Ranking The 10 Best QBs Entering The 2026 Season

The NFL is only as good as its quarterback play. Watching games with poor quarterback play can feel like a job, while nothing gets us more excited than a premium quarterback matchup in a primetime spot.

Luckily for the NFL, the league appears to be in a great spot with its quarterback talent. There are several established superstars, such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Matthew Stafford, who are all MVP contenders in 2026. But there are also a handful of exciting young players at the position who are on the cusp of greatness.

But who is the best quarterback in the league going into 2026? And who cracks the top 10? Without further ado, here is our list of the top passers in the NFL heading into the upcoming season:

1: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The new No. 1 is none other than Josh Allen. While he doesn’t have the same Super Bowl success as others on this list, Allen has been the most consistent and reliable quarterback over the last three seasons. 

The Bills have won double-digit games in each of the last seven seasons with Allen under center despite a revolving door at wide receiver. The gap between Allen and the other elite quarterbacks isn’t large, but he is the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the league heading into the 2026 season and the odds-on MVP favorite.

2: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

The 2025 MVP deserves to be high on this list after the season he just put together. The Rams have already won a Super Bowl with Stafford under center, and they are the current favorites to do it again in 2026. 

Stafford is easily the oldest quarterback on this list, but his arm hasn’t diminished in talent whatsoever. The only concern is whether he can stay healthy for a full season at the age of 38, but his game continues to age incredibly well in Los Angeles

3: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

It feels like a sin to have Patrick Mahomes anywhere else besides No. 1, but he hasn’t been quite as dynamic in recent years. And now, he’ll be returning to the field following a multi-ligament knee injury that he suffered late in the 2025 season.

There is no question Mahomes could jump back up to No. 1 on this list in no time, but he needs to show that he can lead an elite offense once again.

The wide receiver corps is still an issue, but that’s the difference (right now) between someone like Allen and Mahomes. Allen doesn’t need elite weapons for the offense to produce elite numbers. That hasn’t been the case for Mahomes over the last few seasons.

4: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Some injury concerns are starting to creep in for Jackson, but there is no doubt that the Ravens are one of the best teams in the league when he’s on the field. Since being drafted in 2018, Baltimore is 76-31 in games where Lamar Jackson starts. His career passer rating of 102.2 is the highest in NFL history, and he will soon smash every single rushing record set by a quarterback.

This is a big season for Jackson and his legacy, but make no mistake: he is still a top-five quarterback in the NFL and has shown he can be an MVP candidate in any given season.

5: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

You can make a really strong argument that Burrow should be even higher as he’s easily the most accurate quarterback on the list. His anticipation and accuracy make him impossible to stop, but the recent rash of injuries is why he isn’t higher on this list. Burrow is the all-time leader in completion percentage (68.5%), and his passer rating since 2021 (103.0) is the best among any active quarterback.

Burrow has missed significant time over the last three seasons and has played many games at less than 100 percent. But if he stays healthy in 2026, he could easily be the best quarterback in the league in any given week.

6: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

There is no doubt that you can poke some flaws in Dak Prescott’s playoff resume, but he is undoubtedly one of the league’s best pocket passers. The Cowboys are always near the top of the league in points and yards with Prescott under center, and that’s no coincidence. 

He’s one of the NFL’s top pre-snap quarterbacks and is rarely fooled by defenses. With some more postseason success, Prescott could climb into the top five of lists like these sooner rather than later. It’s a big season for Prescott, but the expectation is that he’ll post huge numbers again this year

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

It’s difficult to rank Justin Herbert for a variety of reasons. On the surface, he’s one of the most physically gifted passers in the league. His arm strength, paired with his touch and accuracy, defies logic. 

And yet, his teams have never won a playoff game with him under center. Some of the playoff shortcomings are his fault, but there are also other years, like 2025, where his play in the regular season was heroic in getting them to the tournament.

This ranking might be a bit of a projection considering he has yet another offensive coordinator. However, expect Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert to make sweet music during the 2026 season.

8: Drake Maye, New England Patriots

The Patriots were a trendy sleeper pick going into the 2025 season due to a perceived soft schedule and an improved roster. But no one imagined the Patriots making it back to the Super Bowl, yet it happened because Drake Maye turned into an MVP runner-up.

Maye has all the traits you could ever ask for in a franchise quarterback. And like Tom Brady before him, he can raise his play when it matters the most. The Patriots will face a more difficult schedule in 2026, and Maye will certainly be tested, but he is a no-brainer top-10 quarterback going into the upcoming season.

9: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

If you put together a highlight of the 10 best plays from each quarterback in 2025, you would be hard-pressed to put anyone higher than Caleb Williams. Between unbelievable throws and clutch comebacks, Williams exceeded all expectations in Year 2.

There is still some inconsistency in his game that needs to be fixed before he can climb this list, but there is no doubt his time is coming. Williams is one of the NFL’s most exciting players and a superstar on the rise going into the 2026 season. And he is the biggest reason why the Bears are the current favorites in the NFC North right now.

10: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Love has taken some big steps forward over the last two seasons with the Packers. While he has never quite returned to the level we saw him play at during the 2023 playoffs, Love has been among the most efficient quarterbacks in the league over the last two seasons.

The Packers will lean on him heavily in 2026 with Micah Parsons set to miss the first month (and possibly more) of the season. But that shouldn’t be an issue for Love, who can outduel just about any quarterback in the league when he’s on.