Training camp is starting in less than a month, which means NFL news is going to be somewhat dry until it starts. Naturally, it’s time to make an NFC starting quarterback ranking that everyone will 100 percent agree with.
Ranking Every NFC Starting Quarterback
16. Tyler Shough, Saints
Tyler Shough is getting forced into the starting QB role for the Saints as Derek Carr was dealing with a shoulder injury and eventually retired in May.
Shough was drafted in the second round of the 2025 draft and will have a lot on his plate as he will be given the reins to an NFL offense very early in his career.
15. J.J. McCarthy, Vikings
J.J. McCarthy is ranked low on this list for the same reason Shough is. Neither has played a single NFL snap to judge them on.
McCarthy was a better college QB than Shough, which gives him the edge on this list.
McCarthy could be considered the most pivotal player for the Vikings this year, as he has loads of talent around him on both sides of the ball. Will he be able to replicate what the Vikings had at QB last year?
14. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. got some run towards the end of last season when Kirk Cousins was benched and was eventually named the full-time starting QB in December of 2024.
Penix looked solid in his five appearances in 2024 and will look to improve with a very strong supporting cast in Atlanta.
13. Bryce Young, Panthers
Bryce Young had quite the turnaround last year. He played very poorly in the first couple of games, which led to him getting benched for Andy Dalton.
Young eventually got back to being the starter and finished the year strong, winning two of the Panthers’ final three games with two or more touchdowns and zero interceptions in each of them.
With more offensive additions and a new offense in 2025, Young will look to build off his strong finish to last season.
12. Caleb Williams, Bears
Caleb Williams has as much natural talent as anyone else in the league, but it doesn’t make much sense to put him any higher than this.
Williams fell victim to a horrendous coaching situation in Chicago last year, but still looked solid despite his surroundings. He went through three offensive coordinators and two head coaches in his rookie year.
The Bears overhauled their coaching and offensive line, which should provide more support for Williams in the coming years.
11. Russell Wilson, Giants
Contrary to popular belief, Russell Wilson has been surprisingly solid the last couple of years. He’s kept his interception total to single digits in each of the last two years and continues to be mobile despite his age.
Wilson won’t be in New York for long, but hopefully, he won’t lose his job to rookie Jaxson Dart partway through the season if the Giants start to lose a lot of games.
10. Sam Darnold, Seahawks
Sam Darnold is coming off the best year of his career and looks to continue his resurgence with the Seattle Seahawks.
Unfortunately for Darnold, the Seahawks do not have a Justin Jefferson or Kevin O’Connell to help him out. If he’s able to sustain his 2024 production in 2025, he might have a case to move up on this list.
9. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Kyler Murray was one of the more difficult quarterbacks to place on this list. We seem to still be waiting for consistency from him that we expect out of a first overall pick, despite him entering his seventh season in 2025.
Murray has the potential to be a great quarterback, but his recent inconsistency is holding him back. The Cardinals may have a chance to take a division that has no clear best team with all the shuffling we have seen this offseason.
8. Jordan Love, Packers
Kicking off the top half of the list is Jordan Love. He was a very good quarterback in his first full year of action back in 2023, but seemingly regressed a little in 2024.
That may be due to the injury he sustained in week one against the Eagles, but he never really found a groove to find sustained success over a long period.
Love has shown flashes of great QB play, but he can’t afford mistakes in a stacked division.
7. Brock Purdy, 49ers
Brock Purdy has been very good since making his debut in 2022 and was recently rewarded with a massive five-year $265 million contract extension.
Purdy may not be the perfect NFL quarterback, but he is perfect for the Kyle Shanahan system. His ability to play on time and in rhythm allows the offense to work quickly and efficiently to move the ball downfield with Purdy playing the role of point guard.
He may not make all the flashy plays, but Purdy is a good quarterback. It’s time to see if that extension will be worth the price tag or not.
6. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield was previously written off by the NFL a couple of years ago, but came bursting back onto the scene when he signed with Tampa Bay. He was able to revive his career and has been playing at a near top-tier level for the last two seasons.
Mayfield has eclipsed 4,000 passing yards in both years since signing with the Bucs and has truly thrived in his new home. He has even won a playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
His former offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, left Tampa Bay for the Jaguars’ head coaching position this offseason, so Mayfield will have to adjust to a new coach in 2025.
5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Dak Prescott was recently made the highest-paid quarterback in the league with a massive four-year $240 million contract, which comes out to $60 million per year.
Prescott has been as reliable as they come as a quarterback, and his connection with receiver CeeDee Lamb is impressive to say the least. Prescott led the league in touchdowns in 2023 before missing the back half of the 2024 season due to injury.
He hopes to lead the Cowboys back to the playoffs in 2025 despite two of his division rivals’ quarterbacks being ahead of him on this list.
4. Jared Goff, Lions
Jared Goff has been exactly what the Detroit Lions needed since being traded there before the 2021 season. He’s reached 4,400 passing yards in each of the last three seasons, but is staring a massive change in the face coming into 2025.
Goff’s former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, took the head coaching job in Chicago, which could spell trouble for the Lions’ offense.
Will Detroit fall back to irrelevancy without their offensive mastermind? Or will the talent of the roster keep them among the NFC’s best?
3. Matthew Stafford, Rams
As the other half of the Rams-Lions trade before the 2021 season, Matthew Stafford has been a great quarterback his entire career. He was a top player on a Super Bowl-winning team a few years ago and can still sling the rock extremely well.
Stafford will look to bring the Rams back to the promised land with newly signed receiver Davante Adams catching passes from him.
2. Jayden Daniels, Commanders
The reigning 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year slides into the number two spot on this list for good reason. Jayden Daniels won two playoff games and showed great composure as a passer and rusher last year.
Daniels limited his mistakes on the ground and through the air, and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship game, too. Not many expected the Commanders to exceed expectations, but Daniels is a big reason why they did.
1. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
Jalen Hurts has been thrown all over the place in QB rankings, but now it’s time to give him his flowers. Hurts’ arguably two best games of his career have happened in his two Super Bowl appearances.
When the game gets tight, Hurts is one of the few guys you can trust with the ball in his hands. He seemingly gets better as the stakes continue to rise.
Call him a “Tush Push” merchant if you want, but Hurts is the best quarterback in the NFC going into 2025.
Main Image: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports
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