The 2025 playoff area is ready. For some quarterbacks, the subsequent month comes with greater stakes than others.
Beneath, we rank the beginning quarterbacks of the 14 playoff groups primarily based on who’s feeling the least to most stress this postseason.
The Steelers earned the league’s remaining playoff berth with an unbelievable 26-24 residence 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 shall be within the postseason for the primary time for the reason that 2021 season, and for somebody who’s completed 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 area. 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 group limps into the postseason.
No playoff group is in a much bigger hunch 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 positive wild-card recreation in opposition to the Steelers but in addition a obtrusive weak point at offensive line that limits its ceiling. If the Texans fail to eclipse the heights of 2023 and 2024, it probably will not be due to Stroud.
The attainable league MVP is ready to make his postseason debut. He’ll want a robust playoff run to finish his breakout marketing campaign on a excessive be aware, however his general success this season ought to go away the Patriots longing for the longer term whatever the final result.
Even after profitable final yr’s Tremendous Bowl, Hurts is perhaps 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 operating again Saquon Barkley, and except Hurts shoulders the burden this yr, questions round him will develop.
7. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
After falling 58 yards shy of changing 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 p.c completion charge shall be price monitoring. If accuracy is a matter, Chicago might fade as shortly because it rose.
A swap seems to have flipped in Lawrence, who’s lived as much as the billing as a former No. 1 decide in main the Jags to a 13-4 document 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 under.
The 2023 No. 1 general decide has been frustratingly inconsistent by means of his first three seasons. He had certainly one of his greatest video games of 2025 in a shocking residence 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 street journey to the Patriots looms, making 0-3 a practical 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 group’s greatest likelihood of profitable a Tremendous Bowl. Two years later, he could also be proper.
We carry that up as a result of whereas the longer term appears to be like vibrant for the Broncos, future success is rarely assured. Denver has wanted a number of late-game escapes to win within the common season, and Nix should be extra constant within the playoffs to keep away from squandering an unbelievable season from his protection.
He had a shaky postseason debut final yr, going 13-of-22 (59.1 p.c) for 144 yards and a landing in a wild-card street loss to the Buffalo Payments. The street to the Tremendous Bowl within the AFC goes by means of Denver, and Nix’s play will decide whether or not the Broncos can defend their residence turf.Â
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 greatest group to a Tremendous Bowl victory. Yeah, that is stress.Â
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 greatest possibilities (whilst 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 might must be flawless for the Payments to be the final group standing in Santa Clara.
