Quarterbacks are the most valuable position in football. After all, the last 13 NFL MVP award winners have been quarterbacks. While some quarterbacks are a reflection of their offensive environments, a select few transcend their surroundings.
Which teams are best equipped to make an early-season statement in 2026 because of who is under center? Which quarterbacks are the sport's most talented or gifted at this moment in time? Who could play their way out of a starting job with their current team? Let's take stock of all 32 starters with a snapshot of this present moment.
These rankings are fluid and designed to tell the story of each starting quarterback's respective rise and/or fall throughout the season. That's why some quarterbacks in this week's rankings rose as many as 11 spots or fell as many as 10. In a vacuum, Patrick Mahomes would remain No. 1 for the foreseeable future and so on. However, he will not be found in the top spot since he is still shaking off the rust from a torn ACL and LCL. So where do the league's biggest names line up entering the second week of the regular season?
Enjoy our Week 2 edition of the 2026 Quarterback Power Rankings:
NFL QB Power Rankings1
Josh Allen Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen shook the Houston Texans' monkey off his back in a massive way with a dominant performance in a 36-31 road win, and it was against the defense many think is going to be the league's best this season. He threw for 334 yards passing and two passing touchdowns while completing 20 of his 29 throws (69%). He also added two more touchdowns and 23 yards on the ground on just six carries. That's worthy of being the new No. 1 at this time. (+2)2 
Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had one of the smoothest outings of Week 1 in a 41-23 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 324 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-25 passing (68%), while adding 40 yards rushing and another touchdown on the ground on seven carries. His footwork and timing were pristine in his first game under new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's scheme. Jackson has won an NFL MVP in each of his previous two NFL seasons with a new OC, and he's off to a good start to keep that streak alive in 2026. (+2)3 
Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes returned to action exactly nine months after tearing his ACL and MCL, which is truly an incredible feat. He didn't need to be Superman, with Kenneth Walker III putting on the cape and going for 173 yards, but he was solid. He threw for 184 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception on 15-of-27 passing, while also adding a 15-yard rushing touchdown. He did display some rust, hurling an interception into Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones chest on a fastball from the end zone. Mahomes eventually found his groove, though, completing 13 of his final 15 throws. He'll probably be back on top of the list at some point this season. (-1)4 
Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow tossed an ugly pick-six right into Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Josiah Trotter's chest, but he was otherwise efficient. He completed 71% of his throws (25-of-35) for 254 yards and a two-yard touchdown toss to tight end Mike Gesicki. Burrow ranks top five in the NFL in completion percentage (69.6%, fourth), passing yards per game (268.5, second and touchdown-to-interception ratio (61-15, third) since 2024, which is enough to keep him in the top five at the moment. (+1)5 
Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams QB The 2025 NFL MVP, along with the rest of the Los Angeles Rams, rode the struggle bus in their 27-7 defeat Down Under against the San Francisco 49ers. It looked like the entire Rams roster was sleepwalking after arriving in Australia shortly before kickoff against a San Francisco team well acclimated to the Southern Hemisphere. He threw for 155 yards and an interception on 15-of-25 passing, which snapped his streak of 17 consecutive games with a passing touchdown. There's much to clean up in Week 2. (-4)6 
Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is on an all-time regular-season heater. He threw for an efficient 245 yards and four passing touchdowns while completing 78.3% of his passes (18-for-24) in a dominant 34-10 home win over the Cleveland Browns. Lawrence is close to becoming the fourth quarterback to ever earn a win in a multiple-TD game in 10 straight regular-season starts. The others are either Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers: Dan Marino (1984), Tom Brady (2007, 2010-2011) and Aaron Rodgers (13 straight games in 2011). That's enough to have him knocking on the door of the top five. (+5)7 
Jordan Love Green Bay Packers QB No team's offensive line surrendered more quarterback pressure in Week 1 than the Green Bay Packers. Their line allowed a league-high 25 pressures as well as a league-high 54.3% quarterback pressure rate. Yet Jordan Love had Green Bay in the lead over halfway into the fourth quarter, completing miracle throw after miracle throw as the pocket collapsed against Brian Flores and the Vikings' psychotic blitz. Minnesota blitzed on 78.3% of Love's dropbacks, and he hung in there until his defense and offensive line collapsed late in a 39-22 loss that was a lot closer than the final score. Green Bay's running backs also averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, the fifth-lowest figure in Week 1. Love has to be Superman for Green Bay, and he nearly pulled it off with 387 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception on 21-of-42 passing. His 387 yards are the most with a 50% completion percentage or worse since Andrew Luck in his rookie year with a horrific Indianapolis Colts offensive line. (+1)8 
