There are plenty of players that can win or lose games for their team, but no position carries as much weight as a quarterback. If a team has a bad QB, then it never ends with a playoff berth. Just look at the playoffs this season. Which is the worst starting quarterback in the playoffs? There aren’t any truly bad quarterbacks in the postseason in 2026. This is already a great situation for fans.
When looking at the situations that went wrong, it’s almost always the quarterback as the culprit. Whether it’s an impactful injury or general ineffectiveness under center, there are plenty of quarterbacks who put their teams in the dirt. This year, the NFL saw 62 quarterbacks start a game. That’s almost two QBs per team on average. Let’s rate every single one.
62. Gardner Minshew
Kansas City Chiefs
Gardner Minshew had the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty in his hands. After Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers, Minshew came in during a drive that could have saved the Chiefs' season. They were 6-7 at the time, and their playoff chances were dwindling. Minshew almost immediately threw an interception, ending their season and the dynasty as a whole. The next week, he started against the lowly Titans, and he hurt his knee in the second quarter, ending his season, too. It was a bad, bad season for the former Jaguars star.
61. Max Brosmer
Minnesota Vikings
It was a rough year in Minnesota. The Vikings started three quarterbacks, and none of them could get the ball to Justin Jefferson. Let’s start with the worst option. Max Brosmer was the Vikings third-string QB, but because of all the injuries, he played in eight games. In those eight games, he had 328 yards. Total. He also is still waiting for his first touchdown pass. Oh, actually he did throw a touchdown pass. Unfortunately, it was to Ernest Jones IV, who plays for the Seahawks.
60. Clayton Tune
Green Bay Packers
You know it's a really bad situation when a quarterback starts Week 18 for a playoff team and is released by that team days later. That's what happened to Clayton Tune. He was the surprise starter this past week, and he was awful. He passed for 34 yards total, and he was sacked for minus-41 yards. He contributed -minus7 yards to the offense. Luckily, the game meant nothing to the Packers.
59. Cooper Rush
Baltimore Ravens
At one point, we thought Cooper Rush was deserving of a starting job somewhere as he grew behind Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. Now, we know that is unequivocally untrue. Rush came in after Lamar Jackson got hurt, but it was clear he wasn’t helping save the Ravens' season, and they were forced to sign Tyler Huntley to give him another shot with the franchise.
58. Brady Cook
New York Jets
This one was bad from the start. He threw for two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He threw for seven more interceptions than his entire defense got all season. It’s tough being a Jets fan, but it might be even tougher being a Jets quarterback.
57. Geno Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
Can you believe that people actually thought the Las Vegas Raiders might be a playoff team this season? Clearly, the front office thought that. That’s why they hired Pete Carroll and allowed him to advocate for Geno Smith. Smith was truly awful, as the worst quarterback in the league to be a regular starter. He led the league with 17 interceptions. He actively threw the Raiders out of multiple games. Smith always felt like he would eventually turn into a pumpkin, and he pumpkined hard in 2025.
56. Tanner McKee
Philadelphia Eagles
We really thought Tanner McKee could be something. Call it Matt Flynn syndrome, but we felt the Philadelphia Eagles were going to get some draft capital for McKee’s services this offseason. That could still happen, but McKee didn’t do enough in a loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 18 to prove he’s a starter. There were worse QBs, but there were few who tanked their value as a backup like this.
55. Chris Oladokun
Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Oladokun was asked to basically help Travis Kelce say goodbye to football. If the superstar tight end says goodbye to football so he can go be a billionaire’s husband to Taylor Swift, then his last pass catch will always come off the hands of Oladokun. We don’t foresee much else from Oladokun’s career.
54. Andy Dalton
Carolina Panthers
Andy Dalton is still kicking, playing backup for the Carolina Panthers. With Bryce Young playing well, he wasn’t as needed this season. He did get one start when Young suffered an ankle sprain, and he got humbled by the Buffalo Bills.
53. Josh Johnson
Washington Commanders
What a disappointing season for the Washington Commanders. They had to turn to 39-year-old Josh Johnson to start games. It did break an NFL record, with Johnson playing for 14 different franchises over his career. What a crazy career. He wasn’t very good, but he was there!
