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RotoBaller projects and ranks all 32 starting NFL quarterbacks for the 2025 season. Where does each quarterback (QB) stand as the NFL preseason cranks up?
NFL Preseason Power Rankings: Projecting Every Team's Starting Quarterback
NFL training camps are in full swing and pads will start to crack in a full slate of preseason games. As we jump into the full preseason schedule, let’s take a look at the most important position in football… the quarterback. Here’s our latest Power Rankings and projected starting QBs for every NFL team. Will you agree with us?
#32. Tyler Shough - New Orleans Saints
The rookie Shough will be in a training camp battle with second-year pro Spencer Rattler to earn the Week 1 nod for New Orleans. It isn’t exactly an enviable position, as the Saints are roundly expected to be one of the worst teams in the league in 2025.
#31. Anthony Richardson - Indianapolis Colts
The A-Rich experiment continues for the Colts. After yet another injury scare, Richardson is currently battling newly-signed Daniel Jones for the starting job in training camp. Assuming that Richardson escapes the preseason unscathed, he should get the starting nod for the Colts to begin the season. However, it’s nearing panic time for Indianapolis, as they’ve yet to get any meaningful return on their big draft investment in Richardson.
#30. Joe Flacco - Cleveland Browns
Like lots of things on this Cleveland football team, the quarterback position appears to be a disaster zone ahead of the 2025 season. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski will look to find a starter from a depth chart that includes 40-year-old Joe Flacco, journeyman Kenny Pickett, and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Flacco experience makes him the most sensible candidate to start in Week 1. Hey… at least it isn’t Deshaun Watson.
#29. Cam Ward - Tennessee Titans
Ward is another first-year player that has a lot to prove. He also has the added expectations that are heaped upon the NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick. Ward played in several different offenses in his college career, and should be a quick study at the pro level.
#28. J.J. McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy has the potential to make his spot in our rankings look very silly this season. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offensive system is a QB’s dream and has succeeded for basically every player that’s stepped into it. That said, we’re not going to crown McCarthy yet, as he’s recovering from a torn meniscus that cost him his entire rookie season, is still yet to play a down of regular-season football in the NFL, and has reportedly underwhelmed in training camp.
#27. Russell Wilson - New York Giants
Now on his third team in as many years, Wilson will look to re-energize a Giants offense that ranked second-to-last in the NFL in points per game last season. Russ was fine in Pittsburgh last year, logging a 6-5 record in 11 games as the starter, and “average” is probably his new benchmark.
We can expect Wilson to begin the season as Big Blue’s starter with first-round rookie Jaxson Dart waiting in the wings. Depending on the veteran’s performance, we could see Dart enter the starting lineup at some point in 2025.
#26. Michael Penix Jr. - Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. has everything he needs to succeed. The Falcons have a stable regime in place and a plethora of weapons. Additionally, the team’s defense should continue to improve in Year 2 with head coach Raheem Morris. It is now up to Penix to go out and prove himself.
#25. Justin Fields - New York Jets
After starting his career in Chicago and a brief stint as Pittsburgh’s starter last season, Justin Fields is receiving what may well be his final chance to prove his worth as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Jets have some offensive weapons in place, including Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. However, the decision to hire defensive-minded Aaron Glenn as the team’s new head coach is worrisome for Gang Green’s offensive outlook, as it feels like we’ve been down this road before in New York.
#24. Sam Darnold - Seattle Seahawks
Darnold has not succeeded anywhere but in his lone season in Minnesota in 2024… and that situation even crashed and burned for him in the Vikings final two games of the year. Now, he’ll be tasked with acclimating to yet another new environment in Seattle behind what was one of the NFL’s shakiest offensive lines in 2024.
#23. Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears
We saw brief glimpses of the talent that made Caleb Williams the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in his rookie season. However, those flashes were too few and far between, as the former Heisman Trophy winner was stuck on a pitiful Bears offense that resulted in the firing of both Chicago’s head coach and offensive coordinator in the middle of the 2024 season. A fresh start awaits with offensive mastermind Ben Johnson, and Williams has the potential to zoom up these rankings in the coming year.
