Ranking the NFL's best marriages between QBs and their teams

Fox Sports

20 hours ago

It's wedding season.
Just ask Josh Allen, who married movie star Hailee Steinfeld this NFL offseason. And then there's Aaron Rodgers, who recently married … well, we actually don't know who he married. The Pittsburgh Steelers QB is keeping it a mystery.
But that got us thinking about the football marriages around the league. No, not the literal ones. I'm thinking about the sacred union between a team and its quarterback. Who has the most functional on-field relationships when it comes to giving the QBs the scheme, coaching and personnel they need?
Let's look at the top 11.
Let me just state the obvious: A marriage is about commitment.
The Bears are deeply, deeply committed to Williams in 2025. Chicago shelled out big money to bring in offensive guru Ben Johnson, who rejected several head coaching job interviews in hopes of finding the right situation. The Bears rebuilt their offensive line to better protect Williams and establish the run game that is so crucial in Johnson's system. And finally, the Bears have invested in the receiver position with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III arriving over the past three years. Williams' rookie season was a disappointment, but not always because of him. So Chicago recognized it was at fault and did everything to rectify the issue. That's what a supportive partner does.
OC Kliff Kingsbury and receiver Terry McLaurin have made life pretty darn good on a per-play basis for Daniels. And it's likely to get even better with Washington adding left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Deebo Samuel. And while we're handing out credit, it's worth noting that Dan Quinn has always led a respectable and stable organization, whether it was with the Falcons or the Commanders. Daniels is a supreme talent, but his rookie season is also a product of the group that set him up for immediate success. The Commanders took care of Daniels. So he took care of them. They're off to a happy start.
You can't really argue with Buffalo's record. Nor could you contend that Allen is unhappy. The Bills QB took a discount contract to help Buffalo continue its perennial Super Bowl contention. You're waiting for the but … BUT, Allen's stats slumped in 2024. He had to do more for his team with less support. And because of that, OC Joe Brady smartly favored his rushing attack to take some of the pressure off Allen. It's a good situation in Buffalo. That's why he's on the list. I'm just not sure the Bills are making the most of Allen's gifts at this exact moment. Joshua Palmer, the team's top offseason addition at wide receiver, isn't going to stop Allen and the Bills from needing couples therapy down the line.
For the most part, the Bengals do what Burrow wants. But they make it so dang difficult. And all of Cincinnati's foot-dragging has negatively impacted the quarterback. Last year, the Bengals offense looked out of sorts after Ja'Marr Chase held out for a new deal. And are we sure Zac Taylor is the best coach for that job? Bottom line is that Burrow has a system and a set of receivers that help make him one of the most prolific passers in the NFL.
But at times, Bengals seasons feel like a rom-com. You're pretty sure things are going to end well, but you can't quite tell because there's that long period where things are … not going well. Namely, when they start their year in a 1-3 hole.
Just guess which 2024 draft prospect I thought was most likely to bust. (Yes, it rhymes with fix.) Entering the NFL, Nix was on the older side. He bounced from system to system in college and seemed to use the transfer portal to keep his pro prospects afloat. And yet his rookie season was something to behold. That's because Broncos coach Sean Payton remains one of the best offensive coaches in the game. And let's not forget Courtland Sutton, who might be the most underrated wideout in the NFL. Denver focused on upgrading at tight end, where Evan Engram has the potential to have a career year. And the running back position could be dangerous, too, with rookie RJ Harvey and veteran J.K. Dobbins.
There are some QBs who seem like obvious candidates for a sophomore slump. With Nix, I can't imagine it. Because Payton loves him — and would do anything for him.
When Detroit landed Goff, it looked like a rebound. He flunked out of Sean McVay's system in Los Angeles, which seemed to indicate that the QB's days as a starter were numbered. Well, speaking of numbers, how about these: 4,619 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. Goff had one heck of a year in 2024. He has a great system, a great set of weapons, a great pair of running backs and a coach who trusts him — maybe too much (on fourth downs). But you look at Goff and the Lions and you're just … so happy they found each other.
Opposites attract. Hurts is the calmest, chillest, most understated superstar in the NFL. Nick Sirianni is a ball of energy and emotion. And they don't always seem to like each other, but they love the same things and that's how they keep their love alive. I think it's because Howie Roseman lives in the space between the two guys, linking Sirianni and Hurts with personnel that suits both of them. Because you know … Philly also has Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, among others. It's one big family, fitting for the City of Brotherly Love.
Two years ago, Mayfield threw for 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Last season, he threw for 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
When you meet the one, you just know. We've seen that with Mayfield, who has rallied around the offensive staff and personnel in Tampa. And vice versa. Mayfield has an obscene collection of skill players, from Mike Evans to Chris Godwin to Emeka Egbuka to Bucky Irving. And because we've seen him struggle so much (and for so long) in other locations, we know just how right he is for Tampa. It's a fairy tale of Mayfield slaying dragons to find his princess.
With Stafford, we wondered — for a dozen years — why he didn't end things with the Lions.
It was clearly toxic! We just wanted to shake him and tell him to get out of there.
And finally, he did. He engineered a trade to L.A., where he and coach Sean McVay matched to perfection. The system is ideal for Stafford. Les Snead got a little trigger-happy for a while when it came to building a juggernaut. So we saw the post-honeymoon phase where the roster faded for a few years. But the Rams look like a team on the rise again in 2025. And it's because of the relationship between Stafford and McVay and the whole Rams organization.
For a few years, Mahomes and the Chiefs were the hottest item in the NFL. They were racking up yards and touchdowns and Super Bowls. Kansas City is still a force to be reckoned with, but we can all plainly see how the defense — not Mahomes or Andy Reid — led this team to its most recent Super Bowl appearance. Even Mahomes expressed, after losing the big game, how much he hoped the Chiefs could get back to throwing the deep ball.
For the past few years, Kansas City hasn't gotten the most out of Mahomes. They've lost some of that magic. They're trying to find it again. We can all see that. The Chiefs drafted receiver Rashee Rice in Round 2 in 2023, Xavier Worthy in Round 1 in 2024, and now receiver Jalen Royals in Round 4 in 2025. But they can do better. They know it. We know it. Hopefully it's just a matter of time before Mahomes is throwing the ball all over the field again.
The Ravens and Jackson aren't your typical team-player relationship, but that's what makes them so special. After all, Jackson went 32nd overall in the draft. He wasn't the prototypical passer teams are accustomed to building their offense around. It took a creative and confident coach like John Harbaugh, who could bring in the right coordinator(s) to create an offense for Jackson. And what an offense they've made together. Last season, Jackson threw for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 915 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson and the Ravens really understand each other.
Relationship goals.
Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna .
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