52. Carson Wentz
Minnesota Vikings
Speaking of guys who keep popping up for different teams, Carson Wentz is playing for his sixth franchise in six years, the first quarterback to make starts for each of them. He was put into the lineup for the Minnesota Vikings after J.J. McCarthy was knocked out with a mysterious injury that just happened to coincide with his terrible output. He had six touchdowns and five interceptions before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
51. Kenny Pickett
Las Vegas Raiders
Kenny Pickett started the preseason with an inside track to become the starter in Cleveland. He ended up on Las Vegas after losing his job to Joe Flacco. He wasn’t good enough to overtake Geno Smith, who is above him on this list because of his pure negative impact on the Raiders. Pickett had two starts and neither time did he break 100 yards. Rough.
50. Jake Browning
Cincinnati Bengals
Jake Browning was another backup we said “only needed an opportunity” to show he was worthy of being a starter. Then, he became the Cincinnati Bengals starter when Joe Burrow went down AGAIN. And again, he proved he’s not a worthy starting quarterback. Despite having an offense built around Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, he could not put up good numbers, and he threw a ton of interceptions. He had one win, and he threw three interceptions in that game.
49. Justin Fields
New York Jets
We all thought that signing your ticket to Justin Fields was such a bad move by the New York Jets this offseason. Then, they ran possibly the worst offense to make Fields an impactful quarterback. We need to stop trying to make this happen. Fields is a talented player, but he’s not a starting quarterback at this level.
48. Russell Wilson
New York Giants
Or Russell Wilson, for that matter. Wilson was given his final starting QB job to start training camp. The Giants put their faith behind him at first, but his play went down the tubes as the year went on. It’s clear something was wrong, and he recently admitted that he tore his hamstring in Week 2. He was benched by Week 4 for Jaxson Dart, and he didn’t see the field again for basically the rest of the season.
47. Trey Lance
Los Angeles Chargers
Trey Lance was just here to make sure Justin Herbert stays healthy for the playoffs. We see this every year in Week 18. It’s funny to see a guy who was supposed to be a star by now. Instead, he’s a backup that not many are paying attention to. Jim Harbaugh had him throw 44 times against the Denver defense, giving him a real showcase for other clubs.
46. Mason Rudolph
Pittsburgh Steelers
Mason Rudolph went back “home” to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a rough stretch with the Tennessee Titans, but it didn’t go so well. He started a couple of games after Aaron Rodgers broke his wrist, and he was as mid as can be. He lost the one start he had, but it was against the upstart Chicago Bears. He had a chance to make a game-tying or game-winning drive, but he failed on fourth down with 21 seconds left. He wasn’t much this season, but he was enough to keep his backup role.
45. Philip Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
One of the greatest stories of this entire season was when Philip Rivers came back to football for the first time since 2020. The 44-year-old wasn’t completely terrible! He made it clear he could do one thing: throw the ball. He couldn’t scramble. He didn’t want to get hit. But he could still throw the ball! He threw for four touchdowns and three interceptions, but it was too late to save the Colts season. Honestly, we think he returned because he heard he didn’t have enough to make the Hall of Fame and he wanted to add one more good memory to put voters over the top.
44. J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota Vikings
Ah, J.J. McCarthy. What a terrible season for a guy who was supposed to have high hopes in Minnesota. The Vikings let both Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold go so they could go full force into the former 10th-overall pick. Both Jones and Darnold drove their teams to new heights, while McCarthy single-handedly buried his team. He did just enough to show he is capable, like throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys, but there is so much more bad than good for the 22 year old. Will the Vikings put all their chips back on McCarthy in 2026? That will be one of the biggest questions of the offseason.
43. Riley Leonard
Indianapolis Colts
Riley Leonard was way down this list at first, but he had a quality start in Week 18. He had 270 yards and two touchdowns against a quality Texans defense. We’re not saying we expect to see him as a starter anytime soon, but there is something to build around here. He should be the primary backup for the Colts next season. We’ll see who ends up as the starter.
42. Spencer Rattler
New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler started the season as the New Orleans Saints quarterback, and he wasn’t bad statistically. He got the first win of his career after losing his first 10 starts. In six of his eight starts, he had more than 200 yards passing and had eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Rattler even broke 100 QB rating twice this season, but it was clear there was more that was possible with this offense, and it was unlocked with the favorite for the Rookie of the Year.
