NFL QB Power Rankings: Jalen Hurts Stays Steady as Russell Wilson Makes Comeback Ahead of Week 3

Quarterbacks are the NFL’s crown jewels…and sometimes its biggest headache. If the league’s a chessboard, QBs are the kings… though a few end up looking like pawns just along for the ride.

Week 2 of the 2025 season showed the full range: Daniel Jones looked like he was playing backyard football with nothing to lose, while Russell Wilson delivered one of his best outings in years but still couldn’t snag that first win.

Of course, no matter how hot your QB is, injuries are always lurking. One wrong hit and half the season goes sideways. In Joe Burrow‘s case, 3 months to be precise.

Some passers who came out sharp in Week 1 suddenly crashed back down in Week 2, while others played lights-out only to watch their teams fall apart around them.

That’s the deal with this position: every throw, scramble, and read reshapes the story week by week. With that, here’s how the NFL QB Power Rankings stack up heading into Week 3.

Jalen Hurts entered the top 5, but Patrick Mahomes keeps falling

The hype leading to the Week 2 was all around the Super Bowl rematch.

That Chiefs–Eagles rematch was supposed to be fireworks, and it delivered. Both defenses bent, big plays slipped through, and it turned into a slugfest. But when it mattered, Jalen Hurts finished on top.

Meanwhile, to say Patrick Mahomes was MIA would be a little harsh on the KC’s #15. It’s the team that is not clicking… And alas, Pat fell to a new low: 0-2.

That’s the snapshot heading into Week 3—Hurts climbing into the top five, Mahomes sliding, and the rest of the NFL QB landscape reshuffling. So, let’s count it down from 32 to 1.

32. Tyrod Taylor

31. Joe Flacco

30. Spencer Rattler

29. Bryce Young

28. Mac Jones

27. Cam Ward

26. Tua Tagovailoa

25. Carson Wentz

24. Jake Browning

23. CJ Stroud

22. Russell Wilson

21. Bo Nix

20. Geno Smith

19. Caleb Williams

18. Trevor Lawrence

17. Drake Maye

16. Michael Penix Jr.

15. Kyler Murray

14. Sam Darnold

13. Daniel Jones

12. Patrick Mahomes

11. Aaron Rodgers

10. Jayden Daniels

9. Dak Prescott

8. Baker Mayfield

7. Matthew Stafford

6. Jared Goff

5. Jordan Love

4. Justin Herbert

3. Lamar Jackson

2. Jalen Hurts

1. Josh Allen

The top 5 performers of Week 2 ft. Josh Allen and Jordan Love

It won’t be wrong to say that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson‘s rivalry isn’t just limited to the gridiron.

The NFL QB Power Rankings are in the mix as well. After Week 1, the Bills‘ QB and the Ravens‘ QB shared the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively.

But now, Hurts has made a surprise entry between them, Allen and Lamar remain the most consistent signal-callers of this season so far. With that being said, let’s study the top 5 performers of this week.

1. Josh Allen—Buffalo Bills—last week’s ranking: 1

Allen and Bills never allowed Justin Fields‘ Jets to take a flight in Week 2. The reigning MVP completed 14-of-25 passes for 148 yards without a touchdown or an interception through the air.

And on the ground, Allen was efficient as well. He rushed for 59 yards on 6 carries, complementing James Cook, who ran for 132 yards on 21 carries.

But the highlight of that game? Allen’s comeback from an injury. The quarterback went down, hurting his nose, after Michael Clemons reportedly got a hand under his facemask.

Allen felt a sudden pain and rushed to the sidelines. But he returned, finished the game, and led the Bills to a 30-10 win.

2. Jalen Hurts—Philadelphia Eagles—last week’s ranking: 7

Jalen Hurts walked into Week 2 with one thing on his mind. Don’t let the Chiefs reverse what went down in Super Bowl 59.

Sure, the Eagles’ offense felt disjointed. But a win is a win… And maybe, that was the reason why Nick Sirianni opted for a 52-yard field goal attempt at halftime rather than going for it on fourth-and-1.

But all Eagles had to do with Hurts under the center was to win, and the reigning Super Bowl MVP led his team to that feat.

He finished the game with 15-of-22 for 101 yards with no TDs and picks. On the ground, he was limited, rushing for just 15 yards on 9 carries, but still racking up a touchdown.

3. Lamar Jackson—Baltimore Ravens—last week’s ranking: 2

Lamar Jackson is lethal, and it won’t be wrong to say that the Ravens’ quarterback is on a hunt to earn his third MVP nod.

