If asked to build an NFL team from scratch, where would you start? Most answers probably begin at quarterback. And then, before you forget, head coach. That is the foundation and the lifeblood of a contending team — a superstar under center and a genius walking the sideline with a headset and a playbook.
Most rankings of the NFL's best quarterbacks, however, tend to ignore the ecosystems in which those quarterbacks operate. That's fine — it's fun to debate which player is better "in a vacuum," as if such a vacuum exists — but when it comes to contextualizing a player's success in this league, one cannot ignore his surroundings. Personnel is important, of course, but so is the man in the charge.
Today will we attempt to decipher the very best quarterback-coaching duos the NFL has to offer. This will naturally include the "big" names, the obvious picks. For example, we can't say Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback in the NFL, but that we dislike John Harbaugh, and thus leave Baltimore off the list. This is a measure of combined value between coach and player. A great quarterback elevates a mediocre coach, and vice versa. And to be clear: Who doesn't love John Harbaugh? That was just an example (I can actually find a lot of Ravens fans who probably don't love John Harbaugh.)
Let's start with a few honorable mentions.
- C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
- Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
- Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
- Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
- Baker Mayfield and Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
And now: the heavyweights.
7. Bo Nix and Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Too soon? Perhaps, but Bo Nix just put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. If not for the overshadowing greatness of Jayden Daniels, Nix would have been a runaway Rookie of the Year in 2024. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It was not perfect, but he led the Denver Broncos to a 10-7 record and punched their ticket to the playoffs just one year removed from the Russell Wilson ordeal.
Nix was Sean Payton's passion project. The Broncos head coach fought for him in the pre-draft process, singling him out as the best possible value in Denver's range. Many called him crazy; Nix spent forever it college (at least it felt that way) and he wasn't always the Heisman candidate we saw in his final campaign at Oregon. The Ducks' offense was a far cry from the NFL schematically, and there were questions about Nix's arm talent and upside.
Alas, the arm looked great last season, and Nix's exceptional processing speed allowed him to avoid sacks and deliver timely, on-target darts all over the field. Payton loved Nix's IQ and now it's clear why: He's ahead of his years when it comes to reading the defense and operating under duress. Nix has the agility to escape the pocket and leg out runs when needed, and he's super comfortable in the pocket. If he can cut down on interceptions without sacrificing his ambition in year two, the Broncos will be a force in the AFC West.
6. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
We'll see how this one holds up in 2025. The Los Angeles Rams continue to bump up against Father Time, and yet L.A. was still the only team to give the Philadelphia Eagles a real run for their money last postseason. Matthew Stafford, even at 37 years old, remains something of a wizard. There's a reason every anonymous NFL coaches and scout raves about him. He is the benchmark for evaluating a lot of your quintessential quarterback traits.
While Stafford lacks the standout agility of a Patrick Mahomes or Jackson, his brain moves as quickly as anyone in the league. His ability to process the defense in real time, adjusting arm angles and positions, makes him a textbook example to young quarterbacks everywhere. He might not be vintage Aaron Rodgers when it comes to changing plays at the line of scrimmage and improvising on the fly, but Stafford gets the ball out quickly and almost always delivers it dead on target.
It helps that Sean McVay is still the best coach working in football today. He no longer has the best roster, but half the new coaching hires these days can be traced back to the McVay coaching tree. There's a reason for that: He revolutionized the modern offense and he's still reaching deeper into his bag of tricks every season. McVay and Stafford share a special bond, one they both fought hard to maintain when Stafford's future came into question earlier this summer.
Stafford will hit the wall eventually, and the Rams are very much monitoring what the future holds. But until proven otherwise, it's impossible to keep Stafford and McVay off a list like this, even if you hold broader concerns about the Los Angeles roster (as I certainly do).
5. Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders' hire of Dan Quinn last offseason was met with understandable trepidation, but those concerns were immediately put to rest. We can (and should) credit Kliff Kingsbury and the offensive staff, but Quinn led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl once upon a time. The idea of him being a middling retread hire was never really fair.
Daniels' success as a rookie was borderline unprecedented. He put together one of the absolute best debut seasons in league history, completing 69.0 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and only nine interceptions — not to mention his 891 yards and six touchdowns as a runner. The Commanders went from a basement-dweller to a 12-win team in Daniels' first year, and it's only up from here.
The roster around him could still use some work, but Daniels' efficiency at such a young age is remarkable. He established a quick rapport with Terry McLaurin and a talented pass-catching corps, which is now adding Deebo Samuel to the mix. Meanwhile, while the defense wasn't anything special, Quinn still had Washington in the top half of the league when it came to generating stops.
Quinn is a proven winner at this point, freed from the Cowboys' postseason curse, which was inescapable during his tenure as defensive coordinator. Daniels is the NFL's shiny new toy — the league's next superstar, who could be competing for MVP honors as soon as this season. If all breaks right, don't be shocked if Washington's duo lands higher on this list come 2026.
4. Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
It's difficult to nail down the absolute "best" quarterback in the NFL right now, but Joe Burrow made one hell of a case last season. Despite the Cincinnati Bengals' collective underperformance en route to a 9-8 record, which failed to crack the postseason, Burrow led the NFL in completions (460), passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43). He was fourth in completion percentage (70.6) while leading the NFL in pass attempts, and he only threw nine interceptions.
The Bengals were the most explosive offensive team in the NFL last season. It was the defense which held them back, and could very well cut them at the knees again in 2025. Zac Taylor, himself an ex-quarterback and quarterbacks coach, works hand-in-hand with Burrow. There is a strong connection there, with Burrow empowered to launch nukes to all areas of the field.