Caleb Williams Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams and his loaded supporting cast shredded the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers in a video-game-like 59-31 win, the highest combined score in NFL history for a Week 1 game. Williams became the first player in Bears history with 250-plus passing yards (269), multiple passing touchdowns (two), 50-plus rushing yards (65) and multiple rushing touchdowns (two) in a game. He stuffed the box score. It will be fun to see if he can maintain his efficiency (21-of-29 passing, 72.4% in Week 1) against Brian Flores' Vikings defense in Week 2. If he can, he'll soar up these rankings after being an inefficient roller coaster at times for much of the 2025 season. (+5)9 
Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had an "uh oh, here we go again" look in his eyes after watching his Dallas Cowboys defense allow the New York Giants to convert on nine of their 11 third downs in a 28-20 Dallas defeat. Prescott and the offense scored touchdowns on both of their second-half drives, but that's all they got since the defense couldn't get off the field. He tossed one half-hearted heave at the end of the first half that set up the Giants to take a one-touchdown lead they never surrendered. However, he was mostly efficient, completing 22 of his 34 throws (64.7%) for 175 yards, two passing touchdowns and that interception. He evaded New York's ferocious pass rush and did not take any sacks. Prescott appears to once again have the weight of the world on his shoulders in Dallas. (-2)10 
Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff helped pilot the Detroit Lions to a narrow 31-30 overtime victory over the feisty New Orleans Saints in Week 1 with an efficient 206 yards passing and two passing touchdowns. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs did most of the heavy lifting with 156 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns on 29 carries, but Goff played clean enough to remain in the top 10 for now. (No change)11 
Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy clearly outdueled Matthew Stafford down in Australia after having a rest advantage and throwing his seemingly mandatory interception — Purdy has thrown an interception in six consecutive games, including the playoffs. That's the longest streak of his five-year career. He hit Rams safety Quentin Lake for an ugly interception to kick off the second quarter, and then he locked in to toss three touchdowns on an efficient 25-of-34 passing (73.5%) against the preseason Super Bowl favorites. (+1)12 
Drake Maye New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, the 2025 NFL MVP runner-up and Super Bowl LX runner-up quarterback, couldn't have kicked off his 2026 any worse. He threw a career-high three interceptions in a 13-10 defeat to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, with all three coming in the fourth quarter. The last one was a horrific meatball sub in the worst possible moment. New England had reached the Seattle 16 with 26 seconds left, meaning it had a shot at overtime well in hand. Maye then chose to throw a lollipop to the right corner of the end zone off his back foot — a horrific choice. The football hung in the air, and Josh Jobe picked it off to end the game in regulation. He'll need to recalibrate himself after that stinker. (-6)13 
Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts made it clear early on that he is a scheme fit for new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's Shanahan-McVay tree offensive scheme. He completed 14 of his 25 throws for 203 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another 46 yards on seven carries. Hurts actually had one of the most impressive throws of Week 1: a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert into a tight, Cover 2 zone window in the back of the end zone. As for scheme fit, he averaged 10.2 yards per pass attempt with motion, a staple of Mannion's playbook. (+3)14 
Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels took time to get going in his return from his dislocated elbow injury in 2025, but he caught fire in the fourth quarter. He completed nine of his 11 throws for 99 yards and two passing touchdowns in a 24-22 defeat at the Eagles in Week 1. He was a throw away from going to OT after failing to connect on a two-point conversion with 1:01 left to play. He finished with 164 yards and two passing touchdowns on 18-of-34 passing. Daniels has a great opportunity to put an entire game together at the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. (+1)15 