The QB welcomed the Browns into his house, dropped 4 TDs on them, and sent them packing with a 41-17 beatdown. That’s how you celebrate your team’s 30th anniversary.

The two-time MVP completed 19-of-29 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions.

The Week 2 game was probably one of the few instances where we barely saw him using his legs. He rushed for just 13 yards on a couple of carries.

The Ravens now sit at 1-1, but with the way Lamar’s been playing, you can’t help but wonder: Could this finally be their year?

4. Justin Herbert—Los Angeles Chargers—last week’s ranking: 6

Justin Herbert joins the Eagles’ quarterback as a fresh face in this Week 2’s best performers.

The Chargers‘ QB has been phenomenal in the past couple of weeks. Can we call him an MVP candidate? Of course, we can! And not just that, the Bolts looks a strong contender as well.

Herbert was efficient both on the ground and through the air. The 27-year-old completed 19-of-27 passes for 242 yards and racked up a couple of scores with no picks.

And while complementing his running backs, Herbert rushed for 31 yards on 9 carries, leading the Chargers to their back-to-back win of the season, torching the Raiders with a 20-9 win.

5. Jordan Love—Green Bay Packers—last week’s ranking: 8

We’ll talk about Jordan Love, but first, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room: the Packers‘ defense. It’s winning them games.

Green Bay’s defense held the Commanders to just 179 passing yards and 51 rushing yards, compared to their own 269 and 135, respectively.

Right at the center of it was the Packers’ current franchise QB. As things stand, Love’s averaging 9.1 yards per throw.

He finished with 19-of-31 passes for 292 yards and racked up two touchdowns with no interceptions, leading his team to a 27-18 win over Jayden Daniels‘ team. No wonder he took a jump of three positions in our rankings.

Comebacks, consistency, and a few QB question marks ahead of Week 3

Heading into Week 2, questions swirled — would Jaxson Dart replace Russell Wilson? Was Daniel Jones’ Week-1 outing a one-off or the real deal? Could Patrick Mahomes bounce back against the Eagles? Is Cam Ward legit or just draft hype? Now Week 2 is in the books; time to answer them, play by play.

1. Russell Wilson still has some fuel left

No. Jaxson Dart won’t be replacing Wilson anytime soon. Sure, the box score says the Giants lost the Week 2 game against the Cowboys in overtime (40-37), and of course, Wilson has a 0-2 start in New York. But his elite outing against Dallas showed why Brian Daboll still believes in the 36-year-old quarterback.

NYG amassed 506 total yards (422 passing and 84 rushing yards). Wilson, on the other hand, finished the game with one of his best numbers of his career so far.

We’re talking about 31-of-41 for 450 yards and 3 touchdowns, with one interception.

His connection with Malik Nabers might’ve been quiet in Week 1, but Week 2 told a completely different story.

Nabers caught 9 receptions for 167 yards and racked up two receiving touchdowns. If not for that overtime interception, you could argue Wilson had the Giants lined up for their first win of the season.

That said, he was at rock bottom in our Week 1 QB power rankings. Fast forward, and he now sits at 22.

2. Daniel Jones has found a comfortable home

It’s the new Indiana Jones, the NFL version.

Back-to-back wins for the Colts with Danny Dimes under the center, and back-to-back strong outings from the former first-rounder. Last week, we said that Jones needed the Colts more than the Colts needed a reliable QB.

Fast forward, and we’ll rephrase it: both parties are now enjoying each other’s company.

While it’s surely too early to say, the Daniel Jones gamble in Indianapolis is paying off. Week 1 was efficient. Week 2 is much better. Jones finished the Week 2 showdown against the Broncos in style!

He completed 23-of-34 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown, leading the Colts to a close 29-28 win over Denver. There’s no doubt he slipped down a bit in our rankings, but expect him to climb up in the coming weeks.

3. Where is the Patrick Mahomes we used to know?

That’s the question the Chiefs Kingdom is asking at the moment.

For the first time in over a decade, the Chiefs kicked off their season with 0-2. It’s also the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ era.

So, what went wrong? Everything, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Mahomes has no help.

His receivers are down—Rashee Rice, Jalen Royals, and Xavier Worthy. The only good thing for the Chiefs against the Eagles was Mahomes’ legs.

The 30-year-old quarterback rushed for 66 yards on 7 carries with 1 TD, while also completing 16-of-29 passes for just 187 yards and 1 TD through the air.

The signs are clear: Mahomes is missing his receivers dearly. To put the Chiefs’ performance in context, KC has lost the first couple of games 15 times in the NFL, and they’ve made the playoffs on those instances just once. Mahomes needs to come back.