41. Marcus Mariota
Washington Commanders
Marcus Mariota is another one of those former top prospects that just KEEPS getting starts here or there. And he’s never that good. This year, he was actually decent enough. It wasn’t enough to replace the play of Jayden Daniels for eight games, but he was fine with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
40. Tyrod Taylor
New York Jets
Another guy who just keeps popping up as a backup for years and years, Tyrod Taylor, was the best quarterback in the New York Jets room. That’s not saying much, because we just made it into the top 40. The 36-year-old was fine for the lowly Jets. He was good enough to get another backup job if he were to become available.
39. Jameis Winston
New York Giants
People love Jameis Winston in New York. He only started two games, and he was his normal crazy self both on and off the field. He did get the QB room to have a little fun with four (and eventually three) very different personalities. He gets some points for that. Still, this is Jaxson Dart’s team moving forward.
38. Kirk Cousins
Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins is getting paid so much money to be as average as he was. He was forced to get the role he was promised when he signed with the Falcons, and we learned what that was going to look like. Cousins is just too stiff to be the answer in this offense. He wasn’t able to turn this team around after Michael Penix got hurt. A last-second loss to the Jets actually cost them a playoff spot and probably cost Raheem Morris his job. Still, he went 5-3 as the starter and threw 10 touchdowns and just five interceptions. We could see someone talking themselves into the Kirk Cousins experience this offseason, despite the price.
37. Dillon Gabriel
Cleveland Browns
Dillon Gabriel was the original Browns rookie quarterback to take over under center. He was… meh. His numbers are actually pretty good, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions in six starts, but he wasn’t putting the ball anywhere with risk. That’s probably a good thing in most cases, but the Browns were down in most of these games. The gameplan never changed, and Gabriel was not the right piece to get the Browns to turn around.
36. Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray was always a guy who was very confusing from an evaluation standpoint. For the first time, we actually clarity about Murray, and the Cardinals do too. Murray had a strange injury journey this season, and many think the Cardinals just shut him down at one point. It would be a miracle if he's back in Glendale next season.
35. Davis Mills
Houston Texans
Davis Mills feels like he’s been on the Texans for a decade. (Looks up when he was drafted) Five years, ten years, same difference. Mills was alright when he was called upon to step in for C.J. Stroud during his injury. He threw for five touchdowns and just one interception while helping his team go 3-0 and keep the Texans on a path to the playoffs. Will Mills get any opportunities to fight for a starting job this season?
34. Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins
Finally, the Miami Dolphins saw the writing on the wall. Everything they built was wrong, and they have to start over. On Thursday, they fired Mike McDaniel, which felt like the last piece of the puzzle. During the season, they benched former Alabama standout Tua Tagovailoa. He always showed an ability to be a star, but the consistency was never there. And it got worse this season. Will he get another opportunity somewhere else? Probably, but we’re not sure if he gets better.
33. Quinn Ewers
Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa was replaced by Quinn Ewers, who was just fine! Honestly, he wasn't good, but he was given a pretty bad situation. He was graded on a curve. However, he never had a QBR over 35 in a game this season. The Dolphins should make a clean break from the QB room.
32. Jayden Daniels
Washington Commanders
And just like that, were in the top 32. It feels right to put Jayden Daniels here. He loses a ton of points for bringing up every single fear Washington fans have after his rookie season. It’s giving Robert Griffin III, and that is exactly what shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t just one injury. Daniels suffered a knee sprain, a hamstring strain and an elbow injury. Even when he was out there, he didn’t look like a superstar. They have to go into this offseason, do a hard reset, and hope they get rookie Jayden Daniels back.
31. Tyler Huntley
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens called on Tyler Huntley to save their season. Cooper Rush was not it. Huntley came in and was pretty good for a backup. Huntley helped the Ravens beat the Bears and the Packers, two teams that are no longer playing. He didn’t have to do much, as Derrick Henry was being leaned on, but he did enough to get wins against top teams. That means something! We see him coming back to Baltimore, no matter who the next coach is.
30. Shedeur Sanders
Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders showed some of the qualities that made people think he was going to be a number-one pick, and he also showed why he fell to the fifth round. There was definitely more good than bad, but his season was not enough to go full bore with Sanders as the starter. However, there was enough to think he could be. He threw 10 interceptions. That’s way too many, but he also tried to air it out and get his team back into games. He showed a certain game-breaking ability. Sanders definitely needs a lot of progression this offseason, but it doesn’t help that they don’t have a coach right now.
