2. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 10)
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are 2-0 to begin the season, and much of the story has been the defense, which is already drastically improved from last year. For Burrow's MVP case, the defense is the one thing that would get in the way.
But on paper, this defense is definitely among the most talented in the NFL, so 2026 could genuinely be the year that it all comes together. Burrow has two top-4 MVP finishes and is one of the more precise and accurate passers in the NFL.
He processes from the pocket better than most and has been an extremely high-volume passer before. I am not sure many can deny that Burrow does have an MVP-caliber skillset. For the Bengals QB, it's really been about dealing with bad defenses or injuries that end seasons.
When we assess the Bengals start and the overall roster, Burrow's chances feel rather high this year. He comes in at No. 2 in our power rankings.
1. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 1)
Josh Allen has nine games through two touchdowns for the 2-0 Buffalo Bills, who have beaten the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions to start the 2026 season. The 2024 MVP comes in at No. 1 in our power rankings.
What's really interesting is that Buffalo has the 28th-ranked scoring defense through two weeks, and if this defense can't figure things out, Allen may have no choice but to throw this entire team on his back. This could be one of those situations where a bad defense could benefit the QB if the team keeps winning.
We know that Allen has the makeup to be a league MVP again, and if it becomes clear as the season goes on that he'll need to shoulder more of the load thanks to a regressed defense, we could end up seeing an even more productive season from him than we're used to seeing.
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