Sportsnaut
The first eight weeks of the 2025 NFL season have come and gone, with Week 9 effectively serving as the midway point in an 18-week campaign. Now that two months of football have past, providing ample NFL statistics to evaluate, we can highlight the worst starters in the NFL this season.
Let’s dive into our list of the worst NFL starters right now. The NFL stats, collected via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference, are as of Wednesday, October 29. Of note, we’re focused on starters who are making regular starts and play prominent roles, rather than just focusing on the worst NFL players right now.
Dillon Gabriel is the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. We understand why the Cleveland Browns are giving him a shot—they invested a third-round pick in him, and Shedeur Sanders evidently hasn’t impressed the coaching staff. What Gabriel has demonstrated on the field so far provides no reason to think he can be a starter in the NFL. Entering Week 9, Gabriel has the lowest On-Target rate (52.1 percent), the third-lowest adjusted net yards per attempt (4.19), the lowest Success rate (34.6 percent), and the worst Completion Percentage over Expectation (-6.2) among all quarterbacks. He puts so many limitations on the Browns’ passing game that it becomes the easiest in the entire NFL to defend.
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Alvin Kamara wants to end his career with the New Orleans Saints, showing no interest in being traded to a contender. Given his performance this season, finishing his career in New Orleans might be the best way for the 30-year-old’s career to draw to a close. Outside of New Orleans, it might quickly become evident just how bad he’s been this season. Entering Week 9, Kamara had the sixth-lowest average for yards after contact per attempt (1.5), and he’s one of just two running backs with 100-plus carries to have fewer than four broken tackles. On top of that, Kamara ranks 40th in yards created per touch (2.93), and he has one of the lowest breakaway run rates (3.2 percent) in the NFL.
The season to forget for Brian Thomas Jr. seemed to begin during Jacksonville Jaguars training camp, when drops and effort seemed to be issues for him. All of that has carried over into the regular season. Heading into Week 9, Thomas has the highest drop rate (16.4 percent) among all wide receivers, dropping nine passes in seven games. Just as alarming, Trevor Lawrence has a 69.1 QB rating when targeting him. It also shows up in his yards per route run (1.55, 53rd in the NFL) and target separation (1.71, 32nd in the NFL), all evidence that he’s been the worst No. 1 receiver in the NFL this season.
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TE: Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders...
