Ranking Each NFL Team by QB Need in 2025 NFL Draft

The NFL season is nearing its halfway point as we head into Week 8.

As the season has progressed, it has become clear that some teams need to address their QB position in 2025. Here is a ranking of each team by QB need.

The Franchise QBs

32. Kansas City Chiefs

When you have Patrick Mahomes locked into a deal until 2031, you don’t even give the QB position a second thought.

31. Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen is an MVP favorite this season, and he is under contract until 2028. Unless injuries get in the way, the Bills are more than set with their 2018 draft pick at the helm.

30. Cincinnati Bengals

It has been a very strange season for the Cincinnati Bengals, but all of their problems lie on the defensive side of the ball. Joe Burrow is among the league leaders in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing TDs.

29. Baltimore Ravens

Remember when Lamar Jackson was on the trade block? That was a fun couple months, but he got his long-term deal ensuring the Ravens don’t have to think about QB for awhile.

28. Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert hasn’t been otherworldly in 2024, but he has also been dealing with some injuries and is now playing in a Jim Harbaugh offense that wants to emphasize running the ball. The Chargers have needs on their roster, but QB is not one of them.

27. Houston Texans

2024 has not been as smooth for CJ Stroud as 2023 was, but Houston is also going through a much tougher schedule, and an injury to Nico Collins has not made things any easier for the Texans offense. Stroud is the franchise guy.

Solid Starters on Long-Term Deals

26. Detroit Lions

Jared Goff signed a well-deserved contract extension this offseason, and he is living up to every penny of it this season as the veteran QB has the Lions in the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

25. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have Jalen Hurts for the long-term, and they have Kenny Pickett under contract through 2025 as their backup. There is no need to touch the QB position at this point in time.

24. Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere anytime soon after signing a new extension, and Cooper Rush has been a solid backup option in years past. It would be surprising to see Dallas do anything dramatic at the QB position over the next few years.

23. Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray has played well in 2024, and as a result, the Cardinals are one win away from equaling their win total in 2023. They could target a backup this offseason, but that would be about it.

22. Green Bay Packers

Even when Jordan Love wasn’t in the lineup, Malik Willis played some solid football in Green Bay. Both players will be around in 2025, and they brought in Sean Clifford during the 2023 NFL Draft.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars

If the Jaguars had not signed Trevor Lawrence to a long-term deal this offseason, this could have been an interesting team to watch at the QB position. Jacksonville’s season has been a disaster, and Doug Pederson may be on his way out. However, there isn’t much they can do at the QB spot at this point without completely shaking up the franchise.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield signed a new deal to stay in Tampa Bay this offseason, and he is now under contract through 2026. Kyle Trask is the only backup option at this point, though, so perhaps the Buccaneers look to shore up that backup QB position this offseason.

Drafted a QB in 2024

19. Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels has not only been the best rookie QB in the NFL this season, but he has been one of the best QBs in the entire league during his first season. The only concern at this point is injuries, and those concerns came to light in Week 7 when Daniels left the game with a rib injury. Even still, now certainly is not the time for Washington to panic.

18. Chicago Bears

When you draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick after years of struggling at the QB position, you don’t touch the starting spot. That being said, it would not be surprising to see the Bears sign a veteran or draft a QB in the middle rounds to back up their new starter.

17. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are an interesting team in this discussion. Kirk Cousins has had flashes in 2024, but the inconsistencies that have plagued the veteran throughout his career have popped up as well. The Falcons did make a shocking selection of Michael Penix in the first round though, so now probably isn’t the time to touch the QB position.

16. New England Patriots

The first couple weeks of Drake Maye have been promising, but a lack of talent around the QB has the New England Patriots near the bottom of the NFL standings. Still, it would be very surprising to see New England do anything other than bring in a veteran backup QB this offseason.

15. Denver Broncos

Bo Nix’s rookie season has been a mixed bag, but ultimately, the Broncos are 4-3 and fully in the AFC playoff mix right now. Unless something disastrous happens over the second half of the season, Denver likely isn’t doing much of anything at the QB position.

14. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings fall at this bottom of this tier simply because we still don’t know much about the future of their QB position. Of course, J.J. McCarthy is out for the year with his knee injury, and while Sam Darnold has been much better than expected, he and veteran Nick Mullens are hitting free agency this offseason.

 

Short-Term Veteran Contracts

 

13. San Francisco 49ers

This is where things get interesting. Brock Purdy is under contract through 2025, and he will be eligible for an extension this offseason. Do the 49ers give the former Mr. Irrelevant a large contract after leading the team to back-to-back NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl berth, or do they reset at the position yet again in favor of a cheaper deal?

12. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks currently sit atop the NFC West, but after a 3-0 start, Seattle has certainly come back down to earth a bit. Seattle can save $25 million this offseason if they decide to move on from Geno Smith, and after parting ways with head coach Pete Carroll this past offseason, they could opt to reset at the QB position now.

11. New York Jets

It’s been another disastrous year for the New York Jets, and this time, it’s come despite Aaron Rodgers being the starting QB throughout the season. Rodgers turns 41 years old in December, and unless there is a dramatic turnaround in New York, retirement cannot be ruled out for the QB even though he is under contract through 2025.

10. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have not had a stellar 2024 campaign, and Matthew Stafford has not played well. The veteran is yet to throw multiple TD passes in a game this season, and while he is under contract through 2025, it may be time for Los Angeles to start thinking about their future at the position.

9. New Orleans Saints

The Saints looked like an offensive juggernaut through two weeks, but things have come crashing down since then. Derek Carr is injured of course, but is he really the answer for the future?

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh has had strong success utilizing both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson this season, but both players are headed towards free agency in 2025. They could bring either player back next year, but quarterback cannot be ruled out in next spring’s draft at this point in time.

Major Question Marks

7. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are in a pickle. Tua Tagovailoa has a massive contract through 2028, but the concussion concerns are overwhelming at this point. Miami’s offense has not looked good with him on the sideline, either. Hopefully, Tagovailoa is able to get back onto the field and have a long, healthy career, but Dolphins fans will be holding their collective breath every time he takes a hit.

6. Indianapolis Colts

The Anthony Richardson experiment has been a disaster despite Indianapolis’ 4-3 start to the year. Joe Flacco is an option that they can turn back to at any point in 2024, but what do they do after this season ends?

5. Tennessee Titans

Will Levis is a solid backup option at QB, but this season has proven that he simply is not capable of leading a consistent offense as the starter, and injuries have piled up. The Titans selected Levis in the second round of the 2023 Draft, so it isn’t as if they absolutely need to wait another year before selecting a new QB.

4. New York Giants

Daniel Jones’ 2022 season got him a new long-term deal, but he has not lived up to it in the years since. New York can get out of the contract at the end of this season, and they are on the short list to select a quarterback in 2025.

3. Cleveland Browns

Even if Deshaun Watson had been playing at a starting caliber level, he just tore his Achilles and likely will be out for a good chunk of 2025. The Browns can be a very strong team if they just get consistent play at the quarterback position, so they could be looking to select a QB this spring.

2. Carolina Panthers

The last few weeks of Andy Dalton should suggest that not all of Carolina’s struggles lie with Bryce Young. That being said, the damage may be done after the Panthers once again failed to surround their QB with talent. With a top pick being a certainty in 2025, QB may be on the menu once again.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders not only have a need at the QB position, but they have the smoothest route towards drafting a new passer in 2025. Aidan O’Connell was a fourth-round pick in 2023, so they should have no hesitation in replacing him, and Gardner Minshew is much better suited to be a backup.