The NFL season is quickly approaching, football fans, which means more rankings are coming out. Louisville football fans are excited to see former Cardinals shine on the biggest stage, including recent draft picks like Chris Bell and Cardinals poised for a leap like Tyler Shough.
Then there are veterans who know their roles and are already among the best, like Lamar Jackson. The former MVP is coming off a year in which he was injured for a few games, causing some to question him. Recently, Colin Cowherd ranked his top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL, and somehow, the former Cardinal was left out of the ranking.
Well, Pro Football Focus just released their top quarterbacks in the NFL, and this ranking proves just how bad Cowherd’s rankings were.
Former Louisville football legend ranks in NFL QB's top five
Jackson is known as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, as the Baltimore Ravens had a historic 2024 season, and while 2025 wasn’t his best, he certainly deserves to be respected. Cowherd leaving Jackson out of his top 10 is shocking to say the least, and PFF's top 32 quarterbacks just proved that.
The notable football brand ranked all 32 starters ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and Jackson got the respect and praise he deserved, coming in at No. 3 on these rankings.
"He continued to punish defenses that brought pressure, earning a 91.9 PFF passing grade against the blitz, while his 88.9 play-action passing grade ranked third. As a runner, he remained one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterbacks, posting a 78.6 rushing grade that ranked seventh among his peers.Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick
Perhaps most importantly, Jackson never lost his ability to attack the most valuable areas of the field, earning a 93.5 PFF passing grade on intermediate throws between the numbers and a 94.3 mark on deep throws between the numbers — a hallmark of his game dating back to Louisville."
The former Cardinal didn’t have his best season, but PFF still ranks him highly, and his dominant 2024 season is a large reason why. In the 2024-25 season, Jackson had a historic season, being the first NFL quarterback to throw 40-plus passing touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions in a single season, and the first NFL quarterback to throw over 4,000 yards and rush for over 900 yards in a single season. On top of that, Jackson secured the fourth-best passer rating in NFL history with a dominant 119.6.
And not to mention, before that historic season, Jackson earned his second MVP trophy after throwing for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns, and earning a rating of 102.7.
So, while 2025 wasn’t his best year, there is no reason the two-time MVP should be outside the top 10, and PFF ranking him No. 3 proves that. The only quarterbacks ranked ahead of Jackson are Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, and rounding out the top five are Pat Mahomes at No. 4 and Matt Stafford at No. 5.
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