Quarterback rankings are dropping left, right, and center as the 2026 season kicks off in less than two months. But as this race heats up, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has won the latest round over New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Pro Football Focus had ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the league on July 2. This prompted a discussion amongst the members of the Crunch Time podcast by Woodward Sports Network, Jeff Lafrate, Booner and Caleb Czarnik, where Lafrate argued that Goff should have been ranked above Maye.

“He’s a better quarterback than Drake Maye at this point,” said Caleb Czarnik. “Drake Maye might end up being better, but as of right now, Goff is still a better quarterback."

In the PFF rankings, Goff was ranked as the 16th-best quarterback, while Maye was ranked as the ninth-best quarterback in the league for having the "greatest turnarounds in NFL history".

“I get it,” replied Booner on the Crunch Time podcast by Woodward Sports Network. “I think the thing with Jared Goff is the consistency.”

Goff, in the 2025 season, recorded 4,564 passing yards on a 68% pass completion rate and scored 34 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Maye recorded 4,394 passing yards on a league-high 72% pass completion rate and scored 31 touchdowns.

While the stats might say that Goff had a better season, for Maye, the biggest argument is that he was able to lead the team to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. However, Goff and the Lions were not even able to reach the playoffs.

Goff has transformed the Lions since joining them in 2021, but has often been overlooked in conversations for the top quarterbacks in the league. So what was the reason for him being ranked so low this time?

NFL analyst says that what Jared Goff does is “stuff the stat sheet”

As one of the league's top passing quarterbacks, Jared Goff proved his elite status last season by finishing second overall in passing yards, trailing only Matthew Stafford.

However, PFF analysts Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick believe Goff’s production is more a reflection of a perfectly tailored system than individual dominance.

“Goff’s average time to throw of 2.57 seconds was tied for second-fastest in 2025, and his EPA on zero-graded throws ranked second overall at 0.090 per attempt - numbers that reflect a quarterback who functions as an extraordinarily efficient system executor,” they wrote. “He has done nothing but stuff the stat sheet since being traded to the Lions.”

There is no doubt that if the Lions make the playoffs this season, Goff would be a major reason and could see himself higher up the rankings.

Where would you rank Jared Goff among all the starting quarterbacks in the league? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore