RADIO
Joe Nicely dives into NFL Quarterback unit grades for RotoBaller. Analysis, review, and outlooks for every NFL team's QB room ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Arizona Cardinals
Notable QBs on Roster: Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett, Clayton Tune
Fully recovered from an ACL injury that impacted his 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Murray started every game for the Cardinals for the first time since the 2020 season. While there were certainly some high points with Murray passing for 3,851 yards and 21 TDs, as well as rushing for 572 yards and five scores, Arizona again fell short of the NFL Playoffs. In Brissett, the Cardinals possess a prototypical “veteran backup”, who could still give this team a chance to win games should the diminutive Murray go down.
Grade: B-
Atlanta Falcons
Notable QBs on Roster: Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins, Easton Stick
It’s a new day in Atlanta, as the Falcons quickly turned the page on mega free-agent signing, Kirk Cousins, by handing the keys to the offense to first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. down the stretch of the 2024 season. Penix will enter training camp as the starter of the future, while it’s highly likely Cousins is playing somewhere other than Atlanta in 2025. The rookie looked solid in last year’s limited action. This grade will drop sharply when/if Cousins isn’t on the roster.
Grade: C+
Baltimore Ravens
Notable QBs on Roster: Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush, Devin Leary
Lamar Jackson put forth yet another MVP-caliber season in 2024, passing for over 4,100 yards and a mind-boggling 41 TDs, while still leading all QBs in rushing yards with 915. Though Jackson has been durable in recent years, the possibility of injury is a real one thanks to his elevated rushing attempts. Baltimore solidified what’s long been an area of concern by signing former Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush to a free-agent deal. He posted a 60.7% completion rate in relief of Dak Prescott last season and upgrades the Ravens QB room.
Grade: A+
Buffalo Bills
Notable QBs on Roster: Josh Allen, Mitch Trubisky, Shane Buechele, Mike White
Fresh off being named the NFL MVP, Allen will once again take on Superman duties in 2025. A one-man wrecking crew, he passed for 3,731 yards and 28 TDs, while picking up 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground last season. Trubisky – the No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft – shoulders the burden of being Allen’s replacement should injury strike.
Grade: A
Carolina Panthers
Notable QBs on Roster: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Jack Plummer
2024 was a roller-coaster affair for the Panthers quarterbacks. Following an abysmal start to the year, former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton for a five-game stretch. However, Carolina’s decision to “factory reset” Young appears to have worked, as he was a completely different player down the stretch. Per PFF, Young had one Big-Time Throw prior to Week 8, but finished the season with 27th, which was good for seventh in the NFL. With Young on an upward trajectory, and a dependable veteran backup in Dalton, Carolina’s QB situation appears much brighter than it did a year ago.
Grade: C+
Chicago Bears
Notable QBs on Roster: Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
Though not completely devoid of highlights, Williams’ rookie campaign can safely be called disappointing, as the Bears fielded one of the NFL’s worst offenses over the back half of the 2024 regular season. New head coach Ben Johnson will try to bring some of his magic over from Detroit, and mold the former No. 1 overall pick into an All-Pro. Veteran Case Keenum has been brought in to serve as a mentor to Williams and will likely challenge Bagent for Chicago’s back-up QB job.
Grade: C-
Cincinnati Bengals
Notable QBs on Roster: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning, Payton Thorne
Joe Burrow overcame a sluggish start to lead the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing TDs (43) last season. His place in the league’s QB hierarchy is firmly planted in the elite category. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Burrow has dealt with multiple injuries and twice been limited to just 10 games in a season. Browning proved himself a capable backup, starting the last eight games of the 2023 regular season for an injured Burrow.
Grade: A+
Cleveland Browns
Notable QBs on Roster: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Deshaun Watson (IR)
Sheww… there’s a lot to unpack here, as the Browns continue to look forward to LAW (Life After Watson). With their $230 million albatross QB expected to miss 2025, Cleveland can expect up to a four-way QB competition during training camp and the preseason. Veteran Joe Flacco led the Browns to the NFL Playoffs two years ago, and has returned following a season with the Colts. He’ll be joined by trade acquisition Kenny Pickett, as well as rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
This is a situation that will likely continue to evolve even well into the regular season. Lots of splashy names, but unfortunately for Browns fans, if you have four quarterbacks, you don’t really have one.
