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2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 17: Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye Do Not Disappoint in Prime-Time MVP Race

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/12/2025 - 08:51 am
(Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The NFL really nailed the prime-time games in Week 16 with all the exciting comebacks coming in prime time, engineered by Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye. It would have been nice to see Philip Rivers add to the list on Monday night, but he had a valiant effort under his one-of-a-kind circumstances at quarterback.

Still, it’s been a down year for quarterbacks, and Week 16 saw Jordan Love, Lamar Jackson, Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew, and J.J. McCarthy all leave their games early with an injury. That’s bad news for the Week 17 lineup where we might have to watch island games with Josh Johnson (Commanders), Max Brosmer (Vikings), Chris Oladokun (Chiefs), Malik Willis (Packers), and Tyler Huntley (Ravens) starting.

We are down to 14 quarterbacks to start in every game, and we’ll see if Love (concussion) can return in time to keep that number going another week.

Each week at 365Scores, we are going to rank all 32 NFL quarterbacks from top to bottom. The methodology is to start with our preseason quarterback rankings from July, which were based on a mixture of career value and recent play. Then each week, we will adjust the rankings to account for the latest game to get a sense of which quarterbacks are performing the best in the 2025 season.

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Week 16 rank: 2 (+1)

Matthew Stafford set the kind of NFL history you don’t want to set in Seattle. He became the first quarterback ever to lead a go-ahead touchdown drive in overtime and not win the game. That’s thanks to the new overtime rules, but it’s also a fact that Stafford did his part with a touchdown to take a 37-30 lead, and the defense responded by giving up eight points in a 38-37 loss.

The odds were stacked against Stafford on a windy, rainy night on the road against an elite pass defense with Davante Adams (hamstring) inactive. But Stafford played great from start to finish with 457 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, his first successful scramble of 2025, and his receivers had a solid 5 drops mixed in there with many coming on the later drives.

Stafford lived up to his MVP front-runner status, but for the fourth time this year, his teammates let him down in crunch time. Seriously, no 11-4 team has probably been this close to 15-0, and the main reasons they’re not have essentially nothing to do with Stafford:

  • Eagles: Blew a 19-point lead and game-winning field goal was blocked and returned for a touchdown.
  • 49ers: Game-tying extra point was blocked, go-ahead touchdown run fumbled at the goal line by Kyren Williams, and fourth-down run was stopped in overtime in 26-23 loss.
  • Panthers: Even in Stafford’s worst game of the season, he had a go-ahead drive, but the defense gave up a game-winning touchdown on fourth down, and Stafford coughed up a fumble in game-tying field goal range late.

Then you have this game where the Rams led 30-14 in the fourth quarter before giving up a punt return touchdown and maybe the biggest fluke 2-point conversion you’ll ever see that tied the game at 30.

Stafford has notched his third 40 touchdown pass season. He’s still the favorite (-270 at FanDuel) over Drake Maye (+230) to win MVP, and Monday night in Atlanta will either solidify that case or make it implode if Stafford plays poorly against an underrated pass defense.

I have no worries about Stafford, but there are legitimate concerns about the Rams as a Super Bowl favorite (+460 at FanDuel) now that this loss has knocked them down to the No. 6 seed. The defense is giving up a lot of points in the last month, and they’ve already blown two big leads to the Eagles and Seahawks this year.

In defeat, Stafford showed why he’s the MVP this year, and why the Rams are probably not the best choice to win the Super Bowl in February.

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Week 16 rank: 5 (+3)

We called it here weeks ago and in Friday’s picks that Drake Maye would have his first 300-yard passing game in his NFL career against Baltimore. He also made Sunday night his first fourth-quarter comeback win, and it’s a good one too given the Patriots were down 11 points. Maye hit a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams, then calmly led the go-ahead touchdown drive later.

Maye finished with 380 passing yards, smashing his previous career high. It wasn’t a perfect game as his two early turnovers in Baltimore territory were part of the reason his team needed the comeback. But he checked off several boxes with the win that he had yet to check off in his NFL career, so that should help with his confidence going forward as the Patriots face tougher opponents in the playoffs.

Because let’s face it, the 2025 Ravens (7-8) are not the litmus test this year. They also have such a history of blowing up leads and giving up big passing yards like this that I had no problem predicting both things would happen in this matchup.