#22. Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers
Already written off by many as a bust following an abysmal rookie campaign and an equally poor start to the 2024 season, Young bounced back to be downright impressive down the stretch last year. According to PFF grades, he ranked as the 13th-best QB in the NFL after Week 8 of the 2024 season. Carolina added another weapon for Young in the form of first-round selection Tetairoa McMillan.
#21. Drake Maye - New England Patriots
The rookie out of North Carolina showed enough promise in the second half of his rookie season to make the Patriots believe they have their franchise QB of the future. New England was aggressive in upgrading Maye’s supporting cast in the offseason, and we can also consider new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as significant upgrades.
#20. Aaron Rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers
Rodgers was slow to regain any sort of form last year as he worked his way back from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023 season. That said, he ended the year with 3,897 passing yards and 28 TDs, numbers that were slightly up in comparison to his last season with the Packers. Expect this Steelers offense to remain conservative, but the 41-year-old Rodgers has the potential to play well enough to get this team into the NFL Playoffs.
#19. Bo Nix - Denver Broncos
Bo Nix is in a great situation. The Broncos boast one of the best offensive lines in the league, a terrific defense, and Sean Payton calling the plays. However, the caliber of weapons around Nix remains debatable. That said, the wide receiver room is developing depth, and the Broncos upgraded their backfield by drafting running back RJ Harvey and signing veteran J.K. Dobbins.
#18. Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars
We keep waiting on Trevor Lawrence to be the generational talent that many expected him to be coming out of Clemson. While we’ve seen flashes that the potential is there, Lawrence certainly hasn’t been done any favors by the previous coaching situations in Jacksonville. That could change with the addition of Liam Coen, an offensive guru who made Will Levis look good in college and helped Baker Mayfield to continue his career revival in Tampa last season.
#17. Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
It’s tough to get a bead on Kyler Murray. Here’s a player who has been in the NFL since 2019, and we still don’t truly know who he is. Maybe that changes in 2025, as the diminutive Murray enters the season healthy and with some legitimate pass-catching weapons in Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. available to him.
#16. Geno Smith - Las Vegas Raiders
The career revival that Smith managed in Seattle is certainly impressive. That’s even more so the case when considering that over the past two seasons he’s undergone a coaching change and played behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. He’ll get a fresh start in Vegas under his former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
#15. Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa proved himself capable of putting up strong numbers in 2022 and 2023. The concern is his health and ability to stay on the field for the Dolphins. He suffered another scary concussion in 2024, which led to missing multiple games, and a dip in production when he was able to return.
#14. Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
Prescott is the prime example of a quarterback that can thrive against inferior opponents during the regular season. Unfortunately, the Cowboys QB has struggled to find that same level of success against elite competition and in the postseason. He’ll be working his way back from an injury that cost him the majority of the 2024 campaign, as well as adjusting to life without Mike McCarthy.
#13. C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans
Following a record-setting rookie season in 2023, Stroud unquestionably took a step back in his second pro campaign. We can attribute his sophomore slump to being behind what was one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2024. The Texans have made efforts to rebuild Stroud’s protection during the offseason, and he’s still a supremely talented QB with growth potential.
#12. Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
Like Stroud, Love’s production noticeably declined in 2024 following a breakout season in 2023. In the case of the Packers’ signal caller, injuries were the primary culprit. Love battled multiple nagging issues throughout the 2024 season. Expect a bounce-back campaign in 2025.
#11. Brock Purdy - San Francisco 49ers
It’s easy – and perhaps lazy – to label Purdy a “system quarterback”, though that’s the tag that the former Mr. Irrelevant often gets stuck with. Despite those knocks, Purdy has operated one of the NFL most efficient offenses, including in the 2023 season when he led the NFL in both passer rating and yards per attempt.
