Folks, we are almost there. Training camps across the NFL are rapidly approaching, as the end of July really begins the final stretch of an NFL offseason. With preseason games also beginning in about one month, we are not too far away from the start of the regular season.
If the 2026 NFL Season is anything like the 2025 season, we're going to be in for a treat. And with the way the game has been heading, the quarterbacks typically end up deciding things one way or another. Yes, defenses are getting better, but this league is still quarterback-driven, and it will likely continue to be that.
With training camps on the horizon, let's get in an updated starting quarterback rankings. For teams that have a quarterback 'battle,' we'll predict the winner and also primarily base our rankings on 2025 production with a tad bit of 2026 projection.
Latest quarterback power rankings with training camp on the horizon
32. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson should be able to win the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job, but as we know at this point, that is not saying much. Watson has been dreadful in his post-Houston Texans career, and I truly believe we are approaching a point where Watson is closer to being out of the league for good than remaining in the league as a backup in the future.
31. Geno Smith, New York Jets
Geno Smith is now on his third team in as many seasons for a reason. He has thrown 32 interceptions over the past two seasons and I guess is with the New York Jets to try and provide some sort of short-term stability. The Jets bringing in Smith may actually be a legitimate upgrade over who they had in 2025.
30. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett's counting stats were great for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, but he went 1-11 as a starter and is clearly a backup-caliber quarterback. He's always been in that tier. The Cardinals did take Carson Beck in the 2026 NFL Draft this year, and I would be shocked if we didn't see Beck for multiple games, as Brissett is truly just a guy.
29. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Malik Willis was insanely efficient in a very small sample size as the Green Bay Packers backup quarterback. His overall limited sample size as a starting quarterback does not do him any favors here, as he's very much in the 'unproven' category as we gets set for his first year with the Miami Dolphins.
28. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Kirk Cousins is a fine quarterback at this point. He's quite a ways removed from his 'prime' years with the Minnesota Vikings, but there isn't anything wrong with Cousins sliding into that backup tier. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason but obviously is not their long-term answer. With Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings, Cousins making it through the season as the starter doesn't feel super likely, and seeing as he isn't more than a guy at this point, his stint as the Raiders starter could be short-lived.
27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward made a lot of big-time throws during his rookie season, but he also endured a typical rookie quarterback season - a lot of forgettable moments mixed in with some encouraging stints. At this point with the second-year quarterbacks, we're just waiting to see if any of them make that year two jump that most teams look for.
Ward has all the physical tools and now has Brian Daboll calling the plays, so his chances at developing seem rather high. The Tennessee Titans also added Carnell Tate to the mix in the NFL Draft, and while the roster still needs another year, there is enough in place for Ward to shock some people.
26. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
The same argument we just used for Ward can also be used for Jaxson Dart, who is No. 26 in our power rankings. Dart was actually responsible for 24 total touchdowns across 14 games as a rookie. He only threw five interceptions, so he had nearly five times as many touchdowns as interceptions.
While Dart does need to learn how to protect himself better, which I guarantee has been a point of emphasis this offseason, he has the 'goods' and is someone who could easily take a sizeable step forward in 2026.
25. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough is another second-year quarterback that fits into this mold as well. Shough has a frisky style of play and saw his front office add Jordyn Tyson, Travis Etienne, and David Edwards to the offense this offseason.
Shough has plenty enough talent around him to soar in year two. He and the New Orleans Saints went 4-1 over the last five games, so this group ended the year on a high note and could end up making some noise in a very weak NFC South this season.
24. Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons could be a very fun team in the 2026 season, but most of that is going to hinge on Tua Tagovailoa, obviously. Tagovailoa was cut by the Dolphins earlier this offseason after a forgettable 2025 season. However, Tagovailoa has a winning record as a starter, and his 2026 season was actually the first losing season of his NFL career.
He's been a prolific passer before and could have the most supporting cast talent with the Falcons than he had at any point with the Dolphins. With all of that said, if he's playing like he did in 2025 that got him cut, the Falcons won't win more than a handful of games, but if the veteran can find a way to channel some of that 2022-2024 version of himself, Atlanta will cruise to the NFC South title this year.
That's really the story with this team and their quarterback as the offseason rolls on.
23. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones was playing at a borderline-MVP level for about half of the 2025 season, but he began to show signs of his old self and then tore his Achilles, leaving the Indianapolis Colts wondering what version of Jones they will get in the 2026 season.
Obviously, if they get the first-half version of Jones from 2025 in the 2026 campaign, Indy could again race out to a hot start and perhaps sustain it this time if Jones remains on the field. However, this is not the first major injury he has suffered, and he has considerably more 'bad' quarterback play during his career than good quarterback play.
We simply can't trust Jones to play as well as he did in 2025 when 2026 rolls around. There is suddenly much for him to prove yet again.
22. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
I am just not buying the Bryce Young hype just yet. He went 8-8 as a starter in 2025 and had just four games with at least 200 passing yards. He did play the best football of his career this past season for the Carolina Panthers, but he was largely still mediocre. His fourth year in the NFL is going to be a major one, as I am not sure the Panthers are eagerly wanting to extend him.
He's a very limited passer physically and just does not have a lot of encouraging play thus far to make us confident he can form into a franchise quarterback this season.
21. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers just isn't much of a quarterback at this stage of his NFL career, but that also is not a shock. Rodgers is just outside the top-20 in our latest power rankings, and as we have seen the past couple of seasons, Rodgers is very much in that functional category of quarterbacks.
His stats on paper were fine for 2025, but the Pittsburgh Steelers offense just did not do much of anything well. Sure, Rodgers and new head coach Mike McCarthy reuniting is a fun story, but these two are both nothing close to their prime days, and I am just struggling to see what Rodgers does well enough to make me believe he's better than a 'just barely' top-20 player at the position.
The arm talent and mobility just aren't there anymore, and now that he is entering his age-43 season in 2026, another regression could be on the table.
20. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Kyler Murray signing with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason could be similar to when Baker Mayfield signed with Tampa Bay, or even when Sam Darnold signed with Minnesota back in 2024. The one thing that Murray has an advantage in among the two players I just mentioned is that Murray has actually been a solid, starting-caliber quarterback his entire career.
He is now suddenly in a situation where he's throwing the ball to a future Hall of Fame wide receiver, has a sharp offensive mind calling the shots, and even has a rock-solid offensive line to keep him protected. Murray is going to play some awesome football this year, but he has struggled with injuries a bit, and while I am personally high on this pairing, there are more quarterbacks that deserve to be ranked ahead of him for the time being.
If Murray ends up well inside the top-20 when 2026 ends, don't be surprised.
19. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels was awesome as a rookie - he started every game and got Washington within one game of the Super Bowl, but only playing seven games in 2025 really hurts him in our power rankings, as Daniels is a dual-threat player and does have a lean frame, so he becomes more likely to get hurt than other players.
Until Daniels can sort of reset and stay on the field for a majority of the season, we cannot justifiably rank him higher than this.
18. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
We're slowly making our way up these quarterback rankings, and we've now hit the 'middle' tier. Jalen Hurts is No. 18 in our power rankings. The thing with Hurts is rather simple, in my opinion; he's a fine quarterback who possesses an above-average ability as a running quarterback, but he's a below-average passer and is someone who essentially needs a lot around him to be right to play well.
Hurts does have a couple of seasons where he's played well, but he has also continually been surrounded by top-tier talent, and that isn't an accident. As a pure passer, Hurts just does not scare opposing defenses - he has never thrown for 4,000 yards in a season and has also never thrown more than 25 touchdown passes in a year.
With AJ Brown now out of the picture, it feels like the 2026 season is going to be a bit of a 'tell all' with Hurts and if he's truly as good as some make him out to be.
17. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield was electric for the Buccaneers back in 2024, but that is now two years ago, as the entire operation on offense took a nosedive in 2025. Mayfield has been a very solid quarterback for the Bucs in his three years as the starting quarterback, but he has seemed to have topped out at that top-12 range when he's playing his best.
He's clearly someone the Buccaneers are simply winning with, not necessarily because of, but he's also plenty good enough to not be a quarterback that his teams lose because of. Mayfield's No. 17 ranking, I believe, captures his overall talent nicely here.
16. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud was playing out of his mind as a rookie back in 2023, but he's been rather average in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Luckily, though, Houston has made the playoffs all three years of his career, winning the AFC South in 2023 and 2024.
Stroud being able to elevate his game back to that 2023 version would surely have the Texans as legitimate contenders, but if it's another 'ho-hum' average year for Stroud, the Texans would have absolutely zero reason to extend him and keep him for the long-term.
If he's treading somewhere in the middle of his rookie season self and the past two seasons, Houston could honestly be stuck in a tough spot.
15. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy is No. 15 in our power rankings, and I almost feel like this is too low. Purdy has already started in a Super Bowl and has a clear track record of simply being a winner. While wins are not necessarily a quarterback stat, winning does follow the best passers in the league.
The thing that I keep coming back to with Purdy is the ceiling. Purdy has a very high floor, as he knows how to play the game and has been a consistently efficient passer his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers. His lowest passer rating in a season is 96.1 for goodness sake. However, he's thrown 40 touchdowns against 22 interceptions the past two seasons and has never played a full 17 games.
When he's at his best, Purdy is well inside the top-10, but in most instances, he's more one the outside and more of a player that needs to be elevated by the personnel around him.
14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams was great in 2025 for the Chicago Bears, but as we have talked about for a while, the completion percentage is a problem and has to get over 60 percent in 2026. Williams does not throw many interceptions and did help the Bears win the NFC North this past season, which was an awesome step forward.
Williams also turned into one of the more clutch quarterbacks in the NFL and seems to have that 'it' gene about him. The Bears absolutely have a franchise quarterback, and now that Williams is set to enter his second year with Ben Johnson calling the shots, another step in the right direction feels like a reasonable bet.
It would not shock me if Williams really took off in 2026 and was in the MVP mix for much of the season. His ceiling is that high, in my opinion.
13. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
So, while Sam Darnold did help the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2025, he led the NFL with 20 turnovers, throwing 14 interceptions and losing six fumbles. He also was not quite as prolific with the Seahawks in 2025 as he was with the Vikings in 2024. With that being said, Darnold has gone 28-6 as a starter in the regular season the past two years.
Darnold's positioning in our quarterback rankings was honestly tough - he's suddenly turned into one of the winningest quarterbacks in the league, but he turned the ball over a lot in 2025 and obviously just has these two years of high-end play. In the eyes of some, Darnold could be a top-10 player at the position, but I am just not ready to make that jump yet.
12. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Some may strongly disagree with where I have ranked Justin Herbert, but hear me out for a second. Herbert has been a very efficient quarterback ever since entering the league as a rookie back in 2020. However, he has seemed to have stayed in this B+ tier of efficiency and hasn't necessarily progressed forward as a passer. Yes, he is efficient every season, but it's been the same level for the first six seasons of his career.
And then, we have the playoff performances, Herbert owns an 0-3 playoff record, having thrown 2 touchdowns against 4 interceptions in those three games, for a passer rating of 64.7. We are at a point where Herbert has played enough football for this to be who he is.
He is far from an average quarterback - he is quite good, but I do not believe we have much more of a ceiling with this player. I could always be wrong, but what has Herbert done to justify being ranked higher than this? The regular season numbers are nice on paper, but there isn't much else here.
11. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix comes in at No. 11 in our power rankings. Nix had the Denver Broncos on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, and had he not broken his ankle in the AFC Divisional Round, we could be talking about Denver having won it all.
If not, they clearly would have beaten New England in the AFC Championship Game, as the Patriots only beat the Broncos by three points, even though Denver started Jarrett Stidham. Through two years in the NFL, Nix has compiled a 24-10 regular season record, led the NFL in game-winning drives in 2025, and was able to produce despite dealing with over 40 drops by his playmakers.
I believe Nix is the type of quarterback, thus far, where the box score doesn't tell the full story. His numbers don't overwhelm you, but there is a reason why the Broncos went 14-3 in 2025. Nix has the goods.
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence was simply on fire over the final six games of the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025. If we took those six games and averaged them out over a full 17-game season, Lawrence would have been on pace for this:
4,533 yards
43 touchdown passes
3 interceptions
422 rushing yards
11 rushing touchdowns
If Lawrence even comes close to this insane level of production in the 2026 seasons, the Jaguars may not only ascend to Super Bowl contention, but Lawrence could easily win the MVP award. He was named a finalist in 2025, for what that is worth. Lawrence sits at No. 10 in our power rankings for now.
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love comes in just inside the top-10 in our latest quarterback rankings with training camp looming. Through his three seasons as the Packers' starter, Love has won exactly 9 games all three years, and he's missed two games in each of the last two seasons.
With Love, the raw quarterback talent is obvious - he's quick on his feet, can make things happen with his legs, and has the arm talent and strength to threaten all over the field. The thing here, though, is that Love and the Packers just have not broken through yet into that top tier, and Love missing four regular season games over the last two years is slightly concerning.
In 2026, it would be ideal if Love and the Packers just simply put it all together, won 13 games, and captured the NFC North title, and I feel like a lot of us are just waiting for that to happen given how stable and talented this team is.
Love is also right in the middle of his prime, so this is the time to make something notable happen.
8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is the best quarterback in the NFC East ahead of 2026 and is simply an efficient, high-end passer. His raw talent was on display in 2025, but thanks to a bottom-feeding defense, the Dallas Cowboys won just seven games.
With how good Prescott and the offense are, you really just need average play from the defense. Prescott has also been productive his entire career and does the most important things a quarterback needs to do quite well.
I understand that he gets a lot of hate thrown his way, but much of that, I believe, is due to his playing for the Cowboys. Over his 10-year career, Prescott has averaged 10 wins and 30 touchdown passes over a full 17-game season, which is incredible sustained success.
7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
I view Jared Goff similarly as Prescott, but Goff is a slightly better passer and has thrown no fewer than 29 touchdown passes in each of the last four seasons for Detroit, also finishing with a winning record in all four years.
