Ranking NFL quarterbacks is one of the most controversial things you can do. Nobody ever agrees on who the best quarterbacks in the league are, so it always leads to a heated debate. Earlier this offseason, we tried to identify who the most complete signal callers are, but now I want to do something a little different.
While ranking quarterbacks is tough, ranking quarterback situations is even harder. Guys like Matthew Stafford are great and easily a top-three quarterback in the league, but he’s only got a couple of years left. He’s easily a better quarterback than someone like Bo Nix, but I’d say the Denver Broncos are much better off at quarterback than the Los Angeles Rams.
Today, I’m setting out to answer the question of who has the best quarterback situation in the league.
32. New York Jets
Starting QB: Geno Smith
Backups: Brady Cook, Bailey Zappe
31. Cleveland Browns
Starting QB: Shedeur Sanders
Backups: Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
Starting QB: Mason Rudolph
Backups: Will Howard
If Aaron Rodgers returns, maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers can jump a spot or two on this list, but as it stands right now, there’s not much to like. Mason Rudolph and Will Howard can be decent quarterbacks, but there’s no full-time starter on their roster right now.
29. Arizona Cardinals
Starting QB: Jacoby Brissett
Backups: Gardner Minshew, Kedon Slovis
The Arizona Cardinals also don’t have their long-term QB solution on the roster, but I like Jacoby Brissett more than any of the starters above them. He actually played pretty well once Kyler Murray went out last season, so this offense could have some juice if they get the OL and run game figured out.
28. Atlanta Falcons
Starting QB: Michael Penix Jr.
Backups: Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Siemian
I know there’s a lot of hype around Tua Tagovailoa going to Atlanta, but I don’t think he’s anything better than a good backup in the NFL. I don’t think he’ll beat out Michael Penix Jr., if he’s even healthy, but I also don’t believe in Penix very much. Maybe it’s because I’m a Saints fan, but the future outlook at QB doesn’t look too bright for Atlanta.
27. Miami Dolphins
Starting QB: Malik Willis
Backups: Quinn Ewers, Cam Miller
I don’t think Malik Willis is going to be a franchise quarterback, but at least there’s some hype and optimism around the fact that he played well at the end of last year. I hope I’m wrong and he goes out there and plays really well and lives up to his contract, but I think there are plenty of teams that are better off at quarterback.
26. Minnesota Vikings
Starting QB: Kyler Murray
Backups: J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz
The overall quality of the Minnesota Vikings’ QB room is unmatched. They have three guys who could be a starter in the NFL, but none of them are great in my opinion. Kyler Murray is exciting, especially because Kevin O’Connell has had so much success with QBs in the past. J.J. McCarthy is still young, but probably won’t turn into anything great. And Carson Wentz is an excellent backup and borderline starter. I just don’t think any of them raise the bar enough for Minnesota to be above the rest of these teams. The other 25 teams have QBs that I at least think could be called “franchise” guys.
25. Carolina Panthers
Starting QB: Bryce Young
Backups: Kenny Pickett
Bryce Young had a career year in 2025, but he still only threw for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That doesn’t get you paid in the NFL. I’ve been a Bryce Young stan for a while, but I can admit he’s probably not the long-term option for Carolina. We’ll see if he can continue his upward trajectory, though.
24. Indianapolis Colts
Starting QB: Daniel Jones
Backups: Anthony Richardson, Riley Leonard
Daniel Jones played really well last season before his Achilles injury. If he stayed healthy, Indianapolis would be higher on this list, but I don’t love the idea of a quarterback that hasn’t had the greatest career coming off a really bad injury. I still do like the prospect of Anthony Richardson as well, but I think I just feel better about a lot of other teams’ QB situation.