#10. Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Bucs
Poor Baker Mayfield… he keeps playing so well that his offensive coordinators continue to get head coaching jobs. First it was Dave Canales who left for Carolina, and now Liam Coen has bolted to Jacksonville. Mayfield will try to keep things ripping with first-year OC Josh Grizzard in 2025. Expect this offense to remain explosive with the talent surrounding the former No. 1 overall pick.
#9. Jared Goff - Detroit Lions
Another top-level producer who often gets labeled with the “system QB” moniker. Goff will have some things to prove this season, as Detroit’s offensive guru Ben Johnson left Motown to take the Bears head coaching job. Despite Johnson’s exit, Goff should continue to produce big numbers in a Lions offense that’s been a well-oiled machine in recent years.
#8. Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
The 37-year-old has been battling back issues during training camp, but Stafford is fully expected to once again be at the helm for the Rams in 2025. Though he was stuck behind a shaky offensive line for much of 2024, the veteran was achingly close to defeating the Eagles and returning to the NFC Championship Game last season. With upgraded protection, as well as the addition of Davante Adams, Stafford should once again be one of the league’s most trust-worthy QBs.
#7. Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
Highly-touted for many years, Herbert remains a force during the regular season. He’ll look to get over the playoff hump in Jim Harbaugh’s second season in charge of the Bolts. Herbert was one of the NFL’s most efficient passers in 2024, tossing 23 TDs to just 3 INTs during the regular season.
#6. Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders
Daniels exploded on to the NFL scene last season with one of the best rookie campaigns in league history. The LSU product showed the ability to put up video game-type numbers thanks to his dual-threat capabilities as both a passer and rusher. He was impressive in pressure situations, leading the long-floundering Commanders to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. The sky appears to be the limit for Daniels.
#5. Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
Any observer would be hard-pressed to identify anything Joe Burrow could have done better last season. He led the NFL in passing yards and TDs while being a legitimate MVP contender. Despite that effort, Burrow’s Bengals missed the playoffs thanks to both a sluggish start to the year and an abysmal defense. Cincy’s defense must improve, but Burrow will give them a chance to contend every season.
#4. Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
You could make the argument that Burrow could be above Jalen Hurts in these rankings, but it’s tough to ignore a Super Bowl Championship. Thanks to the emergence of Saquon Barkley, Hurts wasn’t forced to carry the entire load for the Philly offense in 2024. That said, he made big throws when they counted while also remaining an elite force on the ground and around the goal line.
#3. Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
Although he didn’t add to his two NFL MVP trophies last season, you can make the argument that 2024 was Jackson’s best pro season. He threw a career-high 41 TDs and a career-low 4 INTs, all while remaining the most dynamic rushing quarterback in the league. The only possible knock on Jackson is his lack of postseason success, but it’s tough to hang last season on his shoulders, as Baltimore’s playoff run ended with a Mark Andrews drop in the end zone.
#2. Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
The reigning NFL MVP is a one-man wrecking crew. Allen accounted for 40 total Buffalo TDs last season, despite playing without a true top-tier receiver. Showing maturity and growth, 2024 was perhaps his most controlled and complete pro season to this point. He possesses every tool you could possibly want in a franchise quarterback, but until he advances further in the postseason than the player ranked #1 on our list, we have to put Allen at second overall.
#1. Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
Sure, the Patrick Mahomes praise probably gets old to those football fans who aren’t pulling for the Chiefs. However, that “Mahomes Fatigue” doesn’t take away from the fact that the KC superstar made his fifth Super Bowl appearance last season, despite being stuck behind the worst offensive line of his career. Mahomes was also forced to deal with multiple injuries to his receiving corps and an obviously-deteriorated Travis Kelce in 2024. While we might never see the video game numbers that he put up earlier in his career, Mahomes holds the QB title belt until Allen, Jackson, or Burrow takes it away in the NFL Playoffs.
