It doesn’t take much in today’s NFL for a quarterback to generate more publicity, praise, and attention than he deserves. But a deeper dive into the numbers will show that some of the league’s so-called best quarterbacks are actually getting far more love than they deserve.
With that, let’s dive into the NFL’s 10 most overrated quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season.
Who are the most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL today?
Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence was considered a “generational” quarterback prospect heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, so it was a no-brainer for the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars to use the No. 1 pick on the Clemson product.
We can’t blame Lawrence too much for his forgettable rookie year, which was brought on entirely by Urban Meyer’s toxicity. But fast forward to 2025, and we’re still waiting for T-Law to reach “superstar” status.
To date, Lawrence’s best season came in 2022. He led the Jags to a surprise AFC South division crown after completing 66.3 percent of pass attempts for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions.
Lawrence flashed that “superstar-level” potential when he helped Jacksonville erase a 27-point deficit in their 2022 Wild Card Round win against the Los Angeles Chargers. When the Jags narrowly fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, it certainly looked like better days were ahead.
The Jags looked poised for a return to the postseason in 2023 after winning eight of their first 11 games, including statement wins over the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. Then the Jags unraveled by losing five of their final six games, handing the division to the Houston Texans on a silver platter.
Through his first four seasons, this “Generational” quarterback prospect has a 22-38-0 record, 69 touchdowns, 46 interceptions, and an 85.0 passer rating that places him outside the top 25 among active quarterbacks.
And the Jags have invested plenty of resources on offense to help T-Law, namely Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, Travis Etienne Jr. and Brian Thomas Jr. So there’s no excuse for Lawrence to be a mediocre QB, and it’s almost time to start having the “Is T-Law a bust” conversation.
And to think his $275 million extension doesn’t begin until 2026. Woof.
Kyler Murray
Surely, we aren’t the only ones who feel like Murray’s NFL career has been somewhat underwhelming up to this point?
The No. 1 pick of 2019 was considered a boom-or-bust prospect because of his small frame for a quarterback in the modern NFL. But size hasn’t been the problem for Murray. It’s been consistent.
As a dazzling dual-threat QB, Murray has thrown for over 3,700 yards and 20-plus touchdowns four times, with three seasons of 500-plus rushing yards. So, what isn’t there to like about the Arizona Cardinals’ signal-caller?
Well, the two-time Pro Bowler has a bad reputation for cooling down as the season progresses. Most of the blame went to head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Murray during his first four NFL seasons.
Under head coach Jonathan Gannon, Murray and the Redbirds were in the running to win the NFC West last year at 6-4. They lost five of their final seven games to finish 8-and-9, with Murray throwing eight interceptions in that span.
And remember when the Cardinals placed a mandatory study clause in his contract, only to take it out after receiving significant backlash? Maybe the rumors about Murray playing too much “Call of Duty” when he should be studying film are true…
The bottom line is that Murray has put together mostly good regular-season stats, and few QBs make as many “wow” plays when he’s on his game. But zero playoff wins and a 36-45-1 record are definitely underwhelming, and it’s not like the Cardinals haven’t given him the explosive offensive weapons to produce.
Dak Prescott
If you fancy excellent regular NFL stats and not much more, then Prescott is the quarterback just for you!
Prescott is not much different from Tony Romo, the quarterback he succeeded as a rookie way-back-when in 2016. Neither was a highly-touted quarterback when they joined the Dallas Cowboys, but both emerged out of nowhere as true feel-good stories and multi-time Pro Bowlers.
But like Romo, Prescott is a stud in the regular season before folding like a pretzel in the postseason. Consider that Romo went 2-and-4 in postseason games, with both victories coming in the Wild Card Round at home. Yippee…
Well, Prescott is 2-and-5 in the postseason, with only 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions. And like Romo, both of those playoff victories came in the wild-card round against inferior opponents.
Prescott’s career passer rating in the regular season is 98.1. That number drops to 91.8 in the playoffs. And like, remember when they went undefeated at home in the 2023 regular season, only to get walloped 48-32 by the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round? Two interceptions and one pick-six from Dak in that game, by the way.
You can even ask yourself if he’s really “that” great in the regular season. His teams have won 13 games in a season once. Among active QBs, he’s also just seventh in passing yards per game.
Playing with CeeDee Lamb, a top offensive line, and a good set of supporting players has allowed Prescott to drop the hammer on opposing defenses in the regular season. Once it’s playoff time, though, that all goes out the window.
Kirk Cousins
To be honest, Cousins isn’t much different than Dak Prescott. They put up phenomenal regular-season numbers, but they tend to crumble under pressure when the lights on the big stage shine bright.
Cousins was solid but never great in Washington. His numbers improved with the Minnesota Vikings after he signed there in 2018, but it was always odd that Minny went to the NFC Championship Game with Case Keenum of all guys back in 2017. As a Viking, Cousins won just a single postseason game and only got them to the postseason twice.
When Cousins signed a $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, it just felt perfect. He was going to a skilled team in a weak division, led by offensive weapons Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Darnell Mooney.
Then Cousins imploded after a promising 6-and-3 start and lost his starting job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. Sure enough, Atlanta’s offense improved drastically after Penix took over.
Three teams gave Cousins the chance to be “the guy” and lead them to a Super Bowl. He has faltered with each, not to mention his horrendous career record against teams above .500.
Justin Fields
The New York Jets released Aaron Rodgers and pivoted to Justin Fields, handing the 2021 first-round pick a two-year deal worth $40 million after a solid six-game audition with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But uh..why are the Jets of all teams giving Fields the chance to shine? They’re the ultimate NFL quarterback graveyard. And even though he won four of his six starts in Pittsburgh, the guy barely averaged over 100 passing yards per game and had just five passing touchdowns.
