We spent most of the offseason asking questions about some of the NFL's most notable quarterbacks. With Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season officially in the books, we can finally start answering some of those questions.
Obviously, as completely rational and level-headed sports fans, we would never overreact to one week of football. That would be ridiculous.
Still, these five quarterbacks put together performances that were too noteworthy to ignore.
Here are five quarterbacks who improved their stock the most in Week 1
Tyler Shough - New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints offense got off to a rough start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. In the first half, Shough completed just 10 of 22 passes for 85 yards with no touchdowns and an interception as the Saints failed to score a single point.
While the game started rocky for Shough and this offense, it ended with the Saints nearly beating the Lions in Detroit, largely due to Shough completely flipping the script. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in the second half and overtime. In all, Shough finished with 410 passing yards, the most of any quarterback in Week 1.
And this is exactly what New Orleans hoped it would get when it drafted Shough. His age was one of the biggest concerns surrounding him as a prospect, as he'll turn 27 later this month in just his second NFL season. But that age also comes with a level of mental maturity and fortitude that Shough displayed on Sunday.
We obviously have to consider the first half and the fact that it’s Week 1 of a very long season, but Shough’s second-half performance should give a Saints fanbase plenty of reason for optimism.
Could Shough be the Saints’ quarterback of the future? Darn it, look at me overreacting. I told myself I wouldn’t do this!
Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers
Although the Carolina Panthers gave up nearly 60 points and lost by more than three touchdowns at home to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Bryce Young was hardly responsible for the loss. Young played great, throwing for 361 yards, the third-most in Week 1, along with three touchdowns and 9.8 yards per attempt, which ranked fourth. He was legitimately dealing.
Now, the competition wasn't exactly stellar. The Chicago defense Young faced finished 29th in yards per game and 28th in yards per pass in 2025. Young was also pressured on just 26.8 percent of his dropbacks, a number that is likely to climb as he faces better defenses.
He'll have to prove he can be consistent, but Young finally looked like the player the Panthers believed was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.
And it's not like Young is surrounded by an elite group of weapons, either. Tetairoa McMillan is a very talented receiver in his second year and Jalen Coker is an exciting player, but this isn't exactly an elite supporting cast. If Young can continue playing at this level, he may finally prove that he can be the franchise quarterback the Panthers drafted him to be.
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