Power ranking the quarterbacks in the NFC West
The start of training camp is just days away for some NFL teams, and a few weeks for others, meaning the return of meaningful football games is right around the corner.
It’s been a pretty eventful offseason — one in which we’ve previewed training camp dates and storylines to watch, examined the top position battles to watch, and named which rookie has the best chance of winning a starting job for all 32 teams.
Next up in our offseason series is power ranking every starting quarterback in each of the NFL’s eight divisions. Last up is the NFC West.
The reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford is not just the top passer in the division but he’s a top-five QB in the NFL right now.
It’s wild to think that at age 38 Stafford threw for 4,707 yards — his most since 2021 (4,886) — and 46 touchdowns — a new career high — and outplayed QBs like Jared Goff, Drake Maye, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, etc.
Stafford still has Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams, plus a solid offensive line blocking for him, and head coach Sean McVay is still calling plays. Oh, and the team added sack leader Myles Garrett and it’s possible three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald comes out of retirement and joins the team as well.
Things are set up for Stafford to have another MVP-caliber season again in 2026.
It’s hard to put Purdy any higher given the season Stafford had last year. Especially when Purdy is coming off a bunch of injuries and his wide receiver corps is a giant question mark behind Mike Evans.
But when Purdy has his full complement of weapons, he’s as dangerous as any QB in the league. He can make all the throws from the pocket, he can escape and extend plays with his legs, he has excellent football IQ, and he’s accurate.
How he fares in 2026 with the uncertainty surrounding his group of pass-catchers will determine if he takes that step into the elite tier of passers or stays in the realm of really good.
I know, Darnold just won a Super Bowl and proved all the doubters wrong who said his career year in Minnesota that landed him a $100 million contract in Seattle was a byproduct of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching and playing with Justin Jefferson.
However, If I have to win one game right now, there’s no way I’m taking Darnold over Stafford or Purdy. But third place in a loaded NFC West is nothing to be upset over. Darnold has one of the best WRs in the NFL, a strong offensive line, a promising rookie running back, an up-and-coming tight end, and the Seahawks have as good a shot as any to repeat as Super Bowl champs in 2026.
The drop off from Darnold to Brissett is larger than any drop off from the QB3 and QB4 in any division in the NFL. In fact, you could throw backups Gardner Minshew or Carson Beck in this spot and it might actually help the Cardinals’ case.
Brissett has spent the offseason playing the holdout game in hopes of getting a better contract — a bold move for a player on arguably the worst team in the NFL who will in all likelihood be drafting another QB in the top five of next year’s draft.
Brissett is the definition of game-manager, but he might just find himself on the bench if he continues to let his stubbornness make his decisions for him.
