In a pass-heavy league where dynamic playmakers at the quarterback position provide massive advantages, every team searches for their own franchise signal-caller until they find the one. It's safe to say all teams employing the following 10 quarterbacks have found theirs.
A few parameters before diving into the list:
The list is based on how each quarterback has played over the last few years, with a heavy emphasis on their 2024 performance.
Some projection will be used based on age, performance at the end of 2024, and how they looked in the preseason.
Numbers don't tell the whole story, watching them play to gain context for those numbers is more important.
Football is the ultimate team sport, wins are not a QB stat.
1. Lamar Jackson
Put simply, no one played better football than Lamar Jackson did in 2024. He's turned himself into an elite passer, able to fire bullet passes into tight windows or loft beautifully layered balls into the vacant space in between the linebackers and safeties.
Lamar can throw the ball from all sorts of awkward arm angles and body positions. It doesn't matter if he's jumping while firing a sidearm cross body bullet, it will get there accurately.
He often looks to push the ball down the field, causing major stress for defenders who have to remain sitting deep, but also need to be wary of his legs.
He's the greatest scrambler of all time and last season looked to be in the best shape he's been in years. His 915 rushing yards in 2024 was the most since his first MVP season in 2020.
Lamar's playoff history hasn't been great - he's only made one conference championship, a loss to Kansas City, and made multiple mistakes in the divisional game vs. Buffalo last year.
Jackson plays in an era where there are at least three other Hall of Fame QBs in the AFC; maybe one of these years his supporting cast can catch a two-point conversion.
2. Josh Allen
Josh Allen might have largest "carry" job out of any QB in the league. He must play well for the Bills to have a chance, and did just that in 2024 en route to his first MVP award.
Buffalo's receiving corps has always been a little overrated. Stefon Diggs hasn't done much since leaving Buffalo, and longtime Bills No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis isn't on a team after a rough first season in Jacksonville. This season, the Bills No. 1 receiver is Khalil Shakir. Outside of running back James Cook, Allen doesn't have much talent to work with.
On top of that, Buffalo's defense is underwhelming, and the lack of a true star on that side of the ball is eye-opening in the playoffs. Allen's defense has, on average, allowed 35 points per game in Buffalo's four matchups vs. the Chiefs in the playoffs since Allen was drafted.
Allen himself is a complete force of nature. He has a howitzer attached to his right shoulder and his accuracy is off the charts. It doesn't matter if his receivers are 70 yards down the field - he can get it there.
He also cut down heavily on his turnovers, only throwing six interceptions in 2024 after he threw 18 in 2023.
His ability to create something out of nothing is his best. His 6-5, 237 lb frame allows him to break multiple sack attempts before running around in the backfield and unleashing a dart on the run.
Trying to tackle Allen in the open field is probably like trying to tackle Derrick Henry. He trucks, stiff arms, and punishes defenders for coming close to him.
All in all, Allen's unbelievably powerful style of play make him impossible to defend.
3. Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes as usual is near the top of a QB ranking list. Unusually however, he is not at the very top. His play has dipped over the past couple of years, not coming close to looking like the best player the league has ever seen earlier in his career.
Kansas City's passing offense ranked No. 10 in expected points added per pass in 2024 and 15th in 2023 - after leading the NFL in that stat in multiple years prior.
His accuracy has dipped, his average depth of throw is less than what fans are used to, and his fastball has rarely been used over the past two seasons. However, his backyard play style is still prominent and extremely effective, and he's still just as slippery in the pocket as he was earlier in his career.
Mahomes has extensively discussed that he wants to start throwing the deep ball more often, and he let it fly in the preseason. His body looked to be stronger and more fit than the two previous seasons, and his deep ball seemed to have more air on it and looks more accurate than it was.
Mahomes' clutch ability, miraculous way to find the narrow path to a win, and some projection is the reason he lands at No. 3 on the list. Ultimately, there's no QB a team would rather have down one score in the final two minutes of a game.
4. Joe Burrow
Burrow put up the best statistical season in 2024, and many are predicting him to win the 2025 MVP.
Burrow is the dream pocket passer; he's decisive, aggressive, extremely accurate, and has a stronger arm than people give credit for. He's a hard sack, and can use his legs to leak out for scrambling yards if no one is open.
Luckily for Burrow, most of the time either Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins are open. Burrow's supporting cast is the best out of any QB on this list, but his offensive line has been a consistent detriment to unlocking a truly unstoppable offense.
Burrow slices up a defense better than any other QB standing in the pocket, while still having the ability to make backyard plays.
5. Jayden Daniels
The 2024 Rookie of the Year is phenomenal. Last year's No. 2 overall pick led Washington to its first NFC championship game since 1991.
His poise stands out immediately - he never looks uneasy, frustrated, or unsure. Washington's absurd fourth down conversion rate in 2024 (20 for 23) proves that.
