Good spot starter
This tier is the land of quarterbacks who you would feel confident in having a game plan for if you had to start them in any given week. For the most part, they will be able to keep any game competitive, while making good plays throughout the day. However, for one reason or another, you would not want a quarterback in this tier to be your full-time starting quarterback.
Marcus Mariota
The Washington Commanders turned to veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota after Jayden Daniels injured his elbow in the Dallas Cowboys matchup, and the backup played great football to end that game and upset the Seattle Seahawks. Mariota played his team out of a horrible start, and was off to a good start until his injury caused Kaliakmanis to finish the Colts game in London. That is exactly why Mariota is a good spot starter, though; his inability to stay healthy for a prolonged period of time will prevent him from getting consideration for a full-time starting job again.
Jameis Winston
After the New York Giants lost Jaxson Dart for the season, the team turned to Jameis Winston, who led the team to a 2-1-1 record since he took over as the starter for the Giants. Some games have been good, while others have not, which is a true encapsulation of the Jameis Winston Experience. Seeing that the veteran backup quarterback remains as inconsistent as ever, it is hard to imagine him getting a full-time starting job if the turnover issues persist, as they have for much of his career up to this point.
Could be a starter in 2027
As the tier would make it sound, a quarterback who resides here could be the next Malik Willis of the NFL. You know, a guy who made a few good starts and relief appearances while the starting quarterback was injured or struggled. It does not have to be the team that the quarterback is currently on, but if anyone had an opening at quarterback and wanted a bridge/competition guy who is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, a quarterback in this tier would be well worth a look for that job.
Drew Lock
No one was ever expected to see Drew Lock this season, and especially not as early as we did. That just goes to show that if you play in the NFL, you have to be ready to go in at any given moment. Lock, for all intents and purposes, played the Seahawks into a 2-0 start to the season.
Not only that, but Lock, in his limited play this year, has looked better than Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold. There is no telling if we will see Lock again this season, but his play was notable early on in this season. As such, he could get starting looks by a team that is looking for better quarterback play than they have had this season.
The guy they always wanted
For all intents and purposes, this tier only exists for one player: Michael Penix Jr. He was the guy the Atlanta Falcons wanted to start in the summer, but due to his recovery from his ACL tear, he was unable to play to begin the season. Although this could also mean that this is the version of Penix that the Falcons always wanted.
Michael Penix Jr.
Michael Penix Jr. is the guy that the Atlanta Falcons always wanted to start the season at quarterback, and he has proven why up to this point in the season. Penix has had several good outings since his return from his ACL surgery. Additionally, the offense has looked its best with him at quarterback.
While the record is .500, the play is there for Penix. It is not his fault that the Falcons have lost half of his starts in the 2026 campaign. However, the ability to make the throws that he needs to in clutch situations, while the Falcons struggled in that department early in the year, proves that Penix is the guy that the team always wanted to start this season.
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