Ranking all 32 NFL QBs after Week 6: Baker Mayfield for MVP, Justin Fields falling

There was a lot to write home about in Week 6 of the NFL season. We got our first real statement game from an MVP candidate (more on that shortly), plus what was possibly the worst individual showcase we will see all season (more on that shortly, as well). Sandwiched between them were shocking upsets, consequential wins, and a lot of noteworthy performances at the QB position, which is the bread and butter of this particular column.

When ranking the quarterbacks week-in and week-out, the toughest challenge is balancing the past and the present. It's difficult to find the perfect balance between what we've seen this season — the indomitable "facts" of what is happening here and now — versus what has happened, and what we generally know a quarterback to be. How can we be sure an established star isn't just in a funk he will soon break out of? How can we know this upstart won't soon slip back into old (bad) habits?

The easiest examples of this conundrum are probably Daniel Jones, who just led the Colts to their fifth victory behind another clutch series of fourth quarter plays, and Jalen Hurts, who won Super Bowl MVP just season, but whose offense is currently sputtering as the Eagles fall out of pole position in the NFC.

If we were to rank the quarterbacks we trust most in a postseason environment — who has the most bankable, career-long track record of success — it's Hurts in a landslide. If we are ranking which quarterback is performing better right now, in October 2025, is Jones by a similarly vast margin.

For now, as we attempt to parse these weighty internal and completely subjective debates, Hurts holds the (slight) edge. But we are starting to see him fade in these rankings, while other quarterbacks on winning teams, enjoying more resoundingly dominant campaigns, are taking over. Meanwhile, there are second-year quarterbacks who thrived as rookies, but who are traversing choppier waters as NFL sophomores. We have less history to lean on with those folks. While we can value and acknowledge upside, we also need to be honest about the moment in front of us.

With all that said... here are our quarterback rankings after Week 6!

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Ranking all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks after Week 6

Baker Mayfield is the MVP frontrunner through six weeks

This ties directly back to the internal debate mentioned in the introduction. Is Baker Mayfield really "better" than Josh Allen? Patrick Mahomes? What about Lamar Jackson once he's back? What does "better" even really mean in this context? Those are tough questions, some of which even I don't have a clear and conclusive answer to.

If you asked me to start an NFL team from scratch today, taking the next five years into account, am I taking Baker with the No. 1 overall pick? Probably not. But right now, there isn't a single quarterback performing at a higher level. The Bucs are 5-1 behind six genuinely impressive outings from the former top pick. Their only loss came by three points to the Eagles, back when the Eagles still felt like a buzzsaw with no off switch.

Mayfield sliced and diced a very good 49ers defense in Tampa's 30-19 victory on Sunday afternoon. He's just doing everything exceptionally well right now. He can throw under pressure, he can escape the pocket and scramble. He can manipulate the defense with pump fakes and sight lines in a way that's reminiscent of Mahomes and Allen, but completely his own.

If we factor confidence and leadership into the equation, Mayfield's stock only rises. His teammates trust him completely. He's working with several injured wideouts and bringing the best out of receivers the average NFL fan probably hasn't heard of. It's special stuff. Maybe next week he stumbles and we bump him back down a few spots. But for now, Mayfield has earned the No. 1 mantle.

Justin Fields is not built to last with Jets

Look, man... Justin Fields' career is a real ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

He struggled out of the gate in Chicago, but finished strong enough to earn a starting look in Pittsburgh. When Russell Wilson began the season hurt, Fields went 4-2 and the Steelers felt like a contender. Most folks thought it was clear as day: Fields was the better quarterback. When Russ flamed out, the overwhelming opinion in Pittsburgh was in favor of re-signing Fields and staying far, far away from Aaron Rodgers.

Now Fields is with the Jets. The Jets are 0-6, and Fields just went on national TV in London to throw for 45 yards and take nine sacks in a 13-11 loss to the Broncos. In his defense (?), Denver is an elite defensive team. That pass rush is brutal and the Jets' O-line did Fields zero favors. Also, it's hard to play in London. It's a long flight, your sleep schedule is out of whack. The jet lag factor is real (I've used this pun once already, I feel bad).

Fields probably isn't as bad as the numbers looked on Sunday. But still, this Jets offense is a complete nothingburger right now. Fields is still a special athlete, a special runner, but he can't do anything when it comes time to throw the football under duress. Fields doesn't put enough zip on passes into traffic. He doesn't attempt the challenging throws. Frankly, the fact that he took nine sacks but didn't throw an interception against Denver almost makes it worse. The Jets didn't move the football because Fields was too reticient to move the football.

At this point, the Jets need to change something. New York is probably content with tanking its way to the No. 1 pick, but keeping Fields under center for the next 12 weeks could do irreparable damage to the psyche and habits of this team. You need to try to be a little better.

