Without high-end quarterback play, no NFL team will ever sustain long-term success. In today's NFL, there is a good bit of legitimate talent at the position, but there might not be many legitimately elite players, which is an issue.
The QB 'middle class' has never felt bigger, and while these QBs can help coaches and executives keep their jobs, they're simply not good enough to lead their teams to the Super Bowl, which is always the goal. With the regular season now one week away, we've taken another angle on the most important position in sports.
Let's power rank the QBs most likely to shatter expectations in the 2026 NFL Season.
Ranking the quarterbacks most likely to exceed expectations in 2026
5. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield's 2024 season was absolutely absurd:
71.4 percent completion
4,500 yards
41 touchdowns
16 interceptions
106.8 passer rating
I feel like if a more established QB put up those numbers, like a Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, it would have been talked about a lot more. And even in Mayfield's first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, back in 2023, he tossed 28 touchdown passes and had a solid 94.6 passer rating.
From 2024 into 2025, Mayfield threw 15 fewer touchdowns and nearly 1,000 fewer yards. With Tampa having brought in a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, who has already been an OC and also coached under the Sean McVay-era Rams, the Bucs, and Mayfield, could be due for a major bounce back on offense.
What's interesting is that Mayfield's 2024 season came with Liam Coen, his last stop before arriving with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both Coen and Robinson were coaches together under McVay, so it's pretty clear that Tampa wanted to dip into that pool for 2026.
And given how insane of a season Mayfield had in 2024, something similar could be on the table in 2026.
4. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
The main thing I love about the 2026 Tennessee Titans is the presence of Brian Daboll, which may seem ridiculous, but Daboll is a sharp QB mind and has a talent in Cam Ward who played noticeably better down the stretch during his rookie season.
Ward also has two new weapons in Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson to aid in the passing game. While the Titans offense, personnel-wise, isn't quite there yet, Ward's year two leap feels easy to predict.
This franchise is still a solid year or two away from being a playoff contender, and with them being rather buried in the AFC, Ward's potential jump just isn't really getting a ton of attention.
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