From ‘tempting’ to ‘ghastly,’ one word to describe 40 notable quarterbacks from Week 1 of 2025 NFL preseason

One full week of 2025 NFL preseason is in the books. Some teams enjoyed flashy debuts from top new players, like the Cleveland Browns with Shedeur Sanders and Jacksonville Jaguars with Travis Hunter. Others are still trying to sort out crowded quarterback competitions; both the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are among teams searching for answers as Week 2 of exhibition action fast approaches.

Even as preseason increasingly centers on depth-chart battles, leaving big-name stars to rest on the sidelines, there were still a handful of notable starters who took the field this past weekend. That includes a slew of recent No. 1 overall draft picks, like Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville and Kyler Murray in Arizona, as well as newcomers like Cam Ward in Tennessee.

So how did each quarterback fare in the snaps they were given? Here’s how we’d describe 40 of the most notable signal-callers to play in Week 1 of the 2025 preseason, from a spicy Jaxson Dart in New York and a sharp Bryce Young in Carolina to an uneven Tyler Shough in New Orleans:

Sharp. The MVP-caliber Burrow remains intact. Cincinnati’s starter got some legit run against the Philadelphia Eagles and finished 9 of 10 with two scores, including one to buddy Ja’Marr Chase.

Pristine. There’s a reason the Eagles shipped Kenny Pickett to Cleveland. McKee’s been razor-sharp as a pure pocket passer in limited work. That continued against Cincy to the tune of 252 yards and two scores.

Battered. The young man put in work to keep Daniel Jones at bay (barely) this summer. Then he failed to see a free rusher against the Ravens and dislocated a finger as a result. He just can’t stay on the field.

4. Daniel Jones (Colts)

Passable. He was second up for Indy after Richardson and looked decent making quick strikes out of Shane Steichen’s option calls. Some miscommunications kept him from really opening things up.

Concerning. The ex-Dallas Cowboys veteran lofted an easy interception on his first play in place of a resting Lamar Jackson. He doesn’t have much competition on the bench, either.

Clutch. Did Tom Brady strike gold helping the Raiders add the NDSU product in the sixth round? The rookie flashed sturdy downfield touch to headline a Las Vegas comeback against the Seahawks.

Feisty. Technically, Smith only threw four passes before resting in his debut as Las Vegas’ new starter. But he also had some choice gestures for antagonistic Seahawks fans as he took the field.

Spry. No surprise here, but Seattle’s rookie signal-caller wasted no time showcasing his slippery speed on the ground. With Sam Darnold resting, the Alabama product gained 38 yards as a rusher.

Shaky. The former third-round draft pick got the starting nod as Jared Goff rested against the Falcons. He proceeded to lose a pair of fumbles before coach Dan Campbell pulled him ahead of halftime.

Poised. If Hooker squandered his second crack at making headway in the race for Detroit’s No. 2 job, then Allen seized it. He was comfortable in the pocket and uncorked some perfectly placed deep shots.

Tempting. In the sense that his sharpness against Detroit, even under pressure, could convince Atlanta to be more proactive in shopping Kirk Cousins, the current No. 2 behind starter Michael Penix Jr.

12. Shedeur Sanders (Browns)

Composed. The talk of the 2025 draft wasn’t perfect as Cleveland’s trial-run starter, but he stood tall even on the move, keeping his eyes downfield and saving his tightest throws for the red zone.

13. Kenny Pickett (Browns)

Absent. Pickett was inactive for Cleveland due to a hamstring injury, but his omission from the opening preseason slate was especially glaring in light of Sanders’ play. His roster spot might not even be safe.

14. Bryce Young (Panthers)

Focused. After closing 2024 with noticeably improved confidence, the former No. 1 overall pick continued to display nice anticipation and post-snap composure in limited work against the Browns.

Proven. At 39, on his 14th different NFL team, Johnson was always destined to have a leg up in the fight for Washington’s No. 3 job. He moved the Commanders fairly well against the Patriots, in contrast to …

Iffy. The former Wake Forest prospect got the start for Washington in place of a resting Jayden Daniels, and he struggled to find a rhythm, hitting 9 of 19 passes and tossing an interception.

17. Josh Dobbs (Patriots)

Frenetic. The journeyman took a page out of his short-lived Vikings stardom with a fourth-and-goal touchdown scramble for New England, offsetting an uneven passing debut behind Drake Maye.

