Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs after Week 1

There was no shortage of NFL drama in Week 1, from a rousing overtime game between the Saints and Lions to shocking underdog victories from the Jets, Cardinals and Giants. On the quarterback front, there is similarly much to discuss. Last year's MVP frontrunners, Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye, both laid eggs, while upstarts like Jaxson Dart and Caleb Williams left an early impression on future MVP voters.

Let's rank every NFL starting quarterback from Week 1 and dive into a few notable storylines:

Is Lamar Jackson back?

The Ravens put belt to you-know-what against the Colts on Sunday, with Lamar Jackson taking center stage in the 41-23 blowout. Last season was a dark period for Jackson, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 and never quite looked like himself upon his return. The two-time MVP appeared timid, less willing to scramble or push the ball vertically.

In Week 1, Jackson looked very much like the Jackson of old — the perennial MVP candidate whose dynamic dual-threat skill set puts opposing defenses in an impossible bind. Jackson threw for 324 yards on just 17 completions, adding 40 yards as a runner. He scored through the air and on the ground. He lost a fumble, yes, but Jackson was largely in complete command of Baltimore's new-look offense.

Still just 29 years old, Jackson was always going to find his way back. If he can stay healthy and stay aggressive, the Ravens immediately become the most fearsome team in the AFC North — with Joe Burrow and the Bengals as their only serious challenger.

Drake Maye and the Patriots will be tested early

Maye and the Patriots were served a chance at Super Bowl revenge on a silver platter — and fumbled it, both literally and figuratively. New England lost 13-10 to the Seahawks despite Sam Darnold exiting with an injury five plays into the game. Maye, after he wilted under the bright lights in February, was presented with the opportunity to show that he was not a "schedule merchant," as detractors like to call him. He looked an awful lot like a schedule merchant.

Once again, the Seahawks defense put Maye in the torture chamber. He threw for 178 yards and a touchdown but averaged only 5.4 yards per attempt and coughed up three interceptions, with three sacks for the road. Seattle's defense is the crème de la crème, and Maye is hardly the only quarterback Mike Macdonald has made to look silly. But the Patriots were in the Super Bowl a year ago after facing a historically easy schedule, and now face naturally elevated expectations.

The road is far more challenging this season. Next up for New England is Jacksonville and Buffalo, arguably their two greatest challengers in the AFC. The Patriots won't get to coast leisurely into the playoffs this year. If Maye wants to build upon an MVP runner-up campaign, he will need to lock in quickly. His efficiency, the arm talent, the improvisational skills — we won't dock him too far, yet. Just know the spotlight is on him.

Jaxson Dart and the Giants put Dallas on notice

John Harbaugh's reputation hit rock bottom last season in Baltimore, but he's still one of the most consistent winners of his generation. There's a reason the Giants pounced at the opportunity to sign him, and the early returns are quite positive. New York's offense, led by Greg Roman and Matt Nagy, of all folks, put the supposedly improved Cowboys defense in a blender Sunday night.

Jaxson Dart led the way, looking every bit like the dual-threat star Giants fans hope he can become. Last season was an excellent introduction for Dart, but his propensity for danger — loud hits and cranial trauma, to be more specific — raised some alarm bells. It's hard to be a great quarterback in the NFL if you can't protect yourself. While Dart didn't necessarily quell those concerns on Sunday, he still showcased what makes his skill set so tantalizing.

He's a physical, explosive runner, able to improvise under pressure and turn broken plays into massive gains. When he does throw the football, Dart's aggression is buoyed by excellent touch and accuracy. He completed 79.3 percent of his passes on Sunday, notching 230 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Dart will need to keep it up against better, more proven defenses in the weeks to come, but quarterbacks with his athleticism and arm talent don't come around too often. So long as he keeps himself out of harm's way, the future for Dart is extremely bright.

Caleb Williams and the Bears might set NFL records

Is it too soon to bump Caleb Williams ahead of draftmate Maye? Perhaps. After watching Maye fizzle out in Week 1 (and in the Super Bowl), it's becoming more difficult to ignore the radiant aura of the former No. 1 overall pick in Chicago. Almost without fail, Williams ascends to a higher plane of existence in the fourth quarter. "Clutch" is often a mercurial and indefinable attribute, but it's a word that applies to Williams. His ability to blend creativity and precision, to execute impossible throws on such a consistent basis, puts him on a special path.