Maye closed the gap on Matthew Stafford for the MVP race, but barring a Stafford collapse on Monday night in Atlanta, I still think Maye finishes in second place. But given the expectations for him coming into this 2025 season, that’s still a heck of an achievement as he’s well ahead of schedule.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Week 16 rank: 3 (0)

The Bills survived a 23-20 scare in Cleveland, and they had to be disappointed to see the Patriots come back against the Ravens, pulling the AFC East closer to New England’s grasp, which would send the Bills on the road route to the Super Bowl.

In eight road games this season, Josh Allen has passed for under 200 yards in six of them, including just 130 yards against Cleveland in another game where the passing game was out of sync while James Cook and the running game carried. In addition to the low passing volume on the road, Allen produced under 250 yards of total offense in all six of those games as well.

Then in the two road games where Allen had volume of yards, the offense scored 13 points in Miami (none in the first three quarters) and 12 points in Houston when he took 8 sacks and threw two picks.

The offense just hasn’t been the same on the road this year, and that’s likely where the Bills are going to have to play in the playoffs each round. Allen also nearly jeopardized his postseason in the second quarter on Sunday when he ran backwards and took a 22-yard sack at his own 1, leading to a foot injury that has him questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the Eagles.

That’s a rookie Allen play there.

4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Week 16 rank: 6 (+2)

Few players needed a win as badly as Sam Darnold did last week in the NFL’s Game of the Year to this point. He was 0-3 against the Rams going back to last season, and after his second interception of the second half with under 10 minutes to play and the Rams still up 30-14, it sure looked like he was going to be 0-4 against his kryptonite.

But with an assist to his special teams for a punt return touchdown and the most lucky 2-point conversion in NFL history on a lateral that was picked up after the whistle blew, the game was tied at 30. That’s when both offenses got a little tight before figuring things out in overtime.

After the Rams scored first, Darnold had all four downs to work the ball down the field, and he did it so well that the Seahawks only faced one third down on the drive, which they converted with a run. Then Darnold found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 4-yard touchdown, and needing the win more than the Rams, the Seahawks made the right decision to go for two again. Darnold found Eric Saubert for the game-winner in a 38-37 final that has reshaped the Super Bowl picture.

It wasn’t Darnold’s best game of the season, but his ninth game-winning drive over the last two seasons was certainly his most important yet given the scale of the game and the importance of getting one over the Rams.

It’s quite possible we see Darnold in the same position he was in last year when he had to beat a division rival who got him earlier in the season (Lions last year, 49ers this year) in Week 18 on Sunday Night Football with the No. 1 seed on the line. That game went poorly for Darnold last year, but we’ll see if he can get it done this time.

He already has his improbable win over the Rams under his belt now.

5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Week 16 rank: 4 (-1)

The Dallas offense looked really good early on in the game, but for the fourth time this year we saw them go scoreless in the second half with Dak Prescott in the game. The Cowboys were already eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday with Philadelphia’s win, so maybe the motivation was lacking to keep firing against the Chargers, but it was a disappointing second half.

(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Week 16 rank: 10 (+4)

Justin Herbert had his best statistical game of the season against Dallas with 300 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 42 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown in a 34-17 blowout win. Despite the hand surgery, Herbert is now up to 461 rushing yards, a career high, this season as his runs have never been more effective for his offense given the tackle injuries.

Herbert is actually a good MVP dark horse if he can defeat the Texans and Broncos in these last two games to finish 13-4 and win the AFC West. But that’s going to be tough given the line in front of him, and the way Houston intercepted him four times in the playoffs last year. But if he gets it done, it’d be hard to argue against his value this year.

7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Week 16 rank: 8 (+1)

Jared Goff is having a really solid season he’ll likely get zero credit for since Detroit is likely to miss the playoffs at 8-7. But despite losing some offensive linemen and coordinator Ben Johnson, Goff is leading a prolific scoring offense and has only thrown 5 interceptions all season.

Turnovers are always the concern with Goff, but he’s really kept that under control this year despite losing Johnson’s mind. But on Sunday against Pittsburgh, Detroit’s choice of play calls in the red zone doomed them as they like to try getting away with tricky formations and pick plays, but the referees weren’t biting. The Lions were penalized twice for offensive pass interference in the final 25 seconds, taking go-ahead touchdowns off the board in a 29-24 loss to Pittsburgh.

Goff even got the ball back on a lateral from St. Brown and dove into the end zone for what he thought was a winning touchdown, but it was a moot play with Brown’s push-off against Jalen Ramsey.

