NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings: Who Is The Best QB Left?

There are only three weekends left with NFL football until next Fall and as the Playoffs heat up we are diving into the Divisional Round quarterback power rankings for all 8 QBs left. This was one of the most exciting Wild Card Weekends in recent history with 4 of the 6 games finishing as 1-score matchups and coming down to the final minutes.

Interestingly, the arguably best QB performance from Wild Card Weekend came from a quarterback who isn’t even on the Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings because his team got bounced. And if you missed the most recent NFL Quarterback Power Rankings from back in Week 17 you can check that out before/after reading on below.

NFL Playoffs Quarterback Power Rankings: Ranking All 8 QBs Left In The Divisional Round

The NFL Playoffs are where the men get separated from the boys. Quarterbacks can’t fake their way to a Super Bowl win regardless of how dominant their team’s defense might be. So with that said, let’s power rank the 8 remaining NFL Quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 NFL Playoffs Divisional Round.

8. Brock Purdy

Coming in at #8 in the NFL Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings is Brock Purdy. He was injured for a large chunk of the regular season and only started 9 games.

In those 9 games, Purdy threw for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. San Francisco eked their way into the Playoffs finishing 3rd in the NFC West at 12-5, tied in record with the Rams but 3rd in the tie breaker.

Brock Purdy is a fantastic franchise QB for the Niners. When he’s on point he is a force to be reckoned with. But turnovers were a factor again on Wild Card Weekend when Purdy threw 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, tacking on 262 passing yards, a fumble, and 24 rushing yards all while losing one of his top offensive targets (George Kittle) to a torn ACL.

San Francisco will now travel to Seattle to face division rival Seattle. The Niners lost to Seattle 13-3 to finish off the regular season on January 3rd but beat the Seahawks 17-13 on the road back on September 7th.

7. C.J. Stroud

The Texans dominated Pittsburgh on Monday night to advance to the 2026 NFL Playoffs Divisional Round where C.J. Stroud and the rest of Houston will face the #2 seed New England Patriots. Stroud started most of the season (14 games) but still faced injuries at times though he seems to be full healthy at the moment.

The former Ohio State Buckeye finished the regular season with 3,041 passing yard (19th overall), 19 passing touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Against the Steelers, C.J. threw for 250 yards (the over hit), 1 touchdown, and 1 interception.

Where things got EXTREMELY UGLY were the fumbles. C.J. Stroud fumbled the ball 5 times (2 lost, 3 recovered). It is going to haunt those Steelers players’ nightmares that they lost by 24 points to a QB who fumbled the ball 5 times.

C.J. Stroud cannot fumble the ball that many times and beat the Patriots. Period, point, blank.

6. Bo Nix

Bo Nix and the #1 seed Denver Broncos got some much deserved rest during Wild Card Weekend and will now host Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. A huge question going into this matchup is whether the Broncos will be stale coming off a bye and if Josh Allen and the Bills got hot with their late game win over the Jags.

Nix finished the regular season with 3,931 passing yards which ranked 8th overall. He threw for 25 touchdowns (t-9th) and 11 interceptions.

What can we really say here? Bo Nix and the Broncos deserve their flowers for finishing as the #1 seed in the AFC. Nix won some huge games…

They also won ELEVEN one score games. So do with that information what you will. As we saw with the Chiefs this season, things can look like a complete and utter dumpster fire when those one score games go the other direction.

5. Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold and the #1 seeded Seattle Seahawks join the Playoffs action against the 49ers and Sam Darnold comes in at #5 in the Divisional Round NFL Quarterback Power Rankings. He finished with 4,048 passing yards (5th) as one of just six QBs to eclipse 4,000+ passing yards in the regular season.

Darnold started all 17 games, threw 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He will now face a divisional rival who he split the regular season with 1-1.

On any given Sunday, Sam is that dude. This game will be at home in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL and it is easy to imagine the Seahawks winning on paper but that’s why they play the games, right? Results matter.

4. Caleb Williams

Coming in at #4 in the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings is emerging superstar Caleb Williams who has not only saved his career this season, all signs indicate that he will be the Bears’ franchise QB for years to come. Caleb finished the regular season with 3,942 passing yards (7th), 27 passing touchdowns (6th), and just 7 interceptions which ranks among the fewest of any starting quarterback in the league.

Against Green Bay, Caleb Williams looked unstoppable in the second half. He finished the game with 361 passing yards which was most the most of any QB on Wild Card Weekend. He threw for 2 TDs and 2 INTs. And the #2 seeded Bears will now host Matthew Stafford and the Rams in frigid conditions in the Windy City on Sunday. For most of us without a team left/in the 2026 NFL Playoffs, Caleb Williams and the Bears have emerged as the most exciting team to root for.

3. Josh Allen

Is this Josh Allen’s year? Is it too soon to talk about that? No Patrick Mahomes in the Playoffs… You never know…

Josh Allen has the experience. He is one of the most elite QBs in the NFL and has been for several years now. This season he ranked 11th in passing yards with 3,668, threw 25 TDs and 10 interceptions, and had 14 rushing touchdowns in 2025 which is the second-most of his career.

On 11/16 against Tampa Bay, Josh Allen threw for 3 touchdowns and ran 3 more into the end zone for 6 total himself. But then he followed it up with 0 passing / 0 rushing TDs in a loss against Houston the next week. It has been a decidedly Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde season for Josh Allen.

Against Jacksonville, he threw for 273 yards, 1 TD, and had 2 rushing TDs all while orchestrating a game winning drive in the final moments of the game to win by 3 on the road. Playing in the Mile High City will be VERY different than balmy Jacksonville last weekend but Josh Allen has never struggled in cold weather, right? Could it be his year?

2. Drake Maye

New England Patriots QB Drake Maye comes in at #2 in the Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings. He has been an all out stud this season, finishing with 4,394 passing yards (4th overall), 31 passing touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions.

On Wild Card Weekend, Drake Maye threw for 268 yards, 1/1 TD/INT, and allowed the Patriots’ defense to dominate the Chargers en route to a 16-3 win at home. They will now host C.J. Stroud and the Texans.

The last meeting between these two teams was on October 13, 2024 when the Texans blew out the Patriots 41-21 in New England. In that game, Drake Maye threw 3 TDs and 2 INTs. He took 4 sacks and the Patriots fumbled the ball twice. While it was ultimately an inconsequential game, given Drake Maye’s limited exposure against the Texans one would think he is seeking revenge against them for that brutal home loss two seasons ago.

1. Matthew Stafford

The favorite to win the NFL MVP Award this season is Matthew Stafford and it comes in at #1 in the NFL Quarterback Power Rankings (Divisional Round Edition) for good reason. Stafford has been on fire virtually all season.

During the regular season, Stafford led all passers with 4,707 passing yards. He threw for a league best 46 touchdowns. The next closest to him was Jared Goff with 12 fewer TD passes (34). Stafford also only threw 8 picks in the regular season while starting all 17 games for the Rams.

On Wild Card Weekend, Stafford threw for 304 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Stafford and the Rams will now head to Chicago to face Caleb Williams the #2 seeded Bears.

It is going to be COLD. Properly frigid. Weather that Matthew Stafford rarely encounters living in Southern California but weather he was accustomed to living in during his days in Detroit when he wasn’t playing inside a dome. Will he be up to the task of playing in conditions similar to the Arctic tundra? We will find out soon enough.

And thus concludes the NFL Divisional Round Quarterback Power Rankings. What would you change? Let us know in the Facebook comments!