Where Every NFL Starting QB Ranks, According to VikingsTerritory
Every year, VikingsTerritory unleashes its annual quarterback rankings, the passer pecking order for the upcoming season.
Dustin Baker ranks every NFL starting QB from 1 to 32 entering the 2025 season. The regular season is nine weeks away, so here we go.
The man at the top will remain the same because he’s still the best player on the planet. Stay tuned.
We also took a stab at where J.J. McCarthy will land, a tricky endeavor because the man has never taken a snap in the big leagues. It’s all on the line for McCarthy in 2025, as fans will begin to learn whether he’s the right guy for the future.
With no further ado, these are our NFL quarterback rankings for 2025. You can read last year’s here.
Note: Our criteria for these rankings is always “Which quarterback would I rather have on my team this year only to make a run at the Super Bowl?”
32. The Browns’ QB
Whoever waltzed out of the Browns’ preseason as QB1 — Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett, or Dillon Gabriel — will represent the worst quarterback in the league heading into 2025. There’s just no worse situation in the business at the moment unless Sanders somehow produces his Top 3 draft stock from February and March.
31. Tyler Shough (NO)
The 26-year-old rookie better be good now because 26 is really damn old for a rookie. Yikes.
30. Daniel Jones (IND)
The Colts will play hot potato at quarterback all season between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson, especially when their record is around 3-6 in November.
29. Russell Wilson (NYG)
Russell Wilson used to be elite-elite, particularly in crunchtime. Now he’s a patchover passer to Jaxson Dart.
28. Justin Fields (NYJ)
Fields could break out of the 2025 Jets, but as always with Fields and former Chicago Bears products, it’s “believe it when you see it.”
27. Cam Ward (TEN)
This felt like a fair spot for a quarterback who’s never thrown a regular season pass. Ward has a decent situation in Tennessee. Nothing quite like the Vikings’ setup for J.J. McCarthy.
26. Bryce Young (CAR)
Young turned the corner last year near the final portion of the regular season. Had he not, he might’ve checked in below the “Browns’ QB” category at No. 32.
25. Geno Smith (LV)
Smith is a competent quarterback and has reclaimed his career nicely. But he won’t drag the Raiders to stardom.
24. Sam Darnold (SEA)
Darnold will take a slight step back in Seattle without Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison. He also has Jalen Milroe and Drew Lock nipping at his heels.
23. Bo Nix (DEN)
This placement is low for a quarterback who played quite well as a rookie in 2024, but we forecast a sophomore slump for Nix.
22. Aaron Rodgers (PIT)
Why would Rodgers suddenly turn great again if he couldn’t pull that off with a stacked Jets’ depth chart?
21. Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
Tagovailoa desperately — more than quarterback in the NFL — needs to drag the Dolphins to a postseason win. And soon. Otherwise, he’ll live at No. 21 on people’s quarterback rankings lists. Like this one.
NFL Starting QBs — Top 20 Countdown
It’s Michael Penix Jr. at No. 20, and 19 more to go.
20. Michael Penix Jr. (ATL)
Penix Jr. looked the part for a few games in 2024, but 2025 will be about consistency through an entire regular season. We think he’ll play “pretty good.”
19. Caleb Williams (CHI)
Some might classify this as too high for Williams but — [plugs nose] — we believe Williams will click with Ben Johnson and all his weapons.
18. J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
The Vikings could not have surrounded McCarthy with a better depth chart or coaching staff if it were scripted in a fiction book. McCarthy may take time to develop, but by 2027 or so, he won’t have any excuses when fans refer back to his maturation. He has everything: the head coach, the defense, and the weapons. It’s all up to him for the rest.
17. Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
Lawrence is not in any peril per contractual standing; he’s paid handsomely. But in terms of taking the leap as a dependable franchise quarterback, 2025 is a huge year for Lawrence. Will he ascend or forever be mid?
16. Drake Maye (NE)
This website’s 2024 draft crush, Maye performed marvelously for a rookie last year, empowering perhaps the worst offense in the NFL to quasi-respectability. Let’s just use some slang: He’s gonna be good.
The League’s Top 15 QB in 2025 per VikingsTerritory
From Purdy to Mahomes, here we go.
15. Brock Purdy (SF)
Purdy will forever get his flowers — so long as he’s attached to Kyle Shanahan’s hip. It would be fascinating to see his output if he were, for example, dropped onto the 2024 Patriots roster.
14. Jared Goff (DET)
Goff has one of those desired reputations where he’s immune to criticism. When he puts forth a bad or turnover-riddled game, nobody cares. He’s still pretty damn efficient most of the time. His team’s fans chant his name like monks every game.
13. Kyler Murray (ARI)
One of these seasons, Murray feels like he’ll “put it all together” and climb into the Top 10 of these lists. He has all the tools.
12. Dak Prescott (DAL)
Prescott seems like he could be on the cusp of a monster bounceback year, so long as new head coach Brian Schottenheimer is ready for the big job. Prescott will return to his 30-touchdown form.
11. Jordan Love (GB)
Love is paid as an elite passer, but he just doesn’t consistently put that performance on the field. The kicker? He’s pretty consistent most of the time. He’ll always have the Favrian and Rodgersian standard lurking.
10. Matthew Stafford (LAR)
Stafford turned 37 this offseason, so he likely has one or two seasons left. He should have a blast with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams this season.
9. Baker Mayfield (TB)
Mayfield has totally revitalized his career and will have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan grabbing his balls this season. He’s a shoo-in to produce big numbers inside a flimsy NFC South.
8. C.J. Stroud (HOU)
Stroud encountered a mini-sophomore slump in 2024; his team reached the postseason nevertheless. Stroud will put 3,700 passing yards and 28 touchdowns on paper this season.
7. Jayden Daniels (WAS)
Speaking of sophomore slumps, Daniels might experience one, but he looked so damn smooth as a rookie. It’s actually hard to imagine Daniels playing poorly when you stop and think of it.
6. Jalen Hurts (PHI)
The Super Bowl champion checks in at No. 6, eternally earning his flowers in 2024 by toppling the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs. He won’t slow down in 2025.
5. Justin Herbert (LAC)
Herbert desperately needs his team to win a playoff game. Otherwise, by this time next year, he could reside around No. 10 on lists like this and be the butt of jokes. He has all the tools to do so, however.
4. Lamar Jackson (BAL)
Jackson is just outside the Top 3 on this list because he may be due for an injury. He has remained upright in the last two seasons, for the most part, unlike in 2021 and 2022, when he missed 10 games. The man is obviously electric.
3. Joe Burrow (CIN)
Burrow had a monster year in 2024, and it wasn’t good enough to snag the No. 7 seed in the AFC. The Bengals roar back and might even with the AFC North.
2. Josh Allen (BUF)
Allen’s identity is synonymous with his team, the Bills, perhaps more than any quarterback in NFL history.
He. Is. The. Bills.
You’d be hard-pressed to find another example like that in NFL history.
1. Patrick Mahomes (KC)
His team might’ve lost the Super Bowl in February, but that doesn’t mean folks should be trendy by bumping him off his best-in-the-world perch. Mahomes remains the gold standard. He’ll turn 30 this season.
Vikings Linked to Big-Name Free Agent
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