29. Joe Flacco
Cleveland Browns/Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Flacco is the one player on this list who got to start for two different teams. He beat out Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel to start for the Cleveland Browns. However, he wasn’t good enough to keep the job all season, and Gabriel eventually took over. Flacco was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Jake Browning wasn’t good enough to replace Joe Burrow during his injury. Flacco was fine, finishing with just under 2,500 yards passing, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. If this is it for Flacco, it was a really good swan song.
28. Michael Penix
Atlanta Falcons
We can talk about Michael Penix’s season, but we want to talk about his future more. How are we feeling, Atlanta Falcons fans? Penix suffered his third torn ACL of his life. He suffered it in Week 11, so it’s not a guarantee he will be ready to go in Week 1. Even if he is ready Week 1, he will miss most of camp with a brand new coach. Next season is a very important season for Penix, and he has to prove he was worthy of the strange investment the Falcons made in him.
27. Malik Willis
Green Bay Packers
Malik Willis has had the strangest career with the Green Bay Packers. After looking like a total bust with the Tennessee Titans, Willis found a real way to win with his skill set in Green Bay. Willis doesn’t try to do too much. He just comes in and rushes when it’s available, makes the easy throws. He did lose both of his matchups, but he did it with a 79 and 94 QBR. Who loses a game with a 94 QBR? Willis is going to get some serious consideration for at least a “keep the seat warm for the rookie” starting spot this offseason.
26. Cam Ward
Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward was not nearly the best rookie in the league this season, but he was something the Titans can build off of, we suppose. He threw 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. There were very real things wrong with the offensive game plan, and that hopefully gets fixed next season. They need a really good offensive mind to pair with Ward. There are pieces here in Tennessee, and Ward looks like the answer at quarterback. They really need to build more around him, especially a quality running back and more offensive line help.
25. Jacoby Brissett
Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett had a positive season for the Cardinals. Kyler Murray was out for most of the season, and Brissett brought a veteran presence to the offense. He threw for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That’s actually a great season! It didn’t lead to wins as the team was a mess, but he helped Trey McBride become the best player at his position, and he kept the seat warm for the next guy. If the Cardinals trade Murray, could Brissett be that next guy? One thing we do know, he can take pretty much any backup job he wants, including those where he’s be fighting for starters minutes.
24. Mac Jones
San Francisco 49ers
Ah, we’re doing the Mac Jones thing again. Honestly, we’re doing the “Kyle Shanahan fixes a draft bust” thing again. Jones was a quality starter this season. He finished with 2,100 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight starts. He had his best interception percentage of his career. Jones was good enough for the 49ers in Brock Purdy’s absence to get them to the postseason and possibly get himself a starting job in 2026.
23. Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals
Just to be transparent, Joe Burrow was the hardest player to rank on this list. What do we do with Joe Burrow? He was really good when he did play. However, he got hurt again, missing more than half of the season. That led to the Bengals missing the playoffs again. He also became a huge distraction with some of his postgame and mid-week comments. Some even thought he could pull an Andrew Luck and retire before turning 30. It was a rough season for Burrow, but if he returns, he should be in the top five next season, barring injury.
22. Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield went from MVP candidate to having Buccaneers fans if he’s the right fit under center by the end of the season. Tampa Bay had a huge lead in the NFC South, but they blew it and ended the season with a losing record. Mayfield had an interception in each of the last five games of the season, and the Bucs lost four of those five games. How much does that impact his ranking over his full-season stats, which are very good (just under 3,700 yards, 26 touchdowns)? We are starting to get to really hard decisions.
21. Brock Purdy
San Francisco 49ers
This one feels unfair, but the injury to Brock Purdy made it really hard to put him any higher. He was great, showing he earned the contract he signed in the offseason. Plus, he is back in time for the playoffs, which is all anyone cares about. Everyone on San Francisco gets injured, so it’s almost hard to blame Purdy. He went 7-2 with 20 touchdowns in nine games. He helped his team go toe-to-toe with the Bears in one of the craziest games of the season that ended up 42-38. We think he’ll be great in the playoffs. Still, we stand by this ranking.
20. Jaxson Dart
New York Giants
Jaxson Dart was so fun to watch this season. We were also scared to death watching him play. Dude puts himself in a position to get hurt way too often, and he was checked for a concussion more times than we can count. Still, everything about what Dart brings to the table makes him a great player to build around. The Giants are in a good place. Dart is a big reason for that.
