Without a viable starting quarterback, no team in the NFL is going to sustain any sort of success. That is simply where the league is at and where it has been for years now. We also tend to see a good bit of quarterback turnover each season.
Teams are willing to take major risks to find that next great passer, and frankly, I do believe teams need to be more aggressive and willing to part with their current quarterback to pursue an upgrade, but it is so much easier said than done, as the NFL landscape knows.
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, the last major marker of the offseason, we've outlined a 'panic meter' for each AFC team's quarterback situation. The panic meter will go from 1-10, with 10 being major panic, and 1 being no panic at all.
2026 NFL Panic Meter for every AFC team's quarterback situation
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers - 8
With no Aaron Rodgers news in sight, the Steelers should be panicking a bit, as Rodgers does present the team's best chance at success in 2026, which is still an indictment on the franchise. However, Rodgers was competent in 2025, so there is going to be a 'high floor' level of success if he is back in the picture.
Baltimore Ravens - 2
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were banged up big-time last year, but Jackson is still, when healthy, which can be, the best quarterback in the league. This is a player who should have won the MVP award in 2024, so we can't pretend like anything major is of concern here.
Cincinnati Bengals - 3
The main thing with the Bengals is that Joe Burrow has been through more injuries than you'd like, but he's typically always playing at an elite level when healthy, and the offensive line really began to come together in 2025, so he should be protected well for 2026.
Cleveland Browns - 10
No matter if you think the Browns best quarterback is Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders, the panic is still there. Both, at best, are probably the 30th-best among all starters in the league. There is simply no answer in sight for the Browns. It is absolutely time to panic.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars - 2
Trevor Lawrence was a bit shaky in the first half of the 2025 season, but he settled in down the stretch and ended the year as an MVP candidate. The only reason the Jaguars would need to panic is if he can't get that completion percentage up, and he also does have more 'average' quarterback play on his resume than 'good.'
Houston Texans - 4
Ever since CJ Stroud's insane rookie season, he's regressed and has settled into more of an average player. Houston has obviously won with average, but they won't win much else unless Stroud ups his game, which is something he has not done. They should be panicking a bit.
Indianapolis Colts - 5
Daniel Jones was playing at a borderline MVP level in 2025 before going down with a torn Achilles. That is a major, major injury to come back from, and with it not being his first major recovery, there is reason to feel uneasy.
Tennessee Titans - 5
Cam Ward breaking out would thrust the Titans into playoff conversations in the AFC, but there is no guarantee he's able to find that new gear. He did play well down the stretch in 2025, so while there is reason to be doubtful of a breakout, there is also reason to be hopeful that he'll put it together. A middle-of-the-road five is fair here.
AFC East
New England Patriots - 1
There is no panic with the second-place MVP finisher in Drake Maye. Sure, you wonder if he and the Patriots can rise to a tougher schedule iin 2026, but Maye was quickly cementng himself as an elite passer, and while a slight regression could be coming, Maye is still young, in year three, and already has a Super Bowl appearance.
Buffalo Bills - 1
Josh Allen still appears to be atop his game. There aren't any signs of slowing down, and it's really business as usual for the Bills. Allen could end up in the Hall of Fame when it's all said and done.
Miami Dolphins - 6
Signing Malik Willis to a multi-year deal was odd, but he did play nearly-elite football as the Green Bay Packers' backup, so the Dolphins clearly are betting on that.
New York Jets - 7
Trading for a bottom-7 quarterback in Geno Smith was absolutely a choice, but if Smith can get close to his 2022 and 2023 seasons when he was on the Seahawks, the Jets would look somewhat competent.
AFC West
Denver Broncos - 2
The Broncos saw Bo Nix turn into the most clutch quarterback in the NFL, but a very small question remains about just how prolific of a passer he can be. Everything else is locked-in. Nix is a franchise passer, and the Broncos are contenders.
Los Angeles Chargers - 2
The main issue with Justin Herbert isn't his efficiency, which is always solid; it's that there does not seem to be a different gear in the playoffs. Perhaps a revamped offensive line could help the Chargers solve that problem.
Kansas City Chiefs - 4
Patrick Mahomes, all of a sudden, will soon be on the wrong side of 30 and is now recovering from a a major knee injury. You'd be lying to yourself if you said there wasn't at least some panic. You'd also have to wonder just how less Mahomes is going to scramble going forward due to this injury.
Las Vegas Raiders - 5
If nothing else, the Raiders appear to have a plan in place with Kirk Cousins and the likely future Raider, Fernando Mendoza, but Mendoza might actually be this generation's Cousins-type quarterback if he reaches his ceiling.