As goes the quarterback, so goes the team. It's not always true in the NFL, but it usually is. And it makes sense: In a passing league, the passers are like royalty -- the biggest influences on whether a team is destined more for a Super Bowl title or a No. 1 draft pick.
It's with that in mind that we come to you with the most important pecking order outside of traditional team power rankings: QB Power Rankings. Consider this your cut-and-dry guide to the best and worst of the NFL's signal-callers -- a weekly 1-to-32 rundown of every starter under center.
How are the QBs ranked? We try to factor in both current standing and future upside. So a long resume doesn't always guarantee an edge over untapped potential, just as a cold streak doesn't always erase a history of success. At the end of the day, we're simply trying to sort the QBs based on 2021 value, both now and in the near future.
Now, without further ado, let's get to our Week 16 rankings:
Week 16 QB Power Rankings
| 1 | 
Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers QB
|
| He should be the MVP front-runner right now. The Packers are on the verge of a third straight 13-win season, chiefly because he hasn't lost even a little bit of his magnificent touch. (+1) | |
| 2 | 
Tom Brady
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB
|
| The Saints just really have his number, huh? The bigger question is: how many growing pains will accompany the losses of Leonard Fournette and Chris Godwin? At least Antonio Brown is returning. (-1) | |
| 3 | 
Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs QB
|
| Is he still dependent on off-script plays? Sure. But you don't throw 4,000+ yards and 30 TDs by accident. He appears to be getting hot at the right time. (+3) | |
| 4 | 
Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers QB
|
| Put him on the Chiefs , and you're getting similar, if not better, numbers than with present-day Mahomes, no? (-1) | |
| 5 | 
Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills QB
|
| It's a minor miracle when the Bills find a way to take the entirety of their run-game responsibilities off his shoulders. (+1) | |
| 6 | 
Matthew Stafford
Los Angeles Rams QB
|
| Can anyone defend his connection with Cooper Kupp ? He made some tough, pinpoint throws on Tuesday in yet another pivotal divisional win. Playoffs, here we come. (+2) | |
| 7 | 
Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals QB
|
| Is a total collapse really around the corner? Murray's athleticism will prevent the Cardinals from flailing down the stretch, but DeAndre Hopkins ' loss doesn't help. The MVP campaign is probably over. (-3) | |
| 8 | 
Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens QB
|
| Tyler Huntley did a mighty fine job filling in for him against the Packers, but the Ravens could really use his game-breaking dynamism for this tight AFC North finish. (+1) | |
| 9 | 
Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals QB
|
| He goes hot and cold, but again, the hot stuff is some of the best. He and Ja'Marr Chase, while quieter against Denver, are the biggest reason the Bengals find themselves in first place. (+1) | |
| 10 | 
Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks QB
|
| Just when it looked like he might be rounding back into form for a surprise playoff run, we're back to square one. It's probably safe to start looking at the offseason in Seattle. (-3) | |
| 11 | 
Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys QB
|
| He should be thankful the Cowboys defense has been making plays lately. Soon enough, the time will come for him to prove he's actually all there mentally, physically, etc. | |
| 12 | 
Kirk Cousins
Minnesota Vikings QB
|
| He's been bailed out by total team wins a few times lately, but he's also shown enough times this year that he can sling it when he needs to. He'll have to if the Vikings wanna make noise as a wild card contender. | |
| 13 | 
Carson Wentz
Indianapolis Colts QB
|
| Who knows where he'd be without Jonathan Taylor , but that's not really the point. Wentz, despite an iffy outing against New England, has mostly put the Colts in a position to win this year. | |
| 14 | 
Derek Carr
Las Vegas Raiders QB
|
| He's as mercurial as they come under center -- a true mid-tier starter who'll threaten to blow the game one drive, then win your heart back the next. What a ride he's had in Vegas. (+1) | |
| 15 | 
Mac Jones
New England Patriots QB
|
| He should be permitted a few games of slip-ups (he is a rookie, after all), but the Pats aren't built to handle more than one or two big mistakes. So he must be more efficient to make a real run. (-1) | |
| 16 | 
Jimmy Garoppolo
San Francisco 49ers QB
|
| As long as Kyle Shanahan's run game is working (and it sure has been), he tends to be a reliable figurehead. (+2) | |
| 17 | 
Baker Mayfield
Cleveland Browns QB
|
| Nick Mullens played well enough as his emergency fill-in, all things considered, but the Browns could really use some familiarity back under center after this latest COVID whirlwind. (+3) | |
| 18 | 
Ryan Tannehill
Tennessee Titans QB
|
| He looked legitimately dejected by the end of the Titans ' latest loss, and you can understand why, considering the beating he and his supporting cast have taken. But he'd better shape up quickly, for Tennessee's sake. (-2) | |
| 19 | 
Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins QB
|
| Six straight for his Dolphins , and he's completing almost 70 percent of his throws on the year. (+2) | |
| 20 | 
Justin Fields
Chicago Bears QB
|
| It's not all his fault the Bears don't have the plans or personnel to play good situational football. It'll be very interesting to see who's coaching him up in 2022. (-3) | |
| 21 | 
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons QB
|
| It's been slow going for Ryan and Co. much of the year, particularly against evenly matched or superior teams, but we have to believe his numbers would look better in brighter scenery (a la Matthew Stafford ). (-2) | |
| 22 | 
Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles QB
|
| His game has a ceiling, but he's hung tough all year and was a big reason the Eagles survived Washington on Tuesday, sealing a key win with some money throws in crunch time. (+1) | |
| 23 | 
Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers QB
|
| Ugly but tough. That description pretty much fits the entire Steelers team this year. (-1) | |
| 24 | 
Taylor Heinicke
Washington Football Team QB
|
| As soon as he's ready to go off COVID reserve, Washington will rush him back. Not because Garrett Gilbert was horrible as emergency relief Tuesday, but because they need bodies like nobody. | |
| 25 | 
Jared Goff
Detroit Lions QB
|
| He may not be long for Detroit (or a starting job), but give this guy some credit for battling with a bunch of other castoffs on a team already eliminated from the playoffs. (+4) | |
| 26 | 
Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars QB
|
| At this point, he's probably ready to take a week off and just hit the reset button. What a much-maligned year. (+1) | |
| 27 | 
Taysom Hill
New Orleans Saints QB
|
| If he keeps throwing the way he has, the Saints aren't gonna be making any real playoff run. But he and the offense can't be much more of a non-factor than they were against the Bucs, despite getting the win. (-2) | |
| 28 | 
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers QB
|
| Call it a career? Not even Matt Rhule is committing to Cam anymore, and why should he? | |
| 29 | 
Davis Mills
Houston Texans QB
|
| Good for him, standing tall and actually creating some big plays for an otherwise motionless franchise. (+1) | |
| 30 | 
Drew Lock
Denver Broncos QB
|
| With Teddy Bridgewater in concussion protocol, he could get an extended shot at redemption. Buckle up. | |
| 31 | 
Zach Wilson
New York Jets QB
|
| It's fitting he slots in right behind Drew Lock , because both guys -- despite talented arms -- have a knack for wild inaccuracies. (+1) | |
| 32 | 
Jake Fromm
New York Giants QB
|
| This job might be his to lose now that Daniel Jones is done for the year. Get pumped, Giants fans. | |
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