Every starting quarterback in the AFC South has something to prove.
Trevor Lawrence needs to demonstrate that 2025 wasn’t a fluke and he’s the guy at Clemson who was once considered one of the greatest quarterback prospects in recent NFL history. CJ Stroud, despite being one of the 20 best QBs in the NFL, is playing for a contract extension. For Daniel Jones, the challenge is simple and clear: Can he stay healthy? And Cam Ward, who still has a chip on his shoulder from not being recruited out of high school, has to prove he can win in the pros. Three wins ain’t gonna cut it after all the improvements the Titans made in the offseason.
This is Every AFC South Quarterback Ranked from Worst to Best.
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Daniel Jones
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Age: 29
2025 Stats: 261-384 68 CMP% 3,101 YDS 19 TD 8 INT 100.2 RTG
After six turbulent seasons with the Giants, Daniel Jones shed the deer-in-headlights look he sported in New York and transformed into a fringe MVP candidate under Colts head coach Shane Steichen. Then, in Week 14, he tore his Achilles. Jones proved he could be a legit franchise quarterback when healthy but his injury history is concerning. Since entering the league in 2019, Jones has missed games due to a variety of injuries—a broken clavicle, high ankle sprain, concussion, a severe cranial neck sprain (which sounds awful!), a torn ACL, and the torn Achilles that occurred while he was playing with a fractured fibula! Jones is fully cleared and is said to have no restrictions in camp. But how effective can he be as a dual threat QB coming back from another major leg injury?
Cam Ward
Team: Tennessee Titans
Age: 24
2025 Stats: 323-540 59.8 CMP% 3169 YDS 15TD 7 INT 80.2 RTG
Cam Ward’s rookie season was fine considering all the extraneous factors. The Titans sported one of the worst receiver rooms in the league and Pro Football Focus ranked their offensive line 29th out of 32 units. Then, six games into the season, the team fired head coach Brian Callahan. Despite all that, Ward looked worthy of the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s got a big arm and a lot of confidence—and help is on the way. New head coach Robert Saleh should fix a defense that allowed 28.1 points per game in 2025 (28th in the league) and first round pick Carnell Tate and free agent signing Wan’Dale Robinson give Ward some weapons on the outside and in the slot, respectively. The offensive line is still a question but Ward should make significant progress in Year Two.
CJ Stroud
Team: Houston Texans
Age: 24
2025 Stats: 273-423 64.5 CMP% 3,041 YDS 19 TD 8 INT 92.9 RTG
Stroud’s 2025 hovered somewhere in between his 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year form and the sophomore slump in 2024 that ended with the Texans firing their offensive coordinator. On his best days, the Ohio State product is a cerebral QB who anticipates well and is accurate with his ball placement. But the lasting image of Stroud from 2025 was him melting down against New England in the AFC Divisional Round. In one of the worst postseason performances of all time, Stroud threw four first-half picks and completed just 42 percent of his passes in the Texans’ 28-16 loss. Stroud is extension eligible but has yet to re-sign with Houston. Watch this space. . .
Trevor Lawrence
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Age: 26
2025 Stats: 341-560 60.9 CMP% 4,007 YDS 29 TD 12 INT 91.0 RTG
We were almost about to give up on Trevor Lawrence during the eight-game losing streak that ran into 2024. But last season, under first-year head coach and playcaller Liam Coen, he looked like the Trevor Lawrence that was once hailed as a generatioanl NFL prospect. How did he do it? There was no major overhaul. Coen tinkered with Lawrence’s footwork and emphasized quick, rhythm reads. But the results were there on the field. Lawrence cut down on his picks, made big plays with his arm and his legs, and led the Jaguars to a division title.
