Best NFL Quarterbacks Under Pressure Entering 2025

One of the most important parts of being a successful NFL quarterback is how you respond to pressure.

Anyone at the NFL level can look the part of an All-Pro from a clean pocket, but what happens when things don't go according to plan?

That's what we'll look at here, breaking down the best NFL quarterbacks under pressure entering 2025.

Best NFL Quarterbacks Under Pressure Entering 2025

To do this, I pulled passing pressure stats from NextGenStats for every quarterback who faced at least 100 pressured drop backs in the 2024 regular season. The table below lists the top 10 quarterbacks when facing pressure by Total EPA per drop back (which includes sacks and turnovers).

Let's run through some of the best NFL quarterbacks under pressure entering 2025.

1. Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson's prowess on the ground was a major part of his stellar under pressure numbers in 2024, but he's far from a one-trick pony at this stage of his career. As a passer, Jackson was a technician when facing pressure last season, recording the league's best passer rating and a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Lamar finished top five in Passing EPA and Sack EPA while under pressure last season. His -0.05 Total EPA per drop back was far and away the best mark among 31 qualified quarterbacks, and he enters 2025 as the clear-cut best quarterback under pressure.

2. Josh Allen

Josh Allen's standing on the list has a little more to do with sack avoidance (third-best Sack EPA) than pure passing (ninth-best Passing EPA). But -- like Lamar -- it's the combination of the two which made him among the NFL's best quarterbacks under pressure last season.

With a measly 8.2% sack rate on 171 pressured drop backs, Allen led all qualified QBs in sack avoidance while pressured. While he wasn't quite as efficient a passer as Jackson in these situations, his all-around poise under duress put him a step ahead of the rest of the league.

3. Baker Mayfield

Despite Baker Mayfield's lackluster 4:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio under pressure, he trailed only Joe Burrow in Passing EPA among this qualified group.

Similar to Burrow (30th among 31 QBs in Sack EPA), Mayfield gave a lot back on sacks (22nd) but was a top-five passer by yards per attempt while under pressure in 2024.

Despite the sack issue, Mayfield led the sample in success rate while under pressure (40.0%). Much of that was thanks to a league-leading 61% completion percentage in this split, though his strong Total EPA mark can also be attributed to his work on the ground. Mayfield had the second-most yards via scramble when facing pressure, and he finished top-five in Scramble EPA.

4. Jared Goff

Jared Goff racked up an 11:6 TD:INT ratio under pressure during the 2024 regular season and ranked fifth in passing success rate (36.9%) while facing pressure.

Impressively, Goff is a top-five pressure quarterback despite ranking bottom five in Scramble EPA while pressured. That's largely thanks to his 7.6 yards per attempt and 15.9% sack rate when pressured -- both top-10 league-wide. Even with Goff being a zero on the ground, his stellar efficiency through the air made him one of the best quarterbacks under pressure in 2024.

5. Brock Purdy

The 2024 season wasn't a great one for his team, but Brock Purdy found success in the face of pressure.

Third in passing success rate and solid across the board (top-12 in Passing EPA, Sack EPA, and Scramble EPA), Purdy's balanced season vaulted him into the top-five most efficient passers against pressure even with his San Francisco 49ers' offensive struggles.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.