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 17 rankings:
Week 17 QB Power Rankings
| 1 | 
Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers QB
|
| He's thrown exactly one interception over the last two months. With another playoff run (and perhaps a second straight MVP award) on tap, the Packers are surely preparing their offseason pitch to keep A-Rod in town. | |
| 2 | 
Tom Brady
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB
|
| Antonio Brown's return couldn't have come at a better time. Brady's on the verge of throwing 40 TDs for a second straight year at age 44, and absolutely no one is blinking an eye. | |
| 3 | 
Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs QB
|
| He's done a much better job spreading the ball around and taking what's in front of him lately. When his supporting cast is at full strength, look out for another deep run. | |
| 4 | 
Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills QB
|
| He's confirmed 2020 wasn't a fluke. Two games to go, and he's up to 4,600+ yards from scrimmage, with 38 total TDs. Those are MVP-caliber numbers. (+1) | |
| 5 | 
Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers QB
|
| This season, while reiterating his elite talent, has been a steady battle between Herbert and the Chargers to see who can outdo the other with an untimely slip-up. (-1) | |
| 6 | 
Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals QB
|
| Joe Cool makes big plays look effortless when his offense is in sync. He's completing almost 70 percent of his passes, with 30 TDs to his name, and that's with a couple clunkers this year. The MVP upside is in there. (+3) | |
| 7 | 
Matthew Stafford
Los Angeles Rams QB
|
| He tried his hardest to gift his old rivals, the Vikings, an important game in Week 16. But once he settled in and Sean McVay wisely trusted his run support, Stafford did his job in crunch time. (-1) | |
| 8 | 
Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys QB
|
| So the MVP-level Dak is still in there! It helps to be playing a downtrodden Washington defense, but he needed a confidence boost. If he can keep being a premier point guard, Dallas will make noise. (+3) | |
| 9 | 
Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens QB
|
| His ankle must've really been hurting for him to sit out two straight weeks. The Ravens need him healthy more than ever. Who knows whether he'll bring peak electricity upon return, but if he is, Baltimore is back in business. (-1) | |
| 10 | 
Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals QB
|
| It's been a swift and steady collapse in Arizona, and Murray has regressed in the process. Losing DeAndre Hopkins hurts, but he's gotta make better decisions, too. This marks another year where his play-making hasn't lasted. (-3) | |
| 11 | 
Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks QB
|
| He could probably stand to drop lower, considering how ugly his offense has been since his return from finger surgery. But in better circumstances, most would still trust his poise. (-1) | |
| 12 | 
Kirk Cousins
Minnesota Vikings QB
|
| Once again, he's bound to end the year with a team just like him: not bad, but not good enough to make a real run. Kirk still doesn't get enough credit for his efficiency and big-play strikes, but you wonder if a change of scenery could be coming. | |
| 13 | 
Carson Wentz
Indianapolis Colts QB
|
| So long as he's asymptomatic from COVID, he'll likely stay in the lineup against the Raiders. Good thing for Indy, not only because they have very little in the way of insurance, but because he's been an underrated low-volume captain. | |
| 14 | 
Derek Carr
Las Vegas Raiders QB
|
| It's fitting he's near Kirk Cousins in the list. Carr, on his own, is a quality starter. But do you trust him -- in his current setup, at least -- to ever make the leap? He's a wild card in the 2022 QB market. | |
| 15 | 
Ryan Tannehill
Tennessee Titans QB
|
| At season's end, the numbers won't be pretty. But he's hung tough, even amid his own miscues. If/when Derrick Henry returns, he can breathe a sigh of relief. (+3) | |
| 16 | 
Trey Lance
San Francisco 49ers QB
|
| Too high for a rookie who's yet to prove he can throw the ball with steady accuracy? Maybe, but he was also a constant threat on the ground in his abbreviated debut. He could energize the 49ers' offense in time for the playoff run. | |
| 17 | 
Mac Jones
New England Patriots QB
|
| He's had a rock-solid rookie season as a whole, but we see now that the Pats have relied too much on him. He's now had three straight starts with minimal or negative impact, and New England isn't built to survive big mistakes. (-2) | |
| 18 | 
Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins QB
|
| The Dolphins are winning ugly against a bunch of ugly teams, but save for an occasional deep-ball misfire, he's done exactly what Miami needs him to do as a short-game point guard. Jaylen Waddle should remain his best friend. (+1) | |
| 19 | 
Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles QB
|
| One of the toughest to grade this year, just like his team, Hurts has been so mercurial as a passer, and yet we take for granted his legs and mettle -- essential ingredients for a club destined to make an improbable playoff run. (+3) | |
| 20 | 
Baker Mayfield
Cleveland Browns QB
|
| At this point, it'd be malpractice if the Browns didn't pursue QB help in 2022. Mayfield is generally fine when all is well around him, and he doesn't take his leadership role lightly, but that describes most middle-of-the-road QBs. (-3) | |
| 21 | 
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons QB
|
| It feels like he's been hidden from national discourse for basically the entire year. The Falcons have been that flat. Get ready for all kinds of relocation speculation. | |
| 22 | 
Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers QB
|
| If only the Steelers had planned things better this year, either with another QB or another O-line or another system. Ben has given his all, but he's neither physically geared for -- nor well accommodated -- in this offense. (+1) | |
| 23 | 
Nick Foles
Chicago Bears QB
|
| This is the state of QB play in the COVID- and injury-ravaged NFL, where Foles can comfortably slot in as nearly a top-20 option. To be honest, he deserves better than the Bears, who should've started him over Andy Dalton before. | |
| 24 | 
Jared Goff
Detroit Lions QB
|
| Dan Campbell, asked if Goff could return as the Lions' 2022 starter, says: "I don't see why not." Talk about a ringing endorsement! (+1) | |
| 25 | 
Davis Mills
Houston Texans QB
|
| It's actually quite impressive what he's doing considering the state of the Texans. He's both looked confident and produced well in competitive games. Look out for him next summer. (+4) | |
| 26 | 
Taylor Heinicke
Washington Football Team QB
|
| It's been a ride, that's for sure, and Heinicke has given his all in more ways than one. But his penchant for chuck-it-up heroics just doesn't mesh for a battered team built to control the ball with physicality. (-2) | |
| 27 | 
Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville Jaguars QB
|
| What a truly awful first year. It's very possible he's actually in a worse spot now than he was when he entered the NFL. And it really isn't encouraging that Trent Baalke will return as GM to build his supporting staff and cast. (-1) | |
| 28 | 
Taysom Hill
New Orleans Saints QB
|
| After a serving of Ian Book (albeit in his first start against a tough Dolphins defense), the Saints are probably dying to get Hill back out there, even if he hardly brings much to the table from a passing perspective. (-1) | |
| 29 | 
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers QB
|
| Maybe Sam Darnold will start now. Or P.J. Walker. Or a combination of all three. Does it matter? Matt Rhule inherited a QB spot in transition in 2020 and has only further muddled it with mediocrity since then. (-1) | |
| 30 | 
Zach Wilson
New York Jets QB
|
| Imagine if he got to play the Jaguars every week. In truth, his legs were true weapons in Week 16. (+1) | |
| 31 | 
Drew Lock
Denver Broncos QB
|
| Teddy Bridgewater is still in concussion protocol, so he'll likely get another crack at it. Best wishes, Denver. (-1) | |
| 32 | 
Mike Glennon
New York Giants QB
|
| Whether it's him or Jake Fromm, the Giants are done. And they need to be pursuing competition for Daniel Jones in 2022, too. | |
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