Top 10 Best Quarterbacks Going Into the 2026 NFL Season

The Top Ten

Josh Allen

There are definitely a few players you could argue are the best quarterback in the NFL at the moment, but Allen, to me, still reigns supreme, even if you could consider last season a down year for him. Allen is basically the entire Bills offense. Everything rolls through him, whether it be through the air or his rushing numbers (he already holds the all-time QB rushing TD record before the age of 30). He's one of the all-time great dual-threat quarterbacks. Now all he really needs is some postseason luck to go his way.
Lamar Jackson

Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016. Jackson was selected by the Ravens with the final... read more

Jackson's 2025 season, along with Baltimore's season as a whole, was sort of derailed by a number of things. Jackson missed four games and put up the lowest rushing numbers of his career, but don't be fooled, because when he was on the field, he was still every bit as good as he was during his MVP snub campaign in 2024. Now, with new coaching in place, perhaps Lamar gets more life breathed into him and competes for his third MVP award.
Matthew Stafford

John Matthew Stafford, born on February 7, 1988, is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he played for over a decade before being traded to the Rams in 2021.... read more

The reigning MVP had a career year in his age-37 season, throwing for 4,700 yards and 46 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. All that while initially being questionable to start the season with lingering back problems. It's fair to wonder, given his age, if this past season will be his last major good one, but he's so far showed no signs of slowing down. Now, with Ty Simpson waiting in the wings, this could very well be his final season.
Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football player who is currently the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He has led the team to multiple Super Bowl appearances, winning MVP honors for Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII. Mahomes is... read more

It's been a very weird few years for Mahomes. 2024 was statistically his most underwhelming season, yet he still led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl appearance. The team as a whole suffered from a hangover during all of 2025, limping to a losing record, and worst of all, Mahomes tore his ACL after another underwhelming campaign. However, it would be ridiculous to say his career is on the downswing. Rather, he's still got a lot of great years ahead of him.
They finally added an actual running back for him in Kenneth Walker, Rashee Rice won't start the year suspended again, and Travis Kelce is once again making his return. All this to say, Mahomes will be back on track, pending, of course, his knee heals right.
Drake Maye

Maye has ascended fast as a young talent, going from a developing rookie on a terrible team to MVP and Super Bowl runner-up in his sophomore season. He threw for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns, and all this was with a wide receiver group that left a lot to be desired. Maye suddenly might have A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs to start this upcoming season, so the sky is the limit for him in continuing his meteoric rise.
Joe Burrow

Joseph Lee Burrow (born December 10, 1996) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). After three seasons of college football with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he played two seasons for the LSU Tigers, winning the Heisman Trophy and... read more

2025 was another year lost to injury for Burrow. Every season that he's stayed healthy, however, he's ended up throwing for more than 30 touchdowns, and he still has the same personnel to work with. He and his two receivers are quite literally the entire Bengals team. They don't go anywhere without Burrow, and last season made that very evident. If he stays healthy, Burrow is one of the top guys.
Sam Darnold

Samuel Richard Darnold, born on June 5, 1997, is an American professional football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was selected third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. Darnold... read more

Before 2024, Darnold was all but written off as a draft bust. But he resurged with the Vikings in 2024, landed in Seattle in 2025, picked up right where he left off, and ended up winning the Super Bowl. Who could have expected this career trajectory? In any case, Darnold has firmly staked his claim as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Dak Prescott

Rayne Dakota "Dak" Prescott, born July 29, 1993, is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Mississippi State, where he set several school records. Prescott has been the Cowboys' starting quarterback since 2016.

Being a Cowboys quarterback always puts a target on your back for criticism and scrutiny. Dallas has a ton of problems, but Dak isn't one of them. He's still quietly putting together quality seasons going into his age-33 season (I can't believe he's already been in the league that long). Running it back with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, I'd imagine Dak continues to play well if he stays healthy.
Justin Herbert

Justin Patrick Herbert (born March 10, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, winning the 2019 Pac-12 Championship, and was selected by the Chargers as the sixth overall pick... read more
Jared Goff

Jared Thomas Goff is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Following a stint in Los... read more

The Newcomers

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Baker Mayfield

Baker Reagan Mayfield is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He famously played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he secured the Heisman Trophy during his senior year. The Cleveland Browns originally snagged him with the... read more
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Jalen Hurts

The Contenders

Brock Purdy

Purdy's health has become something of a question in recent years, but there's no doubt when he's on the field that he's among the league's best. A prolific passer will only get even more prolific with a new addition at receiver in Mike Evans.
Caleb Williams
Jordan Love

Yeah, fight me on this. Jordan Love is easily a top ten quarterback. He was one of the league's most efficient quarterbacks last season, and that was with half the team ending up in the infirmary, including himself at one point. He's looked more poised every season he's played, and now, going into this season, he will finally have all his top targets on the field at the same time for the first time. I can see Love climbing into elite company if this season goes well.
Jayden Daniels
Bo Nix
Trevor Lawrence
Tyler Shough