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The Best NFL Quarterbacks Through Week 13

The Best NFL Quarterbacks Through Week 13

Updated Dec. 4

No player in professional sports carries more responsibility than a quarterback. The leader of the offense — and often the face of a franchise in the biggest league in American sports — quarterbacks can transcend the field to become celebrities.

Of course, the QB isn’t alone out there. They’re protected by an offensive line and surrounded by a supporting cast, but a team’s success and Super Bowl dreams often hinge on the quarterback’s performance.

As we head down the final stretch of the season, let’s see what QBs are among the league’s best.

Don’t forget: You can watch all of the NFL action on the gridiron with DIRECTV.


2025’s Top NFL Quarterbacks by QBR

Total QBR is a propriety ESPN stat that evaluates a QB’s overall impact per game on a scale of 0-100.

Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott put together another impressive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day, helping lead the Cowboys to their third straight victory. For the second game in a row, Prescott threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns, completing nearly 70% of his passes against Kansas City.

Now at 6-5-1, the Cowboys are right in the playoff hunt, and Prescott is a huge reason why. He’s second in the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns, leads the league in yards per game and is top 10 in passer rating. He has helped unlock a new level to the Cowboys’ offensive weapons, most notably George Pickens.

Next up: Prescott and the Cowboys have a Thursday Night Football matchup in Detroit against the Lions, who are coming off of a Thanksgiving defeat at the hands of the Packers.

Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs

For the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career, he might not make the playoffs. Mahomes played one of his best games of the year, throwing for 261 yards and four touchdowns against the Cowboys, but their defense just could not stop the Cowboys.

The Chiefs are 6-6 and are in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade. It’s certainly not been Mahomes’ best year. He’s 20th in the league in completion percentage, though he’s still third in yards and fourth in touchdowns. All six of the Chiefs’ losses have been a single score.

Next up: The Chiefs host the league’s best defense in the Houston Texans. The Texans, for their part, have won four in a row. No one has allowed fewer points or yards. With their own playoff aspirations on the line, Houston will be undaunted by the bright lights of Kansas City.

Jordan Love – Green Bay Packers

Love put together his best game of the year on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions, completing 60% of his passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and no sacks. After three straight games of sub-200 yards passing, Love and the Packers’ passing attack came alive against Detroit.

Now at 8-3-1, the Packers are just decimal points behind the NFC North-leading Bears. Love is among the league’s best in passing success rate (a measure of impactful pass completions), sixth in average yards per attempt and top 10 in yards per completion and passer rating. The Packers have won three in a row and six of their last eight, but their schedule does not ease up heading into the final stretch of the season.

Next up: The Packers face the final installment of their three-game stretch against division opponents as they host the Chicago Bears. The next four games for the Packers will be against playoff teams: they host the Bears, travel to the Broncos, travel to Chicago to play the Bears again and then host Baltimore in Week 17. Love and company will hope to replicate the success they found in Detroit for the rest of the season.

Drake Maye – New England Patriots

He’s fourth in QBR, but he might be first in the MVP race. Drake Maye continued his dominant sophomore season. He leads the league in passer rating, passing yards and completion percentage, and he’s third in passing touchdowns. He’s been nothing short of a revelation for the Patriots, who find themselves at 11-2, having won 10 straight heading into their Week 14 bye.

Maye has been a huge reason for their success. Games have not always been easy. He has fought back from mistakes he himself has made. The one blemish on the year is he’s taken the third most sacks. With two offensive linemen missing for the next couple of weeks, the protection of Maye down the stretch could be the determining factor as to whether or not New England holds on to the number one seed in the AFC.

Next up: Maye will get the NFL’s best pass defense, the Buffalo Bills, out of the bye in Week 15.

Matthew Stafford – Los Angeles Rams

Joining Drake Maye in the MVP race is Matthew Stafford. Stafford had come into Week 13 against the Panthers having not thrown an interception since Week 3. He tossed a pair of them in Carolina.

Though he threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, that was marred by two picks, two sacks and a fumble lost in a surprising defeat.

The Rams saw their six-game win streak snapped, and their hold on the number one seed in the NFC slip away. Still, on the year, Stafford is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is second in the league in passer rating, fourth in passing yards and he leads the league in passing touchdowns.

Next up: Stafford and the Rams will look to get back on track against Arizona in Week 14.

C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans

Returning from a three-game absence due to a concussion, Stroud came back to lead the Texans to a 20-16 victory over the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts.

Considering the circumstances, Stroud was more than effective, connecting on 62% of his passes for 276 yards, though he did throw an interception and take two sacks. Stroud frequently targeted Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins and Dalton Schultz, who each recorded at least five catches.