Grade: D
Dallas Cowboys
Notable QBs on Roster: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Will Grier
It was a lost season for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, as the franchise QB was lost for the year following Week 9. As he returns from injury with Mike McCarthy no longer at the helm in Dallas, 2025 feels like a pivotal season for Prescott, a player the organization signed to a four-year, $240 million contract early last season.
With longtime backup Cooper Rush now in Baltimore and the Trey Lance experiment over, Dallas acquired rocket-armed Joe Milton III from New England after Milton impressed in limited action during his rookie season. The Cowboys expect Milton to solidify himself as the clear backup in training camp.
Grade: B-
Denver Broncos
Notable QBs on Roster: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger
The first-round rookie Nix impressed during his first pro season, throwing for 3,775 yards and 29 TDs. He appeared to look more comfortable – and earn more of Sean Payton’s trust – as the year progressed. Denver elected to cut ties with former high draft pick Zach Wilson after just one year, and resigned Stidham to a two-year deal to backup Nix.
Grade: C+
Detroit Lions
Notable QBs on Roster: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen
Following yet another strong season in 2024, Goff remains entrenched as Detroit’s starter for the foreseeable future. He finished the year with a true completion percentage of 77.1% and ranked second in the NFL in total passing yards (4,629) and yards per attempt (8.6). Goff and the entire Lions offense will look to adjust to the departure of whiz offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Detroit’s 2023 third-round draft pick Hendon Hooker has yet to see any meaningful action as a pro. He’ll battle Kyle Allen for the backup job during training camp and the preseason.
Grade: B+
Green Bay Packers
Notable QBs on Roster: Jordan Love, Malik Willis, Sean Clifford
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has pushed back on the notion that Jordan Love regressed in 2024 following a breakout season two years ago. In his defense, Love was severely hampered by injuries, suffering a sprained MCL in the season opener that forced him to miss two games, as well as a groin injury later in the year. Despite those issues, Love passed for over 3,300 yards with 25 TDs to 11 INTs.
Malik Willis – a trade acquisition from the Tennessee Titans – impressed while going 2-0 in relief of Love. The Green Bay offense was drastically simplified with Willis at the helm, but he did complete 74% of his passes for 550 yards and three TDs across his seven 2024 appearances. He could prove to be a valuable backup for Love going forward.
Grade: B+
Houston Texans
Notable QBs on Roster: C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Graham Mertz
Stuck behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines, Stroud regressed statistically in 2024 in comparison to his historic rookie season of 2023. However, he unquestionably remains Houston’s franchise QB of the future, and has a chance to turn into one of the top signal callers in the NFL. Stroud will have some obstacles to overcome in 2025, as he’ll be learning a new offensive system behind a retooled offensive line while throwing to several new receivers.
Grade: B-
Indianapolis Colts
Notable QBs on Roster: Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
Indy prepares to enter Year 3 of the Anthony Richardson Project. The results haven’t been encouraging to this point, as the physical specimen has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries and performed poorly when in the lineup. Richardson will be forced to compete with offseason acquisition Daniel Jones for the starting job. Jones himself has struggled similarly with living up to his billing as a former high first-round draft pick. It’s likely that both players will see action for the Colts in 2025, which isn’t a good thing.
Grade: F
Jacksonville Jaguars
Notable QBs on Roster: Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens, John Wolford
Former No. 1 overall pick and can’t-miss prospect Trevor Lawrence missed the second half of the 2024 season due to injury, but was mediocre across the first half of the season. Jacksonville will look to revive him with the addition of QB guru Liam Coen as their new head coach. Coen will look to unlock Lawrence’s generationally-good physical tools for a squad that suddenly has some firepower at the WR position.
With Mac Jones now in San Fran, veteran journeyman Nick Mullens figures to be the Jags’ backup in 2025. He’s proven himself to be a competent fill-in across stops with the Niners, Browns, and Vikings. This grade could look drastically different at the end of the year depending on Lawrence’s 2025 performance.
Grade: C+
Kansas City Chiefs
Notable QBs on Roster: Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew, Bailey Zappe
Nothing to see here, as Mahomes remains the greatest QB of his generation. The 2024 stats weren’t as bonkers as we’ve seen in the past, but the Kansas City roster demanded a different strategy to win games last season. Veteran backup Gardner Minshew has been brought in to lead the second team, and is a rock-solid option in that role.
