Ranking the 14 NFL quarterbacks in this year’s playoffs

Ranking the 14 NFL quarterbacks in this year’s playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The NFL is a quarterback league.

If a team deploys an elite one, its odds of winning a Super Bowl increase. If the quarterback is average to good, it can be in the mix as a potential contender. If not, the team is most likely hoping to find its cornerstone through the draft or by another avenue.

With the 2025 playoffs up next, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have strong Super Bowl chances thanks to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens are high up in the conversation, as well, with Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson.

However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos aren’t as favored due to Baker Mayfield and Bo Nix not being in the same tier as the aforementioned stars.

So, which quarterbacks are the ones to watch in this bracket? Let’s rank them from least to best based on their regular-season performances and previous playoff runs:

14. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix is certainly not a bad quarterback, considering he’s done his part to help Denver make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. The first-round rookie threw for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 picks with a 66.3% completion percentage.

He’s one of two rookie quarterbacks in the postseason, though Nix will face a much tougher test when Denver is at the Bills in the wild card round. It seems too much to ask of Nix to go into Buffalo, one of the top Super Bowl contenders, and pull off the upset. Even in the likelihood of a loss, Nix and Co. should gain important experience for future runs.

13. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Wilson’s first year with the Steelers started off well when he returned from an injury, as they won six of their first seven games with the former Super Bowl winner under center. But the regular season ended with a four-game skid against the Philadelphia Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Pittsburgh hasn’t supplied Wilson with enough talent on offense to become a serious contender, so it’s difficult to envision the team going into Baltimore and sealing the upset having recently lost 34-17 within the last few weeks. Wilson is no longer capable of leading a team to victory on his own.

12. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Daniels and the Commanders have a chance at revenge after losing at Tampa Bay 37-20 in the season opener. The No. 2 overall pick has certainly improved since throwing for 184 yards, no touchdowns and no picks in that game on a 70.8% completion clip.

He ended the year with 25 passing touchdowns and nine picks while also adding 891 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. But, while Daniels has shown plenty of promise, he will need to drop a near-flawless performance on Sunday Night Football against an in-form Mayfield. He’s shown already he can come up big in key games, but he might have to wait at least another year to climb the ladder.

11. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Love didn’t necessarily take the next step as he would’ve liked after a breakout 2023-24 campaign, but he still has the Packers in the mix. Though not technically a sophomore, Love underwent a similar slump in his second full season as Green Bay’s starter, consistently throwing interceptions and recording seven fewer passing touchdowns (25) than last year.

Green Bay did flash potential when it was the No. 7 seed last year, though this time it will have to start a run at the Eagles compared to the Dallas Cowboys. Given Love’s woes this season, the Packers may give Philly a tough time but won’t have enough to overcome Saquon Barkley and Co.

10. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

One game can really hurt a player’s stock. Darnold sensationally rebuilt his value during his current one-year deal with Minnesota, but saw it crumble a bit in a 31-9 loss at the Lions in the regular season finale. In that game, he completed just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards, no touchdowns and no picks, raising previous concerns on his playoff readiness and big-game ability.

He threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in the regular season, but those statistics don’t matter in the postseason where team-by-team matchups reign supreme in single-game elimination scenarios. Darnold will be at the Los Angeles Rams, where he will be under extreme pressure for a bounce-back game as his own free agency process looms.

9. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud essentially became the AFC version of Love’s sophomore slump. After a propitious rookie season led to a multi-game playoff run, the Ohio State product regressed in his second campaign, recording fewer passing yards, touchdowns and a slightly worse completion rate along with seven more picks.

It hasn’t helped that Stroud lost Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to season-ending injuries, but the version of him that has shown up this year likely doesn’t have another jovial run to give. The Texans host a Jim Harbaugh-led Los Angeles Chargers side, which will be a challenge for Stroud.

8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Speaking of the Chargers, Harbaugh has got them back into the playoffs despite an offense that needs a handful of more upgrades. Despite the lack of offensive talent, Herbert assembled a decent season where he threw 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three picks.

The lack of game changers will likely be Los Angeles’ downfall at some point, though Herbert has finally indicated he can take his game the next level under an improved head coach. Now it’s about making it happen on the field when it matters the most, especially erasing the memory of the collapse to the Jacksonville Jaguars in January 2023.

