NFL Playoffs Quarterback Ranking For Conference Championship 2025

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Four teams and four unique quarterbacks are left in the NFL Playoffs. Are they all elite or just lucky to be in the Conference Championship games?

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

We have reached the final four teams in the NFL postseason. One of Kansas City, Buffalo, Philadelphia, or Washington will be NFL champions. These teams are all obviously good. They don’t, however, immediately share the most important factor in a team’s success: an elite quarterback. Or do they?

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We’ve been ranking the backup quarterbacks all season, but now its time to look at the final four teams and their man under center. Each QB left in the NFL Playoffs brings something different to the table, so where do they stand against one another and the league?

 

NFL Playoffs QB Ranking

 

 

Todd Salem:

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are one and two. They have been for a while and will remain so. They are the two best players in the NFL at the league’s most important position.

The NFC finalists offer something different this year. Jalen Hurts is good but not great. Of course, if you want to argue the NFC quarterback slate is so weak that he is still the conference’s best QB, there is at least an argument there. 

The other NFC finalist is led by a rookie, Jayden Daniels. He is a premiere rookie with lots of pedigree and talent, but still just a rookie. He can’t possibly be one of the top four quarterbacks in the sport already…

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We’ve seen rookies come in and find immediate success. Heck, everyone pointing to Daniels having the best rookie QB season since [fill in year] probably can’t go further back than 2023 with CJ Stroud. Last season, Stroud surpassed 4,000 yards passing, throwing for 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He actually led the league in yards per game and interception rate as a rookie.

Daniels this season threw for fewer yards, more picks, and didn’t lead the league in any statistical category. He did add another dimension with his legs, which, perhaps, made him a better overall player than ’23’s Stroud, but it’s not a slam dunk.

So, is Daniels really an anomaly, becoming an elite QB right from the jump? Or is it just easier to succeed right away in today’s NFL? And with how Stroud struggled in year two, is it really up to the quarterback if he is not on the Mahomes/Allen level? It is hard to parse the possibilities.

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Overall, where would you rank Daniels right now among all NFC quarterbacks? He’s certainly in the top five by default. Hurts is still there too. With the way Jared Goff and Jordan Love struggled in the postseason, they don’t seem any more reliable than Dak Prescott or Baker Mayfield. As ludicrous as it sounds, Daniels may already be the very best NFC QB. Would you rather have Brock Purdy? There isn’t anyone else left.

At the end of the day, if we grant that Daniels is already a top QB in his own conference, which level do you put him on: a tier-one QB capable of leading almost any roster to contention OR a Stroud-level QB capable of leading a team to contention when the pieces are working around him? I don’t want to be a negative Nancy, but I lean toward the latter. 

 

 

Dan Salem:

This debate needs to be separated into two categories, regular season and post season. What makes Mahomes and Allen the best two quarterbacks is their ability to excel during BOTH the regular season and post season. Heck, they both get a little bit better in the playoffs. Since you are asking about the best quarterbacks, we have to limit this conversation to the regular season because most QBs did not make the playoffs. Does this make them bad? Is Joe Burrow not elite because his team stunk?

Daniels is a very good quarterback who found himself on a highly capable team in a weak division and weak conference during his rookie year. Stroud found himself in the very same position last year, minus the weak conference. He “regressed” in year two because his best teammates got hurt and the opposition had time to figure him out better. What sets both Daniels and Stroud apart is their ability to also play great in the playoffs. Rising up to the pressure and the occasion is a necessity for NFL success… in the playoffs.

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To answer the question, Daniels is not yet elite. We need more than one season of data to determine just how good he is. Just look at his opponent Jalen Hurts. We consider him very good, but not elite. That wasn’t the case after he took his team to the Super Bowl. We all considered him elite, but then we got more information and realized he’s very good, but not necessarily great. Goff is very good. Burrow is great. Lamar Jackson is great. But in terms of playoff elite, things change dramatically for most everyone outside of the top two. Here’s how it shakes out with our NFL final four:

1. Josh Allen – Huge numbers and elite game winning ability. Makes his team great no matter how many star players are on it.

2. Patrick Mahomes – Elite game winning ability. Makes his team great no matter how many star players are on it. Good but not great stats this season.

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3. Jayden Daniels – Insane rookie season and showcasing playoff eliteness. Makes his team better, even as a rookie.

4. Jalen Hurts – Incredible team leader and playmaker. Makes his team better and knows how to win in the playoffs.

 

 

Meet our NFL Playoffs Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

The NFL Playoffs QB Ranking – This Is The End

NFL Playoffs Photo Credits: theplayoffs.news; profootballnetwork.com via Getty Images

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