Ranking the Six NFL Quarterbacks Playing on Christmas Day 2025

There will be an interesting bunch under center on Thursday.

The NFL has a fascinating bunch of quarterbacks playing on Thursday. / Brosmer: Kevin Ng-Imagn Imagess / Prescott: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Okadokun: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chistmas Day’s group of starting quarterbacks is an interesting bunch, to say the least.

While three of the league’s top signal callers in Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, and Bo Nix are set to suit up for the Cowboys, Lions, and Broncos, respectively, on Thursday, their opponents have some different holiday plans.

Injuries at the game’s most important position have forced the Commanders, Vikings, and Chiefs to turn to Josh Johnson, Max Brosmer, and Chris Oladokun in Week 17—a trio that has combined for just 10 career NFL starts, nine of which belong to Johnson alone.

And so, for the sake of creating discussion around a slate of NFL games otherwise described as a big lump of coal, let’s rank the six Christmas Day starting quarterbacks on Thursday.

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6. Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings

Max Brosmer is set to start his second game of the season for the Vikings. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

With Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy out with a fracture in his wrist, the Vikings will turn to rookie Max Brosmer for the second time this season.

An undrafted free agent out of New Hampshire, Brosmer threw for just 126 yards while committing four turnovers in his first start against the Seahawks earlier this year—a 26–0 loss. Perhaps the 24-year-old can pull off a Christmas miracle in Minnesota on Thursday.

5. Josh Johnson, Washington Commanders

Josh Johnson will start for the Commanders in place of Marcus Mariota on Thursday. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Josh Johnson is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Amid his 18th NFL season, the 39-year-old is set to make just his 10th NFL start on Thursday for a Commanders team already down Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. In relief of Mariota last weekend, Johnson completed five of his nine pass attempts for 43 yards, an interception, and a passer rating of just 28.7

4. Chris Oladokun, Kansas City Chiefs

Chris Oladokun will make his first NFL start on Thursday night. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What’s the saying? The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t? Well in this case, I’m giving fourth-year pro Chris Oladokun the benefit of the doubt over Brosmer and Johnson as he embarks on his first NFL start.

3. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix has the Broncos rolling in 2025. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Bo Nix has the Broncos rolling in 2025, sitting at 12–3 and in first place in the AFC heading into Week 17.

Last weekend against the Jaguars, however, the Denver offense was held to just 20 points in their first loss since September.

2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are among the league's top offenses. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dak Prescott has put together one of the better seasons of his 10-year NFL career in 2025, completing 68.5% of his passes for 4,175 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions through 15 games.

He also has the Cowboys' offense scoring the fifth-most points per game (28.3) in the NFL and the second-most yards (393.1), but their defense has struggled to keep up—leading to their modest 6–8–1 record.

1. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Jared Goff is playing top-five football this season. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jared Goff has kept Detroit's offense humming in 2025 despite their 8–7 record. Over the season's first 15 games, the Lions are scoring 30.1 points per game (second-most in the NFL) while gaining 378.7 total yards per game, which ranks third.

Among quarterbacks this year, Goff ranks second in both touchdown passes (32) and passer rating (109.4) to only MVP front-runner Matthew Stafford, and sits at third in passing yards (4,036)—trailing only Stafford and the aforementioned Prescott.

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