2026 NFL predictions: 3 quarterbacks who will live up to the offseason hype

The NFL offseason is a time for high hopes and hyperbole, but how often is optimism actually rewarded?

Development is rarely linear in the NFL, meaning some of last year's ascending stars could still end up taking a step (or two) back the following season. That is especially true at the quarterback position where a number of young players really broke out in 2025, proving that they could be part of the next wave of stars at the most important position in the game.

And while the hyperbole of the offseason can become a runaway freight train at times, there are certain young quarterbacks whose hype we're buying into for the upcoming season (and beyond). Let's take a look at the top 3 names.

3 quarterbacks we think will live up to the offseason hype in the 2026 NFL season

1. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

It's not like we're really going out on a limb with this one, but sometimes you have to start with the low-hanging fruit.

Caleb Williams was outstanding in his first year under new head coach Ben Johnson, and I'm expecting tremendous progress from year two to year three.

A couple of the areas Williams desperately needed to clean up with his game overall included ball security and taking way too many sacks as a rookie. It's safe to say those were a couple of areas of emphasis for Johnson as well, because the numbers speak for themselves:

2024: 68 sacks, 6 INTs, 10 fumbles (5 lost)
2025: 24 sacks, 7 INTs, 9 fumbles (1 lost)

So, we cut down the sacks by nearly 66 percent, and we turned the ball over 11 times in 2024 compared to 8 times in 2025, even with a similar number of total pass attempts. That's huge progress from year to year.

Williams was playing with much more confidence in 2025, and he might be the most overhyped player in the league right now. He's on the Madden video game cover, he's in the MVP conversation, and he's absolutely going to live up to lofty expectations.

2. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

After seeing Jaxson Dart get hit as hard as he did in the preseason game the Giants played against the Minnesota Vikings, doubt over his 2026 season began creeping in a little bit. But Dart bounced back and made one of the most impressive throws of the preseason so far:

If Dart can learn how to protect himself while he plays (separate from his running back not knowing how to pass protect), he's going to be a superstar in this league. You can feel the raw talent with this player every time he takes the field.

He has such a natural feel for the game, a high football IQ, and he's a true dual threat at the position. In his rookie season with the Giants, Dart finished with 24 total touchdowns (15 passing, 9 rushing) in just 14 games played. When you are factoring in that he wasn't the starter to open the season as well as the fact that there was coaching dysfunction, injuries at receiver, and issues on the offensive line, it's even more impressive.

Give this kid a full 17-game slate and let's see what type of numbers he can put up.

3. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

I'm a literal card-carrying member of the Tyler Shough fan club. Okay, there might not be an actual card-carrying club, but as a fan of the trading card hobby, Shough is one of those players I've been chasing.

I'm buying the hype with this guy in a big way.

The Saints were one of the most underrated and impressive teams down the stretch last year. They had a sneaky great defense, and they've assembled a really intriguing set of weapons for Shough to spread the ball to entering his second season.

It's extremely disappointing that Jordyn Tyson's injury issues have seemingly followed him into the NFL, but Chris Olave is a stud, Travis Etienne will contribute significantly on all three downs, and Juwan Johnson was a fantastic outlet last season for this offense. I'm also excited to see what Devaughn Vele can do with more work in his second year with the Saints.

The Saints not only boosted the offensive weaponry, but probably more importantly, the offensive line. That will also serve Shough well, along with continuity on the coaching staff.

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