2026 Nfl Qb Rankings- Quarter Pole Edition

It’s the second installment of our 2026 quarterback rankings. We released our first set of rankings before the season started, and this second article comes out roughly 25% into the season. We will update this again at the midway point, 75% through the season, and at the end of the season.

As always, critical to keep in mind, these rankings consider the QB’s career rankings. There are plenty of rankings that take a look at these rankings in a bubble and talk about only how QBs are performing this year only. These rankings look at their careers, so you’ll see less movement in the top 10, more movement as we move further down the rankings, and they are pretty volatile towards the bottom of the 50.

But that’s critical to know when you look at Justin Herbert’s ranking. It also takes into account his previous years of success, and not just his struggles the first 5 games of the season. Yes, their more current performance outweighs performance from years ago, which is why you’ll see Aaron Rodgers where he is, and even guys like Joe Flacco.

But without further discussion, here’s a look at the quarter pole edition of the 2026 QB Rankings.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (1)

We wondered if the King was going to finally be knocked off his perch this time around, and Josh Allen certainly has made a case, but 9 TDs and 2 INTs in 4 games isn’t how you lose the top spot.

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (2)

“Somebody tackle Josh Allen” is a song that’s taking over the social media airwaves, and it ain’t wrong. His pass/run combination is really like nothing we’ve ever seen. Allen can take over the top spot this year if he keeps it up, but he’s going to have to slay the dragon.

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (4)

It felt like people really wanted to pile on Jackson for a subpar season last year. I think we dropped him from 2 to 4 because we don’t like to overreact on this list. Jackson settling in at number 3 feels right. He’s still an elite playmaker with the football.

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (5)

The Bengals look like they are a playoff team and could challenge for a Super Bowl if things break their way. Burrow is obviously a big reason why. With an improved defense, it’s going to be on Burrow to make noise once again in January.

5. Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (3)

Stafford rose to number three last year with his MVP performance, but so far this year, Stafford has shown signs of aging. He’s still a great slinger of the football and makes wow throws every game, but we are starting to see a little of Father Time catch up with him. It’ll be interesting to see how this season plays out.

6. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (7)

After the top 5, it gets really difficult to rank QBs. Prescott hasn’t exactly grabbed this spot showing no mercy, but he’s having another quality Dak year while a lot of the guys around him have not played well. Dak climbs one spot as the bottom half of the top 10 starts shaking out this year.

7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (10)

The Lions, as a whole, haven’t been great, but has anyone noticed that Jared Goff is averaging 300 yards passing per game and is on pace to throw 41 TDs with 0 INTs? He’s doing it with his third offensive coordinator in 3 years. Goff is showing he was not a Ben Johnson merchant.

8. Justin Herbert, LA Chargers (6)

Justin Herbert is playing like one of the five worst QBs in the NFL, but because of his previous years, we aren’t going to just drop him 10 or 12 spots. If he continues to play like this, he will see himself fall out of the top 10 and maybe even the top 20, but we need to see more struggles over some more games before we are willing to say he’s not one of the better QBs in the league.

9. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (15)

Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy have something going. Purdy is leading the league in QBR and has a QB rating of 119. He’s healthy after an injury-riddled 2025 and showing that he can be a top-10 QB in the league with Shanny by his side.

10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (11)

Caleb was poised to climb several spots, but the hamstring injury certainly derailed that. Caleb has had one healthy game in good conditions, and he led the offense to 59 points. It’s safe to say that he’s a top 10 QB in the league. The question is how close can he rise to top 5 by season’s end.

11. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (13)

Love continues to oscillate on my list between about 8 and 13. He continues to show that he’s a borderline top 10 QB but can’t cement his status with his inconsistent play. He looked pretty dreadful the first few games of the season, but he showed against Chicago what he can do if he has a little more time to cook.

12. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (14)

Lawrence may never reach the heights that he was expected to have when he was drafted first overall by the Jaguars, but Liam Coen has unlocked consistent play from Lawrence, and he’s safely established himself as a top-half QB in the league.

13. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (8)

Darnold has had an odd start to his 2026 season. He’s been inconsistent, has turned the ball over, and honestly has been outplayed by his backup, Drew Lock. Darnold is a Super Bowl champion, and no one will take that away from him or how well he played in both 2024 and 2025, but he’s going to need to improve his play if he wants to be considered a top 10 QB in the NFL.

