expectations, which is why owner Arthur Blank dismissed Raheem Morris as head coach. Still, the Falcons finished with the same record as the NFC South-winning Carolina Panthers.

20. Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Grade: C

The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South for the first time since Cam Newton was named MVP during the 2015 campaign and the team went to Super Bowl 50. Bryce Young isn't Newton, though. Far from it.

Carolina won the division with a sub-.500 record. At times, the Panthers seem to experience success in spite of its young quarterback. Young threw for fewer than 200 yards in 12 of 16 appearances.

To Young's credit, he remains poised, particularly late in contests when Carolina needs the offense to move the ball and make a comeback. But the Panthers are definitely going need more from the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick in the future.

The team already has a talented run game and aggressive defense. The organization went out and drafted Tetairoa McMillian with last year's eighth overall draft pick to give Young a true No. 1 target. McMillan even led all rookies with 1,014 receiving yards. Carolina is built to win sooner rather than later. The franchise simply needs more from the quarterback position to take control of the NFC South for years to come and realize its full potential.

19. Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Grade: C

Peak Jared Goff is the NFL's most efficient operator. That version didn't show up on a weekly basis during the 2025 campaign.

Goff still produced at a high level, but his uncanny timing and accuracy faded during certain contests. As an example, the 31-year-old signal-caller completed under 65 percent of his passes in six games, including each of the Lions' final four games. For comparison, the same happened five teams in 2024, but Goff finished particularly strong during Detroit last three appearances.

As a group, the Lions experienced a significant downturn from one season to the next after being the NFC's No. 1 seed a year ago then missing the postseason completely.

The loss of both coordinators definitely had an impact, particularly Ben Johnson's departure since the Chicago Bears won the NFC North with him as their head coach and Lions head coach Dan Campbell resorted to becoming Detroit's offensive playcaller midseason.

Goff wasn't awful by any stretch of the imagination, but he failed to live up to the standard he set since being traded to the Lions.

18. Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Grade: C

The Tennessee Titans should be content with what they saw from Cam Ward during his rookie season, with the understanding their franchise quarterback is in place.

The 2025 No. 1 overall pick didn't piece together a wow campaign, as Jayden Daniels did as a rookie a year earlier, but the Titans saw incremental improvement as the season progressed. Marginal gains may not be all that exciting. However, they are vital to a young quarterback's development, as the individual establishes a comfort level leading an NFL offense.

Ward can benefit greatly from the stability of a new coaching staff and an improved surrounding cast. The 23-year-old already knows what he wants to work on individually to prepare for the 2026 campaign.

"I'm working on my base of my mechanics; I'm not changing my throwing motion," Ward told reporters. "So the timetable for what I have set to get to mechanically, what I need to do, is still on schedule (after suffering an AC joint sprain in the season finale)."

17. New York Giants

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Grade: C

The New York Giants took the wrong path but ended up at the right destination.

Head coach Brian Daboll remained adamant about Russell Wilson as the team's starting quarterback. By Week 4, rookie Jaxson Dart was in the lineup. Six weeks later, Daboll was no longer the Giants' head coach.

Despite enduring a nine-game losing streak before winning the final two contests, New York's situation evened itself out to some degree.

Obviously, injuries played a significant role in the Giants' poor performance, particularly with Malik Nabers suffering a torn ACL in late September. Dart dealt with concussions throughout the season as well.

However, Big Blue experienced a much-needed reset. The team had been trending downward since Daboll won NFL Coaching of the Year in 2022. Quarterback was never fully settled, with Dart finally looking like the building block the team needed at the position.

Now, the Giants can go into the 2026 season with Dart and a new coaching staff leading the way, as well as Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo back in the lineup to make the offense far more potent.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Grade: C

The Baker Mayfield seen through the first half of the 2025 season—when he entered a contest against the New England Patriots with the conversation centered on whether he or Drake Maye should be the MVP favorite—was not the same Baker Mayfield as the campaign came to a close.

His performance declined badly. Injuries set in, both for him and his surrounding cast. Even when those around the quarterback began returning to the lineup, his play didn't drastically improve. Instead, his accuracy and ball placement dipped. In fact, this past season's completion percentage turned into his lowest since joining the Bucs.

Though not entirely the quarterback's fault, Tampa Bay lost seven of its last eight games before its Week 18 showdown with the Carolina Panthers. To the Buccaneers' credit, they managed a victory when it mattered the most but didn't make the postseason due to tiebreakers.

Mayfield has proved himself as the Buccaneers' franchise quarterback. However, he can't experience a similar freefall in future seasons.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Grade: C

The Philadelphia Eagles have a playground mentality when it comes to discussing any of the team's shortcomings. The response is usually the equivalent of, "Scoreboard."