How long until we do the Shedeur Sanders thing in Cleveland?

Dillon Gabriel threw the football a lot in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Steelers. He completed 29-of-52 passes for 221 yards. He didn't throw an interception — he's turnover-free through two starts — but he also averaged 4.3 yards per attempt (7.6 yards per completion). Gabriel isn't exactly stretching the defense vertically. Also, just because he didn't throw an interception doesn't mean he didn't throw interception-worthy passes.

I'm not sure how long the Gabriel thing is going to last in Cleveland. There's a reason he fell to the third round and a reason the overwhelming majority of NFL Draft experts thought even that was shockingly high. Gabriel was excellent at Oregon — a paragon of efficiency — but we know Dan Lanning's offense just is not a good barometer for NFL success. You cannot run that version of an offense against NFL defenses and expect good results. Bo Nix made a strong statement as a rookie, but he's coming back down to earth in a big way as a sophomore. Gabriel might not have what it takes to make the strong first impression, even.

That brings us to Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland has bent over backward to establish Gabriel as the higher priority, the "better" quarterback who was drafted earlier, but Sanders was the actual, more talented college quarterback. He fell for reasons that transcend football, whether NFL scouts care to admit it or not. Does that mean he's going to excel in the NFL? Does that mean it's worth the media circus that comes with naming him a starter in Cleveland? I'm not sure. But eventually, the Browns are going to reach a point where giving Sanders a fair shake, before another highly touted rookie enters the fray next summer, is the only logical choice.

Sam Darnold was not a flash in the pan

When the Seahawks made the decision to trade Geno Smith and sign Sam Darnold to a $100 million contract, it was met with broad skepticism. Darnold led the Vikings to 14 wins last season, but he struggled in the final weeks of the campaign and a lot of folks thought he was the product of an elite roster and an elite coach, rather than a truly great quarterback. Geno Smith, meanwhile, was viewed as chronically underrated.

Never has a controversial decision looked so right, so soon. Smith has thrown 10 interceptions through six weeks in Las Vegas. That's not entirely his fault — the Raiders aren't serving him well — but point blank, his value is plummeting. Meanwhile, if the season ended today, Darnold is probably a top-3 MVP finisher.

He leads the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6) and yards per completion (13.5). He has completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 1,541 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions, with a 4.17 sack percentage that is the lowest of his career.

Credit to Klint Kubiak, credit to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and an excellent Seattle WR room, but credit most of all to Darnold, who just grips it and rips it with total confidence these days. He was always talented enough. Darnold has one of the biggest arms in the NFL. It's just that now, unlike early in his career, the 28-year-old is reading the defense quickly, handling pressure, and avoiding the back-breaking misfires that once landed him a bust label. That's not to say Darnold won't still bite off more than he can chew on occasion, but he's capable of making dazzling throws week-in and week-out, and he's keeping the truly dumb decisions to a minimum.

How much blame does Jalen Hurts deserve for the Eagles' slide?

Jalen Hurts completed 24-of-33 pases for 283 yards, one touchjdown and one interception in Philadelphia's 34-17 loss to the Giants. He also ran for 13 yards and another touchdown, as he's wont to do. This is two straight losses for the Eagles, whose fanbase is now approaching a state of acute panic after glossing over early offensive issues as the team appeared to coast to victory.

The Eagles are still the defending champs. The Eagles are still the NFC East division leaders. The Eagles are still two games above .500 with winnable matchups on the horizon. But this Giants team is not good. Don't let the vibes fool you. Philly's offene has been stuck in neutral all season, but now it's becoming a bit harder to ignore since the defense is also showing holes.

How much of the blame can we pin on Hurts? I'm not going to entertain any argument to the effect of "Hurts is a game manager" or "Hurts is a product of Philly's great supporting cast." Of course Hurts has benefitted and continues to benefit from his surroundings, but we saw him step up and make big throw after big throw in the Super Bowl. He is now responsible for two of the great individual Super Bowl performances of the last five years. That is not a fluke. Hurts handles pressure like a champ and is able to embrace different roles and skills based on team need.

But the Eagles' offense is crawling right now. Kevin Patullo probably deserves the majority of the blame, as the Eagles really miss Kellen Moore. There is also the unavoidable fact that Saquon Barkley just isn't the same running back he was a year ago, which changes how opposing defenses defend Hurts, both as a runner and as a passer.

At the end of the day, however, Hurts has to own this skid. At least part of it. The Eagles need to empower him and the wide receivers to play a freer brand of football, but the onus is also on Hurt to step up, command the huddle, and put his dudes in a position to succeed. Thursday's loss wasn't even a bad individual performance for Hurts, but the Eagles need more. Something is off with the defending champs, and the job of bringing the locker room together and rallying this offense falls on their Pro Bowl quarterback. It is what it is.

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