Week 4 QB Power Rankings: Who is No. 1? Where does Giants rookie land?

Assessing all the NFL's starting signal-callers after three weeks of 2025

By Cody Benjamin

Sep 24, 2025 at 8:08 am ET • 6 min read

Kim O'Reilly, CBS Sports

Quarterbacks. They make the NFL go 'round.

If money talks, then the league's biggest contracts confirm it: This position is easily the most integral in every team's hunt for a championship. The truth is a bit more complex: Every signal-caller is often only as good as his setup and situation, though a select few register as transcendent talents.

No matter how you slice it, the guys who touch the ball on just about every play make a difference.

So which NFL teams are best equipped to make a run thanks to what they've got under center? Which ones boast either the game's most gifted or most fortunate passers at this moment? And which others might be in dire need of a change? We're taking stock of all 32 starters right here.

These rankings will change as the season unfolds; they're built to tell the story of each quarterback's respective rise and/or fall. Now where do the big names stack up at this juncture, going into Week 4?

We present our fourth edition of 2025 Quarterback Power Rankings:

NFL QB Power Rankings

1	Josh Allen Buffalo Bills QB
He's playing the position better than anyone at all the right times, looking even more worthy of MVP than he did a year ago. Three games in, he's up to seven total touchdowns and no turnovers. (+1)
2	Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens QB
His passing marks are basically flawless, and he remains the Ravens' heartbeat, but he held the ball a bit much against the Lions, hoping for splash plays to develop and taking seven sacks. (-1)
3	Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers QB
So this is what Herbert looks like fully actualized, eh? Long hailed as a prototypically built point guard, he's now functioning as a true playmaker, too, with lasers delivered on key downs.
4	Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles QB
When you need a victory, he's ready to answer. Hurts, now 3-0, may be more rugged than visually appealing as a passer, but boy does he protect and distribute the rock when the time is right. (+1)
5	Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB
Away from Detroit's home turf? No issue whatsoever for Goff, who had near-perfect precision in a win over the Ravens. This man may throw the NFL's prettiest passes when afforded time. (+2)
6	Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB
Mayfield's got some similarities to Jalen Hurts, whom he'll duel in Week 4. You simply can't count him out until the buzzer. His scrappy mobility and chemistry with Emeka Egbuka are top-notch. (+2)
7	Jordan Love Green Bay Packers QB
Some of Love's Week 3 dip can be attributed to a damaged offensive front, which let the Browns have their way en route to an upset. He may need to speed up his gifted arm moving forward. (-3)
8	Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams QB
At 37, he might now headline the second tier of top passers, in that he's equally liable to go off-kilter under pressure and unleash sharp darts if protected. L.A. just hopes he can stay healthy. (-2)
9	Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs QB
Something still feels off about the three-time champion, who looks unusually frantic trying to force-feed middling weaponry. His fight never quit in Week 3, though, willing the Chiefs to victory. (+2)
10	Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts QB
The Colts are looking like a real threat to win the AFC South, and Jones is reason No. 1 alongside an MVP-esque Jonathan Taylor. He's airing it out with career-best accuracy and poise. (+6)
11	Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers QB
Mac Jones filled in admirably while Purdy rested up from a turf toe injury. Provided Purdy returns, the real question is whether he can stay upright in a 49ers lineup absolutely littered with bruises.
12	Aaron Rodgers Pittsburgh Steelers QB
The Steelers offense has been more sputtery than special out of the gate, and A-Rod is a part of that behind a boom-or-bust front. His vintage touch is there, but his rhythm is still hit or miss. (+1)
13	Caleb Williams Chicago Bears QB
Overlooked after the Bears were shellacked by coach Ben Johnson's old team, the Lions, Williams seized the spotlight against Dallas, slinging it all over the yard with his trademark energy. (+6)
14	Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys QB
