NFC West Quarterback Rankings

The quarterback is the most important - or at least the most eye-catching position in football, and the Arizona Cardinals have one of the more electric ones in the division.

Regardless of the (reasonable) questions surrounding Murray's ability to deliver consistent winning in the desert, the NFC West does have some stiff competition in the QB category.

So how do the QB rankings shake out in the West?

1: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

There was a point in the 2024 season where veteran Matthew Stafford seemed to be closer to retirement than another Super Bowl ring, but those thoughts began to quickly fade as the season progressed.

It certainly wasn't a pretty season for Stafford, both statistically and on the field, but he still managed to grit out nearly 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, despite a down year from Cooper Kupp and only 11 games' worth of Puka Nacua.

In fact, in the nine games between week seven and week 15, Stafford tossed 17 of his touchdowns and only four of his interceptions.

The veteran is still going strong, and no one-score lead is safe in the fourth quarter with Stafford under center.

He might not be producing the same volume, and he certainly had some head-scratchingly bad games, but he did deliver Los Angeles a playoff win, and still has plenty of zip on the ball. For both past and present, Stafford is the best QB in the west.

2: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Let the controversy begin. There was plenty of blame to place on Murray for Arizona's collapse down the stretch of 2024.

There are undeniable questions about his ability to perform under pressure and in crucial moments. There are questions about whether Murray is the guy in Arizona. These are all valid conversations.

Murray has been a polarizing figure, delivering both elite performances and confusingly poor ones. But considering him at his peak, it's hard to place him any lower than second, knowing what the 27-year-old can be capable of.

Even in a season where Arizona's passing offense was mostly anemic outside of TE Trey McBride, Murray stayed healthy for 17 games and threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ran for an extra 572 yards and five scores.

This is what makes Murray so frustrating to analyze. At his best, he has the raw abilities and electricity of a top five quarterback in this league. But at his worst, he's much more of a detriment than a help to this offense.

The main sticking point of Murray's 2024 were his 11 interceptions, many of which came in crucial moments, on poor reads or throws.

But in a vacuum, operating at his peak level, Murray has the accuracy to rival any passer, and the athleticism to evade most of his competition. In fact, he led the NFC West in total touchdowns, and was tied for the lead in passing touchdowns through the 2024 regular season.

Whether or not he executes, he has plenty of capability to outshine his division rivals.

3: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Maybe I just don't see what others see in Geno Smith. To his credit, he can be deadly accurate, and has made a very respectable late career out of a poor beginning.

His volume production always tends to look favorable, and generally speaking, he makes all the throws he needs to.

In 2024, he completed 70% of his passes, and managed an impressive 4,320 yards through the air, although he did throw 61 more passes than Stafford, 37 more than Murray and 117 more than Brock Purdy.

When the play develops the way it's supposed to, Smith might be the most accurate passer in the division. But under pressure, that accuracy is questionable at best, and his decision making falls off a cliff.

Smith threw 15 interceptions, and plenty of them were costly. In week nine against the Rams, Smith tossed three balls to Los Angeles' defense, two of which came in the red zone, and one of which was returned 100-plus yards for a game-breaking touchdown.

Granted, it's not all on the veteran QB. His offensive line was poor for most of 2024, and now-fired offensive-coordinator Ryan Grubb's playcalling left some to be desired.

But Smith simply holds onto the ball too long, takes bad sacks frequently, and has a propensity to force throws. His ceiling is that of a highly accurate on-script passer, but not much more than that, especially when it comes to improvised playmaking.

He's done relatively well, and there's likely multiple teams that would gladly accept his services, but he's not in the same tier as Stafford, and for all Murray's struggles this season, he still managed to have a nearly identical (if not arguably worse) individual season.

The majority of the rest of NFL media doesn't seem to agree with this sentiment, but for one, this writer is writing back.

4: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Purdy was injured for part of 2024, and with a limited amount of NFL action, it's hard to truly evaluate him.

But he skirts the line between overrated and underrated quite frequently. In 2024, the Arizona native threw for 3,864 yards and 20 touchdowns. He actually even managed to match Murray with five rushing scores.

He's been able to operate Kyle Shanahan's system admirably, and is a solid game manager, but just lacks much of the raw talent seen in the three above him on this list.

He doesn't have Stafford's mentals, Murray's off-script athleticism, or Smith's accuracy, but he is still young. Unfortunately for San Francisco, he going to have to get paid soon, perhaps upwards of $50 million a year.

Such is the nature of quarterbacks in the NFL. But Purdy has struggled with accuracy, doesn't perform well under pressure, and seems to have the weakest arm of the four here.

This isn't to say he can't develop into an excellent passer, or that he hasn't accomplished impressive feats (like starting a Super Bowl) despite being drafted with the final pick of 2022.

It's just that Purdy at his absolute best is still a game manager, and while that isn't a problem, he doesn't have the same ceiling as the others in the NFC West, and when he's no longer affordable, that's an unfavorable situation in San Francisco.