An entire NFL franchise revolves around its quarterback. That is why the LA Chargers are lucky to have Justin Herbert, who wasted no time establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the sport over the last half-decade.
Herbert and the Chargers will open the NFL season with a bang as they take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 1 in Brazil. While they have squared off several times, Herbert vs. Mahomes is still one of the best quarterback matchups in the entire sport.
The 2025 NFL schedule is full of compelling quarterback matchups. Whether it be two star quarterbacks going at it with MVP stakes on the line or two young faces of the franchise looking to take that next step, there are plenty quarterback matchups that are must-see TV in 2025.
Here are the best of the best.
The 10 best quarterback matchups on the 2025 NFL schedule:
10. Drake Maye (New England Patriots) vs. Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans)
- Last matchup: N/A
- Head-to-head record: N/A
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft has to make this list in some capacity and his most intriguing game comes against another young face of the franchise, Drake Maye. It may not be No. 1 overall pick vs. No. 1 overall pick but to be fair, Maye likely would have been the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Titans are hoping Ward is the real deal and can lead the team back to relevance while the Patriots are looking to build on the very strong start Maye had in his rookie season.
This game is compelling for more reasons than just the quarterbacks, however. Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will also have his first chance at revenge against his former team after he was unceremoniously let go back in January 2024.
9. Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) vs. Matthew Stafford (LA Rams)
- Last matchup: Week 1, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 3-1, Goff
NFL fans have already seen this matchup three times since Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff were traded for each other, so it has lost some of its luster. The two quarterbacks faced each other in Week 1 last season with Goff and the Lions getting the upper hand.
That was Goff's second win in a row over Stafford since the trade as the Lions beat the Rams at home in the NFL Playoffs the year prior. Stafford's first game against his former team back in 2021 is his only win head-to-head against Goff, who also beat Stafford when they were on their original teams.
8. Justin Herbert (LA Chargers) vs. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Last matchup: Week 14, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 7-1, Mahomes
As one of two inter-division matchups on this list, Justin Herbert vs. Patrick Mahomes naturally falls low on the list as NFL fans have seen it and are guaranteed to see it twice every single year. Herbert vs. Mahomes is a staple of the NFL calendar, and unfortunately, so are the outcomes.
Herbert has only beaten Mahomes once with it coming in 2021 thanks to Brandon Staley's bold coaching. Outside of that, Herbert and the Chargers time and time again have come up just short against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Herbert and the Chargers are looking to break that skid in Brazil in Week 1. The head-to-head record is already very lopsided and needs to start stacking toward Herbert.
7. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) vs. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Last matchup: Week 10, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 6-1, Jackson
You could flip the placement of the AFC North quarterback battle and the AFC West quarterback battle and it really won't make a difference. Just like Herbert and Mahomes, Burrow and Jackson are guaranteed to play each other twice a year, so it does not have the same novelty factor.
At first glance, one would assume Burrow had a much better record against his counterpart with the two teams usually being quite competitive. However, in reality, Burrow has only bested Jackson once and it came in Week 7 of the 2021 season. Burrow has beaten the Ravens three times but twice came against backup quarterbacks.
Baltimore beat Cincy by a combined four points in the two matchups last season, setting the stage for more compelling battles between two MVP-caliber quarterbacks.
6. Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) vs. Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
- Last matchup: Week 8, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 1-0, Daniels
If this matchup didn't happen last season then it would have been higher on the list. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, who was lauded as the best prospect since Trevor Lawrence, against the quarterback who actually had the best rookie season from that class.
Williams and Daniels will prove to be two pillars of the league for years to come and this should be just the second of many battles between the two QBs. If both teams get to where they want to be, this could even be a playoff matchup in 2025.
With an innovative head coach and much more protection on the offensive line, Williams is set up for vengeance after losing to the Commanders on a last-second Hail Mary last season.
5. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
- Last matchup: N/A
- Head-to-head record: N/A
The novelty of this matchup puts it ahead of some of the quarterback matchups that NFL fans have already seen. Despite both being selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft five years ago, Burrow and Love have never actually faced each other as starters.
Burrow was the surefire No. 1 overall pick who wasted no time establishing himself as a top name, leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Love was viewed as a risky pick late in the first round and sat behind Aaron Rodgers while he won two more MVPs.
Burrow ranks higher than Love on the quarterback pantheon but the latter is no slouch. This is a much-see, never-before-seen matchup from the impressive 2020 quarterback class.
4. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
- Last matchup: Week 9, 2023
- Head-to-head record: 2-0, Burrow
Burrow and Allen have two official games against each other on the books, both coming in the 2023 calendar year. The Bengals defeated the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round in January 2023 and beat them again in Week 9 of the following season.
The two teams also squared off in Week 17 of the 2022 season, which was played on January 2, 2023. That game was ruled a no-contest after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest.
As long as the Bengals don't have a similar meltdown as last season, there is a very good chance that this matchup will have massive playoff implications in the AFC. With two defenses that can be lackluster at times, this has all the makings of being one of the most entertaining games on the NFL schedule.
3. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
- Last matchup: AFC Championship, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 5-4, Mahomes
The three most notable quarterback matchups on the 2025 NFL schedule all include the three best quarterbacks in the sport. Which order is the most exciting may depend on personal perference, but because it is the most common matchup, Allen vs. Mahomes comes in at No. 3.
The Chiefs will travel to Buffalo for a matchup the team has historically struggled in. While Mahomes holds the overall head-to-head advantage over Allen, he is just 1-4 against his MVP counterpart in the regular season.
Mahomes wins when it matters most, though, as he is 4-0 against Allen in the playoffs in his career. The real compelling matchup will be if these two teams face each other in January with a chance to play in the Super Bowl on the line.
2. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) vs. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Last matchup: Week 1, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 5-1, Mahomes
The last time Mahomes and Jackson squared off it produced one of the most fascinating endings in recent NFL history. It appeared as if Lamar and the Ravens had a game-winning touchdown against the Chiefs only for Kansas City to hang on (yet again) with Isaiah Likely's toes barely touching the out-of-bounds line.
This continued what has been a dominant trend for Mahomes and the Chiefs. Mahomes has won five of six games against Jackson. The lone exception was a one-point loss in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
Despite having six matchups against each other, the Chiefs and Ravens have only played each other once in the last three regular seasons. Like the previous matchup, this could be another AFC Championship Game preview. After all, the last two teams the Chiefs have beaten in the AFC Championship were the Bills and Ravens.
1. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) vs. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
- Last matchup: AFC Divisional Round, 2024
- Head-to-head record: 3-3
Last year's MVP winner against the quarterback who should have won the MVP. Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback matchup on the NFL schedule because of all the added storylines that will be attached to this game.
Jackson and the Ravens absolutely walloped the Bills in the regular season last year and that seemed like it was enough to give Jackson the tiebreaker over Allen. Instead, Allen snatched the MVP award and ended the Ravens season all within a few weeks.
The head-to-head record is the most competitive of any matchup on this list, but there is a caveat. Jackson has largely dominated the regular-season matchups with a 3-1 record against Allen. However, Allen has won both games that the two quarterbacks have played in the NFL Playoffs.