Best Young Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now, Ranked Jordan OMalleySeptember 8, 2025 at 3:44 AM 0 The NFL has always been about quarterbacks, but the league has never relied this much on youth at the position.
- - Best Young Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now, Ranked
Jordan OMalleySeptember 8, 2025 at 3:44 AM
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The NFL has always been about quarterbacks, but the league has never relied this much on youth at the position. Veterans like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow are in their prime, but across the rest of the field, there's an entire generation of under-25 starters already steering their franchises. They're making playoff runs, winning awards, or at least flashing the talent that earned them first-round hype, and we are taking stock.
10. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
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J.J. McCarthy's NFL debut was delayed when he tore his meniscus before the 2024 season. The Vikings didn't panic. They signed Sam Darnold as a bridge, let McCarthy heal, and gave him the starting job in 2025. That's a lot of faith for a 23-year-old with no regular-season experience.
What Minnesota loves about him is his calm leadership style. He doesn't have the biggest arm in this group, but he processes quickly and makes smart decisions. With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison catching passes, McCarthy will have plenty of chances to show why he was a top-10 pick.
9. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. got his first NFL action late in 2024 by starting three games and finishing with 775 passing yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a rushing score. Now at 25, he enters his first full season as Atlanta's starter.
Penix's arm strength and ability to stretch the field are what made him a first-round pick. Part of the excitement comes from his supporting cast. He is surrounded by young talent like Bijan Robinson in the backfield, Drake London outside, and Kyle Pitts at tight end.
8. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
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Few young quarterbacks have ridden a roller coaster like Bryce Young. After being drafted first overall in 2023, he stumbled through a brutal rookie year and was benched in 2024. Instead of folding, he turned things around in the second half under new coach Dave Canales. Over his final stretch of games, he threw 12 touchdowns against just three picks and added five rushing scores.
At 24, Young has already faced doubt and bounced back, which gives Carolina hope that his future is brighter than his start suggested. His size and durability will always raise questions, but his intelligence and touch are enough to keep him in this top 10.
7. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
When Denver drafted Bo Nix in 2024, the expectation was that Sean Payton would ease him in behind a veteran before handing him the offense. Instead, Nix stepped in and delivered a playoff run in his rookie season. He threw for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and looked far more polished than expected. His ability to move outside the pocket and still throw accurately gave Denver something it hadn't seen since Peyton Manning retired.
The challenge for Year 2 is avoiding a sophomore slump. Defenses have tape on him now, and the Broncos can't catch teams by surprise anymore. But Nix's poise and fit in Payton's offense make him one of the most intriguing 24-year-olds in the league.
6. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye's rookie year looked rough on paper, but anyone who watched the Patriots knows it wasn't all on him. Behind a crumbling line, he took too many hits but still flashed the accuracy and mobility that made him the No. 3 pick. In 12 starts, Maye went 1–9, throwing for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
This offseason, the Patriots retooled under new coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. They also invested in the line and added more weapons. Maye is still only 22, but he already handles pressure better than most young quarterbacks. With even a little stability, he has the chance to prove he's New England's long-term answer.
5. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
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Caleb Williams's rookie season wasn't pretty, but the situation was doomed before it began. The Bears fired both their head coach and offensive coordinator before the year even ended, and Williams spent much of 2024 under constant pressure. Even then, you could see flashes of why he was the No. 1 pick: arm talent, creativity, and confidence.
Now the reset button has been hit. New coach Ben Johnson brings a quarterback-friendly system, and Chicago used its top two draft picks on pass catchers Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Williams already looked sharper in preseason as he completed 68 percent of his passes with two touchdowns in limited action.
4. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to Mr. Franchise in record time. He was drafted last in 2022 and has already taken the 49ers to a Super Bowl, posted a 23–13 record as a starter, and thrown for over 9,500 yards with 64 touchdowns. This summer, the 49ers signed Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension with a no-trade clause.
The knock on Purdy is that he benefits from Kyle Shanahan's scheme and a loaded roster. That may be true, but plenty of quarterbacks have failed in the same system with similar talent. Purdy processes quickly, makes the right reads, and doesn't shrink in big games. He's already one of the league's most reliable quarterbacks.
3. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
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It's almost shocking that Trevor Lawrence is still just 25. Since 2021, he's lived through every extreme an NFL quarterback can face: a disastrous rookie season under Urban Meyer, a playoff run in 2022, and plenty of flashes in between. Lawrence has totaled 13,815 passing yards and 83 combined touchdowns (passing and rushing), though he's also committed 68 turnovers.
Jacksonville gave him a new coach in Liam Coen in hopes that it would maximize his talent with a more modern scheme. The only question is whether he can put it all together consistently. The Jaguars need Year 5 to be the one where Lawrence shows he's not just talented, but reliable.
2. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud wasted no time proving he was worth the No. 2 pick in 2023. He won Rookie of the Year, made the playoffs, and followed it up with another postseason trip in 2024. Through two seasons, he's thrown for 7,835 yards and 46 total touchdowns.
Now comes the real test. Stroud is adjusting to a new coordinator in Nick Caley, and Houston's offensive line shuffled in the offseason. That's a lot to deal with for a 23-year-old, but Stroud's natural throwing ability gives the Texans confidence. If his protection holds up, he's good enough to push into the conversation with Mahomes and Burrow within a few years.
1. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
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No young quarterback changed the NFL's balance of power faster than Jayden Daniels in 2024. The Commanders hadn't given their fans much to cheer about in decades, then Daniels walked in as a rookie and went 12–5 while dragging Washington all the way to the NFC Championship Game. He finished his debut year with 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and six more scores with his legs.
Kliff Kingsbury remains the coordinator, the team extended Terry McLaurin, and they added Deebo Samuel in the offseason. With all that support, Daniels has the perfect setup, and his rookie year was just the beginning.
Source: "AOL Sports"
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