Ranking the 10 Best Available QBs in 2026 NFL Offseason

Get ready for some hard-hitting, insightful NFL commentary: Quarterbacks are important.

I know, it's jarring. Take a moment if you need to.

This also isn't a great year to need a signal-caller. Whether it's free agency, in an unimpressive draft class under center, or via trade, there aren't really any difference-makers available—because there very rarely are.

With that said, while Super Bowl LX featured an MVP runner-up at quarterback in Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, the team that won the game was led by Sam Darnold—who joined Seattle in free agency last year after the Minnesota Vikings decided he wasn't a difference-maker. Oops.

Will any of this year's quarterbacks on new teams win Super Bowl LXI? Going to go with no. But they could help NFL teams in the season to come. Using a combination of past performance, potential upside and cost (financially and/or in draft capital) as barometers, these are the 10 best options available.

10. Marcus Mariota

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Marcus Mariota's career hasn't gone according to plan since he was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2015, although he has managed to kick around the NFL for over a decade.

He hasn't been a full-time starter since the 2018 season. For his career, he has averaged less than 175 passing yards per game. He's 36-46 as a starter in the NFL, including just two wins in eight starts in place of the injured Jayden Daniels with the Washington Commanders last season.

Here's the thing, though: Mariota was actually OK in those eight starts for an injury-ravaged Washington team in 2025. He completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns with a passer rating not far off his career average of 89.7. His 12.2 yards per completion were his most in a season with that many starts in a decade. He also ran for almost 300 yards and could top 2,500 for his career in 2026—if he sees the field.

Do fans of any NFL team want to see the 32-year-old Mariota starting 17 games? Nope. But teams who want some veteran insurance for a young starter could do a lot worse. Mariota has experience. He showed last year that he can hold down the fort for a few weeks if necessary. And he played last season on a one-year, $8 million contract.

It's not going to cause any cartwheels, but boringly capable backups who won't cost a lot have value in the NFL.

9. Russell Wilson

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

This would have been a much more appealing idea say five years ago.

Russell Wilson has had an outstanding 14-year career in the NFL. He has thrown for almost 47,000 yards. Tossed 353 touchdown passes against just 114 interceptions. His career passer rating is a rock-solid 99.3. He has been named to 10 Pro Bowls, including as recently as two years ago. He has won a Super Bowl and would have won two if Pete Carroll hadn't forgotten Marshawn Lynch was on the team in Super Bowl XLIX.

But that game in Arizona was a long time ago, and like so many of the aging veterans in these rankings, the past looks a lot better than the present.

That Wilson has played for three different teams in as many seasons is telling. Even more so is the fact that the Denver Broncos ate a record $85 million dead cap hit to be rid of him in 2024.

Wilson opened the 2025 season as the starter for the New York Giants and was wholly unimpressive. The team around him played a part, but his completion percentage (58.0) and passing yards per game (138.5) were easily career lows.

But there are only so many quarterbacks to go around, and when the music stops there could be a team that finds itself left without even a stopgap starter under center.

That team could talk itself into Wilson being a short-term option.

8. Anthony Richardson

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Yes, Anthony Richardson has been a massive disappointment since being drafted fifth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. He missed more games than he played in over his first two seasons before losing the starting job to Daniel Jones during the 2025 offseason.

When Richardson was on the field, it wasn't good. He barely completed over half of his passes and threw 13 interceptions against just 11 touchdowns. His career passer rating was a woeful 67.8. And from all indications, he is heading into a contract year as the guy who will be holding the clipboard for the guy holding the clipboard in Indy.

Given that rather depressing reality however, Richardson probably wouldn't be that costly in a trade—a modest Day 3 pick would probably get it done. And that makes Richardson an interesting gamble for teams in need of quarterback help.

It can't be argued that Richardson has struggled to this point in his NFL career. But there's also a reason why he was drafted in the top-five. He has a cannon for a right arm, he's built more like a fullback than a quarterback and he's a threat with his legs—Richardson ran for almost 500 yards and six scores in 11 games in 2024.

By no stretch of the imagination is Richardson a sure thing. But for a rebuilding team like say the Jets it makes more sense to gamble a late pick that a change of scenery and some development can help turn things around for Richardson than to reach for a quarterback in a weak draft class or roll out a veteran retread as a placeholder.