23. Houston Texans
Starting QB: C.J. Stroud
Backups: Davis Mills, Graham Mertz
Ever since his rookie season, C.J. Stroud’s play has declined. So much so that, despite having the best defense in football last year, he couldn’t even make the AFC Championship because he turned the ball over four times against New England. I think I actually like Daniel Jones better, but since he’s coming off that Achilles, I have to give the edge to C.J. Stroud. I don’t love it, and I think they need to find his replacement sooner than later.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Starting QB: Baker Mayfield
Backups: Jake Browning, Connor Bazelak
It’s crazy that just a few months ago, we were talking about Baker Mayfield as an MVP candidate. But he ended the season poorly, partly due to an injury, and now I’m questioning whether he’s the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s turning 31 this year, but he is just one year removed from a 4,000-yard, 40-touchdown season. It was very hard placing the Buccaneers, but I ended up putting them at No. 22.
21. Seattle Seahawks
Starting QB: Sam Darnold
Backups: Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe
Sam Darnold is the winningest quarterback in the NFL over the past two seasons. Let that sink in. He’s not the best QB in the league, but he’s won more games than the rest of them. That being said, there are still a lot of QB situations I like better. There are a lot of QBs that could’ve won in Seattle last season, but this is where I still feel at least okay about all the QB situations.
20. Philadelphia Eagles
Starting QB: Jalen Hurts
Backups: Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton
This is where I’m going to get a lot of hate. I just don’t love Jalen Hurts as a quarterback. In the perfect system, he can be good, but when the play calling isn’t 100 percent perfect – like last year – we saw what he became. Yeah, his TD to INT ratio was really good, but their offense was anemic at times. He’s a fine QB with one of the best offensive lines and receiving cores in the league plus a great play caller, but take just one of those away from him and he’s not that great.
19. Las Vegas Raiders
Starting QB: Fernando Mendoza
Backups: Aidan O’Connell
18. New York Giants
Starting QB: Jaxson Dart
Backups: Jameis Winston
These next five teams could really be in any order. If you had the New York Giants at No. 14, I would have no problems with it. This is just how I see it. I like Jaxson Dart, but I still think he’s the third-best QB in his draft class. You can’t really evaluate rookies until they’re two years in, so this could very well change by the end of next season, but for now, I have the Giants at No. 18.
17. Green Bay Packers
Starting QB: Jordan Love
Backups: Desmond Ridder, Kyle McCord
This is another one I’ll get hate for, but I think we’ve seen Jordan Love’s peak. At his best, he’s still a really good quarterback, but he’s not Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre. He’s a guy that can make the playoffs most years, and could possibly even lead a Super Bowl team, but he’d need almost the perfect roster constructed around him. There are just some younger guys that I’d take and bet on their upside over Love.
16. New Orleans Saints
Starting QB: Tyler Shough
Backups: Spencer Rattler, Zach Wilson
Tyler Shough looked really good at the end of last season and he’s given everyone a reason to believe he could be the New Orleans Saints’ franchise QB. Do I think he’s a better quarterback than Jordan Love right now? Probably not, but it’s close, and he’s younger and has a lot more room to grow. I’d rather bet on his ceiling than take Love, who has probably already hit his.
15. Detroit Lions
Starting QB: Jared Goff
Backups: Teddy Bridgewater
14. Tennessee Titans
Starting QB: Cam Ward
Backups: Mitchell Trubisky, Will Levis
13. Dallas Cowboys
Starting QB: Dak Prescott
Backups: Joe Milton, Sam Howell
12. Los Angeles Chargers
Starting QB: Justin Herbert
Backups: Trey Lance, DJ Uiagalelei
Talent-wise, there are few quarterbacks better than Justin Herbert. He’s got a cannon for an arm and can make pretty much every throw on the field. You can say all you want about his playoff performances, but take away both of any quarterback’s starting tackles and see how he fares. Herbert is a great quarterback, and he’s still relatively young. I think I’d take Prescott over him for a season, but if I were starting a franchise, Herbert would be my pick over Prescott.
