3 NFL quarterbacks who have ugly playoff narratives to rewrite in 2026

Playing the quarterback position in the NFL is one of the most glamorous jobs in all professional sports, but it also comes with immense pressure. Fair or not, the quarterback is the first player on the team that pretty much everybody looks at -- fans and media alike -- when it comes to a team's success...or lack thereof.

There are a lot of NFL quarterbacks heading into the 2026 season under immense pressure. It's the nature of playing the position. But there are some quarterbacks facing more pressure than others when it comes to their performance, specifically in the playoffs.

Whether it's due to team failures, not being able to get past a certain point, or just downright playing horribly when the playoffs roll around, we've picked the top 3 quarterbacks with playoff narratives that need to be rewritten in the 2026 season, although there are plenty more around the league as well.

Top 3 NFL QB playoff narratives that need to be rewritten in the 2026 season

3. Drake Maye: The Schedule

Thanks to this data shared by Warren Sharp, we know that despite making it all the way to the Super Bowl, Drake Maye just completed one of the worst playoff performances we've seen from a quarterback in modern NFL history.

After the 2025 regular season, it looked like Maye was going to lead the Patriots deep into the playoffs, and rather easily, at that. His regular season performance was outstanding, but when he started struggling against defenses like the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos in the playoffs, people started putting Maye's regular season under the microscope.

And the (fair) criticism he's received since getting blown out and dominated in the Super Bowl against Seattle is that the Patriots played the easiest schedule in the entire NFL last season before limping through the playoffs.

Maye completed just 58.3 percent of his throws during the playoffs. He was sacked 21 times in four games. He threw four interceptions, and after fumbling the ball 8 times in the regular season, he had a cringeworthy 7 fumbles during the playoffs.

To say Maye needs a shot at redemption to rewrite that narrative might be an understatement.

2. Justin Herbert: "If Man"

Every year, Justin Herbert is discussed as though he's one of the top quarterbacks in the entire NFL. In terms of physical gifts at the position, and some of his best moments as a player, there's really no question about it.

However, since being drafted in 2020, Herbert has gotten himself a bit of a reputation from some fans around the league as "If Man". What in the world does that mean?

What it means is that a lot of Herbert's shortcomings have been excused away with a wide variety of statements that begin with "if" language. If his offensive line had been healthy. If he had a better supporting cast around him. If his receivers could catch the ball. If the Chargers had a better option at tight end...

The quarterback can only do so much, and Herbert has certainly had to carry more than his share of the weight with the Chargers. But according to Warren Sharp's data (above), Herbert is the worst quarterback in the playoffs since 2000.

In three career playoff games, Herbert and the Chargers are 0-3. He's completed under 55 percent of his passes, and simply hasn't been able to recover from his playoff debut where the Chargers blew a 27-7 halftime lead against the Jaguars.

In Herbert's NFL career, the Chargers have not been able to win the AFC West a single time. They are 0-for-3 in playoff opportunities. At some point, the excuses for Herbert will have to end and the narratives about "If Man" will have to be rewritten.

1. Josh Allen

There is no additional information needed here.

The time has come for Josh Allen to prove -- in the playoffs -- that he's one of the all-time greats at the position. The AFC West has stood in his way for his entire NFL career.

The Bills couldn't get past the Denver Broncos this past season in the Divisional Round, making him an extremely disappointing 0-5 against the AFC West in the Divisional Round and beyond in his playoff career.

At some point, you have to figure that Allen is going to get to play for a Super Bowl...right? But nothing in the NFL is guaranteed.

The unfortunate narrative for the former league MVP is that he can't get the job done in big games. And in order to carry that kind of pressure, you obviously have to play well enough to get in those big games year after year. That's the reason why Allen is on this list, and not players like Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow.

Allen isn't sitting on the couch in January, ever.

While that's true, the pressure is on in a big way for him to get the job done in the postseason, solidifying his legacy as one of the best ever.

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