Grade: A+
Las Vegas Raiders
Notable QBs on Roster: Geno Smith, Aidan O’Connell, Cam Miller
The beginning of the Pete Carroll era in Las Vegas brings sweeping changes to the QB room. The Raiders traded for Carroll’s former Seattle QB Geno Smith to lead the offense for the foreseeable future. Smith’s career revival in Seattle has been a thing of beauty, as he’s passed for 71 TDs over the last three seasons. Third-year man AOC stays in Vegas as Smith’s backup. He’s proven himself to be a tough competitor despite Vegas’ offensive limitations of the past two years.
Grade: C+
Los Angeles Chargers
Notable QBs on Roster: Justin Herbert, Taylor Heinicke, Trey Lance, D.J. Uiagalelei
Locked in as the Chargers franchise QB, Herbert will enter Year 2 of the Jim Harbaugh/Greg Roman offensive system. He threw for 3,870 yards and 23 TDs in his first campaign with the new coaching staff while also battling injuries. The development of rookie WR Ladd McConkey down the stretch in 2024 is a cause for optimism, as are the upgrades made to Herbert’s supporting cast this offseason. The veteran Heinicke will likely battle offseason acquisition Trey Lance for the backup job.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Rams
Notable QBs on Roster: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett
Though there were some uncertainties about Stafford’s status for 2025 following L.A.’s loss to Philadelphia in the NFL Playoffs, the 37-year-old gunslinger appears set to return to the Rams. While Stafford’s statistical output dipped a bit in 2024, the addition of superstar Davante Adams to the L.A. WR corps in place of a now-departed Cooper Kupp should be a net positive. Garoppolo is one of the better backups in the NFL, and Sean McVay was reportedly ready to roll with Jimmy G as the team’s 2025 starter if Stafford had departed.
Grade: B+
Miami Dolphins
Notable QBs on Roster: Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers
As last season clearly demonstrated, the Dolphins have major issues when Tua Tagovailoa isn’t in the lineup. Miami went 1-6 in games without Tua in the lineup last year, averaging an abysmal 12.9 points across those contests. Since 2019, he’s sustained four documented concussions, but it’s possible he’s sustained more than that.
In an effort to strengthen up the depth chart behind Tagovailoa ahead of 2025, Miami has brought in former Jets bust Zach Wilson, and selected Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, which is – at least on paper – an upgrade over the cast of characters behind Tua on the depth chart last season.
Grade: C-
Minnesota Vikings
Notable QBs on Depth Chart: J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien
Despite winning 14 games with Sam Darnold at the helm last season, Minnesota elected to let him walk in free agency. QB guru Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings will put all of their eggs in the J.J. McCarthy basket in 2025. The tenth-overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, McCarthy missed the entirety of his rookie year with a torn meniscus, but will get every opportunity to be the Vikings’ quarterback of the present (and future) in 2025. Journeyman gunslinger Sam Howell has bounced around the league, but profiles as a competent backup to McCarthy. Lots of unknowns here, which hurts the grade.
Grade: D+
New England Patriots
Notable QBs on Roster: Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs
The third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye gave New England reason to be optimistic about the future with his play across 13 games last season. Despite being stuck with one of the worst supporting casts in the league, Maye impressed with his arm strength and ability to extend plays.
He’ll be tasked with learning a new offensive scheme under Josh McDaniels with the offensive line and WR corps both getting upgrades during the offseason. The Pats elected to trade fellow rookie QB Joe Milton III following the season, and will role with proven backup Joshua Dobbs behind Maye in 2025.
Grade: C
New Orleans Saints
Notable QBs on Roster: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener
Say what you will about Derek Carr, but he was an experienced, competent NFL starter. That’s more than we can say for the Saints’ current QB depth chart following Carr’s retirement in early May. Rattler got the chance to fill in for Carr last season, though the rookie went 0-6 in games he started for New Orleans. Second-year pro Haener didn’t fare any better, completing less than 50% of his passes in his lone 2024 start.
The smart money for the starting job is on Shough, a 25-year-old rookie who the Saints somewhat-surprisingly picked ahead of Shedeur Sanders in the second round of the NFL Draft. Shough will bring a level of experience, even as a rookie, following stints at three schools during his COVID-impacted college odyssey.
Grade: F
New York Giants
Notable QBs on Roster: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart, Tommy DeVito
Following a disastrous 2024 campaign, the G-Men have made plenty of splashy moves at the game’s most important position. Despite signing Daniel Jones to a contract worth $81 million in guaranteed money in 2023, the organization elected to cut ties with the floundering QB last year.
In Jones’ stead, New York has brought in veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. The Giants also made an aggressive move to trade back into the first round of this year’s draft in order to select Ole Miss signal caller Jaxson Dart. Wilson will likely lead the way in the short term with Dart being pegged as the franchise’s QB of the future.
