Quarterback cards dominate the football card market due to the central role quarterbacks play in the game, often becoming the face of their respective teams and franchises. As the most high-profile and influential position on the field, quarterbacks are typically featured in the biggest moments of a game, making their cards highly sought after by collectors.
The rarity of certain cards, such as those from legendary players like Tom Brady, Joe Montana, or Peyton Manning, further increases their value. These cards not only capture iconic plays and milestones but also symbolize the careers of some of the most marketable athletes in sports history. As a result, quarterback cards, especially rookie cards or autographed versions, often fetch the highest prices at auctions and are the centerpiece of most collections, overshadowing other positions in the football card industry.
In fact the only football cards I have in my personal collection are quarterbacks. That is really not saying too much because most of you know, I am primarily a baseball card collectior.
With that said,let’s take a look at the quarterbacks expected to start the 2025 season.
Tier 1: Elite
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes still holds the top spot, but the margin has never been slimmer. His passing grade over the past two seasons sits at 86.0, a strong number but a step below the elite level we saw from 2018 through 2022. The supporting cast hasn’t always helped, particularly at receiver, but it’s fair to say his otherworldly level of play we saw from him from 2018 to 2022 is starting to get further and further away in the rearview mirror. That said, no one blends poise, playmaking and postseason performance like Mahomes, which is why he remains at No. 1 entering 2025, even if the field is closer than ever.
For the record Patrick makes up the majority of my personal football card collection. You have heard me talk about X Factor and Patrick has it.If you have seen the Netflix QUARTERBACK SPECIAL, it should be obvious in my opinion that this kid is in a class by himself. He expects to win, and perform at a high level. NO EXCUSES!
Mindset is the missing link for most athletes. It is not talked about enough.
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
The only real knock on Joe Burrow is that he hasn’t entered a season at full strength in years. But when he’s right, there may be no one better. Burrow’s 93.5 passing grade and 95.2 overall grade over the past three seasons lead all quarterbacks, and his 51.3% success rate over that span ties Josh Allen for second-best in the league. If the Bengals can field even a league-average defense, Burrow would give them a real shot at winning the AFC every year.
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson is coming off the best season of his career and one of the highest-graded quarterback campaigns in PFF history, finishing 2024 with a 94.9 overall grade. The two-time NFL MVP remains the most dynamic player at the position, blending elite arm talent with unmatched rushing ability. The only lingering blemish on his résumé is his postseason record. If Jackson can translate his regular-season dominance into playoff success and capture a Super Bowl, he’ll cement his place among the NFL’s all-time greats.
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen’s 95.4 overall grade over the past three seasons ranks first among all quarterbacks. His 91.4 passing grade in that span is third, behind Burrow and Lamar Jackson. Despite losing his top two receivers from 2023, Allen didn’t miss a beat in 2024, delivering his most complete season yet and earning his first MVP award.
Tier 2: High-End Starters
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts’ 2024 campaign — capped by an impressive Super Bowl run — was a return to form after a turbulent 2023 season. A year earlier, Hurts too often pressed in high-leverage moments and struggled under pressure, but he flipped the script this past season, showing poise and control even when things broke down around him. After a slow start, he found his rhythm and delivered when it mattered most. Over the past three seasons, his 91.5 overall grade ranks fifth among all quarterbacks.
6. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Perhaps we’re crowning Daniels a bit too early, as plenty of quarterbacks have had standout rookie seasons only to regress in Year 2. But what separates Daniels is his poise under pressure and in clutch moments late in the year. His rookie campaign was arguably the best we’ve ever seen, with his 90.6 overall grade marking the highest ever recorded by PFF for a rookie quarterback.
7. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford isn’t coming off his best season — his 74.7 overall grade in 2024 reflects that — but what keeps him in this upper tier is his complete command of the Rams offense. Despite playing behind a shaky offensive line and losing multiple top weapons to injury, he was still a drive away from knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champions in the divisional round. When Stafford is locked in, he is as good as anyone in football.
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert might be the best regular-season quarterback in non-clutch situations. His 91.0 overall grade over the past three seasons ranks sixth, and when excluding playoff performances, his passing grade actually tops Patrick Mahomes’.
In standard game situations outside of late-game or high-pressure moments, Herbert owns the second-highest passing grade in the league. With another year under Jim Harbaugh and improved weapons around him, we’ll see if he can finally get over the hump.
