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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ranking QBs Chiefs will play in 2025: Kansas City's defense will be put to the test against gauntlet of elite QBs
Ranking QBs Chiefs will play in 2025: Kansas City's defense will be put to the test against gauntlet of elite QBs originally appeared on A to Z Sports. It's not going to be easy for the Chiefs to reach their fourth consecutive Super Bowl. Advertisement Kansas City's 2025 schedule is among the toughest in the NFL, and many of the teams it will face are led by the league's elite quarterbacks. The Chiefs' defense has been the strength of the team over the past two years, and will need to maintain that level of play this season. We have spent the last two weeks ranking and detailing each QB the Chiefs will play in 2025. Below you can find the full list and an excerpt from article. No. 14: Indianapolis Colts QBs Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones "I'm including both as it appears that the Colts have a QB controversy going on between the seventh-year veteran Jones and third-year Richardson. Regardless of whether Jones or Richardson wins the Colts' starting QB job, neither is exactly striking fear into opposing defenses. Jones may be solid at times, but he needs a lot to go right to be effective. Richardson's rushing ability can tough to defend, but he's nowhere close to where he needs to be as a passer to be a starter in the NFL." Read more about the Colts' QB situation here. No. 13: New York Giants QBs Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart "While Wilson is the favorite to begin the season as the Giants' starting QB, I'm going to also include Dart just in case. New York selected Dart in the first round (25th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he is undoubtably its QB of the future. The question is, how soon will that future come?" Read more about the Giants' QB situation here. No. 12: Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward "Ward has drawn plenty of comparisons to the Chiefs' own Patrick Mahomes. While those are obviously huge shoes to fill, they do definitely have stylistic similarities. If Ward comes even half close to the success Mahomes had during his first season as a starter, this could be one of the premier QB matchups of the season." Read more about Ward here. No. 11: Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith "So why does Smith come in at 11th on our rankings? Besides the Chiefs facing an absolute gauntlet of QBs in 2025, Smith landed low mostly because he's not much of a winner. He has a career 40-43 record as a starter, and was just four games over .500 (29-25) with Seattle despite playing his best ball. Smith also has never won a playoff game." Read more about Smith here. No. 10: Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix "Nix is now firmly entrenched as the Broncos' franchise QB after a stellar rookie year. In 2024 he racked up 3,775 yards and 29 TDs, tacking on 430 rushing yards and four rushing TDs in 17 starts. He led Denver to a 10-7 record and its first postseason berth since 2015." Read more about Nix here. No. 9: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence "As he enters his fifth year, Lawrence will look to get back on track towards establishing himself as one of the elite QBs in the league. He has all the physical tools, and new head coach Liam Coen will attempt to elevate his game like he was able to do with Baker Mayfield when he was offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season." Read more about Lawrence here. No. 8: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels "When the Commanders travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in Week 8, it will be the first ever matchup between Daniels and Patrick Mahomes. Both could be in the top 5 of the MVP race, so whoever wins could get a leg up chasing the accolade. This game will be under the Arrowhead Stadium lights on Monday Night Football with the whole world watching." Read more about Daniels here. No. 7: Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud "Unfortunately for Stroud, he regressed a bit in his sophomore season. He recorded 381 fewer passing yards and three fewer TD passes, and increased his interception total from five to 12. A porous offensive line played a role in his statistical decline as he was the third-most sacked QB in the league, hitting the ground 54 times in 2024." Read more about Stroud here. No. 6: Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff "Goff is often left out of the elite tier of QBs, but his statistics tell a different story. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of the past three seasons, increasing his total each time. In 2024 he threw a career-high 37 touchdown passes, while completing an incredible 72.4 percent of his passes." Read more about Goff here. No. 5: Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert "Still just 27 years old, there's plenty of time for Herbert to add to his legacy. An important first step would be leading Los Angeles to an AFC West division title. Winning an MVP would also legitimize him being mentioned among QBs such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen." Read more about Herbert here. No. 4: Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott "There's still time for Prescott to change his playoff narrative, but it's possible he has more years behind him in the NFL than in front. His 2024 season was cut short after eight games due to a hamstring injury which required surgery. In addition to one of the best wide receivers in the league, CeeDee Lamb, Dallas added WR George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams to its offense for Prescott to work with in 2025." Read more about Prescott here. No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts "Hurt's playoff success has been incredible. He owns a 6-3 record, has thrown for 1,813 yards, rushed for 381 yards, recorded 20 total touchdowns, and just three interceptions. In Philadelphia's Super Bowl LIX win over Kansas City, Hurts completed 77.3 percent of his passes while racking up 221 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, and three total TDs." Read more about Hurts here. No. 2: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson "Jackson is 1-4 in his career against Kansas City. His lone win against them came in 2021 as the the Ravens edged out the Chiefs 36-35. In their most recent matchup, K.C. won a thriller in the 2024 regular season opener 27-20, despite Jackson having a solid day with 273 passing yards and 122 rushing yards." Read more about Jackson here. No. 1: Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen "But we as Chiefs fans know by now that a midseason loss doesn't mean much. If Allen and the Bills really want to change their legacy, they'll have to find a way to beat K.C. in the playoffs and go on to win a Super Bowl. If that never happens, Allen's career could be defined by it regardless of how much regular season success he has." Read more about Allen here. Advertisement Related: Patrick Mahomes puts Chiefs' recent offensive struggles into perspective and projects potential for 2025 season View the original article to see embedded media. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Chiefs Still Be A Defense-First Team In 2025?
Will Chiefs Still Be A Defense-First Team In 2025? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs, over the past couple of seasons, have transitioned away from relying on fireworks on offense with Patrick Mahomes to leaning on their defense. Advertisement No longer do the Chiefs regularly score 30+ points and blow teams out; instead, Spagnuolo's defense holds teams to roughly 20 points per game, and the offense does just enough to win. Granted, two Super Bowl wins and making another appearance in three years show this is sustainable, but some want the Chiefs to revert to the swashbuckling offense they once had. But we know that might not be the case, and defensively, as we look ahead to 2025, what would be the best-case scenario for Spagnuolo's defense? "The Chiefs had a top-10 defense last season," Bleacher Report writes. "Chris Jones and George Karlaftis anchor a strong pass rush, Trent McDuffie is a star in the secondary, and the linebacker corps fits Spagnuolo's system to a tee. The best-case scenario would see the existing talent and familiarity be slightly better next season." Dec 26, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones (95) and defensive end Frank Clark (55) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) pose for pictures as the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers winds down at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.© William Purnell-Imagn Images Last year, the defense allowed only 19.2 points per game (ranked fourth), 101.8 rushing yards per game (ranked 25th), and a third-down conversion on 43 percent of attempts (ranked 24th), so there is plenty to work with. Advertisement Plus, the Chiefs' defense, much like Mahomes, has a knack for making a play when the team needs it, whether that be a sack, a PBU, or a forced fumble. If the defense can at least replicate its efforts from last season, and the offense, with a host of weapons returning, can improve, this Chiefs team will be in good shape come playoff time. But let's make it clear, the Chiefs aren't driven by Mahomes anymore - it's the defense that sets the tone. Related: Chiefs' Aura Still Prominent In Latest Power Rankings Related: Big-Talking Rival Pays 'Ultimate Respect' To Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