Jaxson Dart New York Giants QB Playing the Dallas Cowboys defense is a great boost for any quarterback, but New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart made the most of the opportunity. He became the first quarterback in the 102-season history of the Giants franchise to have a 70-plus completion percentage (79.3%, 23-of-29), 3-plus passing touchdowns (three) and 50-plus rushing yards (54) in a game. Dart also produced a career-high 134.2 passer rating. Perhaps things could be different for the Giants under new head coach John Harbaugh. (+11)16 
Bryce Young Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers were on the other side of the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history, a 59-37 defeat against the Chicago Bears. Young balled out with 361 yards passing (the second-most in a game in his career), three passing touchdowns and an interception on 23-of-41 passing while also adding a seven-yard rushing touchdown. He is starting to get comfortable at the NFL level, with three consecutive games of 250-plus passing yards, including the playoffs. (+6)17 
Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert's first game working with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was rough. The box score was 209 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 17-of-27 passing, but the eye test showed more troubling signs. He and his receivers — outside of Ladd McConkey — weren't connected in terms of their timing going through progressions/routes, and his fourth-quarter interception was essentially a YOLO arm punt in which he flippantly heaved the football into double coverage near the goal line. It's a very troubling start to Herbert's 2026. (-8)18 
Aaron Rodgers Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' box score (221 yards passing and a touchdown pass on 24-of-40 passing) from the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-13 Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons is a little deceiving. That's because drops by DK Metcalf and other Steelers' pass catchers erased a few big plays and the potential for a couple more touchdowns for Rodgers. He still has a little juice left in his right arm in Year 22. (No change)19 
C.J. Stroud Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud went toe-to-toe in a duel with Josh Allen in Week 1 and nearly won. He guided the Texans down to the Bills' 18 with 16 seconds left, but he lost his second fumble of the game on a sack by Gregory Rousseau, sealing a 36-31 defeat. He played admirably with 274 yards passing and two passing touchdowns on 26-of-38 throwing the football, but he has to cut out the turnovers. After having just eight in the 2025 regular season, Stroud has turned the ball over nine times in three games since the start of the 2025 postseason. Houston can be a true contender if he takes better care of the football. Power ranking the NFL's 32 starting quarterbacks ahead of the second week of the 2026 regular season. (+1)20 
Carson Wentz Minnesota Vikings QB After coming into the game for the Minnesota Vikings after Kyler Murray suffered a concussion, Carson Wentz lit up the Green Bay Packers thanks to a litany of short fields and some well-executed throws. He only threw for 133 yards, but he completed 12 of his 19 passes with three passing touchdowns. The 39-22 victory made Wentz the second player in the Super Bowl era with three-plus passing touchdowns off the bench in a victorious season opener, along with Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme in 2003. His effort will allow Murray to not have to rush back from his concussion, and it will be interesting to see how he does against a porous Chicago Bears defense in Week 2. (Not ranked entering Week 1)21 
Drew Lock Seattle Seahawks QB Drew Lock took care of business in a 13-10 rock fight after subbing in for an injured Sam Darnold, who went down on the first series of the game. He completed an efficient 16 of his 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, a 45-yard catch-and-run score by 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a fourth-and-1. Not too shabby. (Not ranked entering Week 1)22 
Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield celebrated his new three-year, $165 million contract extension ($120 million guaranteed) by losing a career-high three fumbles in a narrow 33-27 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was entirely winnable, but Mayfield wasn't able to make enough plays despite an efficient 23-of-28 (82.1%) passing, with 216 throwing yards and a nine-yard rushing touchdown. His second lost fumble in the second quarter was totally reckless and unnecessary as he was trying to gain extra yards after already picking up a first down with his legs. Mayfield kicks off his 2026 in rollercoaster fashion. (-5)23 
Tyler Shough New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough helped the New Orleans Saints nearly dig out of a 21-0 hole against the Detroit Lions in a 31-30 overtime loss. Had Shough completed his two-point conversion throw in overtime, New Orleans would have had one of the more stunning Week 1 upsets in recent memory. He was both a big part of the problem, with two interceptions, and a big part of the solution, with 410 yards passing and three touchdowns. Shough could rise quickly in these rankings if he becomes more efficient. He quietly ranks top 10 in the NFL in completion percentage (68.1%, seventh), passing yards (2,666, fourth) and yards per pass attempt (7.6, eighth) since his first career start in Week 9 of the 2025 season. (No change)24 
