The AFC is a weaker conference overall this year, and it's clear which teams are the best of the best. Many of the reasons why teams are where they are in the conference is because of the QB play they are getting.
Without a high-end QB, no team is going to sustain long-term success in the league, and the AFC is filled with a ton of young QB talent. Fortunately, the Denver Broncos seem to have one of those passers in Bo Nix, who has turned into one of the more clutch players in the league this year.
But, where does he stand among all starting quarterbacks in the AFC? We power-ranked them right here.
Bo Nix rising quickly in updated AFC quarterback power rankings approaching Week 12
16. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders is now the starting QB of the Cleveland Browns, as Dillon Gabriel has a concussion. Since we have so little of Sanders, he, by default, is ranked last in our QB rankings, but he is probably going to be a more efficient passer than Gabriel was for the team.
15. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Both Cam Ward and the entire Tennessee Titans' team has been bad this year, and that's OK! I am honestly getting 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars vibes where the team was just so horrendous that it almost didn't count in the eyes of some.
14. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
Justin Fields heads to the bench, and it's perhaps the last time he'll start a game for the New York Jets. Tyrod Taylor now takes over as the starting QB, and he is the better QB on this roster. Taylor is still a functional backup at this point in time.
13. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Geno Smith has been downright horrendous this year, but he's also in a horrendous situation. I would be shocked if there wasn't a brand-new quarterback in this room in 2026.
12. Davis Mills, Houston Texans
Davis Mills has played rather well for the Houston Texans. CJ Stroud is still out with a concussion he suffered from a hit by Broncos' CB Kris Abrams-Draine a few weeks ago. Mills is a quality backup in the NFL.
11. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
It seems like Joe Burrow is getting ready to make his return to the lineup for the Cincinnati Bengals, but that is not going to fix the putrid defense. Flacco began the year on the Cleveland Browns and has filled in nicely for the Bengals - the offense is far from the problem.
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has dealt with a ton of drops this year and is probably being held back in that regard. However, he's also not really been that good this year, and I do believe the Jaguars are winning in spite of their QB, which is never a good thing.
9. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have won three of four games, and Tua Tagovailoa has thrown six touchdowns against three interceptions during this four-game stretch. He's been fine this year and has oddly never finished a season in his NFL career with a losing record.
8. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers has thrown 19 touchdowns against seven interceptions this year. He's been good, but that's about it. Rodgers isn't averaging 200 yards per game and is being sacked nearly two times a game, so this is a very limited QB.
7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes' 64.5% completion percentage would stand to be the lowest of his starting career in the NFL. His touchdown percentage is currently the third-lowest, and his passer rating of 95.9 is relatively average compared to the rest of his career. Mahomes is still magical at times, but it's not been a very prolific season for the Chiefs' QB.
6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has already thrown nine interceptions this year in 11 games. He threw just 10 picks in the previous 30 games combined, so he's putting the ball in harm's way a lot more and just hasn't really lit it up this year.
5. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix, statistically, has regressed just a bit, but he seems to be one of the more clutch QBs in the NFL and is a huge reason why the Denver Broncos are 9-2. Nix is rising quickly up the AFC quarterback rankings and is no. 5.
4. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones has not looked sharp the past few weeks, as he's fumbled six times and has been sacked 12 times over his last two games. Jones' body of work is still impressive, but it's impossible to ignore the most recent trends.
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson has a 115.5 passer rating this year and has thrown 15 touchdowns in just seven games. Jackson and the Ravens are turning things around, and his efficiency since the start of 2024 is simply out of this world.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is coming off a game where he scored six total touchdowns. While Buffalo isn't quite as good as they were at this point in 2024, Allen is still playing at a high level and fills up the stat sheet with ease. He's been the second-best QB in the AFC as of now.
1. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
The best QB in the conference, easily, has been Drake Maye. He's arguably a high-end MVP candidate this year and has turned into an insanely efficient QB. You'd love to see Maye taking fewer sacks, but that will come with time. He's honestly got shades of Justin Herbert and Josh Allen in his game.