Without top quarterback play, no NFL team is going to sustain any sort of success in this league. Fortunately, for a few teams, they're in a great spot, as they have the best quarterbacks in the planet on their side.
But when you take a broader look at the league, there might not be more than 10 legitimate, unquestioned franchise quarterbacks in the league right now. That also got me thinking though: if there was a brand-new NFL franchise created tomorrow, which quarterback would they prefer to start their franchise with?
This is a shorter power rankings, but let's rank the top quarterbacks that we believe a brand-new franchise would want to have.
Power-ranking the most logical QBs you'd want to start a franchise with tomorrow
6. Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams does have a lot of work to do yet, and I am not sure he isn't the third-best quarterback in the NFC North right now, but when you look at what he did as a second-year player, coupled with his youth and potential ceiling, and it's clear that Williams would be coveted in this scenario.
He can make all the throws on the field, has a perhaps elite off-schedule ability, and is a 'winner.' While winning is not a quarterback statistic, the Chicago Bears didn't go 11-6 last year for no reason.
5. Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow has struggled to stay on the field for much of his career, but he's an elite player when he does remain on the field for the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow is an MVP candidate just about all the time and is able to do the toughest things well, like being able to consistently win from the pocket.
He also does seem to elevate his game in the playoffs, as he's already appeared in a Super Bowl as a second-year player way back in 2021. Burrow does turn 30 years old near the end of the regular season, but that is honestly still quite young for the position.
4. Lamar Jackson
The two-time MVP and a future Hall of Famer, Lamar Jackson is No. 4 in our power rankings. Yes, Jackson has also struggled with injuries at times, but Jackson is truly a 'one of one' player at the position. Jackson could end up surpassing the 10,000 rushing yard total and has turned into one of the league's most efficient passers. Jackson will only turn 30 years old next January.
3. Patrick Mahomes
Coming off a major knee injury and also turning 31 years old at the beginning of the regular season, it's clear that we could be approaching a very notable mark of Patrick Mahomes' career. He's still superman, for the most part, but his production has taken a hit the past few seasons. With that being said, this is a future Hall of Famer we're talking about here, and his ability to win in the pocket is going to sustain itself for the long-term.
Yes, Mahomes is insane when he's scrambling, but that might not be a key part of his game for a little while now due to the torn ACL he's working himself back from. Mahomes would make about 29 other teams better and would end up being extremely coveted in this exercise.
2. Drake Maye
Drake Maye just finished second in MVP voting in the 2025 NFL Season, and he's only 23 years old, turning 24 in August. Maye and the New England Patriots burst onto the scene in 2025, and while the schedule was rather easy, what Maye did was outstanding.
We're suddenly at a point where Maye could be the league's next elite quarterback, ushering in this new generation of passers. Maye's ability to make every throw on the field, his size, and his mobility are all desired qualities that a team could covet.
1. Josh Allen
As of now, Josh Allen feels like 'the guy' at the position when you consider everything. Yes, Matthew Stafford won the MVP last year and was the best quarterback in the league, but when you lump in all of the desired traits, which does include age, Allen would stick out as being at the top. He's potentially a future Hall of Famer, an elite dual-threat quarterback, and has a rocket of a right arm.
Yes, the playoff heartbreaks are notable, but Allen is the full package and is likely going to remain atop the quarterback hierarchy for the next few seasons.
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