Coming into the season, Ben Johnson said he wants the Bears to be the highest-scoring team in NFL history. After dropping 59 points on a respectable Panthers defense Sunday afternoon, it feels like Chicago might just pull it off. Williams' success is at least partially circumstantial, as he benefits immensely from the play-calling wizardry of Johnson and a talented offensive roster around him. But that's a two-way street. Only so many quarterbacks can execute the harebrained schemes Johnson cooks up on the sideline.

Williams needs to prove himself over a more extended period, but he's capable of making plays that only a handful of quarterbacks can dream of. If he can match the efficiency and precision of Sunday's performance on a regular basis, he will quickly vault into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks. For now, please name six quarterbacks you'd rather have with the game on the line and your team in need of an explosive play. You cannot.

It's make or break time for Justin Herbert

No team dropped the ball more egregiously in Week 1 than the Chargers. When Mike McDaniel was named offensive coordinator, the general consensus was: Finally, Justin Herbert is ready for his breakthrough. Herbert has captured the imagination of NFL fans for years now. He looks the part of an elite quarterback. He's tall, mobile and exceedingly accurate, with a big arm that can stretch the vertical limits of a defense. And yet, time after time, Herbert has come up small in the biggest moments.

That was supposed to change with McDaniel on the sidelines — the same McDaniel who helmed the most explosive offense in the NFL for years with Tua Tagovailoa under center. Surely the sky is the limit now, we all said. Herbert is about to compete for an MVP award and lead the Chargers to a division title, we proclaimed. Week 1 is only Week 1, and there's no benefit to grand, definitive statements. Los Angeles, however, did not look the part of a burgeoning contender, in part because Herbert simply did not show up.

He completed 17-of-27 passes for 209 yards, tallying a touchdown and an interception while taking three sacks. The Chargers lost 26-14 to Arizona, a team many proclaimed as a potential last-place finisher coming into the year. Herbert was vastly outperformed by Jacoby Brissett, a journeyman QB whom some believe might lose his job to third-round pick Carson Beck.

It's much too early to write off Herbert and the Chargers, but if all this season offers up is more of the same, we will need to adjust our expectations — and our evaluations — accordingly. Herbert has coasted on the faint impression of elite quarterback play for far too long, without the results to back it up when games actually matter. Week 1 does not "matter" is the gravest sense, but if the Chargers offense becomes a slightly more watchable version of the mess we all witnessed in Miami a year ago, McDaniel will take some heat, followed in short order by Herbert.

NFL quarterbacks on the hot seat

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

As expected, Deshaun Watson threw an interception and looked a mess in Cleveland's Week 1 loss to Jacksonville. An elite Jaguars defense perhaps bought Watson another week of grace, but he has shown nothing this summer — nor really at any point in his Browns tenure — to have us believe he's anything more than overpaid, insufferable and far below replacement level. Shedeur Sanders should get his shot (again) sooner than later.

Cooper Rush, Atlanta Falcons

Cooper Rush was Atlanta's third-string quarterback to begin with, but he could end up as the fourth-string QB (or cut from the roster) after a disastrous Week 1 performance in Pittsburgh. The Falcons desperately need Michael Penix Jr. to get up to speed. If not, even Tua Tagovailoa is probably a more palatable option than what Falcons fans were subjected to in Pittsburgh. And yet, somehow Atlanta almost won. That defense, plus Bijan Robinson's superhuman efforts in the backfield, shows us that there's a competitive version of this Falcons roster, if the QB play ever gets up to par.

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

It's hard to overstate how lifeless the 2025 No. 1 overall pick looked in Sunday's deflating 23-10 loss to the Jets. He avoided turnovers, but Ward was not especially efficient or accurate. He averaged 4.4 yards per attempt, completing 19-of-32 passes for 140 yards. His lone touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter, with the game well out of Tennessee's reach. Ward was a big-play machine in college. He's anything but right now, looking timid and indecisive, made worse by a patchwork Titans supporting cast.

NFL quarterback injuries in Week 1

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

Kyler Murray threw up a prayer of an interception on his first throw with the Vikings. He then exited later in the first quarter with a concussion, which he suffered on a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit as he was sliding. Murray's durability has become a major problem in recent years. Carson Wentz also led a monster fourth-quarter comeback to help author an impressive 39-22 win, so it's fair to wonder how much longer the QB1 job will belong to Murray if he's forced to miss significant time.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Five snaps into Wednesday's season opener, Sam Darnold came up limping and did not return. Drew Lock led the Seahawks to victory in his stead. Darnold is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a soft tendon injury in his glute. Seattle has the infrastructure to stay afloat without Darnold, but this is still a costly early-season setback for the reigning champs. Lock is a bold quarterback and he's going to have his moments, but expect a lot more peaks and valleys than we saw from Darnold last season.

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