2025 is coming to a close, which means the first quarter of the 21st century has wrapped up. It's the perfect time for retrospectives, as USA Today Sports is doing with its latest series looking back at the past 25 years in sports.
USA Today and NFL Reporter Nate Davis didn't wait long to put together a QB ranking with the "top 25 NFL quarterbacks of past 25 years," partially in honor of the surprise comeback of Philip Rivers. Two notable Detroit Lions QBs made the list.
Jared Goff makes a respectable showing at #19, with Davis praising Goff for both his Los Angeles Rams' tenure as well as his Lions one:
"The No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft has had two distinct career chapters with the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. You almost forget the four-time Pro Bowler led LA to Super Bowl 53 – maybe because that loss to the New England Patriots was so forgettable and foretold Goff’s trade to Detroit. But while he seemed like a consolation prize – at best – in the Matthew Stafford swap, Goff has quarterbacked the best Lions teams of the Super Bowl era (since 1966), even if he hasn’t yet gotten them to their first Super Sunday. By the time this season wraps, he should have four straight with at least 29 TD passes and 4,400 yards in Motown."
Goff is ranked ahead of Andrew Luck (#25), Matt Hasselbeck (#24), Dak Prescott (#23), Joe Burrow (#22), Carson Palmer (#21), and Kirk Cousins (#20). Looking past Goff, the leap from #19 to #15 isn't a big one, especially for a QB like Goff who should have plenty of career left to go. Goff would have to leap Cam Newton (#18), Donovan McNabb (#17), Michael Vick (#16), and Joe Flacco (#15). Of those four QBs, Goff already has more passing yards (39,094) and passing touchdowns (254) in his career than Newton, McNabb, and Vick.
Goff has put together both an underrated career and an underrated 2025 season. Goff has had to combat narratives, such as his need for "everything to be perfect." In a season where it would be laughable to consider anything about the Lions perfect, Goff has still thrived with 32 passing TDs to 5 interceptions, along with 4,036 passing yards.
Goff is once again in the top five in numerous passing categories, with a shot to lead the league in passing yards (3rd), passer rating (2nd), and/or completion percentage (5th) with a strong final two weeks. Despite a down season for the Lions, Goff still deserves to be commended for playing well in Detroit and his role in this initial franchise turnaround.
Even if Goff fails to bring home a Super Bowl or MVP in the future, he's certainly on track to at least be a modern-day Rivers, who is ranked #12. Though Lions fans would definitely prefer Goff to surge past Rivers with a Super Bowl win.
Matthew Stafford makes the top ten on the ranking
Also making the list is Goff's Detroit predecessor and Los Angeles successor, Matthew Stafford. Stafford's late-career rise has propelled him to #7 in Davis' rankings, just ahead of Lamar Jackson (#10), Matt Ryan (#9), and Eli Manning (#8).
In his time in Detroit, Stafford posted impressive numbers, such as his 45,109 passing yards and 282 TD passes. However, Stafford and the Lions struggled to make the playoffs during his tenure, and went 0-3 in the few appearances they did make. After the highly-regarded trade that sent Stafford to Los Angeles and Goff to Detroit, Stafford hit the ground running, leading the Rams to a Super Bowl victory.
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Stafford has continued to build on his Hall of Fame résumé with two more Pro Bowl nods, bringing his career total to three. Stafford has also brought his win-loss record above .500 for the first time in his career en route to what is looking to be an MVP 2025 season for him. Entering Week 17, Stafford leads the NFL in passing yards (4,179), TD passes (40), and passer rating (112.1). All this with just five INTs, similar to Goff.
Moving up the ranking will be tough. An MVP and/or a second Super Bowl should put Stafford ahead of Ben Roethlisberger at #6. At the time of this ranking, Stafford is 100 yards and one passing TD behind Roethlisberger. Moving up further would require passing Drew Brees (#5), Aaron Rodgers (#4), Peyton Manning (#3), Patrick Mahomes (#2), and, of course, Tom Brady (#1).
Both Goff and Stafford making this list goes to show just how stable the Lions have been at the QB position across the past 15 years. It also shows how tough it is to find a great QB in the NFL, as numerous franchises couldn't find one QB worthy of this ranking. When the time comes for a mid-century ranking, hopefully Goff, Stafford, and at least one of Goff's successors in Detroit make that list, too.