Yes, the reigning Super Bowl champs finished atop the NFC East again, with three division crowns in the last four years. But it's not unfair for someone to point out the squad's offensive inconsistencies, starting with quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Hurts' experienced four-year lows with this year's completion percentage and average yards per attempt. He went long stretches without being able to move the Eagles' offense, with the team winning two games after the quarterback didn't complete a single pass during the second half of those contests.

Nearly every week, questions about whether the Eagles could figure out what's wrong with the offense came to head. The unit dealt with a new coordinator calling plays and injuries to its offensive line.

Still, Philadelphia does enough to win games. The Eagles have a strong formula and roster proven over time, even when everything is not clicking. But the organization and its coaching staff should demand more, which starts with Hurts' performance.

14. Houston Texans

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Grade: B-

C.J. Stroud still isn't the quarterback who lit up the NFL and became the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, but he started to trend back toward that version as the 2024 campaign progressed.

Stroud did miss three games while in the league's concussion protocol, which paved the way for Davis Mills to enter the lineup, play well and possibly set himself up for an opportunity to start elsewhere.

Once the calendar flipped to December, Stroud produced an eight-to-two touchdown-to-interception ratio. He became more dangerous when pushing the ball down the field. Those opportunities were feasible because Houston's offensive line truly started to play together, thus surrendering far fewer pressures.

When Stroud is on a roll, he's deadly accurate, with a penchant for making big-time throws. He had been under so much duress during the 2024 season and into the early portions of this season that it limited the quarterback's effectiveness.

Now, Stroud's improvement, coupled with the Texans' No. 1-ranked defense, makes Houston the proverbial team that no one wants to face in the postseason.

13. New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Grade: B

The New Orleans Saints exceeded expectations in nearly every single way during the 2025 campaign, with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough being the primary reason why.

The Saints were consensus favorites to be the NFL's worst team this past season. Instead, the squad improved to 6-11 after finishing 5-12 a year earlier. The movement may not seem like much, but New Orleans' roster looked terrible on paper. Either the team was old or unproven through the majority of its lineup.

Kellen Moore's squad won four straight games before dropping its Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. During the winning streak, Shough completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 1,057 yards and a four-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Shough has the requisite size, arm talent and athleticism to be a long-time starting quarterback. The 26-year-old rookie needed to prove he could stay healthy and handle an NFL offense. He did both. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded as the league's best first-year signal-caller as well.

Obviously, New Orleans could have done a little better, with Shough leading them to greater heights. However, the Saints' front office can build around the team's new QB1 and continue the team's upward trend.

12. Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

Grade: B

The Indianapolis Colts' season ended in historic fashion as the first team in the Super Bowl era to be six games over .500 at one point in the season and still finish with a losing record, according to ESPN Research (h/t Benjamin Solak). However, a silver lining exists to what turned into a wasted campaign.

Daniel Jones looked every bit the part of a franchise quarterback before he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14. His play was the driving force behind the Colts' early-season success when the team sat atop the AFC standings with an 8-2 record. He fit in extremely well with head coach Shane Steichen and the team's offensive scheme. So much so, the Colts must make his re-signing a priority, whether it's a short- or long-term setup considering the veteran's current injury status.

Even with the franchise's desperate ploy to bring Philip Rivers out of retirement, the 44-year-old played well enough to win multiple games. Indianapolis' defense simply couldn't stop anyone when it needed to do so late in the season.

The massive caveat to the Colts' situation is that Jones may not be ready for the 2026 season, which means the team will likely need a stop-gap veteran to lead it through spring and summer practices, while possibly playing a few games to open the campaign as well. Indianapolis is better off than it was a year ago, but the situation still has a lot of work to do.

11. Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Bart Young

Grade: B

The Denver Broncos have absolutely nothing to complain about as the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs. While the team should be thrilled with its current standing, Bo Nix's inconsistencies should cause some worry.

To Nix's credit, he was particularly good late in contests. Though he had significant stretches during games when the Broncos offense grew stagnant and Nix couldn't get going. Instead, Denver leaned heavily on its vaunted defense to make sure it stayed in games before Nix and Co. finally managed to move the ball.

Some will argue this concern is a nitpicky, and it is to a degree. The Broncos continually got the job done by winning 13 of their final 14 games. Nix is also only in his second NFL season and deserves some slack as he continues to develop, while simultaneously dealing with inconsistencies at wide receiver and within the run game.