14. Drake Maye, New England Patriots (9)

After his performance on Sunday, Drake Maye may be back, but with how poorly he played in his first four games, when his sample size is as small as it is, he’s going to have to tumble a few spots. If Maye gets back to his 2025 form, I fully expect him to cement himself in the top 10, but he needs to shake off how things started this season.

15. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (12)

The Eagles may genuinely have a Jalen Hurts problem. He has a low completion percentage, which is fine if he was an attacking QB, but he rarely pushes the middle of the field and has one of the lowest Y/A at 6.1. The Eagles are building draft capital in 2028, and it’s not impossible to consider that they could go after a new QB if Hurts doesn’t improve.

16. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (17)

Daniels has the skills to be a top 10 QB in the league, but he continues to show that he can’t stay on the field, and he had another dislocation of his elbow that has forced him to miss multiple games. If Daniels continues to get hurt, he’s not going to be the guy the Commanders think he can be.

17. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (22)

After a disastrous start to his career, Young continues to improve and is pushing to be a top-half QB in the league. I decided to slide him one spot in front of CJ Stroud, but it’s really going to be interesting to see how these two draft-mates have this year play out and where they stand by the end of the year.

18. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans (19)

Ironically, the Texans defense has been the issue for them this year, not the offense, and Stroud has been pretty good. He hasn’t shown signs of being the guy from his rookie year but looks much better than the guy who has struggled the last couple of years. Stroud, at the moment, seems properly ranked.

19. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (18)

I’ve never seen a QB who can play poorly and bury his team only to play better and bail his team out. Nix is a roller coaster every game, and that inconsistency is preventing him from climbing the ranks. If he irons out his play, he has a chance to push to be a top 10 QB, but as long as the inconsistencies remain, this feels about the right spot for him.

20. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16)

Mayfield did not play great before he was injured, and his offense, arguably, looks better with UDFA Jalon Daniels running the unit. Mayfield is a better QB than he’s shown, and the Bucs have committed to him, but at 31, it’s not impossible to consider that while Mayfield has plenty of football left, his best days might be in the rearview mirror.

21. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (23)

The Saints don’t have a big record to stand on, and opponents have gotten Shough to make mistakes, but you have to like what you’ve seen from Shough to start his NFL career. He’s an older prospect, so he does have a limited ceiling, but there’s no reason to think he can’t at least be in the Kirk Cousins mold if he continues to improve like this.

22. Jaxson Dart, NY Giants (20)

It’s unfortunate that Dart is going to miss most of his second season. That’s a crushing blow to the development of a QB, but it did seem like John Harbaugh was a good influence on Dart and had him playing smarter and a little less reckless, but still playing like Dart. We will have to see where he’s at heading into year three.

23. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (31)

You can certainly argue that Cousins deserves to be even higher on this list. He has turned back the clock and has looked pretty sharp for Vegas. The Raiders have lost two straight to KC and NE, but if Cousins keeps up this magic act with Klint Kubiak, the Raiders could flirt with the playoffs in January.

24. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (24)

Aaron Rodgers has flashes in every game where you see the future Hall of Famer, but he has too many moments where he looks like, well, a 42-year-old QB. I didn’t feel like it made sense for Rodgers to return, and based on what we’ve seen, it looks like 2026 is going to look exactly like 2025.

25. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (29)

Brissett is having a typical Brissett year. He’s mostly functional, not overly impressive, but can operate an offense. He’s exactly what the Cardinals want right now- be functional so it doesn’t look like we are openly tanking, but don’t be good enough to put the team on your shoulders and actually win games.

26. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (41)

Watson makes the largest jump over the first quarter of the season because he looks functional, which is something that I thought passed him by. I still think Cleveland needs to go another direction at QB, but Watson may be able to turn in a better year than most expected.

27. Michael Penix, Atlanta Falcons (36)

With Tua, Jack Stand, or Cooper Rush, the Falcons look like arguably the worst team in the NFL. With Michael Penix, they look like a middle-of-the-road team with a couple of elite weapons. It looks like Penix avoided a major injury to his ribs, which may end up saving the Falcons’ season. They can’t function without him.