Tier 3a: Solid starters who have flashed high-end play
9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff has piloted one of the NFL’s most productive offenses over the past two seasons, earning an 84.8 passing grade over that span, the seventh-best in the league. We’ll soon find out how much of that success was tied to Ben Johnson, now the Bears’ head coach, but the results speak for themselves: Goff has been a top-10 quarterback over the last two years.
10. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Few would have pegged Smith to grade as the sixth-best passer in the NFL over the past two seasons, but here we are. In fact, his 85.8 passing grade in that span is just 0.2 points shy of Patrick Mahomes. After being traded for a third-round pick this offseason, Smith should enjoy an improved offensive line but a downgrade in receiving weapons. He protects the football and has a knack for generating big-time throws.
11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy may be a product of the system and surrounding talent, but he’s still led one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses over the past three seasons. His play dipped slightly in 2024 as the 49ers battled injuries across the offensive line and receiving corps, yet he still posted the league’s top success rate over the past two years, alongside a seventh-best 90.0 PFF grade.
Tier 3b: Solid Starters, but they need more help
12. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
When ranking quarterbacks in this tier, it’s almost a dart throw trying to predict the level of play you’ll get. Jordan Love’s late-season run in 2023 was a stellar mix of big-time throws and sound decision-making, but he couldn’t carry that momentum into 2024. His big-time throw rate dropped from 5.6% to 3.5%. If he can recapture that 2023 groove, Love has both the talent and mindset to make a run at the NFC crown.
13. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield has pulled off a remarkable career turnaround. After bouncing back in 2023, he delivered the best season of his career in 2024, earning an 85.9 overall grade. He’ll now be working with his third offensive coordinator in three years in Tampa Bay — and his fifth since 2022 — but the struggles of 2021-2022 feel firmly in the rearview mirror. His 2024 campaign also featured one of the wildest plays of the season, completing a pass with one of the league’s top pass rushers draped all over him.
14. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Stroud represents the cautionary tale for Jayden Daniels — a stellar rookie season followed by a sophomore slump. That said, he finished 2024 strong and delivered in the playoffs, leading the Texans to a wild-card win over the Chargers. One glaring issue remains: his pressure-to-sack rate. After taking just 39 sacks as a rookie, that number ballooned to 63 in 2024, a problem that must be addressed moving forward.
15. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
After multiple injury-plagued seasons, Murray finally stayed healthy in 2024 and delivered an 82.1 overall grade. If he can avoid the injury bug again in 2025, Murray is well-positioned to take another step forward in Year 3 under head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
16. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence might be the biggest wild card in this tier. The talent is undeniable, but he’s yet to show the consistent high-level play needed to elevate himself and the Jaguars into the NFL’s elite. His 79.7 overall grade in 2023 was a career high, and now he’ll have Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter as his top targets with Liam Coen taking over as offensive coordinator.
17. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott remains the epitome of a quarterback who thrives against weaker opponents but falters when the competition stiffens. He earned a 90.0 PFF grade in 2023 — behind only Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes — before a late-season collapse ended his MVP bid. In 2024, the Cowboys stumbled early, and a season-ending injury sidelined Prescott before he could rebound. To rejoin the top-10 conversation, he must recapture that 2023 form and prove he can deliver against the league’s best.
18. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa might be the most polarizing quarterback in the league when comparing production to PFF grade. He put up strong numbers and grades in 2022 and 2023 but took a noticeable step back in 2024 after suffering another concussion in Week 2. He never quite looked the same after returning. If Tua can rebound, the Dolphins become a dangerous team in 2025 — but there’s a real question as to whether he’ll ever return to his 2023 form, when he earned an 86.9 overall grade.
Tier 4: Young players with a wide range of potential outcomes
19. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Nix had a strong rookie season, though it was somewhat overshadowed by Jayden Daniels’ historic campaign. If he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, the Broncos could be a serious threat in 2025. After a rocky start, including three sub-50.0 game grades in his first four outings, Nix found his footing, posting an 85.7 overall grade the rest of the way, sixth-best in the league over that span.
20. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
After struggling mightily as a rookie and getting benched following two poor starts in 2024, Young completely turned things around. From Week 8 onward, he graded as the 13th-best quarterback in the league, earning an 83.2 overall mark over that 10-game stretch. It’s a limited sample, so caution is warranted — but leading the NFL with a 7.7% big-time throw rate while posting just a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate is an impressive combination. The 2025 season will be pivotal in proving that the breakout wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
21. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
I’m leaning on my personal evaluation here, as I had McCarthy as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. We didn’t get to see him as a rookie, but his 2023 season at Michigan — where he earned a 92.2 PFF grade and a 93.4 passing grade — highlighted everything you want in a young passer. If he’s fully healthy in 2025, and considering what Sam Darnold managed in this offense, McCarthy is set up to succeed.
22. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Maye went through the expected rookie growing pains, finishing the year with a 64.9 passing grade and more turnover-worthy plays (16) than big-time throws (14). He faced one of the league’s worst offensive lines and had limited support in the receiving corps. With Mike Vrabel taking over as head coach and upgrades around him, the No. 3 overall pick from 2024 is positioned to take a step forward in Year 2.
23. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Penix’s NFL sample size is small but promising. Across 114 dropbacks, he earned an 87.9 overall grade — a number inflated by a dominant Week 18 performance that included seven big-time throws and a 95.6 game grade. He’s clearly capable of that level of play, but the week prior told a different story, as he struggled with accuracy and finished with a 54.3 passing grade. Accuracy and performance under pressure were question marks coming out of college. If he can improve in those areas, his ranking will rise in a hurry.
24. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Touted as a generational talent by many, Williams underwhelmed as a rookie, earning just a 67.6 overall grade and posting only five single-game grades above 70.0. The talent is undeniable, but his NFL success will hinge on learning to find open targets and avoiding the habit of running himself into pressure.
25. Cameron Ward, Tennessee Titans
One of two rookie quarterbacks projected to start in Week 1, Ward will need plenty to fall into place as the Titans work through a still-flawed roster. He delivered 31 big-time throws in 2024 and finished as the second-highest-graded passer among drafted quarterbacks. At minimum, he should offer an upgrade over Will Levis.
Tier 5: Veterans capable of solid play but could be quickly replaced
26. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
The big question for Darnold and the Seahawks is which version of the quarterback shows up in 2025. Will it be the one we saw from 2018 to 2023, when his highest-graded season was just a 66.0 as he struggled with decision-making and offensive consistency? Or will it be the quarterback who earned an 85.8 grade over the first 17 weeks of the 2024 season and helped lead the Vikings to 14 wins? His late-season regression and playoff struggles were concerning, and he’ll be working with a less talented supporting cast in Seattle.
27. Russell Wilson, New York Giants
The clock is ticking on Wilson’s career. Now 36, he no longer has the mobility that once defined his game, and that limits his ceiling. He still grades well and posted a 79.5 overall mark in 2024, but he struggles to generate the efficiency needed to sustain a high-level offense. With the Giants selecting Jaxson Dart in the first round, head coach Brian Daboll may not hesitate to turn to the rookie if Wilson can’t deliver wins early in the season.
28. Justin Fields, New York Jets
The Jets enter the summer in a strange spot, handing Justin Fields the starting quarterback job with little real competition behind him. Tyrod Taylor slots in as the backup, while undrafted rookie Brady Cook rounds out the depth chart. Fields earned a 71.0 grade with the Steelers in 2024, but passing consistency has eluded him throughout his career. New York may ride it out with Fields for all of 2025, but odds are he’s just keeping the seat warm for a 2026 draft pick.
Tier 6: Low-end starters and not long-term options
29. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
As much as some Browns fans are excited about Joe Flacco’s return, the reality is he’s a 40-year-old stopgap. He can still deliver competent play and keep the offense on schedule, but he’s clearly a short-term solution until Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel is ready to take over.
30. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Richardson could arguably be slotted in Tier 5, as he’s yet to complete a full, healthy season since entering the NFL. The concerns go beyond durability. His grading profile is poor, and he struggles to run an efficient offense, read defenses and deliver the ball accurately. In fact, his accuracy ranks among the worst in the league.
With Daniel Jones waiting in the wings, Richardson faces an uphill battle and could be on a short leash if early-season improvement doesn’t materialize.
31. Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
After spending his first six seasons in Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph spent a year in Tennessee before returning on a two-year deal with the Steelers. With just 850 career dropbacks and only 22 big-time throws to his name, Rudolph is firmly established as a career backup. Given that the Steelers selected Will Howard in the sixth round, it’s likely we’ll see the rookie take the field before the season is over.
32. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
One of the most surprising developments of the 2025 NFL Draft was Tyler Shough being the third quarterback off the board. The 26-year-old rookie spent seven years in college and now enters a wide-open competition in New Orleans following Derek Carr’s retirement. Between Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, the Saints’ quarterback room is arguably the weakest in the league. Regardless of who starts, expectations are low, though fans can at least hope Shough delivers a few highlight-reel moments like this gem from his 2024 season.