19. CJ Stroud
Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud ended up somewhere we didn’t expect after his rookie season. He was on pace to be a star, but he fell to the middle of the pack. When you’re playing with a defense as good as the Texans, you just want to avoid losing the game for your team. Stroud is doing a good job of that, and he has Houston back in the playoffs.
18. Tyler Shough
New Orleans Saints
By what appears to be a miracle, Tyler Shough is going to win Rookie of the Year. Despite really strong starts by Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Quinshon Judkins, and Jaxson Dart, Shough has come from the rear and lapped the field. He was very good under center for the Saints, going 5-4 with a roster that constantly lost talent. They even traded away Rashid Shaheed. Still, Shough had two 300-yard games in his final three games. He dominated under center, and he proved a lot of people wrong. The Saints have their man, and he should be climbing up this list as the roster gets better around him.
17. Jordan Love
Green Bay Packers
This is the thing about Jordan Love… this was supposed to be the top Super Bowl contender in the league. Instead, the Packers are the last seed in the playoffs, and they are expected to be easily dispatched by their biggest rival, the Chicago Bears. Still, Love’s stats speak for themselves. He had 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He didn’t take that step towards stardom that many expected, but he was good enough.
16. Aaron Rodgers
Pittsburgh Steelers
What a surprise Aaron Rodgers ended up being for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went 10-6 with 3,300 yards passing and 24 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions. His TD-INT ratio was more than three. He helped the Steelers beat the Ravens twice in his first taste of this rivalry. He played through a broken wrist. There are a lot of negative things to say about Aaron Rodgers, but this season, he was a good citizen, and he saved a lot of jobs in Pittsburgh.
15. Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson should be in the top two every season. He’s a perennial MVP candidate, but not this season. The Ravens were a mess when he was in the lineup, and things got bad when he wasn’t. Still, even with the injury, he’s a top 15 quarterback. He played hurt a ton this year, and he fought to come back in Week 18. He should have beaten the Steelers, driving the Ravens down the field for a relatively easy field goal, but Tyler Loop missed it and knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs, causing John Harbaugh to lose his job, and now everything is thrown off. At least they still have Lamar Jackson.
14. Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts was not what the Philadelphia Eagles needed from him this season. They made the playoffs, and they still have a chance to win a Super Bowl, but it just feels different. Something is very off in the City of Brotherly Love, and it could cost them a dynasty. The Eagles are dominant when you look at them from strictly a roster sense. However, they don’t play like a dynasty. And that might start with the QB. Hurts is still a very talented player, but he needs to be better.
13. Bryce Young
Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young looked like a slam-dunk bust that was going to tank the Carolina Panthers for a decade. While the Chicago Bears laugh all their way to the Caleb Williams bank, the Panthers actually have something here. Against all odds, Young is in the playoffs! Yes, they did have a losing record and needed the Atlanta Falcons to win just to get there, but they are there! He finished with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, which is much better than we expected from him coming in. As the Panthers start to build around Young and really put effort into this offense, he could get into the top ten.
12. Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes did everything he could to keep the Kansas City Chiefs afloat. After making three-straight Super Bowl appearances, the Chiefs missed the playoffs in the biggest surprise of the NFL season. Mahomes was there for most of it, but his torn ACL put the nail in the coffin. Prior to that, Mahomes threw for 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Even when he was in the lineup, we didn’t see normal Mahomes. The rest of the offense didn’t help, as Travis Kelce lost four steps, and no wide receiver stood out. He was dominated by opposing defensive lines, and this wasn’t the former MVP and current dynasty builder. This was a completely different QB.
11. Bo Nix
Denver Broncos
It’s hard to rate Bo Nix when he has the defense he’s playing with. Still, he had some great games and led the Denver Broncos to the number-one seed. Every so often, he’d pull a four-touchdown performance (against the Green Bay Packers) or break 350 yards (versus Jacksonville), but he doesn’t do it with the consistency the Broncos need to be considered a true contender. Think about it: are the Broncos considered the top contender to win the Super Bowl? Nix is missing that extra step forward we’re seeing from others in his draft class.