11. Los Angeles Rams
Starting QB: Matthew Stafford
Backups: Stetson Bennett IV
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Starting QB: Trevor Lawrence
Backups: Nick Mullens, Carter Bradley
I don’t think Trevor Lawrence is a better quarterback than Matthew Stafford, but he’s got 10+ years of good football ahead of him, so that makes him much more valuable to a franchise like Jacksonville. That’s what makes this list so hard to make. You have to weigh how important one or two years of elite play is to how important 10+ years of steady, top-15 QB play is.
9. San Francisco 49ers
Starting QB: Brock Purdy
Backups: Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez
It’s pretty close between Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence, but having Mac Jones on the roster definitely pushes San Francisco ahead. Purdy is a really solid quarterback despite not having elite traits, and having a veteran like Jones that can step in and get you wins when Purdy is out really helps their case.
8. Denver Broncos
Starting QB: Bo Nix
Backups: Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger
Bo Nix is not a better quarterback than Lamar Jackson, but he’s much younger, on a rookie contract and hasn’t really dealt with many injuries outside of the freak one that kept him out of the AFC Championship game. He also is insanely clutch. He may not be the best first half quarterback, but when the game is on the line, he usually delivers, so that’s a major factor here as well.
7. Baltimore Ravens
Starting QB: Lamar Jackson
Backups: Tyler Huntley
Eight may seem low for a team that has 2x MVP Lamar Jackson and Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley, but given that Jackson is turning 30 during the season and he’s dealt with injuries in three of his last five seasons, there are just a few others teams I have to put above them. When Jackson’s healthy, he’s a top three or four QB in the league, but there are too many concerns right now, especially after last year.
6. Washington Commanders
Starting QB: Jayden Daniels
Backups: Marcus Mariota, Sam Hartman
People forget we’re one year removed from Jayden Daniels having the best rookie season of any quarterback in NFL history. He had to deal with injury after injury last year and didn’t really have any weapons on offense. I still believe he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so if Washington can build an offense around him, he’ll get back to being a top-10 QB like he was as a rookie.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Starting QB: Joe Burrow
Backups: Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson
You could use the Joe Burrow is always injured argument here like I did for Jackson, but when Burrow is healthy, I honestly think I’d rather have him. Jackson has always been on a Super Bowl contender, and he’s always fallen flat on his face. Burrow’s had one, maybe two teams that were fringe contenders, and he brought them to the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl, and those teams were probably worse than Jackson’s average team. Plus, Joe Flacco is a better backup than Huntley, so that gives them another edge.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Starting QB: Patrick Mahomes
Backups: Justin Fields, Chris Oladokun
Patrick Mahomes is still the best winner in the NFL today, but he’s not the same quarterback he was three years ago. His play has dropped off a bit, and he’s turning 31 this year. He’s still probably got 8-10 more years in him, but there are some younger guys that I think I might take over him right now. A couple years ago, that would’ve been crazy to say, but I don’t think it’s that wild of a statement anymore.
3. Buffalo Bills
Starting QB: Josh Allen
Backups: Kyle Allen, Shane Buechele
I think Josh Allen is more talented than Patrick Mahomes. He hasn’t proven he can win the big game like Mahomes can, but Allen has never had as good of a team as Mahomes had when he was winning Super Bowls. If you told me I had a five-year window to win a Super Bowl, I’d probably take Allen, but there are two guys under the age of 25 that I think could win you a Super Bowl as soon as this year, so Allen has to fall to No. 3.
2. Chicago Bears
Starting QB: Caleb Williams
Backups: Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
I was not a big Caleb Williams fan when he was coming out of college. I thought he’d be a good quarterback, but nothing special. But last year, he proved he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. He made huge strides and continuously made big plays in big moments just like Nix did. I don’t think he’s the second-best QB in the league, but he’s 24 and has unlimited potential.
1. New England Patriots
Starting QB: Drake Maye
Backups: Tommy DeVito
But Drake Maye and the New England Patriots have to be No. 1 on this list. Maye was the MVP runner up in year two and brought New England to the Super Bowl after winning four games the year before. He’s 23 years old and is already a top-five quarterback in the league. It’s hard to say you’d take any quarterback over him if the league had a redraft right now.
