Justin Herbert hasn't won a playoff game in his five seasons under center for the LA Chargers. This is a well-documented talking point, with many skeptics arguing that Herbert needs a playoff win to enter the upper tier of NFL QBs.
While it's fair to criticize a quarterback for a lack of playoff success, Herbert's 0-2 record in the playoffs does not tell the entire story. And quite frankly, the other winless quarterbacks he is grouped with are all on a tier below.
Herbert obviously leads the way, but what about the rest of the list? Hopefully, it's a list Herbert can remove himself from this season.
NFL Power Rankings, winless playoff QBs edition:
1. Justin Herbert, LA Chargers
We already gave this one away but Herbert is clearly the best starting quarterback in the league without a playoff win. That is why it is so imperative that the Chargers right the ship this season and kill that narrative.
Herbert has done more than enough in his young NFL career to have more overall team success. But at the same time, the former Oregon Duck did not play well in the two playoff game he has started. That certainly does matter.
Herbert isn't just the best quarterback on this list, he arguably has the best chance of taking himself off this list. The Chargers are geared up for a deeper playoff run and now it is on Herbert to change the narrative.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
With no disrespect to Drake Maye, the fact he is second on this list highlights how important it is for Herbert and the Chargers to win a playoff game this year. Maye is a very promising quarterback who has an elite ceiling, but he has also only been in the league for one season.
Maye has all the tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league and we may see him put it together in year two. The Patriots undoubtedly got better this offseason and Maye is now working with Josh McDaniels, who is a good offensive coordinator despite being an awful head coach.
3. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
All the things that were said about Maye can be repeated about Bo Nix. Unlike Maye, though, Nix did not come into the league with universal appeal. His long-winding college career led many to think he would be a bust, but Sean Payton had other ideas.
Nix was legitimately great his rookie season. Having half a decade of college experience certainly helped as he came into the league far more polished than he would have been other wise. Nix's ceiling may not be as high as Maye's, but he is already closer to it.
Unfortunately for the Chargers, the Broncos are also much closer to a playoff win than the Patriots. Denver is the NFL world's sleeper team this season, which may take Nix off this list in year two.
4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray is in a similar boat as Justin Herbert with six years of NFL experience and no playoff wins to his name. Murray has played just one playoff game and was pretty woeful, completing 55.9% of his passes with two interceptions and no touchdowns.
Despite a similar background, Murray finds himself further down this list with a less clear future. If Murray has a bad year in 2025 then the Cardinals will likely capitalize on the deep 2026 quarterback class and move on from the 2019 No. 1 pick.
That is never going to happen with Herbert, regardless of what he does in the 2025 season. That dichotomy alone highlights why Murray should rank three spots lower than Herbert.
5. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold started his first-career playoff game with the Minnesota Vikings last season and played as if he was still on the New York Jets. Darnold's ghosts may have returned when it mattered most, but his career-saving season was still good enough to land him in the top five of this list.
It sounds dramatic, but the 2025 season will determine how the rest of Darnold's career goes. If he proves 2024 wasn't a fluke, then he will secure a multi-year starting job with the Seahawks. If it goes sideways, Seattle already has an internal pivot with Jalen Milroe.
Darnold will need another special season to remove himself from the list. Seattle's road to making the NFL Playoffs is tougher than the Vikings' road in 2024.
6. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams may have been picked before Maye and Nix but that doesn't mean he should rank ahead of them on this list. Both Mate and Nix looked more polished than Williams, who has to change the narrative in 2025 with Ben Johnson as his head coach.
7. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Numbers-wise, there is a strong case for Geno Smith to rank higher on this list. However, part of these rankings are projections and as one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league with a much worse supporting cast in Las Vegas, the signs are there for Smith's wheels to fall off. I mean, c'mon, he is now a Raiders quarterback after all!
8. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward is the hardest quarterback on this list to rank. On one hand, he is the No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft. On the other hand, it was a bad quarterback draft and he very well may have been the fifth quarterback taken in 2024. Ward has to prove he's got it in year one.
9. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
This might sound harsh for a quarterback who has put up decent numbers, but if you were to ask Mike McDaniel if he would trade Tua for Ward, he's probably say yes. That alone justifies the ranking.
9. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
It looked like Bryce Young's NFL career was dead in the water but he actually turned it around with a solid second half of the season in 2024. If he can continue that momentum, the conversation will change from potential bust to potential franchise QB.
10. Justin Fields, New York Jets
There is a blueprint to win football games with Justin Fields under center. Heck, the Pittsburgh Steelers somewhat found it last year and still decided to bench Fields for Russell Wilson. Not a great look for the former Ohio State Buckeye.
11. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Vikings fans and Jim Harbaugh may have something to say about this, but it's impossible to rank McCarthy any higher than No. 11 on this list when he hasn't played an NFL game. It would be different if he wasn't already the worst of the first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 class.
12. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
Will Michael Penix Jr. last the entire season as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback? Or will Kirk Cousins win the job back? Penix has the potential to be special, he just needs to put it together quickly in his sophomore season.
13. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler is going to rank dead last on any starting quarterback list. The more surprising development is that Daniel Jones isn't down here with him as he somehow has a playoff win under his belt.