NFL QB rankings, Week 18: Drake Maye eclipses Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 16 QB Index.

TIER 1

• Drake Maye had an opportunity to shred a lowly opponent and he took full advantage of it in Week 17. Maye made it look easy, firing dimes all over MetLife Stadium in a rout of the Jets that will surely drive the MVP discourse ahead of Week 18.
• Matthew Stafford picked a terrible time to have an awful game. His three interceptions against the Falcons overshadowed a performance that also included an assortment of excellent throws, some of which were wiped out by penalty or replay review. I fear it could severely impact his MVP chances.
• Josh Allen had a rough afternoon against a Philadelphia defense that harassed him the entire game. More concerning, however, is his foot injury. It clearly limited his mobility and his chances of carrying the Bills.
• Justin Herbert continues to carry the Chargers through the fire. He led the team in rushing and tried his best to will them to a comeback against the Texans. While they fell short, he's certainly done enough to earn a week of rest before the playoffs.
• Brock Purdy has been on fire over the last few weeks and is powering a late-season peak that has folks considering the 49ers as a serious Super Bowl contender. His strengths -- accuracy, improvisation, off-platform delivery, etc. -- were on full display in the shootout win over Chicago.
• Trevor Lawrence's ascension hasn't been solely about his arm. Yes, he's throwing it better than at any other point in his career, but his legs have become nearly as valuable. In the Week 17 win over the Colts, they were essential, accounting for both of his scores and reminding folks of why this Jaguars offense is lurking as one of the most likely to jump all over an unsuspecting opponent.

TIER 2

• Caleb Williams continues to dazzle, even in defeat, showing off the rare arm strength and improvisational skills that have helped him make great strides in his second season. He kept pace with a white-hot Brock Purdy-led 49ers offense in one of the season's most entertaining games.
• It's good that the Seahawks can win without Sam Darnold being at the top of his game. It's not as good for his ranking in the QB Index. I'm having a tough time placing him when juxtaposing most of his recent stretch against the wild win he led over the Rams.
• Joe Burrow spoke in mid-December of needing to enjoy football to continue playing. Six passing touchdowns over the last two weeks sure sounds like fun to me.
• The Lions hit a new low in their loss to Minnesota, a turnover-filled nightmare for Jared Goff. He'd have dropped lower in the rankings if he hadn't largely still produced outside of last week (and that ugly loss to Philadelphia earlier this season).

TIER 3

• While the Packers came up short against the Ravens, Malik Willis played a fantastic game, demonstrating how a year of development can transform a quarterback from a castoff into a plus backup with starter potential. Willis torched Baltimore's defense with his legs and proved to be a sharp passer, helping his stock significantly on the prime-time stage.
• C.J. Stroud can still hit the deep shot when it's open and remains a very accurate passer, even if Houston's offense is a hit-or-miss operation. Week 17's win over the Chargers was a prime example.
• It's remarkable to consider the Ravens preferred Cooper Rush over Tyler Huntley as their backup to Lamar Jackson earlier this season. Huntley is clearly well-versed in his responsibilities in Baltimore's offense and filled the backup role nicely in a run-heavy win over Green Bay.
• Aaron Rodgers missed DK Metcalf dearly in the Steelers' loss to Cleveland and didn't seem to wake up as a passer until Pittsburgh's final drive in what was his worst showing in the last month-plus. Now he has one more guaranteed chance to sling it, with the AFC North title on the line.

TIER 4

• Despite what the stats and final score suggest, Baker Mayfield had a decent game against Miami. The problem is the Buccaneers need him to be more than that to stop their late-season collapse. Yes, he threw a terrible interception at a crucial point in the game, but he made some nice throws to Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. The end result wasn't positive, but Mayfield's play isn't nearly as bad as some might lead you to believe. It just isn't anywhere near the level he was performing at early this season.
• Tyler Shough continues to impress me with each game he starts. He's working well with Kellen Moore and is demonstrating steady growth -- plus, he has ice in his veins when it comes to crunch time. Keep letting him grow, Saints; you might have something here.
• Philip Rivers' comeback was a heartwarming and fascinating story, but his limited arm strength held the Colts back in their recent games. It was painfully apparent when he tried to test the Jaguars downfield and repeatedly came up short. Still, it was impressive to a see a 44-year-old come out of retirement and still get the job done with his pre-snap smarts and wealth of experience.

TIER 5

• Bryce Young continues to mystify in 2025, proving to be one of the most volatile quarterbacks in recent memory. At his best, he's powering the Panthers to thrilling wins. When he struggles, it inspires a fresh round of discussion regarding his place in Carolina's long-term plans. The latter process repeated itself after a 14-of-24, 54-yard, one-interception showing against the suffocating Seahawks defense.
• Shedeur Sanders continues to follow a similar theme: Some good moments, some very ugly mistakes and incremental improvement in between. He's grown much more willing to scramble -- a positive development that has made him a greater threat to opposing defenses -- and definitely has the ability to throw some absolute dimes. Now, he must work on consistency and continue to decrease his tendency to hang on to the ball too long. Sometimes, it's OK to give up on a play. He likely was reminded of this after throwing one of the ugliest interceptions seen in the 2025 season on Sunday.
• Quinn Ewers had a good first half and a dreadful second half in his first start, then demonstrated growth from another week of preparation by looking much better in a Week 17 win over Tampa Bay.
• In a relief appearance and one start, Chris Oladokun has played satisfactory football. He receives passing marks for handling the job of the offense acceptably, even if we all know the unit owns a much lower ceiling without Patrick Mahomes (and others) involved.
• Geno Smith would rank higher if he didn't throw two absolutely devastating interceptions Sunday. The second was admittedly a great play made by Dane Belton, but it was only possible because Smith was late on a throw he tried to squeeze through a closing window. Such is the tale of Smith's time with the Raiders.

TIER 6

• Max Brosmer's preseason intrigue hasn't carried over into his regular-season appearances, but he did accomplish a feat we only see occasionally in this quarterback-dependent league when he delivered an entirely forgettable (if not irrelevant) performance in a win. Brosmer completed nine of 16 passes for 51 yards, looked generally overmatched and watched his teammate outgain his passing total in one play when Jordan Addison took an end around 65 yards for a win-sealing touchdown. I'll hand him a first-of-its kind honor for this showing: The 2009 Derek Anderson Award, given to a quarterback who triumphs despite contributing to the winning effort as minimally as possible.