Brian Callahan, Cincy's celebrated offensive coordinator, left last season to coach the Tennessee Titans. The result? Tennessee was unwatchable, but the Bengals just kept chugging along ... at least on offense. Taylor bears his share of the blame for Cincy's porous defense — the head coach needs to influence all areas of the team — but he bears the brunt of the responsibility on offense, and it manifests through Burrow's sustained excellence.
If the Bengals can't figure out the defense, Cincy may never again earnestly challenge the AFC heavyweights. But this is still the only coach-QB duo to overcome the Chiefs buzzsaw in the postseason, which has to count for something. Burrow isn't a dual-threat quarterback like his peers atop the league QB rankings, but in terms of arm strength, accuracy and processing, there isn't anyone operating on his level right now.
3. Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Gun to my head, if you asked me to pick the very best quarterback in the NFL right now, my answer is probably Burrow. But close behind him is Jackson, who deserved his third MVP trophy last season. The Baltimore Ravens might be the best team in the AFC this season on paper. There is depth across the board, and Jackson is long overdue for his moment in the playoffs.
We can ascribe some blame for Baltimore's postseason flameouts to Jackson — he's experienced his share of struggles against the Chiefs and Bills of the world — but much of it is outside his control. And when you're this consistently dominant in the regular season, it becomes difficult to knock a guy too far.
John Harbaugh is the only factor holding the Ravens back in these rankings. He has coached in Baltimore for almost two decades. He's a Super Bowl champ and he produces a level of consistent winning that should put him in the Hall of Fame. But more often than not, the game moves past even the greatest coaches of all time. Harbaugh's teams tend to rely on the run game to a fault. Baltimore attempted to expand the passing attack last season under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, with great success, but the Ravens' scheme still isn't on the cutting edge.
Even so, Jackson can dominate in just about any setting. He's incredible as a runner, capable of escaping almost any pressure situation. He's borderline unhittable once he picks up momentum in the open field. In terms of arm talent, Jackson might be the craziest, most creative passer in the NFL. He can shift arm angles, sling it across his body on the run, and deliver bombs with depth and accuracy that no other quarterback in the NFL can match.
This is a special duo — and if you think they should be a spot or two higher, I won't fight you on it.
2. Josh Allen and Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Sean McDermott is coming up on a decade as Buffalo Bills head coach. He has been through his share of down moments, but always Buffalo seems to punch back and rise to the occasion. The Chiefs still loom large as the final postseason roadblock, but even last season — after Buffalo's front office gutted the wide receiver room and cut costs across the board — the Bills were in the AFC Championship Game and a few lucky breaks away from the Super Bowl.
A lot of that has to do, of course, with Josh Allen. He snuck up from behind to win the MVP award, his first. Jackson was my personal pick, but it's hard to argue with Allen's coronation: He threw for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and critically, only six interceptions. He also ran for 531 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns.
While Allen isn't the same open-field speedster as Jackson, he's the closest thing we have to Cam Newton in the modern NFL. He's built like a tank, capable of plowing through would-be tacklers or sidestepping them with underrated agility. He can escape the pocket, keep his head on a swivel and deliver off-script bombs as well as anyone, or he can slice a defense right up the middle on a designed run.
Allen's accuracy has never been perfect, but he probably has the strongest arm in the NFL. He cut down on mistakes last season in a big way, striking the right balance between boldness and intelligence. Buffalo didn't get him much to work with in the wide receiver room, but Allen found ways to elevate his teammates and drag Buffalo to a 13-win record all the same.
McDermott is a defensive coach by trade and he's not as hands-on with Allen as other coaches on this list are with their QBs (see: Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow or Sean Payton, Bo Nix), but Buffalo consistently exceeds expectations across the board due to the combined powers of these two. Both deserve major credit.
1. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Even after that sobering loss to Philadelphia in February, the Kansas City Chiefs have won three of the last six Super Bowls and appeared in five of six. This is the greatest modern dynasty in the NFL, a worthy successor to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and those unshakable Patriots teams. We may be approaching the tail end of Kansas City's dominance, but 15 wins and another cruise through the AFC gauntlet is proof enough that we are not done with the Chiefs. Not yet.
Mahomes' individual production has been on the decline for a couple years now, and Kansas City is no longer the offensive buzzsaw it was a few years back. A lot of the Chiefs' dominance last season actually stemmed from the defense, led by a potential Hall of Fame coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo.
When it comes to the crème de la crème of coach-QB duos, however, how can it not be Mahomes and Andy Reid? At least until further notice. No quarterback and coach have elevated each other more over the last six years. Mahomes is a unicorn with an unbelievable talent for off-script passes and extending plays well beyond their typical lifespan. Reid is the NFL's most underappreciated offensive guru, somehow. We talk about McVay and McDaniel and now Johnson, but Reid laid the groundwork in many ways.
After 14 tremendously successful years in Philadelphia, Reid finally achieved his Super Bowl dreams alongside Mahomes in Kansas City — thrice, with more potentially on the horizon. This is arguably the greatest pairing of quarterback and coach in NFL history. While Brady and Belichick were easily the most successful, it was almost in spite of their fragile connection. Mahomes and Reid actively complement one another in a way that has shaped the Chiefs' historic success.
So yes. The Chiefs are vulnerable, and Mahomes is no longer the easy consensus when naming the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But when it comes to the combined powers of a coach and a player, you'd be hard-pressed to put a different duo in this No. 1 spot.