Grade: C+
New York Jets
Notable QBs on Roster: Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez
Another New York team with another QB that started for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. With the Aaron Rodgers soap opera finally over, Gang Green will look to move ahead with Fields as their starter for new head coach Aaron Glenn. In his first season out of Chicago, Fields logged a 4-2 record in his six games at the helm for the Steelers.
However, he was replaced by veteran Russell Wilson midseason, and traded to the Jets following its conclusion. With New York electing to pass on a QB in this year’s draft, Fields will face no competition from the veteran Taylor for the starting job.
Grade: D
Philadelphia Eagles
Notable QBs on Roster: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Kyle McCord, Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Hurts answered any and all questions about his ability by leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl title last season in his second trip to the Big Game. While the Philly offense ran through Saquon Barkley in 2024, Hurts finished the year with a 68.7% completion rate and averaged a career-best 8.0 yards per attempt.
The Eagles shipped former backup Kenny Pickett to Cleveland after just one year, and will likely rely on 2023 sixth-round draft pick McKee to back up Hurts. McKee impressed in limited action at the end of the 2024 regular season, throwing for 323 yards and four TDs on 45 pass attempts.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Steelers
Notable QBs on Roster: Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Skylar Thompson
Hmmm… I think we could reasonably dole out our first grade of “Incomplete” on this list, as Aaron Rodgers joining the Steelers feels somewhat inevitable at this point. Pittsburgh cleaned house in their QB room following yet another Wild Card loss in the NFL Playoffs. Gone are Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Enter Mason Rudolph – who is embarking on his second tour of duty with the Steelers – and sixth-round draft pick Will Howard – a player fresh off a national title with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The addition of Rodgers before the season would certainly change the dynamics of the QB room.
Grade: F
San Francisco 49ers
Notable QBs on Roster: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke
Purdy’s meteoric rise from “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 NFL Draft to San Francisco’s starting QB culminated with a five-year, $265 million contract extension that he signed last month. Locked in for the foreseeable future, Purdy’s stats declined a bit from his 2023 breakout campaign, as he missed two games due to injury in 2024. He’ll be surrounded by formidable weapons including Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan was rumored to be enamored with Mac Jones during the draft process a few years ago. He now has him on the roster, as San Fran signed the former Patriots and Jags QB to a two-year free-agent deal in March.
Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks
Notable QBs on Roster: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe
Seattle made numerous noteworthy changes following last year’s 10-7 campaign in which they narrowly missed the playoffs. Incumbent QB Geno Smith was shipped to Las Vegas with the Seahawks signing free-agent Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million deal. Are we sure it’s an upgrade? Darnold impressed in Minnesota last year, leading the Vikings to 14 wins. However, he crumbled down the stretch, which leads to concerns for his 2025 outlook.
Behind Darnold, former Giants QB Drew Lock and Alabama rookie Jalen Milroe will battle for the backup position. With Darnold’s contract holding some outs for the Seahawks, Milroe will get serious consideration as the team’s potential QB of the future as he develops over the next 1-2 years.
Grade: C-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Notable QBs on Roster: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt
Baker Mayfield’s career resurgence continued in a big was last season, as he logged career highs in passing yards (4,500), TDs (41), and completion percentage (71.4%). However, following the loss of Liam Cohen to Jacksonville, Mayfield will now be working with his third new offensive coordinator in as many years. The depth behind him is close to non-existent though, as he remains backed up by the inexperienced Kyle Trask.
Grade: B
Tennessee Titans
Notable QBs on Roster: Cam Ward, Will Levis, Brandon Allen, Tim Boyle
The Titans loudly threw in the towel on the Will Levis era with their selection of Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. We can assume Ward will be Tennessee’s Week 1 starter with the organization prepared to weather any growing pains he experiences this season. Levis is still under contract, though there’s the potential he is traded or released at some point before the season with veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle rounding out the Titans QB depth chart.
Grade: D+
Washington Commanders
Notable QBs on Roster: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson, Sam Hartman
Fresh off one of the best rookie QB seasons in league history, Jayden Daniels will look to continue Washington’s upward trajectory in 2025. He’ll have a new receiving weapon thanks to the acquisition of Deebo Samuel, as well as an upgrade on the offensive line in Laremy Tunsil. Daniels’ elite dual-threat capabilities does raise his risk of injury, and the Commanders have experienced veteran Marcus Mariota in reserve.
Grade: A-