4. What went wrong with the first overall pick—Cam Ward

Cam Ward is the new Caleb Williams. That’s it, we said it.

The first overall pick of the most recent draft is yet to justify all the hype he received ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. So, what actually went wrong with Ward?

For starters, he was on the verge of setting an NFL record…a record, no one would want to think about. The rookie was sacked 11 times in the first couple of games of the 2025 season. He fell just four shy of former No. 1 draft pick David Carr (15 sacks in the first 2 games in 2002).

On top of that, the Titans have been in awful down-and-distance spots: 21 of 31 third downs were 7+ yards to go (worst in the NFL). Average third down = 9.9 yards to gain, which forces Ward into obvious passing situations where defenses can tee off.

So, because the team’s O-line is slacking (sacks, penalties, stuffed rush), defenses know Ward has to throw long: Predictability. The result? A 0-2 score in his first two games as the Titans’ starter.

The top surprises from Week 2, ft. Joe Burrow’s injury

Meanwhile, the Week 2 was a mixed bag. Action, cellies… fumbles and sacks… That’s why we include the “surprise” segment in our QB Power Rankings.

So, Joe Burrow had to sneak in this segment for the second consecutive time. Week 1 was about the Bengals‘ offensive struggles, and Week 2?

1. It’s about Joe Burrow’s injury

Everything was going right with Burrow and the Bengals (he completed 7-of-13 for 76 yards and one touchdown) until the second quarter.

Sure, the Bengals eventually won the Week 2 game 31-27 against the Jaguars, but at what cost?

Cutting the chase, JB went down with a toe injury after the Jags’ defensive lineman Arik Armstead sacked the quarterback.

Burrow left and never returned. And won’t return for the next three months.

The Bengals recently announced that Burrow will miss at least three months of the season, following the surgery to his toe. It’s the third time in the last six seasons that Burrow will miss a significant portion of the season due to an injury. So, Cincy is now in immense trouble.

2. Baker Mayfield did the unexpected

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers‘ comeback win over the Texans should be an honorable mention.

Houston had an edge over the Bucs throughout the game, until it mattered most. Tampa Bay was trailing 19-14 with just a couple of minutes remaining.

Mayfield had a job to do to lead the Bucs to their second win of the season, and he sure did.

It started with Mayfield scrambling for 15 yards to convert the first down at fourth-and-10 at their own 32.

But he followed it with a short couple of passes to Bucky Irving (a 22-yarder and an 18-yarder). With the clock ticking down, Rachaad White did the rest of the job, racking up a 2-yard touchdown.

Final score: 20-10. The Bucs won.

“In these two-minute, close games, we were not on the right side of things for the past couple years,” the QB said after the game. “It’s good to see that we haven’t even played close to our best ball in all three phases and we’re still finding ways to win on the road.”

No wonder Mayfield took a leap from No. 10 to No. 8 in our rankings.

3. Some new entries in our Week 2 NFL QB Power Rankings

In week 2, we learnt how a solid depth chart in the quarterback room matters.

After all, a few of the NFL teams had to use their backup QBs in their respective games. Leading the chorus was Jake Browning, who sits at No. 24 in our QB rankings.

Because when Burrow went down, Browning stepped in and led the Bengals to a 31-27 win over the Jaguars.

The backup QB completed 21-of-32 passes for 241 yards, a couple of touchdowns, and three interceptions. Despite the obvious frustration around Burrow’s injury, Browning’s strong outing eased the mood.

So, now, he’s set to lead the Bengals as the starter heading into Week 3.

Meanwhile, after proving why the Vikings trusted in him, J.J. McCarthy was sidelined against the Falcons following a high ankle sprain.

In his absence, the veteran quarterback, Carson Wentz, is all set to start for the Vikings in Week 3. But the Skol Nation shouldn’t worry. He has the arm.

Last but not least, it’s Tyrod Taylor.

The Jets had a rough Week 2. Not only did they lose their second consecutive game of this season. But they also lost Justin Fields during the game after the quarterback went down with a concussion.

The word around the league is that Fields now joins Burrow and McCarthy in an unwanted list of the QBs who are set to miss the Week 3 game due to injuries.

In his absence, Taylor will start, who completed 7-of-11 passes for 56 yards and racked up one TD in a 30-10 loss against the Bills.

Having said that, the Week 3 QB Power Rankings are in the books. But the questions only get louder: Can Mahomes claw his way back into the top five? Will Wilson finally taste his first win in New York? And with injuries piling up, which backups rise and which ones fold? We’ll find out soon enough.