NFL playoffs: Where does Seahawks' Sam Darnold rank among remaining QBs?

Ahead of Monday night's Wild Card finale between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans, nine NFL teams remain in contention for a Super Bowl berth.

All nine remaining quarterbacks are some of the best in the league, making it no surprise they've gotten this far. Still, some have contributed much more to their team's wins and success than others.

The Seattle Seahawks are led by Sam Darnold, who began the 2025 season on a heater before cooling off significantly midway through the regular season. How does Darnold rank among his peers who are still alive in the playoff race?

NFL Playoffs quarterback rankings

All statistics include 2025 regular season and Wild Card playoff games already completed.

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams - 18 games played

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Passing: 64.4% completion, 5,011 yards, 49 TD, 9 INT

Rushing: 31 attempts, 1 yard

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills - 18 games played

Passing: 70.1% completion, 3,941 yards, 26 TD, 10 INT

Rushing: 123 attempts, 612 yards, 16 TD

3. Drake Maye, New England Patriots - 18 games played

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) smiles after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Passing: 71.2% completion, 4,662 yards, 32 TD, 9 INT

Rushing: 113 attempts, 516 yards, 4 TD

4. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears - 18 games played

Passing: 57.5% completion, 4,303 yards, 29 TD, 9 INT

Rushing: 81 attempts, 408 yards, 4 TD

5. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks - 17 games played

Passing: 67.7% completion, 4,048 yards, 25 TD, 14 INT

Rushing: 35 attempts, 95 yards

6. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos - 17 games played

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs with the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Passing: 63.4% completion, 3,931 yards, 25 TD, 11 INT

Rushing: 83 attempts, 356 yards, 5 TD

7. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers - 10 games played

Passing: 68.3% completion, 2,429 yards, 22 TD, 12 INT

Rushing: 42 attempts, 171 yards, 3 TD

8. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers - 16 games played

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Passing: 65.7% completion, 3,322 yards, 24 TD, 7 INT

Rushing: 21 attempts, 61 yards, TD

9, C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans - 14 games played

Passing: 64.5% completion, 3,041 yards, 19 TD, 8 INT

Rushing: 48 attempts, 209 yards, TD

Stafford, Allen and Maye are the clear-cut top three quarterbacks remaining. All are likely the front-runners for MVP, making it almost impossible to move them down any further.

Williams slots in at four for his gutsy performance leading the Bears back from an 18-point deficit against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. Even if he is a volatile passer, Williams has shown he can be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL.

After those four, Darnold leads the group of five that have the potential to make jaw-dropping plays and be a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback, but have also been wildly inconsistent at times throughout the season.

Even though Nix is a slightly better rusher, Darnold's edge as a passer put him fifth. That could easily be flipped depending on how much weight you put into Darnold's turnover issues this season. The final three, who have also dealt with injuries, could almost be slotted in any order.

Purdy, despite his solid numbers in 10 games, has two touchdowns to three interceptions in his last two games against good defenses (Seahawks and Eagles) and nearly lost another fumble against Philadelphia. His threat as a rusher keeps him ahead of Rodgers or Stroud.