Week 5 NFL QB Rankings: The Real Patrick Mahomes Emerges

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Week 5 NFL QB Rankings: The Real Patrick Mahomes Emerges

Andrew Buller-Russ · Sportsnaut

Tue, Sep 30, 2025 ·

14 min read

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Player rankings always fuel conversations, and no topic is more hotly debated than quarterbacks. Since they're so popular, we find it interesting to maintain our 2025 NFL QB rankings each and every week.

Football fans are blessed with some extremely elite players today, such as Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , and Lamar Jackson . Is Justin Herbert ready to join that conversation too? Below, we rank all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks, from the best to the worst.

1. Josh Allen , Buffalo Bills (Last week: 2)

Sneaking away with what felt like a close win over the Saints isn't anything to write home about, but Josh Allen got the job done. A 4-0 record for the Buffalo Bills is a big win thus far and Allen has mostly been excellent. This time he completed 16-of-22 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but we expected more against a bottom-tier Saints defense. Allen's best moment came on a 27-yard scramble on third down, pushing him up to 45 yards on the ground.

2. Patrick Mahomes , Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3)

We caught a glimpse of a vintage version of Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Not only did he rack up 270 passing yards, the Kansas City Chiefs QB amazingly had his first 4 TD game since 2023. While the Ravens ' passing defense was missing several starters by the end of the game, it was nice to see video game Mahomes back in action.

3. Lamar Jackson , Baltimore Ravens (LW: 1)

Lamar Jackson was in the midst of a blowout loss before leaving the Baltimore Ravens ' game in the third quarter. A hamstring strain places his status for Week 5 in question , which should be a major concern in Baltimore. Before he left, Jackson had tallied just 14 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but he did have 48 rushing yards. Let's hope he can stay in the lineup to fight for his third NFL MVP trophy.

4. Matthew Stafford , Los Angeles Rams (LW: 10)

NFL: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Matthew Stafford had a huge day on Sunday, going off for a 375-yard, three touchdown game. It was just enough to help the Los Angeles Rams edge out the Colts to remain undefeated. The 37-year-old was excellent, but he saved the best for last with an 88-yard go-ahead touchdown strike to Tutu Atwell with just 1:44 remaining in the game.

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5. Justin Herbert , Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 4)

Justin Herbert has already tied his interception total from last season, but expecting him to have fewer than three picks was probably unreasonable again. While Herbert has had a strong season, he's coming off a bit of a dud, completing just 56% of his passes for 203 yards to go with a touchdown and two picks. Not having either of his starting tackles didn't help, but the best quarterbacks still find a way to overcome obstacles in their path. Herbert's getting there, but we'll call last week's effort part of the growing process.

Get the Latest Chargers News and Rumors from LAFBNetwork

6. Jalen Hurts , Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 5)

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots

Jalen Hurts has had games of 152, 101, 226, and now 130 passing yards, yet the Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0. While he's put the ball on the ground a few times, Hurts still hasn't thrown an interception. With two more touchdowns on Sunday, Hurts is now up to five on the season. Plus, with 179 rushing yards, he's only 58 behind Saquon Barkley , and Hurts has four rushing touchdowns too.

7. Jared Goff , Detroit Lions (LW: 6)

NFL: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs

Like most opponents playing the Browns this year, Jared Goff didn't have time to connect on deep shots. He also had an ugly interception that ultimately didn't matter. Otherwise, Goff completed 16-of-27 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. With nine touchdowns and just two interceptions, the Detroit Lions have to be happy with their franchise QB so far.

8. Baker Mayfield , Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 7)

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings

While Baker Mayfield had a season-high 289 passing yards, he also completed just 55% of his passes in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' loss. As noted, Mayfield had trouble connecting, but when he did, they went for big gains like Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka 's 70+ yard receptions. Had he been more accurate, the Bucs might be 4-0,

9. Daniel Jones , Indianapolis Colts (LW: 9)

NFL: Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts — Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Daniel Jones is still human. The Indianapolis Colts ' new QB had 262 passing yards and a touchdown, but the two interceptions were deciding factors in the team's seven-point loss. Of course, Jones would have had another touchdown had Adonai Mitchell not thrown the ball away before crossing the goal line. Surprisingly, Jones finished with negative one rushing yard, showcasing how difficult it is to get much done against a tough Rams defense. We'll see how he responds next week after facing some adversity.

10. Dak Prescott , Dallas Cowboys (LW: 11)

NFL: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys — Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

As Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, Dak Prescott is indispensible to his team. We saw that in Week 4 with another excellent performance. The Cowboys QB completed 31-of-40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, but he couldn't get the win. Still, Prescott has clearly returned to top form.

