This is an especially fun time to talk quarterbacks. We have yet to see teams take a single snap in training camp — let alone in a padded practice. And this year, there’s no real consensus on which QBs are among the elite. There’s even less consensus around the quarterbacks ranked from No. 9 to No. 19. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
But that’s what makes the ranking — and ensuing conversation — so compelling.
Patrick Mahomes no longer lays claim as king of the NFL … or does he?
Josh Allen is obviously the best QB on the planet right now … or is he?
And Drake Maye has established himself as the best QB from the vaunted 2024 NFL Draft class … or, wait, did Caleb Williams? … Or then again, is that still Jayden Daniels? Now that I think about it, don’t count out Bo Nix!
There’s a lot to consider. For now, this ranking is an early look forward to Week 1. Who will be ready? Which QBs have been set up to succeed? And which QBs have a track record of success despite their surroundings? With those questions held at the fore, let’s rank the NFL QB1s as of today.
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If the quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders is close — as it appears to be — will the Browns go with the beleaguered young guy who could be their future? Or will they favor the embattled veteran in a last-ditch effort to get some return on their investment (from the hundreds of millions of dollars and the traded draft picks)?
I’m genuinely not sure.
The sensible decision is to go with Sanders. The Browns could see what the second-year QB can do with first-team reps. They might as well see how Sanders fares alongside their first three draft picks from this past spring: offensive tackle Spencer Fano and wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, each of whom went in the top 40.
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It’s likely that the Browns’ 2027 starting quarterback isn’t on the current roster. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
But the longer this QB competition carries on, the more I begin to wonder if the organization is deadset on recouping some value from Watson amid what is universally considered the worst NFL trade of all time. And so maybe they’ll let him spin it.
To further complicate matters, a deep 2027 QB class looms over this decision.
For all the stress and scrutiny that’ll go into Watson versus Shedeur, the most likely outcome is that the Browns will select a QB in the top five picks of next year’s draft. And in that sense, it’s fair to wonder if any of the Browns’ current QBs will get a serious shake.
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New Dolphins QB Malik Willis is saddled with one of the weakest supporting casts in football. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
There’s still so much to like about Baker Mayfield, who is accurate, smart and a die-hard, dedicated winner. Maybe he’s a system quarterback, but he has staying power (and versatility to operate in multiple systems) because of his situational awareness and risk management.
I think back, for example, to his performance in Week 5 oflast year when the Bucs didn’t need Mike Evans — who is now with San Francisco — to beat the Seattle Seahawks, 38-35. Then look at the next week, when Mayfield and the Bucs lit up the 49ers without Evans or Chris Godwin.
There’s still reason for optimism surrounding the Bucs.
But optimism can’t stray into delusion.
Mayfield is playing on an expiring deal in an offense that’s on its fourth offensive coordinator in the QB’s four years with the Bucs. They don’t have an obvious replacement for Evans, and so without their downfield threat, their passing game could grow condensed, with an emphasis on the quick game.
Can Mayfield win sustainably with that identity? If he doesn’t, will the Bucs begin to think about the 2027 NFL Draft class. It’s a pressurized situation in Tampa.
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Jared Goff has somewhat quietly averaged more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns the past four years with Detroit. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Bears appear to plan as carefully as any team in the NFL. That’s why coach Ben Johnson came at such a premium price. And his skills include quarterback development and optimization. So it’s hard not to trust Johnson’s plan for Caleb Williams, which the coach relayed to me at owners’ meetings.
It starts with lifting the completion percentage and addressing accuracy and decision-making for Williams (and drops from his receivers). And while it won’t end there, that should make a sizable difference in staving off regression from a Bears team that seemingly did nothing but win close games — often despite playing from behind.
Williams will have to steady his game, preserving the magic that has made him special in the fourth quarters of games — while excising the inexplicable misses and perhaps even limiting the moments when he tries to do too much.
But with Williams’ talent and Johnson’s coaching, it’s hard to imagine the third-year QB going anywhere but up.
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Despite Dak Prescott’s stellar production, the Cowboys are 10-14-1 in his starts over the past two seasons. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
That ranking in the NFL 100? Woof!
Lamar Jackson landed at 69th in NFL Network’s anonymous, players-only ranking. The Ravens QB and two-time NFL MVP was only three spots ahead of receiver (and teammate) Zay Flowers — and ranked lower than linebacker Jordyn Brooks (67th) and receiver Chris Olave (64).
Make that make sense. I dare you.
We did learn just how important Lamar’s health is to his game. His athleticism is one of many things that make him great, and with the injuries piling up — and his insistence on playing through them — he didn’t look like himself for much of last season.
Maybe people are afraid that Jackson will turn into the next Cam Newton: elite one day and washed up the next. But I’m here to say that this isn’t the new normal for Lamar. He’s still just 29 years old. He really doesn’t take big hits, opting to slide away from contact. He doesn’t have an injury history beyond the hamstring and back from 2025. If he can get that hamstring right, he’ll make a comeback this year and jump back into the players’ top-10 list.
Kenneth Walker III, whom Kansas City signed in free agency this offseason, is a great running back. He is not the Chiefs’ offensive cure-all. This offense is likely to struggle again in 2026, and certainly at the outset.
I understand that Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent. I respect the heck out of that talent, perhaps substantially more than most. But that talent has very little to do with his physiological recovery from an ACL injury. It’s an injury that sets back even the most dedicated and diligent athletes. Take Tom Brady, for example. He set a record in 2007 with 50 passing touchdowns. He tore his ACL in the first game of 2008. And then in 2009, he threw for 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — one pick away from his career high (14). It took him time to return to form.
This is all to say that we should temper expectations around Mahomes’ return. He won’t be himself. His offense — which was as bad as ever last year — won’t suddenly return to its glory simply because of a top-tier running back. This is still a very messy situation in KC. And while I think Mahomes will be a good and steady force in 2026, I don’t think he’ll wow in Week 1. And I don’t know that he’ll regain his magic until late in the season.
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Justin Herbert is coming off his second career Pro Bowl campaign, but it was one in which he also took a career-high 54 sacks. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images)
If there’s one game that complicates Joe Burrow’s 2025 season, it’s Cincinnati’s matchup against Baltimore in Week 15. He put up a stinker — with two interceptions (and one pick-six) and no touchdowns — in a shutout loss to Lamar Jackson’s desperate squad.
It was one of the few games that mattered for Burrow in a campaign cut in half by injury, and he struggled tremendously.
Burrow was trying to do too much to help the Bengals make the playoffs when they were unable to help themselves. Cincy fell to 4-10 and was officially eliminated. And for the rest of the season, Burrow tore apart crappy defenses without any stakes or pressure.
That said, aside from that Ravens game, it’s hard to hold last season against him. He was injured, as usual. And his defense was garbage, as usual. Coach Zac Taylor is still fighting against the club’s perennial tradition of starting the season slow. Elite quarterbacks should be able to overcome some of these issues — but certainly not all. And Burrow’s numbers were really impressive, given he played in only eight games.
So looking forward, there’s one question surrounding Burrow:
Given that history has a way of repeating itself, is it foolhardy to expect something different in 2026?
It’s not.
I promise.
The Bengals invested in their defense this offseason, which should alleviate some of the scoring pressure that Burrow has felt in recent years. It could bring balance to the offense. And it could finally bring Cincinnati not just into the playoff bubble but atop its division. If Burrow is the guy he’s been in the past, the Bengals could (and should) win three of their first five games. And it’ll be thanks to Burrow’s established rapport and explosiveness with his two star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