Daniels is accurate and throws a wonderful deep ball. His scrambling is off-the-charts, and has clear leadership qualities which is important in a young QB.
Washington retooled their offense this offseason, adding Deebo Samuel to their weaponry and Laremy Tunsil to protect Daniels' blind side.
Washington's record may not reach the heights of the 12-5 mark last year, with multiple fortunate endings to games falling their way, but Daniels should be even better than he was.
6. C.J. Stroud
Stroud may be higher on this list than most others, but some projection is being used here.
The former second overall pick enjoyed a spectacular record-setting rookie campaign, but incurred a "sophomore slump" in 2024. Despite the slump, Houston still made the playoffs and beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card game.
Stroud, similarly to Burrow, is elite from the pocket. He is the ultimate processor and can put the ball anywhere on the field, on time and on target. He's extremely aggressive, highlighted by his deep throws down the field to Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
Stroud's offensive line was one of the worst last season, and Houston made an effort in the offseason to re-shape the unit. Despite the poor o-line play, Stroud would stand in the pocket and be willing to take hits if that meant completing a pass.
Houston signed and drafted five new offensive linemen, and three new starters will play in hopes the new combination gels better together.
7. Matthew Stafford
The veteran gunslinger could be ranked higher, but has had a concerning offseason highlighted by a back injury that has held him out of most of training camp.
Stafford is virtually immobile coming into his age 37 season but does a great job moving subtly in the pocket to avoid unnecessary sacks.
His gifted arm allows him to hang in the pocket as the pass rush converges, and he can throw lasers with arms and hands all over him. His ability to throw sidearm lets him whip the ball around defenders that would be in the way if throwing with an over-the-top motion.
His quick processing skills combined with the design of Sean McVay's plays make the Rams dangerous no matter who is at receiver.
Stafford's aggravated disc in his back is caused by all the wear-and-tear the back endures from a throwing motion. It will definitely be something to look out for as the season progresses.
8. Baker Mayfield
Mayfield has obviously found a home in Tampa Bay after bouncing around from the Browns, Rams, and Panthers in 2021 and 2022.
Baker has a true bulldog-mentality, fighting through defenders and getting up with emotion when he scrambles. He's extremely tough, is never injured, and does everything to win.
With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Cade Otton at his disposal in 2024, Mayfield finished third in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns. Now, rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka gets to join that talented group.
His aggressive nature led him to leading the league in interceptions last season, and he'll need to dial that in a little bit in 2025.
9. Justin Herbert
Herbert has all the talent in the world. The ball pops off his hand similarly to Allen and Stafford, and he can throw from all sorts of arm angles as well.
His lack of signature wins in the playoffs has cooled off the initial infatuation fans had with him early in his career. The ability is still all there, the key is putting it together in big moments.
Herbert is extremely accurate and precise and can throw the ball outside the numbers with force. He's decisive and can let the ball fly deep if he thinks it's the right choice.
His legs are also athletic enough to let him scramble out of tough situations on the pocket, and not many can throw the ball better than Herbert on the run.
Too many times Herbert freezes in the pocket late in big games, making him susceptible to sacks and turnovers. If he can play how he usually does for most of the game, Herbert has potential to move up this list.
10. Jalen Hurts
Maybe the most controversial quarterback in the league when it comes to these discussions, Hurts can fluctuate from being the best QB in fans' eyes, to being just an average starter.
I think he's somewhere in between the two. Plenty of drives will go by where Hurts is missing open targets in his progression, or flat out throwing that ball inaccurately. His passiveness lead to him being sacked at the second highest rate in the league in 2024, while standing behind an offensive line that mimics the great lines of the 90s Cowboys.
Hurts is extremely difficult to judge as he is surrounded by an all-star supporting cast. Saquon Barkley led the Eagles to many wins in spite of Hurts' performance.
For example, Hurts threw for 114 yards vs. the Giants, 118 yards vs. the Ravens, 108 yards vs. the Panthers, 131 yards vs. the Packers in the wild card, and 128 yards vs. the Rams in the divisional round in 2024. Philly won all five games.
The former second-round pick has his strengths though. His leadership trait goes without saying; that has been discussed since his college days. His deep ball is beautiful with plenty of hang time to let either A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith snag it. His toughness is real - he hardly gets injured despite running into a group of twenty other massive men on third or fourth and short situations.
Hurts isn't a terrific scrambler; he doesn't have the quickness, agility, or speed that Jackson, Allen, or Daniels do, but he's smart about when he should take off. Once he gets moving, he's hard to stop from falling forward with his 220 lb frame. He has also performed well in two Super Bowls, completing over 70% of passes in both games while remaining aggressive.
Hurts has lucked into a perfect situation where even Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee won games filling in for him in 2024, but his command of the offense and clutch gene land him in the top 10.