11. Jordan Love , Green Bay Packers (LW: 12)

NFL: Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars — Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

At first glance, it looks like Jordan Love had a nearly flawless game, completing 31-of-43 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. But the Green Bay Packers did make some very key mistakes that factored into the tie. The biggest blunder was a fumble right before halftime, helping lead to 16 unanswered points by the Cowboys. He also was part of a clunky operation that wasted too much time with the clock winding down. But his arm was golden.

12. Sam Darnold , Seattle Seahawks (LW: 13)

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers — Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Learning a new offense for the second year in a row, Sam Darnold is off to a great start with the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks . Despite working with an all-new cast of receivers, Darnold has an impressive completion rate of 70%. With 905 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions thus far, Darnold is back on track to potentially make his second Pro Bowl appearance.

13. Drake Maye , New England Patriots (LW: 18)

NFL: Houston Texans at New England Patriots — Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Talk about perfection, we nearly saw it from Drake Maye this week. The New England Patriots ' QB flirted with a new career-high completion rate at 82.3%. While he was only asked to attempt 17 passes, he completed 14 of them for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a five-yard touchdown run just for fun.

14. Aaron Rodgers , Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 16)

He may be 41-years-old but Aaron Rodgers used his legs to pick up a first down on a 10-yard run against an elite pass rush in Week 4. He also had a perfectly-timed slant pass to DK Metcalf that went for an 80-yard touchdown. Rodgers is getting the ball out faster than every other QB not named Mahomes in the NFL this season, which should lead to a healthier version of the vet come playoff time.

15. Bo Nix , Denver Broncos (LW: 15)

NFL: Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts — Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

While a few drops marred the final stat line Bo Nix returned to glory with a 326-yard, two touchdown game to get the Denver Broncos back in the winning column. He did throw an interception, but Nix also added seven rushing yards and a rushing score to help offset his turnover. Back on the right track, we'll see if he can stay there against Philadelphia.

16. Brock Purdy , San Francisco 49ers (LW: 17)

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Starting just his second game of the season, Brock Purdy 's return led to the first San Francisco 49ers loss of the year. Purdy put up 309 yards and two touchdowns while completing 22-of-38 passes. The yardage is nice, but Purdy also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. He's probably not quite back to 100% yet and a short turnaround on Thursday won't offer much more relief either.

17. C.J. Stroud , Houston Texans (LW: 21)

Progress is progress, and the Houston Texans have to like what they got from C.J. Stroud on Sunday. Sure, he was facing a bottom-five defense, but Stroud put together his best performance yet. We saw season-highs in completion rate (78.4%), yards (233), touchdowns (2) and sacks taken (2). Now do it again and he could continue his ascension back into the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL.

18. Caleb Williams , Chicago Bears (LW: 19)

NFL: Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears — Credit: The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Chicago Bears are slowly seeing Caleb Williams improve, but there are still plenty of ugly moments in the Windy City. In Week 4, we caw Williams complete 22-of-37 passes for 212 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Amazingly, he only took one sack on a day where the Bears' coaching staff played musical chairs with the offensive tackles. A Week 5 bye gives him a chance to study before a Week 6 primetime matchup against the Commanders on Monday night.

19. Geno Smith , Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 14)

NFL: Las Vegas Raiders at Arizona Cardinals — Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After adding three more on Sunday, Geno Smith now leads the NFL with seven interceptions. Still, the Las Vegas Raiders ' offense shows breakout potential. It's only a matter of time before they put it all together. This time we saw Smith complete 11-of-17 passes for a paltry 117 yards and two scores. We'd imagine this will be Smith's worst game this season, if not, the Raiders could have some issues.

20. Kyler Murray , Arizona Cardinals (LW: 22)

Practically asleep for the first three quarters of the game, Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals ' offense woke up to score two touchdowns in the final frame. Throwing two interceptions early on didn't help, but Marvin Harrison Jr. is partially to blame after changing his route and deflecting the ball to the defense. Murray finished with an underwhelming 200 passing yards and two touchdowns on 41 attempts. He did add 38 as a rusher, but his six sacks for a loss of 36 yards nearly negated his positives on the ground. The Cards need their former No. 1 overall pick to be better.

21. Michael Penix Jr. , Atlanta Falcons (LW: 29)

NFL: New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons — Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

A week after having a game to forget, Michael Penix reminded everyone why the Atlanta Falcons made him a first-round pick in 2024. Penix not only was efficient, completing 20-of-26 passes, he was explosive, averaging 12 yards per attempt for a total of 313 yards. Penix found the end zone twice and was sacked just once. He did make a big mistake with an interception, but the Falcons are likely thrilled with their franchise QB's performance on Sunday.

22. Tua Tagovailoa , Miami Dolphins (LW: 23)

NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins — Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Tua Tagovailoa 's Miami Dolphins finally got their first win and they didn't need an explosive passing performance to do so. Darren Waller 's two touchdown breakout debut was a sight for sore eyes, especially on a night when Tyreek Hill was lost for the season. Tagovailoa completed 68% of his passes for just 177 yards and two touchdowns, and bigger days will be harder to come by without Hill.