All of this is simply to say that Nix showed marked and impressive improvement in Year 2 yet still has some growth potential as the Broncos head into the postseason and beyond.

10. Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Grade: B+

After a lost rookie season, Caleb Williams finally started to look like the quarterback many expected when the Chicago Bears selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 class.

Ben Johnson's hire as head coach, as well as serving as the team's offensive play-caller, certainly helped in Williams' development.

"Some coaches are afraid to coach the No. 1 overall pick, but at the end of the day—and I have no problem saying this—Caleb comes in, he doesn't know anything," tight end Cole Kmet told ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "So you've got to teach the guy, you've got to get on him. And I think Ben's done a really good job of that."

Williams responded with the most prolific passing season in Chicago Bears history.

Granted, times still exist when the young quarterback doesn't see the field properly, tries to do too much and ends up making mistakes. However, the flashes of brilliance often outweighed those learning moments, which portends big things for Williams' and the Bears' future.

9. Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Grade: B+

The Seattle Seahawks made the right choice to pursue and sign Sam Darnold in free agency.

After doing so, Darnold became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to 14 wins in back-to-back seasons. The Seahawks are now the NFC's top seed as the postseason nears.

With all of that taken into consideration, Darnold did take a tiny step back from last season's performance. He attempted fewer passes, with less passing yardage and 10 fewer touchdown passes.

Granted, the Seahawks tried to run the ball a little more than Minnesota Vikings did in 2024. At the same time, Darnold experienced stretches where he made mistakes and placed his team in poor position. Seattle's top-ranked scoring defense helped offset those issues.

None of this is to say Darnold played poorly. He just hasn't been quite as good as a season earlier when he found himself in the MVP conversation for a stretch. It's all about degrees of differentiation.

The Seahawks certainly don't care about those things. All they care about is being set at quarterback, entering the playoffs with a bye and striving toward a Super Bowl victory.

8. Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Grade: B+

Justin Herbert did more for the Los Angeles Chargers than anyone could have expected considering the roster's issues along the offensive line.

Left tackle Rashawn Slater didn't even make it to the regular season before suffering a season-ending injury. Fellow starting tackle Joe Alt made it through Week 9 before being placed on injured reserve. The Chargers were constantly forced to shuffle their offensive line, which made the group one of the league's worst.

No quarterback faced more pressure than Herbert. He ended up being sacked 54 times, which was the league's second-most.

All the while, Herbert continued to shake off defenders and make plays. Obviously, his production and overall performance were affected to a degree. Still, Herbert produced and helped lead the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth.

A team can't ask for more from its quarterback when fielding a front five that's the NFL equivalent of Swiss cheese. Somehow, Herbert found a way to keep his team afloat and even make the postseason. Really, it's remarkable.

7. Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Grade: B+

A different version of Josh Allen appeared this season.

The Buffalo Bills no longer need the reigning NFL MVP to don a cape and act like a superhero on a weekly basis. Instead, the organization shifted its approach, while Allen continues to flash some of the rare traits that make him special.

The Bills benefit greatly from featuring the NFL's leading rusher, James Cook, while also leaning on their top-10 defense.

As a result, Allen threw for his fewest amount of yards and touchdowns since the 2019 campaign. His attempts as a runner stayed relatively the same as the last two years, though that rate remains a step back from his usage during the 2021 and '22 seasons.

Allen isn't in the mix for MVP again. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. The Bills are still in the postseason, and the quarterback may have saved a little for when the games really matter. Right now, the only thing that matters in Buffalo is a Super Bowl berth after falling short so many times since Allen has been the quarterback.

6. San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Grade: A-

The only major issues with the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback play this season is that Brock Purdy missed eight games due to injury.

Still, Mac Jones filled in admirably and possibly set himself up to start for a different franchise in 2026 depending on whether San Francisco wants to trade his services after the current campaign.

While Jones deserves credit for how he performed in Purdy's absence, the latter operates Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme at the highest level. Upon returning to the lineup in December, Purdy posted three straight games with at least 295 yards passing and an 11-to-two touchdown-to-interception ratio. Though the Niners fell flat in the regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks and their top-ranked scoring defense.

Purdy knows where to go with the ball and makes quick decisions. He delivers the ball in-rhythm and accurately. Most importantly, his teammates respect and believe in him.

"When you're in that huddle, it's only one voice speaking," 12-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams said when asked about Purdy. "You've got 10 grown men staring at you and you can't fool grown men. The confidence that he has in that huddle ... from A to Z, he does it at a really high level. I say it all the time. He's a godsend."

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Grade: A

Trevor Lawrence finally looks like the elite quarterback everyone expected after being billed as the best prospect at his position since Andrew Luck joined the NFL.

