The 2025-26 NFL regular season just wrapped up, and honestly, the leaderboard looks like someone threw a deck of cards down the stairs. If you told me a year ago that a 37-year-old Matthew Stafford would lead the league in passing yards while a second-year kid in New England would break the grading systems, I’d have called you crazy. But here we are. The debate over the top QBs this season isn't just about who has the most fantasy points anymore; it’s about who actually survived the most chaotic year of injuries and coaching changes we've seen in a decade.
Football is weird.
One week you’re the MVP favorite, the next you’re throwing three picks in a cold rain in Orchard Park. This year, the separation between the "elite" and the "middle class" evaporated. We saw Patrick Mahomes struggle with a roster that felt out of sync, while guys like Sam Darnold found a second (or third) life in Seattle. It’s been a season of reinvention.
The Statistical Monsters of 2025
If we’re looking strictly at the box scores, Matthew Stafford is the king of the mountain. He finished the regular season with 4,707 passing yards and a staggering 46 touchdowns. 46! In an era where defensive coordinators are obsessed with taking away the deep ball, Stafford and Sean McVay basically said, "Good luck with that." He played all 17 games, which is a miracle in itself given his history, and he did it with a surgical efficiency that made the Rams look like the Greatest Show on Turf again.
Then there’s Drake Maye.
The New England Patriots actually did it. They didn't ruin him. Under Mike Vrabel, Maye turned into a completion machine, leading the league at 72.0%. He didn't just dink and dunk, either. His 8.9 yards per attempt was best in the NFL. When you look at the top QBs this season, Maye is the one who changed the trajectory of a whole franchise. 14 wins for a team that people thought was dead in the water.
Why the "Big Three" Felt Different
- Josh Allen: He’s still the most terrifying human being on a football field. He didn't have a 4,000-yard passing season, but he didn't need to. He ran for 14 touchdowns. When the Bills get into the red zone, the scouting report basically says "pray." He finished with 3,668 passing yards, but his impact is felt in the third-and-shorts where he just runs over a linebacker.
- Lamar Jackson: It was a heartbreaking year for Baltimore fans. Lamar was playing like a three-time MVP before the hamstring and back issues caught up to him. He only played 13 games, finishing with 21 passing TDs and about 350 on the ground. When he was healthy, the Ravens were unbeatable. When he wasn't? They missed the playoffs. It’s a brutal reminder of how much these teams lean on one guy.
- Patrick Mahomes: Honestly, it was a "down" year by his standards. 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns isn't what we expect from the GOAT-in-waiting. But he was dealing with a rotating door of receivers and an offensive line that forgot how to block for a month in October.
The Sophomores and the Surprises
Caleb Williams and Bo Nix aren't just "promising" anymore. They are the floor of the league now. Williams threw for nearly 4,000 yards in Chicago. That hasn't happened... well, ever, for the Bears. He’s still taking too many sacks—24 on the year—but his ability to create something out of a broken play is starting to look a lot like a young Russell Wilson.
Bo Nix, meanwhile, became the comeback kid.
Seven game-winning drives. That leads the NFL. He isn't always pretty, and his 6.4 yards per attempt won't win him any efficiency awards, but when it’s 4th and 5 with two minutes left, Sean Payton clearly trusts him. Denver finishing 14-3 wasn't on anyone's bingo card, yet Nix found ways to win games that they had no business being in.
The Efficiency Kings Nobody Talks About
We need to talk about Jared Goff and Dak Prescott. Goff is the ultimate "point guard" QB. He finished second in passing yards with 4,564 and 34 touchdowns. People still want to call him a system QB, but at what point does the "system" just become "Jared Goff is really good at football"? He’s accurate, he doesn't turn it over (only 8 INTs), and he keeps the Lions' offense on schedule.
Dak is in a similar boat. 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns.
The problem with Dak is the "January Narrative." He lights up the stat sheet in the regular season, but those two interceptions against Detroit in Week 14 are what people remember. It’s unfair, but that’s the life of a Cowboys quarterback. You can be one of the top QBs this season statistically, but if you don't win the Big One, people act like you're Kirk Cousins (who, for the record, also had a decent 10-game stretch before getting hurt).
The "What If" Tier
Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy are the two guys that make this list hard to write. Burrow only played 8 games because of that turf toe. In those 8 games, he was elite—17 touchdowns to only 5 picks. If he plays 17 games, he’s probably the MVP. Purdy was in a similar spot, missing a huge chunk of the middle of the season but coming back to throw 11 TDs in his last four games to drag the Niners into the 6th seed.
Availability is a skill.
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Sorting Through the Chaos
If you're trying to rank these guys, you have to decide what you value. Is it the raw volume of Stafford? The dual-threat nightmare of Allen? Or the pure efficiency of Maye?
Historically, we’ve rewarded the guys with the most yards. But this year showed that "value" shifted toward the guys who could stabilize a team. Sam Darnold in Seattle is the perfect example. He was a castoff. A "bust." Then he goes out and throws 25 touchdowns and leads the Seahawks to 14 wins. Is he a top-five talent? No. Was he a top-five performer this season? Absolutely.
Key Stats for the Elite Group
| Player | Team | Pass TDs | INTs | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford | LAR | 46 | 8 | 4,707 |
| Jared Goff | DET | 34 | 8 | 4,564 |
| Drake Maye | NE | 31 | 8 | 4,394 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 30 | 10 | 4,552 |
| Trevor Lawrence | JAX | 29 | 12 | 4,007 |
Trevor Lawrence deserves a nod here too. He finally looked like the "Generational Talent" people promised back in 2021. Under Liam Coen, Lawrence became more decisive. He stopped trying to win every play on his own and started using his legs to extend drives rather than just running for his life. 4,007 yards is a career high, and while 12 interceptions is still a bit high, his touchdown-to-interception ratio is finally trending the right way.
Actionable Insights for the Post-Season
If you're watching the playoffs or looking ahead to your 2026 dynasty drafts, keep a few things in mind. First, the "mobile QB" era isn't dying, but it's evolving. The guys who are winning are the ones who use mobility to pass, not just to run. Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are the blueprint.
Second, coaching matters more than ever. Look at what happened to C.J. Stroud this year. He’s clearly talented, but the Texans' offensive line and run game disappeared, and his numbers took a hit. He’s still a top-tier guy, but he can't do it alone.
Finally, don't sleep on the "old" guys. Stafford and Rodgers (who actually played 16 games and looked solid in Pittsburgh) proved that experience in the pocket is still the ultimate cheat code when defenses start throwing complex blitzes at you.
Watch the health of Joe Burrow heading into next year. If the Bengals finally fix that line, he’s the odds-on favorite to reclaim the throne. But for now, 2025 belongs to the gunslingers and the New England rookie who shocked the world.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on offensive coordinator movements this offseason. A QB's success is often tied to the play-caller's ability to adapt to defensive shifts—something we saw clearly with the resurgence of guys like Sam Darnold and Trevor Lawrence under new leadership. Following the "EPA per play" metrics during the first four weeks of next season will give you a much better indicator of sustained success than raw passing yards alone.