7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

There’s a case to be made that Hurts is far too high on this list. Since his Super Bowl LVII appearance, Hurts hasn’t exactly been the energetic dual-threat quarterback he once was. His passing game has regressed and his mobility has decreased with added weight.

This year, he threw for 2,903 yards, 18 touchdowns and five picks while rushing for 630 yards and 14 scores, most coming from the infamous “tush push” calls near the goal line. The Eagles may be 14-3, but they’ve significantly benefitted from the addition and sustained health of Barkley, who nearly set the NFL single-season rushing record. Philly may have the best odds of taking down Detroit, but Hurts will need to play his part.

6. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mayfield has never been this high in similar rankings of quarterbacks, but the Bucs’ QB1 deserves it after a career year. The 29-year-old has thrown for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 picks on a 71.4% completion mark. But the production isn’t the issue — it’s the consistency.

While Mayfield has helped Tampa Bay to wins over teams like the Commanders, Eagles, Lions and Chargers, the first three games transpiring in the first few weeks of the season, his team later lost to the likes of the Chiefs, Ravens, Broncos, Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons twice.

With the competition picking up, can Mayfield compile complete games to give his team a chance and improve his reputation? Let’s see how this placement ages.

5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Just like last season, the Rams got hot late to make a playoff push. But unlike last season, Los Angeles secured the NFC West title after San Francisco’s injury-ravaged year dropped them to last place in the division. Still, the soon-to-be 37-year-old Matthew Stafford is giving his team a fighting chance despite injuries throughout the season to his main weapons.

The season was far from Stafford’s best, but he still completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight picks. Minnesota’s defense may prove an arduous first-round test for the veteran, but he’s more than capable of potentially taking his team further to set up yet another rematch against his former team at Ford Field.

4. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Now it gets closer to the summit. Goff continues to enhance his game as he recently passed the 30-year-old mark, throwing for a career-high 37 touchdowns. He also had a career-best 72.4% completion rate with 4,629 yards and 12 picks, five coming in one game against Houston.

With the Lions deservedly grabbing the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Goff is in prime position to maintain his form in a familiar environment, which will only boost their odds of a debut Super Bowl appearance. Goff, as it stands, is the best signal caller alive on the NFC side of the bracket, but he’s bested by a few otherworldly AFC talents.

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Not forgetting Joe Burrow, the next batch of quarterbacks are the NFL’s best in general. Jackson comes in at No. 3 due to his inability to perform in the playoffs thus far, especially when his team is trailing. For all the regular-season accolades Jackson earns, his inability to embark on a notable playoff run has stalled his resume.

Baltimore will host the Steelers in the first round, which is a game Jackson should be able to lead his team through. In the event the Ravens win, Jackson may have to go to Buffalo, depending on other results. That’s where both Jackson’s and Allen’s credentials could be put to the ultimate test.

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen and the Bills have yet to get past the divisional round since the 2020-21 playoffs, where they lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game. Since then, they’ve lost to the Chiefs twice in the divisional game and the Bengals once.

This year won’t be much easier for Buffalo, especially if it is Baltimore that is the visiting team in the divisional round. But Buffalo may be more optimistic than year’s past due to Allen’s decrease in turnovers, which has routinely limited his and the team’s ceiling. This season, Allen threw a career-low six picks while recording 28 passing touchdowns and 12 on the ground.

But will the Bills have enough offensive talent beyond Allen and James Cook in the bigger games? That question may be just as decisive.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Well, well, well. The basic stat sheet will reveal Mahomes had a solid year for the average QB, as he threw for 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 picks and managed a 67.5% completion percentage (career best). But the eye test will reveal that he had arguably his worst season in the league, as he looked more human than ever.

Despite Mahomes’ down year, the Chiefs still went 15-2, with one loss being a Week 18 giveaway to the Broncos. But when its playoff mode, Mahomes has the rare trait of pulling out a win from nothing, oftentimes making the plays no one else can. That’s why he’s accomplished what he has by 29 years old, along with having the Chiefs on the cusp of a historic three-peat.

He hasn’t been one of the best quarterbacks this season, with his Pro Bowl absence serving as an example. But when it’s time to put everything on the line, there’s a reason he’s already won three Super Bowls (named the game’s MVP in all three) with two league MVPs and several more accolades. He’s the QB to beat in this bracket.