Top 12 NFL quarterbacks entering 2026-2027 season

With the NFL season now less than a week away, let’s set the baseline for who the top 12 QBs are heading into the season. Using a strict set of guidelines in compiling this list, factoring in their overall record as well as their playoff record. Also included are Super Bowl victories and appearances, and age. Let’s dive in!

MORE:Previewing all 16 NFC teams & predicting every record in 2026

Visit extract-html.com for more information.

11/12. Tie: Jayden Daniels & Bo Nix

Aug 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jayden Daniels, Commanders: Daniels is entering his third NFL season. His rookie campaign was sensational, leading his team to the playoffs, with a couple of victories. He has a career 16-11 record and 2-1 in the playoffs. While last year was mired with injuries, the 25yr old QB is back healthy and should have a solid bounce-back season. 

Bo Nix, Broncos: Nix is a tad older than Stroud and Daniels, at 26 years old, but he is still very young and only entering his third season. He came out of that amazing 2024 draft class, with Caleb Williams, Daniels, and Drake Maye. Spoiler: Maye is on this list too.

The only reason Williams isn’t is that, unlike the others, his W-L record is below .500, sitting at 17-19. Nix has a fantastic 25-11 record and has a playoff win under his belt. And, if he didn’t break his ankle at the end of last year’s divisional round, he could have very well led the Broncos to the Super Bowl instead of Maye’s Patriots.

MORE:NFL predictions: Previewing all 16 AFC teams & predicting every record in 2026

10-6

Sep 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrate after a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

10. Jared Goff, Lions: Goff’s the first QB on this list north of 30 yrs old. In fact, he’ll be 32 in October. He is also the first QB on this list who I’d call a retread, with his second team. He’s posted great numbers for both the Rams and now the Lions, making a Super Bowl run with the Rams in 2018.

His playoff mark sits at 5-5, and he has a career .591 winning percentage, with 94 wins under his belt. That is fourth on this list, only behind Matt Stafford with 127 wins, Patrick Mahomes with 112 wins, and Josh Allen with 96 wins.

9/8. Tie: Brock Purdy and Drake Maye.

Purdy and Maye are tied here at no. 9, but each player’s journey to the NFL was vastly different. Purdy was famously, “Mr. Irrelevant”, while Maye was the third pick of the draft. They have each led their team to a Super Bowl appearance, and both lost.

Both of their playoff records are above .500. Purdy is 5-3, and Maye is 3-1. And they each have better-than- .500 winning percentages. Purdy’s is .660, while Maye’s is .606. Maye is slightly younger than Purdy, 24 to 26 years old, but each is essentially the same player.

7. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Jackson is seventh on this list, while Joe Burrow is sixth. They are essentially tied too. Both have been underachievers in the league, thus far in their careers. The only reason Burrow is one spot higher on this list is that he has a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, while Jackson does not. In fact, Jackson is the ONLY QB with a losing playoff record on this list.

He is sitting at 3-5 in the postseason…that is just not good enough for a player of his talents. It is only because of those talents and his prodigious regular-season W-L record that he has managed to keep himself on this list. He is 79-36 in the regular season, a .752 winning percentage. Only Mahomes’ mark of .762 is better.

6. Joe Burrow, Bengals: As I said, the only reason Burrow is higher on this list is that he has appeared in a Super Bowl. His overall playoff record is better too, currently 5-2. This proves he’s a big-game player, but his regular seasons have been lacking, with only a 48-35 record. And his injuries have plagued him throughout his career.

He is a very old 29-year-old…and he’s turning 30 in December. This is a very important season for Burrow. With so many young QBs nipping at his heels, another sub-par, injury-riddled, or playoff-missing season could take him entirely off this list next season.

MORE:Bold NFL rushing yard predictions for 2026-2027

Top 5

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to throw a pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

5. Matt Stafford, Rams: An argument can be made that the defending MVP should be higher on this list. There is only one reason he isn’t. He’s on the back nine of his career, and at age 38, he only has a couple seasons left. It wasn’t immediately known if he was even going to return for this season. The team did give him an extension, so he’s under contract through the 2027 season.

At that time, he’ll be 39 and may want to play into his age-40 season, but at most that means he has three seasons left. I don’t see him going down the road of Tom Brady and playing until age 45, or anywhere near that age. 

4. Sam Darnold, Seahawks: I had mentioned that Jared Goff was a retread QB on this list; I’d call Darnold the other. He’s played for multiple teams, but established himself in Minnesota, and has now found a home in Seattle. He, like Drake Maye, was a third overall pick in the draft. He’s entering his ninth season and is on his fifth team.

With all his woes early in his career, he has a 52-42 career record. He is 3-1 in the playoffs and is the defending Super Bowl champion. His W-L record in the last two seasons is 28-6…those numbers are Mahomian. And at age 29, he still has a ton of football left. His one season with Minnesota in 2024 could have been a fluke, but last season validated it. Darnold is a top-tier QB.

3. Jalen Hurts, Eagles: Hurts may be the most unappreciated QB in the league. He’s still very young, just turning 28 yrs old in August. In just six seasons, he’s made it to two Super Bowls, winning one. He’s a modern QB in that he uses his legs as well as his arm. And with all the talk about Lamar Jackson’s game, Hurts is similar, and far more effective.

He has a career .685 winning percentage and has six playoff wins under his belt. Only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Matt Stafford have more out of active QBs.The loss of AJ Brown in the offseason could be an addition by subtraction. He plays in a relatively weak division and should make the playoffs again, with the potential for another deep run.

2. Josh Allen, Bills: As Ric Flair famously said, “To be The Man, you gotta beat The Man”; in this case, The Man is Patrick Mahomes. Until Allen can prove he can beat Mahomes, he’ll always just be No. 2. He’ll be Peyton Manning to Tom Brady, which isn’t bad, but it’s not the best. The reality is, Allen is now 30 yrs old…and married, with a baby. His priorities may be changing a bit, where football is no longer everything in his world. Here’s another reality: the Bills didn’t win the division last year; the Patriots did.

If this repeats this year, Allen may not be chasing Mahomes; he’ll be chasing Drake Maye within his own division…(Maye has a Super Bowl appearance; Allen does not). While he does have a winning record in the playoffs, he’s never made it to the Big Game. This is a huge season for Allen; new stadium and new HC…doubts have to be creeping in. 

1.Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: “To be The Man, you gotta beat The Man”. Nobody has been able to beat Mahomes. He is this generation’s Tom Brady. He’s been to five Super Bowls, winning three. And before his fifth appearance, some were saying that a victory and a 4-1 Super Bowl mark would put him ahead of Brady as the GOAT. While he isn’t that, he’s already in the discussion as one of the all-time greats, and on many people’s top-five lists.

He’ll be 31 in a few days and is coming off a significant knee injury. Travis Kelce is on his last legs, and Mahomes’ security blanket may give him little help this season. It is perfectly acceptable to think Mahomes will start to have some regression. That said, until he is knocked off his perch, he’s still the No. 1 QB in the game, and the guy I’d most want out there to win a Big Game. His 112-35 career record, (.762 winning %), and 17-4 playoff mark prove that.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

Read full story at source