23. Trevor Lawrence , Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 24)

NFL QB Rankings — Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

With the Jacksonville Jaguars off to a 3-1 start, one might think Trevor Lawrence is starting to live up to his potential as a former No. 1 pick under Liam Coen. Not entirely. Lawrence's final stat line could have been much worse had an interception not been negated by penalty. Otherwise, he completed 21-of-31 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Not taking any sacks and walking out with no turnovers is always a plus, and it helped the Jags win on Sunday.

24. Justin Fields , New York Jets (LW: 27)

NFL: New York Jets at Green Bay Packers — Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Completing his second full game with his new team, Justin Fields completed 74.1% of his passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. While the passing performance was nice, the New York Jets QB also tallied 81 rushing yards and a touchdown. His biggest mistake was a lost fumble on a fourth-down sack, which is never acceptable but the Jets have to like what they've seen when healthy.

Check out our latest NFL defense rankings and how they impact fantasy QBs

25. Jaxson Dart , New York Giants (LW: Russell Wilson ranked 20th)

NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants — Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Russell Wilson hadn't been playing terribly, but a 0-3 start forced the New York Giants to turn to Jaxson Dart . After leading them to their first win, the Giants have to be thrilled with their first-round rookie. He showed serious spunk, fighting through an in-game hamstring injury to record 165 yards (111 passing, 54 rushing) and two touchdowns (1 passing, 1 rushing). That type of debut had to win over the locker room, but now he'll need to maintain that momentum by having bigger passing days in the future. That could be tough without Malik Nabers .

26. Carson Wentz , Minnesota Vikings (LW: 25)

What a difference a week makes. Carson Wentz impressed in his Minnesota Vikings debut last week, though there were a few areas of concern. Those weaknesses became deafening in Sunday's loss to the Steelers, with Wentz suffering six sacks while throwing two interceptions. When he did have time, Wentz formed a strong connection with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison , leading to a 350-yard passing day. The Browns' elite defensive line is up next, so hopefully the Vikings' OL, which lost three starters due to injury, can get healthier in time for the Week 5 matchup in London.

27. Bryce Young , Carolina Panthers (LW: 26)

NFL: Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos — Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Bryce Young was working with his best receiver Tetairoa McMillan at less than 100%, and it showed. The Carolina Panthers ' QB completed just 18-of-30 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. He only took one sack, but averaging just five yards per attempt wasn't much better than Carolina did running the ball at a clip of 4.6 YPG. That's enough to get you replaced.

28. Marcus Mariota , Washington Commanders ( Jayden Daniels ranked 8th)

NFL: Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons — Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The first game without Jayden Daniels led to an easy Washington Commanders win. Marcus Mariota's second start, which came against his former team (Falcons), didn't go as well. This time, Mariota completed just 16 of 27 passes for 156 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Daniels should be back in time for Week 5.

Related: 2025 NFL offense rankings

29. Joe Flacco , Cleveland Browns (LW: 28)

NFL: AFC Wild Card Round-Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans — Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Joe Flacco helped the Cleveland Browns secure a win in Week 3, but his days as the starting quarterback are numbered after a 1-3 start. We've seen Dillon Gabriel enter the game twice, and after Flacco completed just 16-of-34 passes for 184 yards and two interceptions, we'd imagine the vet's leash got a bit shorter. Shedeur Sanders always lurks as another option, but that would likely only happen much later in the season.

30. Spencer Rattler , New Orleans Saints (LW: 32)

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints — Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Now winless through ten starts, Spencer Rattler is no longer the worst quarterback in the NFL, thanks to Cam Ward . Rattler completed 18-of-27 passes for a woeful 4.7 yards per attempt (126 yards). He did chip in with 49 rushing yards and a passing touchdown but Rattler also took three sacks. At some point the New Orleans Saints may want to consider second-round rookie Tyler Shough , who made his debut with two incompletions in Week 3.

31. Jake Browning , Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 31)

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings — Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals scored on the opening drive.. and then never again. Jake Browning had another bad game, completing 14-of-25 passes for just 125 yards, taking three sacks in the process. It's going to be a long season without Joe Burrow .

32. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (LW: 30)

NFL: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It's only been four games, but Cam Ward doesn't look like a player selected with the No. 1 pick. The Tennessee Titans QB just completed 10-of-26 (38.4%) passes for 108 yards and an interception in Week 4. That's one of the worst performances we'll see all season. He also took two sacks, but at least Ward chipped in a new career-high 22 rushing yards this week. This isn't what the Titans signed up for but no one should complain too much about expected growing pains for a 23-year-old QB who needs experience to improve.

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