15. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Kirk Cousins and the Las Vegas Raiders have now lost four games in a row, and this honeymoon is clearly over after a shocking 3-0 start, and it was shocking for a reason. Cousins went 26/44 for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7. Cousins is now up to 16 passing touchdowns against five interceptions this year for a pretty solid 97.4 passer rating. Cousins is still a capable QB, but with the Raiders looking like they have in recent weeks, and the losing having picked up, you almost wonder if it’s getting close to Fernando Mendoza time.
I would say that it’d be a failure if Mendoza doesn’t appear on this list at some point this year, as the Raiders just aren’t really going to accomplish much of note with Cousins under center at this point. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this year, and he has at least two touchdown passes in six of seven games this year, so he is putting up good numbers for the most part.
14. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough has thrown at least one touchdown pass in six of seven games this year, and in Week 7, I am not sure the loss was all on Shough, as the New Orleans Saints just cannot run the football at all, so Shough and the offense had no choice but to throw the ball 38 times. Shough finished with 278 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a 95 passer rating.
Shough now has 13 passing touchdowns and a 90.9 passer rating on the season, and while the Saints are just not what we thought they were going to be this year, Shough’s year two jump is noticeable. He’s far from perfect, but the Saints definitely have someone to work with here, and unless things change, we could be approaching a point in time where a major coaching overhaul could take place.
But with Shough slowly approaching that franchise QB status, the Saints could have the most important position in sports checked off as we approach the midway point of the 2026 season.
13. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Guys, is Michael Penix Jr… for real? He’s been nothing short of outstanding for the Atlanta Falcons thus far, and despite not being a very mobile QB, Penix is dealing. He is now up to nine touchdowns against one interception this year. He has a 100+ passer rating in four of give ga games this year and is completing nearly 67 percent of his passes.
In fact, his lowest passer rating in a start this year is 93.2. It’s not crazy to think that Penix is playing elite football right now for the Falcons, as he has also thrown for at least 213 yards in all of his starts this year.
You can see exactly why the Falcons drafted Penix when they did in the 2024 NFL Draft. Sure, he’ll need to keep playing well for the Falcons to truly invest in him beyond 2026, but how can you not be super amped about what he has done thus far? Good for Penix, and good for the Falcons.
He is on the rise.
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