7. Derek Carr

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Derek Carr is technically retired. But the 35-year-old has made it clear that if the right team came calling, he would consider playing again.

It would be a tricky feat to pull off. He is still under contract with the New Orleans Saints, so it would take a trade to acquire him. He also has a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any deal.

Such a deal wouldn't be especially expensive in terms of draft capital, though—if Carr un-retired, his contract would go on New Orleans' books. That's the last thing a cap-strapped team with a young signal-caller wants. And there are a few teams potentially close enough to contending to entice him back on to the field.

Carr's 2024 season was ended prematurely by a broken hand, and the last of his four Pro Bowl nods came in his last season with the Raiders in 2022. But his 2023 campaign in New Orleans was decent—a completion percentage over 68, 3,878 passing yards, 25 passing scores, eight picks and a passer rating of 97.7.

Carr is emblematic of quite a few of the quarterbacks available to teams this year. He's not going to single-handedly reverse a franchise's fortunes. His ceiling isn't high—especially after a year spent on his couch.

But Carr is a proven veteran who has started 169 games in the NFL, and at 35 he should still have a couple of decent years left in the tank. That could appeal to teams who are looking for a steady quarterback who can manage the game and not make costly mistakes.

6. Kirk Cousins

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Technically, Kirk Cousins is still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons. But per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the team plans to release the 37-year-old soon. Assuming that's the case, multiple teams in need of a stopgap quarterback or bridge option will take a hard look at the four-time Pro-Bowler.

It has admittedly been some time since that last Pro Bowl—in eight starts for the Falcons in 2025, Cousins averaged just 172.1 passing yards per game with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. But Cousins led the Falcons to wins in five of those eight starts, and when the 2026 season kicks off he will be more than two years removed from the Achilles tear that ended his 2023 season.

In many regards, Cousins is what he is. He's not going to throw for 4,500 yards like he did in Minnesota in 2022. Or toss 30-plus touchdowns the way he did the season before that. Those days are past.

But Cousins is a steady veteran presence under center who has started 167 games at the professional level. He's not going to be expensive either—it's reasonable to expect he'll ink a deal in the neighborhood of the one-year, $13.6 million pact Aaron Rodgers got from the Steelers a year ago.

Cousins is a temporary fix at his position. But whether it's a team looking to add competition under center like the Minnesota Vikings or a band-aid for teams with an unclear future at the position like the New York Jets, there will be a market for his services.

5. Aaron Rodgers

AP Photo/David Richard

Calling Aaron Rodgers "available" is something of a misnomer. The reality is there are two realistic scenarios for the 42-year-old in 2026: a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers or retirement.

But he is technically about to hit free agency, so he makes these rankings.

Rodgers' resume is unmatched by any other quarterback on this list. He has 10 4,000-yard seasons. His 66,274 passing yards ranks fifth all-time. He has 527 career touchdown passes—fourth most in the history of the league. He has been named to 10 Pro Bowls and been named the NFL's MVP four times.

He also won a Super Bowl. But that was then, and this is now. And the "now" version of Rodgers is a shadow of what he once was.

Mind you, he wasn't bad in 2025—he completed 65.7 passes for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns. But he ranked outside the top 20 last year in air yards per attempt and passing yards per game and barely ranked inside the top-15 in passer rating. His QBR of 44.4 was 30th in the league—behind Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints and Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers.

Simply put, Rodgers is just the latest example of Father Time being undefeated. His mobility is far more limited than it once was. His arm strength has dropped off. A player who was once the best in the NFL at his position is now average.

The Steelers are reportedly OK with rolling that average quarterback out again in 2026, though.

4. Daniel Jones

AP Photo/John Raoux

Not too long ago, it appeared that Daniel Jones would be much higher on this list. As a matter of fact, it looked like he would headline it. That Jones was headed toward a massive payday (again).

Jones was one of the biggest surprise success stories of 2025. After beating out Anthony Richardson for the right to start for the Indianapolis Colts, Jones proceeded to have the best season of his career. Jones set a career high in completion percentage (68.0). Threw for over 3,100 yards. Threw 19 touchdown passes against just eight interceptions. Pitched in five touchdowns on the ground. And was one of nine qualifying NFL quarterbacks with a passer rating of over 100.