28. Geno Smith, New York Jets (32)

Geno Smith has bounced back nicely from last year’s disaster, but let’s not kid ourselves on where he is. He’s limited as a player at this point and is just trying to pilot the Jets to land and not crash in January. So far, it looks like the Jets might be capable of getting to 6 to 8 wins, which would be far from crashing based on expectations.

29. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers (28)

Hasn’t played, but he still should be considered the league’s best QB2.

30. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (21)

Daniel Jones is coming off a major injury, to be fair, but I really think he’s turned back into a pumpkin. He had that great run the first half of last year, but this Daniel Jones looks like all the other versions we’ve seen over the years: not very good.

31. Jameis Winston, NY Giants (44)

Winston’s first game after Dart was injured was an absolute disaster. He didn’t even look ready to play. But since then, Winston has looked pretty functional as the Giants QB. It’s hard to imagine him climbing any higher than around here in the rankings, but credit where it’s due.

32. Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings (39)

Neither QB in Minnesota looks like a strong QB1, but Wentz has slightly outperformed Murray thus far, so he gets the slightest of edges in the rankings. Like Winston, hard to imagine Wentz able to climb any higher than here.

33. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings (27)

Murray should be higher than this, but between an injury and a couple of rough games, he needs to drop a few spots in the rankings. Murray has looked better the last couple of games, and if he’s getting more comfortable, he should be able to climb several rungs before the season is over.

34. Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens (42)

Just a capable backup. He continues to turn in solid performances every time the Ravens need him, and he wins more than he loses, which is a huge plus for any QB2.

35. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (25)

It’s too early to panic on Cam Ward, especially when you look at the infrastructure around him, but there are plenty of concerns as we move into the middle of year two. The growth isn’t there. Is Ward not it, or is the org failing him? In the end, it doesn’t really matter. The tape is the tape.

36. Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks (49)

Lock filled in excellently for Sam Darnold to the point where, right now, Lock looks better in the offense than Darnold. I would expect Sam to settle down and look better, but Lock proved he’s another very capable backup QB.

37. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins (26)

Malik Willis looked like an outstanding QB2 in Green Bay. So far he looks like a lousy QB1 in Miami. Willis needed a shot, and Miami was willing to give him one. And let’s not pretend that he’s surrounded by an all-star cast, but Willis will find himself back in a QB2 role as early as 2027 if this continues.

38. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals (30)

Another QB2 who hasn’t played but can still get out there and sling it for a game or two if called upon.

39. Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (38)

Mendoza finally got some action, and for an NFL debut for a QB, he looked fine. It’ll be interesting to see how the Raiders handle the Cousins- Mendoza dynamic the rest of the year.

40. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (33)

Mariota continues to show that he’s a capable backup QB. With Jayden Daniels injury issues, that’s critical for the Commanders.

41. Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NR)

Who doesn’t love a great story? Daniels is a great story.

42. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns (35)

Tough to fall 7 spots when you didn’t play, but there were too many QBs that were ranked behind him that have had opportunities and played pretty well.

43. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints (37)

He’s a QB2. How good is he? We’ll see if he gets any chances to show us later this year.

44. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (40)

Mills is kind of forgettable as a QB2, but when he gets chances, the offense functions, over the last couple of years, sometimes even better than CJ Stroud.

45. Case Keenum, Chicago Bears (NR)

After the great game against the Eagles, we had to give Keenum a nod back into the top 50. It will be interesting to see if he’s the Bears QB3 or QB2 this Sunday in Atlanta.

46. Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons (34)

Is dropping Tua 12 spots for 1 interception fair? I honestly wonder if I didn’t drop him far enough.

47. Justin Fields, Kansas City Chiefs (43)

Fields is yet to play this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Andy Reid wants to get him on the field at some point just as a weapon or just hope he never sees the field and Patrick Mahomes takes every snap.

48. Tyrod Taylor, Green Bay Packers (45)

Another guy that falls into the capable backup category.

49. Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears (46)

You could argue that Bagent should have been dropped off this list after his performance against the Packers (and Vikings, for that matter). But thanks to his Jets performance, we will keep him on here, but drop him a few spots.

50. Mitch Trubisky, Tennessee Titans (48)

Trubisky signed a 2-year deal in Tennessee, so I assume he will be back there in 2027, but if he’s not, I actually think Trubisky would be a great QB2 in Chicago if Ben Johnson makes changes to his QB room. The vibes would be lit for Chicago Bears fans.