The NFL QB debate rages on…
NFL Quarterback rankings are tricky. The only group of quarterbacks that just about everyone agrees on is the “elite” tier of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Four elite quarterbacks mean 28 other teams are trying to win the Super Bowl with non-elite quarterbacks in 2025.
Jalen Hurts, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco are the other active Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. Hurts and Stafford are the most recent winners, with Rodgers, Wilson, and Flacco winning championships that feel like a lifetime ago in NFL terms.
The San Francisco 49ers and Brock Purdy agreed to a contract extension, which the team made official on Tuesday. The debate about where Purdy ranks among the 32 starting quarterbacks will rage throughout his career.
Luckily, Pro Football Focus took a stab at ranking the starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
The tiers are broken up into elite, high-end starters, solid starters who have flashed high-end play, solid starters who need more help, young players with a wide range of potential outcomes, veterans capable of solid play, but could be quickly replaced, and low-end starters and not long-term options.
The elite group is the aforementioned four quarterbacks. Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Stafford, and Justin Herbert are the high-end starters. Tier 3a of solid starters who have flashed high-end play are Jared Goff, Geno Smith, and Purdy. Purdy fits in the tier, but Smith at number ten ahead of Purdy is debatable, and I disagree with the ranking.
John Kosko of PFF explains Purdy’s ranking.
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.
Goff and Purdy are tied with the seventh-highest annual quarterback contracts, and that feels right. This season is important for both players as Goff lost Ben Johnson to Chicago, and Purdy will look to prove the faith from the organization is valid.
After the Elite Four, the rankings change week-to-week. Purdy can be anywhere from seven to 12, depending on his play.
One thing is certain: the Brock Purdy debate isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.