10. Daniel Jones
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones could have been in the top three of a strange quarterback year. He was embarrassed by the New York Giants and told to leave in the middle of the 2024 season. He went to Indianapolis, and he was the clear number one pretty quickly. He started by very easily beating out Anthony Richardson, and then he turned out what was an MVP season before an Achilles injury ruined everything. Jones was 8-2 at the time, but the Colts lost seven in a row with him recovering. Now, he has to figure out what’s next, as he only signed a one-year deal last offseason.
9. Jared Goff
Detroit Lions
Another player who is incredibly talented but didn’t do enough this season, Jared Goff has the most talented offense around him, and the Lions didn’t make the playoffs. He did throw for 34 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, and only Matthew Stafford had more passing yards this season. He did his best in multiple games, and he ran out of steam at the Minnesota Vikings game in Week 17.
8. Sam Darnold
Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold did not sign the deal many expected, as the Seattle Seahawks have a few outs if the signing didn’t work out, but he stepped up where others have not. While Geno Smith was sinking the Raiders’ season, the Seahawks beat out the Rams and 49ers for the number-one seed. Danold ended a lot of demons this season, beating the 49ers in Week 18 to secure the playoff bye. He had too many interceptions (14), but he broke 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
7. Caleb Williams
Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams turned a corner this season, and he became a star. Ben Johnson arrived in Chicago, and we saw what the former first-overall pick could do with an actual head coach. He could be great. Williams threw for just under 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has the Bears getting to the number-two seed. He got complete buy-in from his team, and he did all this with disappointing seasons from all of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden. Williams did a lot of this on his own, which is exactly what a guy with that much talent should do.
6. Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars
In another example of a former number-one overall pick living up to his potential, Trevor Lawrence got the Jacksonville Jaguars back to the playoffs and won the AFC South. There were some moments that scared us, but Lawrence eventually stepped up. He finished the season with 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. He did that despite Travis Hunter getting injured and Brian Thomas Jr. doing his best Casper the Friendly Ghost impression. Lawrence, paired with Travis Etienne, carried this offense to 13 wins.
5. Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh finally got the offense he was targeting in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert’s numbers aren’t going to knock anyone’s socks off. He had 13 interceptions, which is too much for this offense, but he also had 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns. He did what it takes to win 11 games, and that’s what’s most important. He had ridiculously inconsistent play from all of the skill positions. Some weeks, Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey combined to be a star pairing. Other weeks, Herbert couldn’t find an open receiver. Still, he was a top-five guy by every metric, and we expect him to get a few MVP votes.
4. Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys
Man, what a wasted season for the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott put together his best season in years, and they didn’t come close to the playoffs. He had two great receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and Javonte Williams was one of the better running backs in football. Prescott threw for more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. What more could Prescott have done to get the Cowboys into the playoffs? He led an offense that had the second-most yards in the NFL, only behind the Los Angeles Rams.
3. Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen fell short of his MVP aspirations, as there is a clear top two in the upcoming voting, but Allen still had an incredible season. He dragged a flawed Buffalo Bills team to 12 wins. He had 25 passing touchdowns despite his top receiver being Khalil Shakir with 719 yards. Allen’s real threat was on the ground, where he had 14 touchdowns. Only Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry had more rushing touchdowns. Allen deserves more MVP love than he’s going to get, but the fact that his team fell to a Wild Card spot is the reason he’s down.
2. Matthew Stafford
Los Angeles Rams
Okay, so this might be strange, but we have Matthew Stafford as our MVP pick, but as the second pick for best QB in the league. The Los Angeles Rams needed Stafford to carry them this season. Their schedule was insane, with top teams like the Eagles, Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans, along with in-division matchups against the 49ers and Seahawks. Stafford finished the season with a league-leading 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. He had 12 more passing touchdowns than any other quarterback in the league. Stafford deserves the MVP, even if there was a better quarterback than him this season. It’s also insanely impressive that he did this at 37 years old. We assume we won’t hear many retirement rumors this offseason.
1. Drake Maye
New England Patriots
The top quarterback in the league this season is Drake Maye. Say whatever you want about his schedule or the fact that his big games weren’t big enough, Maye was incredible this season, and we think we’re watching the next generation of great quarterback play. He finished with just under 4,400 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. He brought the Patriots to a two seed after they were awful last season, and he did it with an inconsistent Stefon Diggs at the top of the depth chart at receiver. It’s really not fair that this is happening to the New England Patriots. Is there no karma in the football world?