Jacoby Brissett Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett and the 2026 Arizona Cardinals are starting a new trend: Brissett found solid numbers (277 yards passing and a touchdown on 27-of-37 passing), and the Cardinals got a win. He did a good job executing new head coach Mike LaFleur's offense, mostly making good throws and managing the game well. This is his chance to shine before facing a Seattle Seahawks squad looking for their fifth straight NFC West win dating back to last season. (+5)25 
Geno Smith New York Jets QB Geno Smith managed the game well for the New York Jets in a 23-10 Week 1 road win over the Tennessee Titans. He didn't do too much wrong, completing 79.2% of his passes (19-for-24) and 215 yards while playing turnover-free football. New York was the only team without a giveaway and a sack in Week 1, a surprising stat with Smith under center since he led the NFL with 55 sacks taken and 17 interceptions while with the Raiders in 2025. Perhaps he's found his zen back home in New York. (+5)26 
Kirk Cousins Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins did a little bit of everything in a 27-13 home win over the tanking Miami Dolphins in Week 1, throwing for 160 yards, three passing touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 21 of his 30 passes. The big concern is his arm strength or lack thereof. On throws over 10 air yards, he completed just one of his seven passes for 21 yards and threw both of his interceptions on the rest. Cousins may be a temporary stand-in for 2026 NFL Draft first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza because his arm won't be able to challenge better-stocked rosters downfield. (+2)27 
Malik Willis Miami Dolphins QB Malik Willis could have done a better job checking the football down to running back De'Von Achane, but he played decently for someone who is playing for a historically tanking roster: Miami is paying more for players not on their roster ($183 million dead money cap hit) than players on their roster ($104 million cap hit). He ripped some nice big-time throws, and his production (220 yards and an interception on 15-of-27 passing; 39 yards and a rushing touchdown on six carries) will improve as Miami's youth gets more experience. (-2)28 
Cam Ward Tennessee Titans QB Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward didn't receive any favors from his offensive line against the New York Jets. However, it would be nice to see him do better than 140 yards passing and a touchdown on 19-of-32 passing against a rebuilding Jets squad that overhauled much of their roster and coaching staff in 2026. He was scattershot on intermediate and deep throws —something that falls only on himself — up-and-down pass protection and bland play calling. (-1)29 
Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones is in his first year back from a torn Achilles, an injury that, in recent memory, has taken two years for an NFL quarterback to truly move comfortably again. He had an ugly interception over the middle of the field that was picked off by Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, in addition to 166 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-31 passing. It also looks like he has a truncated step on some of his throws, which could be a result of the Achilles. It could be a tough ride for Jones in 2026. (-10)30 
Bo Nix Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix had an incredibly sloppy return to football on Week 1's "Monday Night Football" after coming back from his fractured ankle. He put the football in harm's way repeatedly, tallying an interception and three fumbles, one of which he lost. Nix also absorbed a career-high four sacks in the 31-10 defeat at the Kansas City Chiefs while completing 17 of his 28 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Nix's expected points added (EPA) per dropback (-0.53 ) was the second-worst in the league among 31 quarterbacks with 20-plus pass attempts in Week 1. Only Atlanta Falcons fill-in Cooper Rush (-0.68) was worse. (-9)31 
Deshaun Watson Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson was terrible once again in his Cleveland Browns return in 2026. Pro Football Focus credited Watson for all five of his sacks taken in Week 1 for not getting the football out in a timely manner. He threw one of the week's ugliest interceptions, tossing it right into a Jacksonville Jaguars defender's chest. He made one memorable throw in a positive manner, a 46-yard touchdown heave to rookie Denzel Boston that made the score 34-10 with 1:52 left to play. It's going to be another long year in Cleveland. (+1)32 
Cooper Rush Atlanta Falcons QB Cooper Rush is cooked. His negative -0.68 expected points added (EPA) per dropback was the worst in the NFL among the 31 quarterbacks with 20-plus pass attempts in Week 1. A horrific underthrow cost the Falcons a potential 60-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts, and he didn't have a completion over six air yards in Week 1. The good news for the Falcons is that they own their first-round draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. (-1) Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments 