Kudos to first-year head coach Liam Coen for finally unlocking this version of Lawrence and letting him play more freely.

"Let's go out and cut it loose for four quarters, as a team, and see what happens," Coen said he told Lawrence and rest of his players prior to Week 11. "Let's just go cut it loose, man. I don't want to think about what could happen, what should happen, what happened on the play before, what's going to happen three plays from now. Just play in the moment, stay in the moment, pick each other up when something bad happens and let's move on as a team."

Since that point, Jacksonville won eight straight games and captured an AFC South title. Lawrence, meanwhile, has never been better, with a 19-to-four touchdown-to-interception ratio during that stretch. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick has been unleashed, which should scare the Jaguars' opponents.

4. Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Grade: A

Quite simply, Dak Prescott played the best of any quarterback on a team that featured a losing record. A close second didn't exist.

Prescott set a career-high with 4,552 passing yards and led the NFL's second-ranked offense. The quarterback did everything he could to help offset an atrocious defense, which caused the Cowboys' season to spiral of control.

Dallas finished among the bottom three in total defense. Owner Jerry Jones traded away the unit's best player, Micah Parsons, before the season began and inexplicably expected the group to play well. For those wondering, the Cowboys still finished among the bottom 10 in run defense since that was a stated reason why the trade occurred.

While the quarterback position often receives most of the credit and blame depending on the situation, no one can look at Dallas this season and point toward Prescott as the reason why the team finished with a 7-9-1 record and missed the postseason again. If anything, Prescott is the primary reason why the Cowboys even managed seven wins.

3. Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt

Grade: A

Jordan Love may not have posted the biggest numbers of his career, but he quietly pieced together one of the NFL's best seasons by any quarterback.

He did not play during the final three weeks of the regular season while in the league's concussion protocol, which is partially why his performance was overlooked to a degree.

Also, Malik Willis stepping in and playing well definitely drew plenty of interest since he's a free agent after this season.

But Love deserves credit for performing at a level among the league's elite.

According to Unexpected Points' Kevin Cole, Love posted the second-best EPA of any quarterback during the regular season. Only Drake Maye, who is arguably the frontrunner for MVP, ranked above him. Prior to Love's final regular-season appearance, he graded first overall in short-to-intermediate throws and fourth in deep passing, per Pro Football Focus.

A quick glance at the Love's stat sheet says that his stats were slightly down this season compared to last. In reality, the 27-year-old played better than he ever has.

2. New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Grade: A+

The New England Patriots needed just over five years to go from Tom Brady's last game with the organization to fielding another franchise quarterback.

Between those two points, the Patriots endured Bill Belichick's departure, Mac Jones' quick downturn, Jerod Mayo's disastrous season as head coach and three straight seasons without making the playoffs before turning it around as Drake Maye led the way.

In Year 2, Maye made the leap every team hopes it'll see from its recent first-round draft pick. The third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft went from shouldering the league's worst roster to the MVP conversation once placed in a stable environment thanks to a good coaching staff and an improved surrounding cast.

Maye led the NFL with a 72 completion percentage. Every other quarterback finished under 70 percent. Interestingly, Maye led all quarterbacks with an average of 8.9 yards per attempt. He doesn't just dink and dunk his way down the field. He's the game's best vertical passer, which makes his efficiency all that more impressive.

"I said, 'You're Him!' probably three or four times," wide receiver Efton Chism told reporters about Maye. "I think everyone sees how great he is and how well he's playing, but he'll probably never say it about himself."

1. Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Grade: A+

A little less than a year ago, Matthew Stafford wasn't even sure if he wanted to play football anymore. Now, he's a rock-solid choice to become the 2025 NFL MVP, though he has strong competition from Drake Maye.

Stafford played as well as he ever has, with a league-leading 4,707 passing yards and a career-high 46 passing touchdowns. No one can touch his feel and understanding for the game right now.

"I feel like when you're on a heater, you don't touch whatever he is doing," wide receiver Puka Nacua said of Stafford in November. "I'm like, you can do whatever. You can walk on water right now. So, I'm like, I just try to stay out of his way as best as I can and when he communicates, I listen."

Stafford threw at least two touchdowns in 15 of 17 games. He had nine outings with at least three scoring passes and no interceptions. During a three-game stretch from Oct. 19 to Nov. 9, the 37-year-old threw 13 touchdowns with no turnovers. His performance this season has been nothing short of extraordinary.

The Rams may not now whether Stafford wants to return in 2026, but the quarterback and his team still has plenty in front of them this season.