Fields is 14-30-0 as a starter with 45 touchdowns against 31 interceptions. There’s a reason the Chicago Bears dumped him to take Caleb Williams first overall in 2024, folks.
But hey, all the best to Fields and the Jets! Mediocre QB means mediocre teams.
Geno Smith
It was surprising that the Las Vegas Raiders gave Smith a two-year extension worth $85.5 million after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks, including $66.5 million in guarantees.
The Raiders are banking on the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year to continue his superb play outside of Seattle’s quarterback-friendly system…at the age of 35. Hmmm…
Then again, is Smith actually still “good?” After throwing a career-high 30 touchdowns in 2022, that number dropped to 20 in 2023. In 2024, he had 21 touchdowns against 15 interceptions — Smith’s worst mark since his rookie year.
I’m not sure about you, but we can’t help but think that Smith might have been a product of playing on a well-coached Seahawks team that featured a ridiculous set of weapons: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Kenneth Walker.
If Smith can prove he’s the real deal in Vegas, we’ll admit we were wrong. For now, we’re not convinced that he was more than a QB in the right place at the right time in Seattle.
Sam Darnold
The Seahawks traded Geno Smith to Vegas THEN signed Sam Darnold to a three-year deal worth $100.5 million in free agency. As the Raiders are taking a risk with Smith not being a system QB, the Seahawks are taking a similar gamble with Darnold after his career year in Minnesota.
Just don’t mind us for being skeptical that Darnold will repeat last year. The No. 3 pick of 2018 was one of the league’s worst quarterbacks during his tenures with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, ultimately accepting a backup role behind Brock Purdy for 2023.
The Vikings gave Darnold a one-year deal in 2024 free agency. After rookie JJ McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery in the summer, Darnold was immediately slotted in as the QB1.
Darnold had a career year with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, leading Minnesota to a 14-and-3 season. But hey, maybe Darnold benefited from throwing to Justin Jefferson, the league’s best wide receiver? Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson, too? How about star running back Aaron Jones and an elite defense to support Darnold?
Now Seattle wants to pay this guy over $30 million annually to play like an MVP? No offense, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a past-his-prime Cooper Kupp don’t offer Darnold the same star power that Minny had.
This Darnold contract has significant “dud” potential. But hey, congrats on the $100.5 million for having one good season up to this point, kid.
Brock Purdy
The San Francisco 49ers clearly don’t think Purdy is a system quarterback, not after giving him a five-year extension worth $265 million this NFL offseason..
Now, disagree with us if you want, but we’re on the side where Purdy is a product of the Kyle Shanahan system. I mean, come on. Shanahan went to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games with Jimmy Garoppolo as his starting QB.
Purdy was in the MVP mix in 2023 after throwing for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl 58 appearance. Uh, hello? Playing with rushing champion Christian McCaffrey and three All-Pro-caliber pass-catchers in George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel?
McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2024. Aiyuk missed 10. Purdy attempted 11 more passes in 2024 and still threw 11 fewer touchdowns and 416 fewer yards than the year before, and his passer rating dropped by almost 20 points.
If Run CMC and Aiyuk are healthy, Purdy looks elite in Shanahan’s QB-friendly system. Without ‘em, he’s an average Joe…err…average Brock?
Tua Tagovailoa
The Miami Dolphins gave Tagovailoa a massive four-year extension worth $212.4 million ahead of the 2024 season. Certainly an interesting decision for a guy who, like Kyler Murray, has struggled with consistency as a pro.
The thing is, the No. 5 pick of 2020 looks more like a product of Miami’s star-studded offense than a true superstar QB. Consider that he averaged just 181.4 and 204.1 passing yards per game in 2020 and 2021, respectively, with passer ratings below 91.
Tagovailoa’s passer rating has exceeded 100 every year since, and he’s averaged over 260 yards each season since 2022. Hmm…we wonder if superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill has something to do with that? Ditto for Jaylen Waddle…
Even when Tua led Miami to 11 wins in 2023, they only beat one team with a winning record that year before getting crushed by the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round.
Tua has VERY GOOD regular-season stats when Tyreek Hill is on the field. Without Hill, he’s barely average. And if he were the “great” QB Miami paid him to be, Tagovailoa would have at least a playoff win and a much better record against winning teams by now. Just saying.
Aaron Rodgers
Prime Aaron Rodgers was one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever. But the truth is, prime Aaron Rodgers ended on a snowy Green Bay night in January 2022, after his Packers were stunned by the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
In his final season with the Packers, Rodgers averaged 217.4 passing yards a game — his worst mark as a full-time starter. He finished with 26 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, clearly missing longtime No. 1 receiver Davante Adams.
Rodgers’ first season with the Jets ended minutes into his debut when he tore his Achilles. He came back healthy in 2024, and the Jets went all-in to give him the best superteam possible, even acquiring Adams in a mid-season trade with the Raiders.
Even though the Jets catered to Rodgers, he finished with under 3,900 yards passing and had just 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. The 229.2 yards he averaged per game were his second-worst as a starting QB in a season, behind only the 2022 feat. His passer rating was 91.1 in 2022 and 90.5 in 2024, well below his career passer rating of 102.6.
After making a mistake with Russell Wilson, the Steelers are poised to make the same mistake with Rodgers. It’s only a matter of time until the four-time MVP comes to Pittsburgh, meaning they’ll flush another season down the toilet by committing to a past-his-prime and overrated QB.