Mike McCarthy ranks his top-five NFL quarterbacks so far in 2025

Through five weeks of the 2025 NFL season, a crop of quarterbacks has risen above the rest.

This includes a few unexpected names in the absence of household names such as Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, who have both dealt with injuries this season. Even quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, who faced off in last year’s Super Bowl, haven’t quite put up the numbers expected of them prior to the season.

Heading into Week 6 of the season, former Super Bowl winning coach Mike McCarthy joined ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘ on Thursday to rank his top-five NFL quarterbacks so far this season. His full list is below:

1. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)

McCarthy tabbed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the best player at his position in the NFL so far this season. Allen, who is the reigning league MVP, has led his team to a 4-1 record this season. He boasts 1,217 passing yards (9th most in NFL), nine passing touchdowns (T-7th most in NFL) and a 72.1 QBR (6th best in NFL). He’s also rushed for 212 yards and three more scores on the ground.

“I just love the way he attacks the position,” McCarthy said. “He can make all the throws, in the pocket and out of the pocket. His patience and confidence and play extension is as good as you can be. How many times have you seen him get to the sideline and gain another 2-3 seconds? There’s never a play that can’t be made when Josh has the ball. I just think he’s playing at an unbelievable rate right now.”

2. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

While Mayfield wasn’t ranked as the ‘best quarterback’ in the NFL, there’s no doubt he’s been the ‘clutchest quarterback’ in the NFL this season. The former Heisman Trophy winner has led the Buccaneers to a 4-1 record, with all four wins coming right at the end. He boasts 1,283 passing yards (4th most in NFL), 10 passing touchdowns (T-3rd most in NFL) and a 68.8 QBR (8th best in NFL).

“What I love about Baker, which is really where he is where he is, is that four of the give games have come to the end,” McCarthy said. “He’s playing great football at the most important time. Over the course of the regular season, half of your games will come down to a two-minute drill. And he’s already got four under his belt already. He’s playing top notch football right now.”

3. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)

The resurgence of Dak Prescott as a top-tier quarterback in the NFL this season has been a welcome sight. Prescott, who has dealt with injuries over the past few seasons, is leading the best offense in the NFL through five weeks. He boasts 1,356 passing yards (3rd most in NFL), 10 passing touchdowns (T-3rd most in NFL) and a 76.5 QBR (3rd best in NFL).

“He’s playing his ass off,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know what his completion percentage is, but I know it has to be well over 70%. I love the way he’s distributing the football and I like the maturity of the perimeter group. And then you’ve got an offensive line that’s got a lot of depth. Exciting on offense and I think he’s managing that thing the exact way it needs to be managed.”

4. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is still slinging it in year No. 17 of his career. Stafford boasts 1,503 passing yards (most in NFL), 11 passing touchdowns (2nd most in NFL) and a 66.9 QBR (9th best in NFL). With Stafford as his quarterback, wide receiver Puka Nacua is currently on pace to break the single-season receiving yards record. The two all-time leaders, Calvin Johnson Jr. (2012) and Cooper Kupp (2021), also had Stafford as their quarterback.

“I’ve got to see him play a lot of football and from what I’ve seen from him this year, he’s on time,” McCarthy said. “He and Puka (Nacua) are just shattering records right now. He can make any throw on the field and he’s a great anticipator. Phenomenal confidence on inside throws, and I’ve always loved that from Matthew. I think he’s playing at the Pro Bowl/Hall of Fame level he’s played on his whole career.”

5. Daniel Jones (Indianapolis Colts)

Daniel Jones is experiencing a career resurgence in Indianapolis. After being unceremoniously cast off the New York Giants roster last season, Jones has led the Colts to a 4-1 record this season (best start for Indianapolis since 2013). He boasts 1,290 passing yards (3rd most in NFL), six passing touchdowns (T-19th most in NFL) and a 79.7 QBR (most in NFL).

“Daniel is definitely off to a phenomenal start,” McCarthy said. “His numbers speak for themselves. I’m not sure exactly what they are, but he has great numbers. Situational numbers. You see that in his RedZone production, throwing for touchdowns and so forth. He’s doing a hell of a job getting the ball distributed.”