2026 NFL Quarterback Rankings, All 32 Teams

As a feature in the 2026 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2026 season, including the best and worst NFL quarterback situations.

The ranking guidelines were specific to the voter, with the only requirement that the focus be on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2026 NFL quarterback rankings.

2026 NFL Quarterback Rankings

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. 

What team has the best quarterbacks in the NFL?

32. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona's quarterbacks suffered the biggest fall, plummeting to 32nd from 15th last year. Kyler Murray was let go, and the Cardinals will turn the reins over to some combination of Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and third-round rookie Carson Beck this year.

31. Cleveland Browns

The Browns were one of three teams to receive last-place votes at quarterback due to poor play from everyone who has seen the field and the chaos created by Andrew Berry having drafted three quarterbacks in the last two years despite still being tied to the anchor that is Deshaun Watson’s contract for one more season. 

30. New York Jets

The Jets quarterback room ranked no higher than 27th on any ballot. Geno Smith has more talent around him in New York than in Las Vegas, but his inability to protect himself from pressure was a red flag that his career as a competent starter might be over. Smith was sacked on 28% of his dropbacks versus pressure. Only one non-rookie (Kyler Murray) was worse. 

29. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins quarterback room had votes ranging from 21st to 32nd. Malik Willis generated a lot of positive buzz during his time in Green Bay, but we’ve only seen him make three starts since his brief, disastrous tenure in Tennessee, so it was difficult to pinpoint the right spot to rank him. 

28. Atlanta Falcons

Kirk Cousins is gone, and Michael Penix will battle with Tua Tagovailoa once the former has recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last November. As a result, Atlanta’s quarterbacks fall to 28th in our rankings this year, six spots below where they were in 2025.

27. Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarterback is the Steelers lowest-ranked unit, which isn’t exactly an ideal way to build a roster, especially when your starter is 42 years old. Aaron Rodgers ranked no higher than 21st on any ballot. 

26. Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young slipped slightly from 24th last year to 26th. Young took steps forward in 2025, improving his accuracy and using shorter throws to improve his efficiency and reduce sacks. However, the offense lacked explosiveness, and Young averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt. Kenny Pickett replaces Andy Dalton as the backup.

25. Las Vegas Raiders

The offseason transactions at quarterback made perfect sense, drafting Fernando Mendoza and supporting him with Kirk Cousins. But since we’re only ranking teams based on our expectations for 2026 performance, it was difficult to be optimistic about this situation. Las Vegas’ quarterback situation ranked no higher than 21st on any ballot. 

24. Tennessee Titans

As expected, Cam Ward made some big plays as a rookie, but his desire to attack downfield also created issues for the offense. Only 60% of Ward’s pass attempts at 15 or more yards downfield were catchable, the league’s fourth-worst rate. Either that drastically improves, or he needs to evolve into a more conservative quarterback. 

23. Indianapolis Colts

Daniel Jones exceeded expectations when healthy, but we’re still not buying him as the long-term answer in Indy. The Colts quarterback situation ranked no higher than 20th on any ballot. 

22. New Orleans Saints

Tyler Shough might’ve been the biggest surprise at quarterback last year, and his rookie performance was enough to jump 10 spots after being ranked dead last in 2025. Shough went 5-4 in his nine starts and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. The hope is he can take a second-year leap and become a true building block for the franchise.

21. Minnesota Vikings

After an up-and-down rookie year by J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings quarterbacks finished 21st, up four spots from last year. McCarthy’s struggles led Minnesota to sign veteran Kyler Murray and declare a battle for the starting spot heading into training camp. Murray started just five games last year and hasn’t posted a winning season since 2021.

20. New York Giants

Jaxson Dart’s performance as a rookie saw the Giants move up seven spots in our QB rankings. Dart started 12 games as a rookie and scored 24 total touchdowns, 15 of which came through the air. However, his 6.7 yards per completion ranked ahead of just four quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts. Jameis Winston returns as the veteran backup after starting two games in 2025.

19. Houston Texans

Houston plummeted 10 spots in our quarterback rankings this year. A case could be made that this is an overreaction to C.J. Stroud’s postseason disaster, but we’re getting further away from his breakout rookie year without any signs of progress. 

18. Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold put together his second-straight 14-win season, but his performance was only good enough to move up four spots to 18th in this year’s rankings. Darnold’s touchdowns were down in 2025, but he did a good job avoiding pressure, taking 21 fewer sacks than he did his year in Minnesota.