On the year, Stroud has bounced back somewhat from his sophomore slump but still lacks the explosion that defined his rookie season. Houston has won four in a row to put themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt with three of their final five games against playoff teams. They hope Stroud continues to build on the Week 13 success.

Next up: The Texans travel to Kansas City in Week 14 for Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs have been one of the league’s best defenses, which will be a test for Stroud and company as they continue to reestablish their rapport.

Daniel Jones – Indianapolis Colts

After battling a fractured fibula through much of the week, Jones was well enough to play against Houston in Week 14, but he certainly didn’t look his best.

He completed just 51% of his passes for 201 yards, though he did throw for two touchdowns. Overall, the Indianapolis offense was stymied as Houston was able to shut down their vaunted run game and force them into a game script Indianapolis does not excel in.

Having lost two in a row, the Colts are now tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the top spot in the AFC South, with the Houston Texans, winners of four in a row, breathing down their necks.

On the year, Jones has played well. He’s top five in passing yards, top 10 in completion percentage and passer rating and he’s still done a relatively good job at limiting turnovers. The problem for Jones and the Colts will be if teams are consistently able to shut down their run game and force Jones and the passing offense to beat them. They have yet to prove that they can.

Next up: Jones and Indianapolis have a brutal stretch to end the year. Next up is a trip to Jacksonville, followed by a trip to Seattle, before hosting San Francisco, hosting Jacksonville and then traveling to Houston. Three division games and all five games against playoff-hopeful teams.

Jaxson Dart – New York Giants

The Giants don’t have much going for them offensively, and their success seems to be reliant on whatever Jackson Dart is willing to sacrifice his body to do. Returning from a two-game absence due to a concussion, Dart was 17 of 24 for 139 yards and a touchdown, taking two sacks in the process and a ruthless hit on the sidelines courtesy of Christian Ellis.

Overall, Dart hasn’t made a ton of mistakes, but he also hasn’t taken over games. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns to three interceptions and is completing 63% of his passes, but the Giants need to catch teams by complete surprise to win. With Malik Nabers and Cam Scatabo lost for the year, the 2-11 Giants are merely playing for draft pick position and getting Dart reps without him injuring himself.

Next up: After they come out of the Week 14 bye, next up for Dart and the Giants is a division matchup against the equally lowly Washington Commanders.

Sam Darnold – Seattle Seahawks

The story of Seattle’s 26-0 victory over the Minnesota Vikings was their defense, not Darnold. Darnold completed just 53% of his passes for 128 yards, no touchdowns, no picks, four sacks and a fumble.

Darnold has been shaky over the last four weeks, frequently making costly mistakes in the face of pressure to the tune of nine turnovers over that stretch. Seattle’s defense is good enough for a bailout or two per game, but Darnold needs to play better for Seattle to make a considerable playoff run.

Next up: They’re first in the NFC West and decimal points outside of the top spot in the NFC with a road trip to Atlanta next week before hosting the Colts and then the Rams.

Baker Mayfield – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mayfield and the Bucs needed a win against the Cardinals to stop a three-game losing streak, and they got it. Mayfield wasn’t spectacular, but he was able to get the job done, completing 64% of his passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.

After a sizzling start to the year, Mayfield has regressed toward the league average as the Bucs have faced injuries to a slew of skill players. But now with running back Bucky Irving back in action and Chris Godwin taking on more snaps, Tampa Bay seems to be getting healthy right when they need to.

At 7-5, they still hold the top spot in the NFC South, but the Panthers are just a game behind. Tampa Bay and Carolina face each other twice in the last three weeks of the season in matchups that could very well decide the division.

Mayfield will be looking to return to his early-season form as Tampa Bay not only looks to win the division but also looks to make some noise in the playoffs as well.

Next up: Three straight divisional matchups against the Saints, Falcons and Panthers. Then they get a rivalry breather against the Dolphins before facing the Panthers again to close out the year.

Here’s how every QB ranks by QBR through Week 13:

Rank Player Team QBR Cmp% Yds TD Int Passer Rating
1 Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys 75.3 69.3 3261 25 8 102.4
2 Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs 73.1 64.6 3238 22 7 96.5
3 Jordan Love Green Bay Packers 72.9 67.0 2794 19 3 104.3
4 Drake Maye New England Patriots 72.8 71.5 3412 23 6 111.9
5 Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams 67.0 66.3 3073 32 4 111.7
6 C.J. Stroud Houston Texans 66.1 66.1 1978 11 6 91.1
7 Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts 64.9 67.9 3041 19 7 101.3
8 Jaxson Dart New York Giants 64.7 63.6 1556 11 3 94.1
9 Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks 64.3 68.2 2913 19 10 103.1
10 Mac Jones* San Francisco 49ers 64.0 69.6 2151 13 6 97.4
11 Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers 61.2 62.8 2600 19 5 93.4
12 Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers 60.5 66.9 2842 21 10 94.9
13 Josh Allen Buffalo Bills 59.1 69.4 2832 19 10 99.8
14 Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens 57.9 64.8 1841 15 4 104.5
15 Jared Goff Detroit Lions 57.7 69.8 3025 25 5 110.2
16 Marcus Mariota* Washington Commanders 57.4 63.2 1359 9 6 87.1
17 Michael Penix** Atlanta Falcons 57.2 60.1 1982 9 3 88.5
18 Caleb Williams Chicago Bears 54.8 58.1 2722 17 5 88.2
19 Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles 54.5 66.1 2514 19 2 103.9
20 Bo Nix Denver Broncos 54.0 61.6 2742 19 9 85.8
21 Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders 51.2 62.5 1184 8 2 94.4
22 Spencer Rattler*** New Orleans Saints 50.8 68.0 1586 8 5 86.8
23 Bryce Young Carolina Panthers 45.6 63.4 2337 18 9 87.9
24 Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars 44.5 59.7 2636 16 11 81.6
25 Carson Wentz** Minnesota Vikings 43.0 65.1 1216 6 5 85.8
26 Jacoby Brissett* Arizona Cardinals 42.9 67.5 2188 13 4 97.4
27 Joe Flacco* Cincinnati Bengals 42.4 60.2 2451 15 10 79.2
28 Aaron Rodgers Pittsburgh Steelers 40.5 65.2 2086 19 7 95.4
29 Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins 40.0 67.2 2280 17 14 85.9
30 Justin Fields*** New York Jets 38.6 62.7 1259 7 1 89.5
31 Cam Ward Tennessee Titans 31.8 59.7 2351 7 6 75.2
32 Dillon Gabriel* Cleveland Browns 30.9 59.5 937 7 2 80.8
33 Geno Smith Las Vegas Raiders 30.8 67.3 2532 15 14 84.0

*Not the team starter

**Out for the season

***Benched

Top Quarterbacks by passer rating

QBR takes into account a lot more than passing, but throwing the ball is a big part of any quarterback’s job. That’s where passer rating comes into play.

Rank Player Team Passer Rating
1 Drake Maye New England Patriots 111.9
2 Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams 111.7
3 Jared Goff Detroit Lions 110.2
4 Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens 104.5
5 Jordan Love Green Bay Packers 104.3
6 Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles 103.9
7 Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks 103.1
8 Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys 102.4
9 Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts 101.3
10 Josh Allen Buffalo Bills 99.8
11 Mac Jones San Francisco 49ers 97.4
12 Jacoby Brissett Arizona Cardinals 97.4
13 Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs 96.5
14 Aaron Rodgers Pittsburgh Steelers 95.4
15 Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers 94.9
16 Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders 94.4
17 Jaxson Dart New York Giants 94.1
18 Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers 93.4
19 C.J. Stroud Houston Texans 91.1
20 Justin Fields New York Jets 89.5
21 Michael Penix Atlanta Falcons 88.5
22 Caleb Williams Chicago Bears 88.2
23 Bryce Young Carolina Panthers 87.9
24 Marcus Mariota Washington Commanders 87.1
25 Spencer Rattler New Orleans Saints 86.8
26 Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins 85.9
27 Bo Nix Denver Broncos 85.8
28 Carson Wentz Minnesota Vikings 85.8
29 Geno Smith Las Vegas Raiders 84.0
30 Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars 81.6
31 Dillon Gabriel Cleveland Browns 80.8
32 Joe Flacco Cincinnati Bengals 79.2
33 Cam Ward Tennessee Titans 75.2

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best QB in the NFL in the 2025 season?

The top 10 quarterbacks by passer rating through Week 13 of the 2025-26 NFL season are: Drake Maye - New England Patriots (111.9) Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams (111.7) Jared Goff - Detroit Lions (110.2) Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens (104.5) Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers (104.3) Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles (103.9) Sam Darnold - Seattle Seahawks (103.1) Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys (102.4) Daniel Jones - Indianapolis Colts (101.3) Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills (99.8)

Who are the best quarterbacks of all time?

Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Drew Brees, Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers are often cited as some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. With the exception of Marino, all have won at least one Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP.

Who is the best QB in the NFL in the 2025 season?

Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts entered the 2025 season as the top tier of quarterbacks. Allen, Jackson and Mahomes are the last three winners of the NFL's MVP award. Right now, Drake Maye, Dak Prescott and Matt Stafford have joined Mahomes and Jackson among the league's most proficient passers this season.

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