However, Jones' redemption tour ended in disaster—13 games into the season he tore his Achilles tendon, leaving his availability for the beginning of the 2026 campaign very much in doubt. It's an injury that casts a cloud over Jones' future.

The Colts reportedly have interest in bringing Jones back in 2026, and the franchise tag could be in play here. But $47 million is a lot to pay a guy who may not be ready for Week 1, and Indianapolis has other prominent free agents to consider.

Other teams will face a similar dilemma with the seven-year veteran. Were he healthy, Jones would be the best "true" free agent available. But any team who signs him is likely to need a Plan B under center to start the year.

3. Malik Willis

AP Photo/Mike Roemer

On some level, it might seem odd to see Malik Willis this high on this list. After all, he has made just six NFL starts in four seasons with the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers.

However, as Willis heads to free agency for the first time his career, he offers something that few quarterbacks on this list possess: untapped potential.

His two years in Nashville were forgettable. He completed just 53 percent of his passes, didn't throw a touchdown pass and had a passer rating of less than 50.

But in Green Bay, it has been a far different story. In three starts in place of an injured Jordan Love in Titletown, Willis has completed nearly 80 percent of his passes, averaged almost 11 yards per attempt, thrown half a dozen touchdown passes without an interception and posted a gaudy passer rating of 134.6. He has also added 261 yards and three scores on the ground.

In a Week 17 start against the Baltimore Ravens last year, he threw for 288 yards, led the Packers with 60 rushing yards and had as many total touchdowns (three) as he did incompletions.

Six starts is a small sample size, and that makes handing Willis a big contract a bit of a risky proposition. But multiple QB-needy teams will be willing to do so.

If Willis can play at close to the level he has in Green Bay over the long term, that contract could wind up looking like a bargain.

2. Tua Tagovailoa

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

It wasn't supposed to be like this for Tua Tagovailoa.

In 2022, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft led the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating. He also paced the league in yards per attempt (8.9) and yards per completion (13.7). The following season, he threw for a league-high 4,624 yards.

In 2024, the 27-year-old led the NFL in completion percentage at 72.9. The Dolphins thought enough of him to offer a four-year, $212.1 million extension in 2024.

But as opposing defenses started to figure out Mike McDaniel's vertical passing attack, Tagovailoa's numbers dropped. He has had multiple concussions in the pros. And after 14 games and a career-high 15 interceptions in 2025, the Dolphins pulled the plug.

Tagovailoa's contract is a bigger issue than his limitations as a passer. Those limitations are real—he doesn't throw well on the move and struggles when his primary read isn't there. But he has a lightning-quick release and is both accurate and aggressive when comfortable.

But Tagovailoa has cap hits well north of $50 million a season each of the next three years—a hefty price for an average NFL starter (on a good day). His base salary of $39 million in 2026 is fully guaranteed.

A team willing to take on that contract could likely get him for little in the way of draft capital. And if Miami really is serious about trading him, the team is going to have to eat some of that deal as well.

The more his cost to another team comes down, the more attractive Tagovailoa is going to become. And while he may never be a long-term answer under center, in the right offense Tagovailoa has shown that he can do some damage.

1. Kyler Murray

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

There was a time when Kyler Murray was supposed to be the next big thing, despite being just 5'10".

The first overall pick in 2019, Murray threw for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first professional season on the way to capturing Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. In each of the following two seasons, he completed at least 67 percent of his passes, racked up at least 3,750 passing yards, threw at least 24 touchdown passes and made the Pro Bowl. In 2020 he added 819 yards and 11 scores on the ground.

Murray got a five-year, $230.5 million extension from the Cardinals in 2022, but late that season he tore his ACL—and things haven't been the same since.

Frankly, those struggles have more to do with scheme than health. Murray thrived in Kliff Kingsbury's shotgun spread offense where he could take advantage of his mobility, but he has struggled in a more conventional offense since. He hurt his foot five games into the 2025 season, never saw the field again, and now it's no secret that Arizona is ready to move on.

Murray's contract may well be the biggest hurdle for any interested team, and it has become clear the 28-year-old has his limitations.

But Pro Bowl quarterbacks in their prime don't become available very often, and if a team is willing to take on that deal, it won't take a king's ransom to pry him away from the Redbirds.