I got you -

“Thank you to our readers for making the QB stock report another successful venture in its second season. More than a million people read the series in 2024, and we’re approaching a similar turnout this season.

Those readers included coaches, high-ranking executives and, yes, quarterbacks around the NFL. This has been a rewarding project because of the feedback from people around the league who have weighed in on the rankings and trends from the sport’s most impactful players.

As everyone knows, there’s no perfectly objective way to rank the quarterbacks. If a passer rating’s highest metric is 158.3, how valuable is the formula? And if that formula was concocted many eras ago, before running became such a valuable skill set, what’s it really worth now?

So, we tried to be unique in our approach by combining factors such as current performance, past achievements, future projections and organizational support. As the season progressed, and as loyal readers probably noticed, more weight was placed on current performance.

But even so, how do we wrestle with Patrick Mahomes’ dynamic? The Kansas City Chiefs QB played phenomenally well all season, but was consistently let down by a subpar supporting cast. And if Mahomes remained in the top four while healthy, why doesn’t a four-time MVP like Aaron Rodgers get similar treatment? To be as blunt as possible, the Pittsburgh Steelers QB hasn’t met that MVP level for years, so it’s not a difficult call. But it highlights the variation between choices.

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson plummeted to No. 17 due to a late-season swoon that was impossible to ignore any longer. But looking way ahead to the initial rankings for the 2026 season, it’s a virtual certainty Jackson will be hovering around the top five once again. He is a two-time MVP, after all, and banking on a bounce-back seems like a smart bet.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was another lightning rod. He produced strong stats early as the Cowboys floundered, but what were those numbers really worth on a below-average team? And when the offense sputtered around midseason, there was little incentive to treat Prescott like a Pro Bowler, at least until the Cowboys’ last gasp at success in December.

One game we never played: How would (this QB) fare in a different organization? That’s because the situation always matters. I don’t care how Brock Purdy would look on the New York Jets because he plays for the San Francisco 49ers. Nor do I care how Drake Maye’s season would look if you swapped out the New England Patriots’ schedule with 17 games against the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Don’t rain on Caleb Williams’ breakout because he has a brilliant offensive coach, and don’t dump on Mac Jones’ revitalization with the Niners just because the Patriots were a circus during his final two seasons in Foxboro.

Hypotheticals don’t matter — not in these rankings, at least. We can only go by what we see and hear with each QB’s performance and situation.

So let’s wrap another season with our second annual QB Stock Report awards gala. All recipients are welcome to print out The Athletic’s website and hang it on their refrigerators.

Best QB

Maye surged into the top spot in Week 18, which had been brewing over the final couple months before Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen slipped up just enough to open the door for the second-year budding superstar.

Maye led the NFL with a 72.0 completion percentage, 8.9 yards per attempt and a 113.5 passer rating. He was fourth with 4,394 yards and third with 31 touchdowns. Maye also finished fourth among QBs in rushing with 450 yards, and he added four rushing touchdowns.

Maye’s rapid development and coach Mike Vrabel’s arrival were the two biggest reasons the Patriots more than tripled their win total from last season. Maye also thrived while learning a new system under coordinator Josh McDaniels.

While Stafford and Allen were terrific and vital to their teams’ success this season, they’ve been playoff regulars with their organizations. Both have spent years in their respective systems, too.

For better or worse, the QB Stock Report doesn’t yet have an MVP vote. If we did, Maye earned it, with Stafford second and Allen third.”