While Goff isn't a highlight-reel quarterback due to his being a pure pocket passer, there aren't many passers in this league better from the pocket than Goff, and, frankly, he seems to continually be underrated. Goff's passer rating has been at least a 97.9 the past four years, and he's also set to hit the 40,000 passing yard milestone in 2026, and could hit the 300 passing touchdown mark in just over a year as well.
6. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is No. 6 in our quarterback rankings with training camp looming. Mahomes has not been as statistically efficient the past three years as he was earlier in his career, but perhaps that is simply due to coaching and poor personnel.
At the end of the day, Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt, so he’ll get ranked properly. One obvious thing that we have to take note of is the torn ACL he has been working his way back from.
There is no guarantee that he’ll return to his early-career self mobility-wise, so we might end up seeing Mahomes as more of a pure pocket passer going forward. He’s also set to enter his age-31 season, so while he’s not old, the age is certainly something we can lightly mention.
Mahomes is a future Hall of Famer and could end his career as one of the all-time greats, but we have not seen that magic these past few seasons.
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP and the greatest dual-threat quarterback of all-time. However, with how mobile Jackson is, that does make him more vulnerable to injuries, and we have seen that in recent years.
Fortunately, there isn’t anything stopping Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens from rebounding off this dysfunctional 2025 season in 2026. Jackson is, when he’s simply playing his game, the most dynamic player in the NFL, so one iffy season where he was still quite efficient should not change how we view this future Hall of Famer.
Jackson is another generational player at the position. With Jesse Minter now in as the head coach, even the slightest defensive turnaround could help the Ravens regain control of the AFC North and once again become an AFC juggernaut.
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow comes in at No. 4 in our power rankings. When healthy, Burrow is probably the best pocket passer in the NFL and has ridiculous processing speed. Obviously, health has unfortunately been a concern for Burrow for much of his career.
With that said, the 2026 season could be a special one, as the Cincinnati Bengals front office finally got serious about the defense and totally overhauled that unit. With how good the offense is, you really don’t need much from the defense.
I have been getting 2021 vibes from this 2026 group, and in 2021, the Bengals rode a breakout Burrow and a shockingly good defense to the Super Bowl. I do believe that is possible this year, as Burrow has been plenty good enough his entire career.
3. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye comes in at No. 3 in our power ranking with training camp approaching. Maye was flat-out marvelous last year, but we do have to mention the insanely easy schedule. The opponents do matter, so while we are clearly giving a lot of credit to Maye for his season, there is reason to believe that a tougher schedule is going to have Maye regressing a little bit.
With that said, Maye’s accuracy in 2025 and overall skill set are things that make him a rather easy projection going forward. Maye should continue to be, at worst, a top-10 quarterback in the sport, but he was the second-best quarterback in the NFL last year, so we’ll actually knock him down a spot and put him third.
With his limited sample size, he’s obviously not going to be nearly as proven as the two other players on this list.
Maye and the Patriots won 14 games last year and advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. It was quite a turnaround from 2024, but even as a rookie, Maye was a lot better than people think.
How Maye performs in 2026 could end up being one of the biggest questions with the remaining offseason we have left.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is a superhuman quarterback and is No. 2 in our power rankings. Allen’s Buffalo Bills once again fell short in the playoffs. The Bills have been in the postseason every year since 2019, also having won the AFC East from 2020-2024.
At this point, we all know the story with Allen and the Bills. He’s a generational quarterback, one of the best dual-threat passers to play the game, but simply has not been able to get over the hump for whatever reason.
Until the Bills do that - at least advancing to the Super Bowl, we’ll continue to have the same exact conversation. Allen is an exceptional quarterback, but he does tend to have a few games every year where he’s simply horrendous.
Fortunately for the Bills, he’s a top-tier quarterback most of the time and should keep that up in 2026.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The reigning MVP of the league comes in at No. 1 in our power rankings. Matthew Stafford flirted with 50 touchdown passes last year in the best season of his career. Had Los Angeles been able to play a bit better on defense down the stretch, they likely would have won the Super Bowl. Adding Myles Garrett, Jaylen Watson, and Trent McDuffie this offseason should help the Rams field the most complete team in the NFL, so we’re all going to be watching the Rams as the likely favorite most of the year.
And with how excellent Stafford was in 2025, it’s hard not to be encouraged about how good he could be in 2026 as he creeps closer to 40 years old.
Final Thoughts
What does stick out as rather obvious with these quarterback rankings is that there are a lot of competent passers in the league. While there are not many truly elite players at the position, the league is filled with starters who know what they are doing.
There are a lot plenty enough young players at the position that could develop and create a situation where the quarterback talent is nearly a surplus. With that said, there are always going to be teams that struggle to find the long-term answer, and that won't ever go away.