It might not be fair to call USC a quarterback factory, at least historically, but the Trojans have produced a handful of NFL starters in the 21st century. Last season, one finally broke through as a champion.
Sam Darnold and the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, giving USC a Super Bowl-winning quarterback to call their own.
While Darnold has a ring, other former USC quarterbacks have a case to be called the school's best NFL signal-caller.
Here's a ranking of every USC quarterback in the NFL, with a minimum of 50 starts.
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Ranking USC QBs in the NFL
1. Carson Palmer
Palmer easily tops all USC quarterbacks in yards and touchdowns, and he had a winning record across 191 starts in the NFL. While he didn't play in a Super Bowl, Palmer reached an NFC championship game in Arizona and found success with both the Bengals and Cardinals.
A three-time Pro-Bowler, Palmer threw more than 25 touchdown passes in six different seasons, including an NFL-leading 32 touchdowns in 2005 and an MVP runner-up finish in 2015. Being a No. 1 pick left Palmer with expectations he might have struggled to meet, but he set a standard for USC quarterbacks in the NFL.
2. Sam Darnold
Darnold's whirlwind career is far from done, but it will ultimately be remembered as one of perseverance after going from a backup to a Super Bowl champion as a starter in just two years. While those years in and out of the starting role reduce Darnold's career totals, he has two 4,000-yard passing seasons, 131 touchdowns to 90 interceptions and, of course, the Super Bowl ring that others from USC don't have.
3. Caleb Williams
It's probably fair to say Williams should lead this list when all is said and done. The 24-year-old is just scratching the surface after leading the Bears to an NFC North title in 2025, throwing for 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions along the way. Williams will need a few more years to generate the counting stats that rival some other top USC quarterbacks, but the former Heisman Trophy winner has the raw talent to be an elite NFL quarterback.
4. Matt Cassel
Cassel was generally a low-end starter in the NFL, but he carved out a nice career for himself as a seventh-round pick who didn't start at USC. Cassel made 81 starts, getting his shot in New England after Tom Brady's 2008 ACL tear and playing well enough to earn a full-time job in Kansas City. Cassel's 2010 season with the Chiefs was especially strong and ended in an AFC West title, even if he struggled to sustain it.
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5. Bill Nelsen
A 10th-round pick out of USC in 1963, Nelsen started for the Steelers and Browns across 10 NFL seasons and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1969. Nelsen threw for 98 touchdowns despite playing in a much different era for quarterbacks, and he started five playoff games in Cleveland.
6. Mark Sanchez
Sanchez's career quickly became more memorable for memes than anything else, but he did take the Jets to two AFC championship games with the backing of a stellar defense. Sanchez went 37-36 across 73 NFL starts, battling serious turnover troubles at times but also throwing for 26 touchdowns in 2011. Sanchez finished his career with 86 touchdown passes and just over 15,000 passing yards.
7. Pat Haden
Haden, who later became USC's athletic director, spent six seasons in the NFL and made 55 starts, with the highlight being a two-year stretch with the Rams from 1977-78. Haden struggled with turnovers in a much different era for quarterbacks, but he went 35-19-1 as a starter and led the Rams to 12 wins in 1978.
8. Rodney Peete
Peete spent more of his career as a backup rather than a starter, but he made 87 starts over a 16-year span and actually had a winning record while doing so. The sixth-round pick in 1989 threw for double-digit touchdown passes in a season only twice, but his career numbers ended up in the range of Sanchez's due to his longevity.