18. Jaxson Dart (Giants)

Enticing. Was the first-round rookie flawless? No. But operating early against the Bills, the Ole Miss product didn’t flinch against pressure and lofted a perfect bomb of a score to Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Quiet. This is kind of Wilson’s game now, despite the reputation for chucking it on play-action: dink and dunk to stay on the field (and fend off potential successors). How long he’ll hold the top job is unclear.

Flashy. Love him or hate him, Winston has never not been entertaining. The third quarterback to take the field for New York against Buffalo, he rifled one score and even picked up 12 yards on a scramble.

Overlooked. Remember him? DeVito followed suit with an efficient outing (10 of 14) against the Bills, but as the fourth man up in an entirely remade quarterback room, he could soon be playing elsewhere.

22. Mitchell Trubisky (Bills)

Fluid. It’s been years since Trubisky drew rave reviews for his athletic upside as a starter, but filling in for the resting Josh Allen against New York, he showed some nice off-balance touch early on.

Valuable. In a future trade, perhaps? The ex-Jets backup had little trouble airing it out against the Giants, tossing two scores in competition with Trubisky. He could be a solid No. 2 elsewhere if it’s not in Buffalo.

Reasonable. This was McCarthy’s first game-day action since last preseason, when he hurt his knee. His best play was a smooth fourth-down scramble. This remains a cautiously optimistic “wait-and-see” deal.

Improved. At least from training camp, where the ex-Commanders gunslinger got himself in trouble with plenty of forced throws. Against the Texans, he was much more settled in, finishing 11 of 13.

Surprising. The undrafted rookie is a local favorite thanks to his college stint at Minnesota, and he recovered well from an early botched snap, firing a crisp fourth-and-goal touchdown late in his debut.

Calm. The largely unchallenged backup to C.J. Stroud in Houston after Case Keenum’s exit, Mills was an unbothered distributor in limited work, hitting 4 of 5 throws in a 10-play touchdown drive to start.

Bullied. Vying for a reserve role, the sixth-round rookie struggled to complete 50% of his throws against the Vikings’ backups, finishing with three interceptions in his exhibition debut.

Commanding. Coach Sean McVay praised the former Georgia standout for his seamless progressions against the Cowboys. The No. 3 behind Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo also threw two scores.

Tantalizing. It’s the same story with Milton, who previously flashed for the Patriots as a preseason weapon. He’s got a killer “fastball,” as Brian Schottenheimer put it, but was also uneven through the air.

31. Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

Comfortable. New coach Liam Coen had Lawrence making quick decisions to feed Brian Thomas Jr. and new target Travis Hunter. Lawrence threw just seven passes, but the former No. 1 pick looked at ease.

32. Cam Ward (Titans)

Gifted. There was a bit of jumpiness from the No. 1 overall pick, who’s pretty clearly dependent on his arm talent. Fortunately, the arm is for real, as evidenced on an opening scoring drive against the Buccaneers.

Mobile. It’s hardly a stunner, considering Fields basically made a name for himself with the Bears as a scrambler. But his touchdown run for New York confirmed he’s still got the juice to explode on the ground.

34. Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

Erratic. In other words, an extension of his mercurial career in Arizona. Murray did hit all but one of his eight passes, but that one incompletion was an egregious red-zone interception against the Chiefs.

Shoddy. The former Patriots prospect got five drives as a roster hopeful, but he completed just 8 of 17 throws with two interceptions against Arizona, entrenching Gardner Minshew as Patrick Mahomes’ backup.

Sloppy. Despite a promising 2024 debut, Nix was outperformed by backup Jarrett Stidham against the 49ers, taking a safety on an intentional grounding penalty after an opening drive that ended with a punt.

Ghastly. The Texas product enjoyed a strong summer lead-up to his preseason debut, only to lose two fumbles on bad sacks and complete just 5 of 18 passes. Zach Wilson appears safe as the new No. 2.

38. Case Keenum (Bears)

Composed. He’s 37, but he looked like a real challenger for the backup job behind Caleb Williams, operating Ben Johnson’s offense with calm efficiency, finishing 8 of 10 for 80 yards and two scores.

39. Tyler Shough (Saints)

Uneven. The rookie provided a bit more pop than Spencer Rattler, who got the start for the Saints, though he also threw a pick-six. He may still be primed to open 2025 as new coach Kellen Moore’s No. 1.

Explosive. Lance wasn’t nearly as efficient through the air as he was in the Hall of Fame Game, but his 48 yards of rushing work kept L.A. moving. He might be the clear favorite to be Justin Herbert’s backup.