The Cowboys are off the rails, and Prescott is now succumbing to the mess. Two weeks after a razor-sharp opener, he capped an ugly road loss by gifting the Bears an end-zone interception. (-4)
15	Bo Nix Denver Broncos QB
Nix wasn't immune to misfires in a strong rookie season, but his uneven tendencies have carried over into Year 2. Despite a scrappy approach, he's averaging just 5.6 yards per pass attempt. (-3)
16	Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks QB
Since the second half of Week 2, Darnold has been on the money as a true gunslinger for Seattle, offsetting a slow run game by feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If only his O-line can hold tight. (+5)
17	Drake Maye New England Patriots QB
Ball control is a work in progress for the second-year prospect, but Maye at least looks the part as a play-extender, keeping the Patriots competitive. We might be a year away from a true breakout. (-2)
18	Geno Smith Las Vegas Raiders QB
Either he's chucking it deep to Tre Tucker or forcing throws into traffic. Which, in his defense, is kind of a necessity given the Raiders' ongoing O-line issues. This is a true scattershot setup. (-1)
19	Kyler Murray Arizona Cardinals QB
Murray was not helped by the sketchy hands of Marvin Harrison Jr. in a Week 3 loss, but the more dire concern is the fact it's Year 7 of his career and the Cardinals offense remains so erratic. (-5)
20	Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars QB
You can blame the staff turnover. Or the suddenly mercurial nature of Brian Thomas Jr. out wide. Either way, the Lawrence-led Jaguars are constantly fighting to get out of their own way.
21	Marcus Mariota Washington Commanders QB
Jayden Daniels is technically day-to-day with a knee sprain, but Mariota was so smooth as the Week 3 fill-in that he might get another go. Even going on 32, he can still glide as a scrambler.
22	Carson Wentz Minnesota Vikings QB
All the Vikings needed was a stable hand after J.J. McCarthy's overwhelmed start, and Wentz provided just that in his debut as the emergency QB1. It helped he had killer defensive support. (+4)
23	Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins QB
New week, same peaks and valleys in Miami: Tagovailoa knows how to get Tyreek Hill and others involved with quick strikes, but he keeps saving his iffiest throws and decisions for last. (+2)
24	C.J. Stroud Houston Texans QB
Call us capital-C concerned here. This is the second straight year Stroud's been stuck behind a measly front, but the unsteady protection has seemingly taken a severe toll on his confidence. (-2)
25	Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta Falcons QB
We're not of the belief Penix should be pulled for Kirk Cousins after an ugly Week 3 dud; he was borderline heroic a few weeks earlier. Still, the pressure is on to clean up his fundamentals. (-7)
26	Cam Ward Tennessee Titans QB
Ward has a gift for firing the ball to any spot on the field, but like Will Levis before him, he's got to learn how to harness that power. It doesn't help he plays for a wholly undisciplined team. (-2)
27	Jaxson Dart New York Giants QB
After Russell Wilson slogged through two of his first three starts with Big Blue, it's officially time for the rookie to get his shot. The confident dual threat has an instantly tall task: face the Chargers.
28	Bryce Young Carolina Panthers QB
No one had him pegged for a 30-0 win over the Falcons in Week 3, but his best work came as a scrambler, as he still hit just 51.4% of his throws. Can Carolina ever establish an aerial attack? (+2)
29	Spencer Rattler New Orleans Saints QB
Rookie Tyler Shough replaced Rattler at the close of a blowout loss to the Seahawks, but the job should remain with the latter for now. It'd be nice if the youngster had some run support. (-1)
30	Tyrod Taylor New York Jets QB
The Jets figure to turn back to Justin Fields once the younger option is cleared of a concussion. In the meantime, the veteran Taylor is a serviceable, if unspectacular, replacement under center. (+1)
31	Jake Browning Cincinnati Bengals QB
Browning was efficient as Joe Burrow's injury replacement back in 2023. His second go-round as the fill-in started as ugly as possible; he was totally rattled by Minnesota in a Week 3 loss. (-4)
32	Joe Flacco Cleveland Browns QB
Flacco helped engineer an improbable upset of the Packers to avoid an 0-3 start, which makes two close contests in three weeks. Still, he's showing his age, completing just 61% of his passes.