The 2025 playoff discipline is about. For some quarterbacks, the following month comes with increased stakes than others.
Beneath, we rank the beginning quarterbacks of the 14 playoff groups based mostly on who’s feeling the least to most strain this postseason.
The Steelers earned the league’s closing playoff berth with an unimaginable 26-24 dwelling win over the Baltimore Ravens, giving Rodgers an opportunity to finish his profession using off right into a ayahuasca daydream with a second Tremendous Bowl. The four-time MVP will likely be within the postseason for the primary time because the 2021 season, and for somebody who’s achieved a lot, the upcoming run will solely be icing on prime of a Corridor of Fame cake.
13. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford
Stafford, who turns 38 the day earlier than Tremendous Bowl LX, is the second-oldest beginning quarterback within the playoff discipline. As certainly one of three with a earlier Tremendous Bowl win, one other Lombardi Trophy would solely improve his resume, not function validation.
The 49ers are extremely banged up coming into a wild-card journey to the Philadelphia Eagles. Nobody would fault Purdy for an early San Francisco exit, giving him grace as his workforce limps into the postseason.
No playoff workforce is in a much bigger stoop than the Packers, losers of 4 in a row. Love missed the final two video games as he handled and recovered from left shoulder and head accidents, serving as Clayton Tune’s backup in Week 18. He seems to be headed for a 3rd consecutive postseason loss, and after throwing 5 interceptions up to now two, Love should make higher choices in opposition to the Chicago Bears to evade scrutiny.
Amongst AFC playoff quarterbacks, solely Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers have extra playoff wins than Stroud, who has guided the Texans to the divisional spherical two years in a row. Houston, winners of 9 in a row, has a good wild-card recreation in opposition to the Steelers but additionally a obtrusive weak spot at offensive line that limits its ceiling. If the Texans fail to eclipse the heights of 2023 and 2024, it possible will not be due to Stroud.
The potential league MVP is about to make his postseason debut. He’ll want a robust playoff run to finish his breakout marketing campaign on a excessive word, however his general success this season ought to go away the Patriots eager for the long run whatever the consequence.
Even after successful final yr’s Tremendous Bowl, Hurts is likely to be feeling warmth forward of this yr’s run. The Eagles protection is rounding into championship kind, however the offense stays an eyesore. Final yr’s success was largely credited to working again Saquon Barkley, and until Hurts shoulders the burden this yr, questions round him will develop.
7. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
After falling 58 yards shy of turning into the primary quarterback in Bears franchise historical past to throw for 4,000 in a season, Williams will attempt to not let down the hometown followers because the NFC’s No. 2 seed. His troubling 58.1 % completion charge will likely be price monitoring. If accuracy is a matter, Chicago might fade as rapidly because it rose.
A change seems to have flipped in Lawrence, who’s lived as much as the billing as a former No. 1 choose in main the Jags to a 13-4 file and eight consecutive wins. A wild-card duel with Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen will assist decide whether or not Lawerence is on the higher tier of AFC quarterbacks or nonetheless a rung or two beneath.
The 2023 No. 1 general choose has been frustratingly inconsistent by way of his first three seasons. He had certainly one of his finest video games of 2025 in a shocking dwelling win over the Rams, and he’ll want one other to shed doubts over his capabilities as a franchise quarterback.
Herbert is 0-2 within the playoffs. A tricky highway journey to the Patriots looms, making 0-3 a sensible risk. He wants a win to keep away from giving his detractors ammunition.
Following a loss within the 2023 NFC championship recreation, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell lamented the truth that might have been his workforce’s finest likelihood of successful a Tremendous Bowl. Two years later, he could also be proper.
We deliver that up as a result of whereas the long run seems to be shiny for the Broncos, future success isn’t assured. Denver has wanted a number of late-game escapes to win within the common season, and Nix must be extra constant within the playoffs to keep away from squandering an unimaginable season from his protection.
He had a shaky postseason debut final yr, going 13-of-22 (59.1 %) for 144 yards and a landing in a wild-card highway loss to the Buffalo Payments. The highway to the Tremendous Bowl within the AFC goes by way of Denver, and Nix’s play will decide whether or not the Broncos can defend their dwelling turf.
Darnold made up for final yr’s terrible finish to the season with the Minnesota Vikings by main the Seahawks to the NFC’s No. 1 seed. However first impressions are exhausting to shake, and for somebody who’s infamously remembered for “seeing ghosts,” he can utterly rewrite his profession narrative by main the NFL’s finest workforce to a Tremendous Bowl victory. Yeah, that is strain.
If not now, when?
Allen’s greatest impediment to reaching the Tremendous Bowl — Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — is out of the image, giving the 2024 MVP certainly one of his finest possibilities (at the same time as a No. 6 seed) of delivering Buffalo its first Lombardi Trophy. He is been nice within the playoffs all through his profession, throwing for 3,359 yards, 25 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 13 begins, and he could should be flawless for the Payments to be the final workforce standing in Santa Clara.