Now we’ll see if Goff can beat the Vikings on Christmas and lead Detroit to a fourth-straight winning season. But the Lions need to win out and the Packers need to lose out just for them to make the playoffs.

8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Week 16 rank: 7 (-1)

Jordan Love left Saturday night’s big game in Chicago with a concussion after a nasty hit to the helmet. With another Saturday game coming up against Baltimore, it’s not clear if he’ll be able to pass the concussion protocol in time, or if we’ll see Malik Willis start in his place for the first time this season.

The injury comes at a bad time for Love as the Bears came back to win that game in overtime, likely setting them up for an NFC North title. But Love should be back to help the Packers into the playoffs.

9. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Week 16 rank: 12 (+3)

Don’t look now, but Brock Purdy is likely two strong games and wins over the Bears and Seahawks away from leading the NFL in QBR and leading the 49ers to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The same things he did in 2023, albeit in a season where he wasn’t injured.

He’s going to continue making NFL discourse hard because of his success in Kyle Shanahan’s system, but you can’t argue with results like Monday night where he tossed five touchdowns against the Colts. No one else has done that to that defense this season.

Purdy has great tests coming up here with the Bears and Seahawks in games that will likely both be in prime time with the NFC West and No. 1 seed on the line. We’ll see how he responds in them, but there is a realistic chance the 49ers never have to leave Levi’s Stadium the rest of the season all the way through Super Bowl 60.

10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Week 16 rank: 11 (+1)

There’s certainly a roughness to Caleb Williams’ game that he’ll need to smooth out over time. But he just might have the clutch gene, better defined as stepping up in those fight-or-flight moments when the game is on the line. His special teams gifted him a miracle onside kick recovery to complete a 10-point comeback in regulation, and he was able to make the fourth-down touchdown pass against Green Bay this time after throwing the pick two weeks earlier.

Then in overtime, the defense watched Green Bay fumble on fourth down, and Williams finished off the Packers with a Throw of the Year candidate to D.J. Moore for a 46-yard walk-off touchdown to put the Bears firmly in first place in the NFC North:

With the win, Williams has helped the 2025 Bears set a record for the most wins (6) after trailing in the final 2:00 of the fourth quarter in NFL history. Throw in a 7th against the Packers in the first week of January, and that’s seven times in 2025 that he’s led Chicago to late-game heroics.

11. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Week 16 rank: 9 (-2)

Will this be another season where Lamar Jackson is injured in December and never plays again? At least the Ravens weren’t leading the AFC North at the time like they were in 2021-22, but this is arguably worse given the high expectations of this season and the fact they basically needed to win out.

But a back injury knocked Jackson out in the second quarter against New England, and while Tyler Huntley still had the team up 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Ravens found yet another way to blow it and fall to 7-8.

Jackson did not practice on Tuesday, and it’s not looking great that he’ll be available for the must-win game at Green Bay on Saturday night. It’s felt like a lost season for the Ravens ever since Jackson was injured the first time against the Chiefs, but now we’re a game away from making it official.

(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

12. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Week 16 rank: 13 (+1)

For the first time this season, Bo Nix trailed for an entire fourth quarter. He threw for 352 yards against Jacksonville, but a couple of second-half turnovers didn’t help the comeback cause as he couldn’t prevail in the shootout with Trevor Lawrence.

If the Chargers can beat Houston on Saturday, then Nix should be in a do-or-die game for the AFC West in Week 18 against Justin Herbert. A good playoff preview.

13. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 16 rank: 14 (+1)

Aaron Rodgers has the Pittsburgh offense humming at the right time. He told Kenneth Gainwell what to do on his route before halftime, and Gainwell responded with one of the best catches of the season for a 45-yard touchdown.

Now, the only question is do we see Rodgers before the playoffs? That depend if the Ravens win at Green Bay on Saturday night, because if they lose, the Steelers clinch the AFC North, and they can rest their veterans in the final two regular-season games.

On the one hand, a vet like Rodgers can use the time off. On the other hand, with the offense finally finding a groove in the last month, multiple weeks off isn’t the greatest thing to mess with that. But the Steelers have gone 3-0 since the “Fire Tomlin!” chants at home in the Buffalo loss, and they are getting Rodgers’ best stretch of play now.

14. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Week 16 rank: 15 (+1)

The Texans got the 23-21 win over the Raiders, but as a 14.5-point home favorite, that game was way closer than it should have been. Most of that was on the offense not doing much too, which is the main reason why people will doubt the Texans in the playoffs (assuming they get there over the Colts).

But at least C.J. Stroud led the offense on two long drives in the fourth quarter to close the game, even if it took a ridiculous defensive pass interference penalty on 3rd-and-20 to avoid going three-and-out in a 2-point game.

15. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Week 16 rank: 17 (+2)

Joe Burrow went from a 24-0 shutout loss to the Ravens to a 45-21 blowout win over the Dolphins. He threw the ball frequently in the first half of a tight game before the defense helped set up short fields in the third quarter as Burrow blew the game open with four touchdown passes.

16. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Week 16 rank: 18 (+2)

Jalen Hurts managed the game well in Washington against a bad defense where the running game picked things up in the second half. The Eagles clinched the NFC East for the second year in a row, something that hasn’t been done since the Eagles did it in 2001-04.

But a game like the next one at Buffalo will give us a better shot of where Hurts is in 2025 in regards to stepping up in the big games. A game where he might need a fair number of points on the road to win.

17. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 16 rank: 19 (+2)

We may have scoffed at the historic numbers Trevor Lawrence had against the Jets last week, but if you look at his last four games, he has 14 total touchdowns and no turnovers. He threw for 279 yards and three more touchdowns at Denver, a tough place to play, in handing the Broncos by far their worst loss of the season.

He just might be peaking at the right time with the playoffs coming, and he’s doing it with receivers like Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers leading the way instead of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter (injured reserve).

18. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 16 rank: 16 (-2)

Seriously, what is up with Baker Mayfield this season? He struggled to break 100 passing yards in this big game in Carolina, then he was not on the same page as Mike Evans on a game-ending interception in a 23-20 loss.

All those close games that went Tampa’s way to start the season are going against them, and erratic play from Mayfield has been a main culprit for that. He’s running out of chances to save this season for a playoff berth.

(Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

19. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

Week 16 rank: 28 (+9)

Hard to say if it’s a testament to Rivers’ abilities to read defenses, or if the future of the NFL is cooked with young quarterbacks not being able to do so. But it sure was entertaining to watch the 44-year-old grandpa light up the 49ers for 277 yards and a couple of early touchdowns, switching plays at the line in an offense he just joined 13 days ago.

I think this is going to solidify his Hall of Fame case that wasn’t a sure thing. Granted, the Colts lost again and will likely miss the playoffs, but don’t put that on Rivers. He’s played his tail off and the defense gave up the late lead in Seattle, then they couldn’t stop anything on Monday night against the 49ers.

The 2025 Colts have gotten more than you could have hoped for out of both Daniel Jones and a retired Rivers, but it’s still going to end up in a missed playoff season.

20. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Week 16 rank: 21 (+1)

The “Carolina Reaper” struck again. Young’s sixth game-winning drive of the season saw him save some of his best throws on the field goal that put the Panthers ahead for good in the 23-20 win over a struggling Tampa Bay team.

There weren’t many offensive fireworks in this game, and Young only passed for 191 yards. But he outplayed Baker Mayfield, and the Panthers are a step closer to winning the NFC South for the first time since 2015.

21. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Week 16 rank: 20 (-1)

Respect for the Atlanta pass defense. While Jacoby Brissett only took two sacks, he threw for just 203 yards, his first game under 249 yards this season as the Falcons took away tight end Trey McBride as a major weapon. Brissett was also held to just one touchdown pass for the second time this year in another loss where he came up short on the game-tying drive attempt.

22. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Week 16 rank: 23 (+1)

Shough hasn’t been playing the toughest defenses here, but he had his first 300-yard passing game against the Jets. It’s a good job by coach Kellen Moore to get him comfortable with a lot of reps in these final games, leading the way to make the Saints a likely favorite to overtake the NFC South next season.

23. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

Week 16 rank: 24 (+1)

Nothing flashy from Cousins in Arizona, but he threw for a couple of touchdowns, rushed one more in, and he only took one sack on the road in a 26-19 win. We’ll see if he can lead an upset of the Rams in a likely shootout with Matthew Stafford on Monday night.

But it’s clear with the way the quarterback position is around the league that Cousins has some years left in him if he wants them.

24. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Week 16 rank: 22 (-2)

Dart’s rookie season is falling off a bit down the stretch. For whatever reason, it took him 17 offensive snaps against Minnesota before he even threw a pass as the Giants were trying to run the ball against a complex defense. Dart played the full game and finished just 7-of-13 passing for 33 yards with a pick that was tipped.

But given another chance to lead a game-winning drive, he came up empty and the Giants lost 16-13.

25. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

Week 16 rank: 29 (+4)

Don’t look now, but Cam Ward has thrown six touchdowns in his last three starts against the Browns (elite pass defense), 49ers (solid team), and the Chiefs (disinterested). His 122.3 passer rating against Kansas City was easily his best of the year, and a 30-yard throw like this is one for the rookie highlight reel:

26. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Week 16 rank: 27 (+1)

J.J. McCarthy had a wild afternoon against the Giants with a pick that wasn’t his fault, a pick-six negated by an offsides penalty, and he had a fumble charged too. He left the game with a hand injury, and that could end up shutting him down for the rest of the season.

Max Brosmer was able to get a miracle catch on third-and-long from Justin Jefferson to set up a game-winning field goal. But another injury for McCarthy is alarming for his future.

27. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

Week 16 rank: 25 (-2)

Marcus Mariota left Saturday’s loss to the Eagles with an injury, paving the way for Josh Johnson to remind us he has more years in the league, more teams played for, and more interceptions than he does touchdown passes.

Let’s just hope Mariota can go on Christmas against Dallas, or else it’s going to be a start for Johnson.

28. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins

Week 16 rank: N/A (Tua Tagovailoa was No. 26)

The Dolphins finally did it and benched Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers. I don’t think either is their answer at quarterback in 2026, but at least Mike McDaniel can get some of his offense on tape with a different quarterback before the team decides if they want to fire him or not.

Ewers threw for 260 yards in his first start, and there were some positives. However, turnovers went against Miami in the third quarter (not all his fault), and that’s when the Bengals ran away with it on the scoreboard. We’ll see if Ewers can do better against a reeling Tampa Bay team this week.

29. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Week 16 rank: N/A (Kenny Pickett was No. 32)

After he was out for a week, Geno Smith returned to the lineup and quickly threw a brutal pick-six against Houston’s top-ranked defense. It looked like it’d be another long day for the Raiders and Geno, but the elite talents he has at tight end (Brock Bowers) and running back (Ashton Jeanty) came through for him on two touchdown catches, including a big YAC play by Jeanty, who also kept it close with a 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

But the Raiders couldn’t get Geno the ball back in the final five minutes in a 23-21 loss, so we’ll never know if he could have led the go-ahead drive or if the Houston defense would have stopped him.

30. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

Week 16 rank: 30 (0)

If there were questions of how effective a scrambler Shedeur Sanders could be in the NFL given he rarely did it at Colorado, then Sunday’s loss against Buffalo showed he can do it. He had four runs for 49 yards, showing some good scrambling ability. However, his passing game needs a lot of work as he threw for 157 yards, took a huge intentional grounding penalty late, and had two long sacks in big spots too.

31. Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs

Week 16 rank: N/A (Patrick Mahomes was No. 1)

Playing in their first game without a healthy Patrick Mahomes available for the first time since 2019, the Chiefs really hit rock bottom in Tennessee, losing 26-9 to one of the worst teams in the NFL this year.

The crazy thing is the offense actually was worse with veteran starter Gardner Minshew in the game before a season-ending injury led to Chris Oladokun finishing the job. Who is Oladokun? That sounds like the 1997 film that Martin Scorsese directed after Casino. But he’s a seventh-round pick by the Steelers in 2022 who threw his first NFL passes on Sunday.

He put together a few field goal drives, but the Chiefs finished the game by averaging 14.4 yards per drive. For perspective on how terrible that is, they averaged 37.5 yards per drive in the 2021 game at Tennessee with Mahomes where they lost 27-3.

With Oladokun likely getting the start on Christmas night against Denver’s defense, it’s scary to think how bad the numbers are going to be for this offense in the last three games.

32. Brady Cook, New York Jets

Week 16 rank: 31 (-1)

I’ll say this for Brady Cook: He’s consistently bad. In the last three weeks, he’s thrown 30, 33, and 35 passes while averaging 5.4, 5.3, and 5.4 yards per pass attempt. He also found a way to take 8 sacks on Sunday against the Saints in a 29-6 loss. That’s how you end up with a 3.2 QBR, the third-worst game of 2025.

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/12/2025 - 08:51 am