NFL top-10 QBs rankings ahead of 2025 season

NFL quarterbacking has never been more difficult to rank. Outside of the obvious top three QBs, from QB4-12 everything could be seen as incredibly fluid. There are QBs with different flavors and playing styles that make watching the QB spot fun throughout the NFL season. The top three QBs are pretty well known at this point: Kansas City Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes, Baltimore Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills’ QB Josh Allen are the top three QBs in the NFL and all oscillate between the top three spots during the season. But how do the others shake out below them? Let’s find out.

10. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

It was a struggle picking between Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels and Jared Goff for this final spot, but I’m giving it to Stroud here. Despite all of the poor playcalling and inconsistent protection around him, Stroud still helped guide this team to the second round of the playoffs again. His poise and accuracy from the pocket make him a dangerous passer, even if he isn’t super explosive outside the pocket or with his legs.

9. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Geno Smith is one of my favorite QBs to watch in the NFL. He’s got the arm strength and high end accuracy to make tight window throws all over the field, and also doesn’t get enough credit for keeping his sack rate from absolutely spiraling behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last year. He’s getting up there in age, which is why he’s not higher on this list, but for 2025 Smith makes my top 10.

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8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love is here to chew bubblegum and throw it deep, and he’s all out of bubblegum. When Love is locked in, his ability to test defenses downfield and his accuracy in the deep areas of the field are among the best in the league. While he can use his rocket launcher of an arm, Love also avoids sacks with the best of them. If he can cut down on some of the turnover worthy plays, Love could be even higher than this next year.

7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

If I were teaching an alien how to play QB, I would put on Dak Prescott tape. Crazy thing to say, I know, but Prescott is NFL QB’ing teach tape, from the footwork to his processing. Prescott is coming off an injury, but to me he’s a top 10 QB just based off how accurate he is and decisive he is with the ball. With a new coordinator and play caller, I think Prescott and the Cowboys have the chance to do something special in 2025.

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6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

From QB6-12, everything is fluid. I think week in and week out, these guys could reach QB6, but going into the season, I have Stafford here. Your favorite QB’s favorite QB, Stafford definitely doesn’t have the movement skills of the other guys in the top 10 (because he’s #old), but his arm still has the zip and he still has the audacity to take and make some absolutely mind bending passes. I’m not sure how long Stafford has left in the league, but for this upcoming season he’s in my top 10.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

The change in Justin Herbert’s play in 2024 can’t be described with stats, but when you watch him play you could see some of the growth that Jim Harbaugh unlocked. Herbert has gotten the moniker of being a “robotic” QB, but he expanded his ability to scrambling and being a bit more creative outside the pocket. He’s still at his best slicing and dicing between the tackle box, but this added facet to his game makes him more dynamic.

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4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

While I don’t think Burrow is in the same class as Allen, Jackson or Mahomes, he’s still a damn good player who has been let down by his franchise. Leading the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2024, Burrow dominated and displayed growth in ways that really impressed me. I still have questions about how much of a say he has in both the strengths and weaknesses of the offense, but his ability to be accurate with the football and creative both inside and out of structure puts him at 4 for me.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Again, the margin between Allen and Jackson isn’t extremely wide, but what Allen did in 2024 was simply spectacular. As the Bills’ offense shifted to a more ground and pound, physical style, Allen had more on his shoulders pre and post snap. How he responded was with the most impressive season of his career and an MVP award. How the offense develops around him should be fun to see in 2025.

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2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

The gap between Jackson and the next QB on this list depends on who you ask, but Jackson put together one of the most impressive seasons I’ve seen from him in his entire career in 2024. He’s fully grown into being in control at the line of scrimmage and is still one of the most terrifying players with the ball in his hands. He is the Ravens’ offense, and it gets him in this second spot.

1 . Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Was it going to be anyone else? Even as the Chiefs’ offense has struggled to find the juice it once had, Mahomes’ growth into one of the smartest QBs pre and post-snap has him entrenched in the number one spot. Incredibly accurate with the ball, can still avoid the negative play and keeps the Chiefs offense incredibly efficient.

Honorable mentions:

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Lawrence is streaky at times, but his high end arm talent and accuracy could launch him back into the top 10 with a retooled offense this year.

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders: Daniels is the perfect modern spread QB, accurate downfield and dangerous with his legs. I’m curious to see if he can keep his negative plays down as much as he did last season going into 2025–that kind of stuff rarely ever sticks, but when it does, it’s for the elite guys.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: I have a lot of respect for Goff, whose game has grown each year in Detroit. Without Ben Johnson and Frank Ragnow, more could be on his shoulders in 2025, which could make or break him.