17. Denver Broncos

Maybe Bo Nix is just a game manager, but if that’s the case, he’s excellent in his role. The Broncos generated -1 EPA or worse on just 13.5% of Nix’s dropbacks last year, the league’s third-lowest rate. They are asking him to avoid negative plays and let the defense win games, and he’s doing exactly that. 

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield slipped a bit to 16th, down from 14th last year. Mayfield delivered another efficient year in 2025, but despite posting a higher total QBR, his completion percentage dropped to 63%, and he threw 15 fewer touchdowns than he did a year ago.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars

Although Trevor Lawrence had a bounce-back year and took Jacksonville back to the postseason, our voters continue to view him as a league-average quarterback. His mistakes versus pressure remain a critical piece of that equation. When Lawrence was pressured, 27% of his dropbacks generated -1 EPA or worse, ranked 17th out of 42 quarterbacks. 

14. Washington Commanders

Washington quarterbacks saw a notable decline, dropping to 14th from seventh last year (-7 spots). Jayden Daniels played in just seven games due to injury and saw all his numbers decline across the board. That includes his QBR, which dropped over 20 points to 44.7.

13. Detroit Lions

Jared Goff sits 13th in the quarterback rankings, dropping two spots from a year ago. Goff threw for over 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns for the third straight season in 2025, but wasn’t as efficient as he had been in years past, posting a total QBR of 57.3 and a success rate below 50%. Veteran Teddy Bridgewater was brought in to be the top backup.

12. Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts tumbles out of the top 10 this year, falling all the way to 12 after finishing in the top five following his Super Bowl 59 MVP performance. Hurts set a career high in passing touchdowns last year, but saw his QBR drop to 55.2, his lowest mark since his first year as a full-time starter.

11. Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams took a big step forward, rising to 11th from 17th last year. Williams threw for 27 touchdowns and led the NFL in fourth-quarter comebacks, but his greatest improvement might’ve come in avoiding pressure, taking only 24 sacks after being sacked 68 times as a rookie. 

10. Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love remains unchanged from 2025, finishing 10th for the second consecutive year. However, he did see some improvement in his third year as a starter, boosting his total QBR to a career-high 72.7. The Packers also added Tyrod Taylor as the backup after losing Malik Willis in free agency.

9. San Francisco 49ers

49ers signal callers jumped into the top 10 this year, moving up from 12th. Brock Purdy played just nine games in the regular season last year, but he looked more like the guy who finished fourth in MVP voting in 2023 than the guy who struggled in 2024. Perhaps just as important as Purdy’s bounce-back was the development of Mac Jones as a top backup. Jones went 5-3 in his eight starts and posted a very respectable 62.3 total QBR.

8. Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott holds at a respectable eighth in our QB rankings after finishing 13th last year. Prescott posted another 4,000-yard season in 2025 and saw his total-QBR jump above 70 for the sixth season of his career.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert is still in search of that first playoff victory, but our voters are still relatively high on his talent. Votes ranged from fourth to 11th. 

6. New England Patriots

The Patriots jumped 15 spots in our quarterback rankings this year, as Drake Maye solidified himself as an upper-tier passer during their Super Bowl run. Maye’s ability to handle pressure was the catalyst for his year-two leap. New England’s offense only lost .09 EPA per dropback when Maye was pressured, the second-best rate behind only Patrick Mahomes. 

5. Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford checks in at fifth in the quarterback rankings, up from eighth last year. Stafford led the league’s top-scoring offense in 2025 and led the NFL in yards, touchdowns, and first downs en route to his first MVP award. Behind Stafford, the Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round to develop as their next franchise QB.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

For the first time in our six years of ranking position units, the Chiefs do not occupy the top spot at quarterback. Since we’re ranking units for the 2026 season only, Patrick Mahomes‘ injury was likely a critical factor for many voters, as he received just one first-place vote and even landed outside the top three on a few ballots. 

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Once again, the Bengals are expected to be buoyed by Joe Burrow and the passing attack, as quarterback is one of just two positions in which Cincy is ranked in the upper half of the league. 

2. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens quarterback room climbed up one spot in our rankings from a season ago, benefiting from the Chiefs’ fall down the list. Votes landed somewhere between second and fourth on every ballot. 

1. Buffalo Bills

For the first time in our six years compiling our unit rankings, Patrick Mahomes does not sit atop the quarterback leaderboard, having been overtaken by Josh Allen. Although it was not a unanimous selection, the Bills quarterback room ranked first or second on every ballot.