Having a franchise quarterback in the NFL, and a high-end one at that, is a cheat code. Having a mid-tier franchise quarterback is still something that franchises desire, but those types of players do not lead to Super Bowl titles.
Something neat about the position is that it can be one where players sustain a high-level of success as they get older, even approaching 40 years old. We have seen current and former players like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers all sustain some type of success as they got into their late-30s and even into their 40s.
We've decided to take another fun angle with our NFL Power Rankings, this time ranking every projected starting quarterback in the NFL who is 30 years old or older, and the only criterion we put on this is that they have to be 30 years old by the time Week 1 kicks off.
NFL Power Rankings, 2026: Ranking starting QBs 30 years old and older
11. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (30 years old)
In 19 starts for the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson is 9-10 with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, earning an 80.7 passer rating in the process. Honestly, those would be middling numbers for a first or second-year quarterback.
Once one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL with the Houston Texans, which feels like an eternity ago, Watson may actually be struggling to win the Browns' starting job, and even if he does, there is simply nothing out there that would make us think he could be even competent.
Sure, Todd Monken and his high-flying passing offense could help, but Watson has played horrific football for years now and is dead last in our 30-and-up quarterback power rankings for 2026.
10. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (37 years old)
Kirk Cousins is likely headed to the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback position despite the team taking Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders clearly want to take it slower with Mendoza and don't want to immediately throw him out there. Cousins was fine as the Atlanta Falcons quarterback in 2025, but he has clearly hit a bit of a wall and is declining.
Cousins, depending on how many games he starts for Vegas in 2026, will likely give the Raiders twice as many touchdowns as interceptions and a passer rating in the mid-80s. He's a backup-caliber passer at this point.
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