There are many teams in the NFL that are truly satisfied with their quarterback situation. Those teams continually cement themselves as Super Bowl contenders most years. There are other teams that have what appears to be a solid, fine quarterback.
Those teams tend to hover in the middle of the pack with slight playoff upside. My point here is that starting quarterbacks in the NFL are not made the same or in the same tier, so it really does differ. For this latest exercise, we looked at the teams that brought in brand-new starting quarterbacks, and simply ranked them.
So, let's power-rank the teams that should have brand-new starting quarterbacks for 2026. For any team in this list in a de-facto quarterback competition, we picked who we think the 'winner' will be.
Power-ranking each team with a new starting quarterback for 2026
5. Miami Dolphins - Malik Willis
After some very successful play as the Green Bay Packers backup quarterback, the Miami Dolphins signed Malik Willis in free agency. Signing Willis doesn't appear to line up with the clear rebuild that this team is in, but I'm not the one making those decisions.
The Dolphins clearly have a ton of roster holes, and their parting with a ton of key players this offseason does also prove that they're taking this rebuild seriously. I guess in an ideal world, Willis plays serviceable football for a few years before the front office finds a legitimate long-term solution.
4. Las Vegas Raiders - Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason to perhaps help aid Fernando Mendoza in his early NFL development. Signing Cousins does just about guarantee that he'll start for at least part of the season, as he's one of the best 32 quarterbacks on this planet, but the Raiders are still a mess offensively, sporting the worst wide receiver room in the NFL, and an offensive line that still needs a good bit of work.
The defense has been a weaker unit for years now, so this group as a whole is not in a great spot to help carry along a rookie quarterback in what they would hope to be a strong development. Cousins should be able to 'show Mendoza how it's done,' for a period of time, perhaps the entire year.
If Cousins is playing well enough throughout the 2026 season, you almost wonder if the Raiders would consider red-shirting the former Indiana quarterback.
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