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.
3. New York Jets - Geno Smith
The New York Jets swung a trade for Geno Smith in the offseason, and while it may seem insane to say, Smith is going to likely be an upgrade over what the Jets had in the 2025 season. To be fair to New York, this roster does sport a good bit of talent. The offensive line is youthful and does have the nucleus to be a stable unit for the long-term.
The wide receiver room, tight end unit, and running back room all have younger talent as well, and it's really not a stretch to think that this team could truly be a legitimate franchise quarterback away. The Jets may have the 'best' talent of the 'worst' teams in the league, if that makes sense.
I do have questions about Aaron Glenn and if he's the right head coach for the job, but the Jets could be a frisky team in 2026 and perhaps steal a win or two from a playoff team.
2. Atlanta Falcons - Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa should win the Atlanta Falcons quarterback job this offseason. From the 2022-2024 seasons, Tagovailoa went 25-16 as a starter, made the Pro Bowl, and had a 102.5 passer rating. During this three-year stretch, he led the NFL in passing yards, completion percentage, and passer rating.
We can't pretend like Tagovailoa hasn't been a good quarterback before, and with the Falcons having a rather strong supporting cast on offense, that Tagovailoa of a few years ago is possible with the Falcons in 2026.
At best, he reaches near that level and the Falcons win 10-ish games and capture the NFC South title. However, he was a disappointment in 2025, and that's pretty much the reason why the Dolphins got rid of him.
For the time being, since he's such a question mark, we don't have a viable argument to rank the Falcons any higher than this.
1. Minnesota Vikings - Kyler Murray
The Minnesota Vikings finished with nine wins last year in a rather interesting season. The Vikings managed to win their final five games of the season, salvaging a winning record, even if it did not end in the playoffs. This team does have a proper coaching staff, a top-10 defense, and enough talent on offense for Kyler Murray to play awesome football this year.
Murray has been a good quarterback throughout his NFL career, but he's never really broken through into anything more. He does have the skill set to be a top-10 player at the position, though. Given the Vikings recent success, Murray being a rock-solid quarterback already, and the other teams with brand-new starting quarterbacks, Minnesota is the 'best' of this group.