Darnold, Hurts and Every Snub from Top 10 in New NFL QB Rankings by Coaches, Execs

Sam Darnold might need to win two Super Bowls if he wants to be a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks star narrowly missed the cut in the annual positional rankings from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
6. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
9. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Darnold was one of seven players to merit honorable mention.

• Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
• Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
• Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
• Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
• Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Three players fell into the "also receiving votes" category: Bo Nix, Daniel Jones, C.J. Stroud.

The Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels, Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield all fell out of the top 10 from 2025.

One official from an AFC team said Darnold has been "lights-out for two years" and "deserves to be in the top 10."

The two-time Pro Bowler built on his 2024 renaissance to throw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns in the regular season. He also matched MVP winner Matthew Stafford shot-for-shot in the NFC title game, finishing 25-of-36 for 346 yards and three touchdowns.

▶️ Full Rams-Seahawks Recap

05:53

When building a team from scratch, Darnold wouldn't be your first choice at quarterback, but the results speak for themselves regarding whether you can win with him under center.

Among the QBs with a proven track record, none may have more to prove than Hurts.

A lot of Eagles fans probably shared A.J. Brown's growing frustration with the state of Philly's aerial attack as Hurts looked a little hesitant to test secondaries on tougher throws.

One AFC offensive coach said they're "still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles and the toughness."

Should Hurts' development continue to stagnate, the Eagles might face a tough choice about whether he's still the guy moving forward.

The jury is still out on Daniels to some degree after he went backward in a big way. He averaged fewer than 200 passing yards (180.3) in his seven starts, and he saw declines in his completion percentage (60.6) and QB rating (88.1).

One NFC executive remains high on the 2024 No. 2 overall pick.

"I know he was hurt [in 2025], but I think this is the year he really makes his stamp and he's the guy we're all talking about as having taken the next step," they told Fowler. "Such a good decision-maker and very accurate."

The Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love is likewise chasing the heights he enjoyed in his first year as a starting quarterback. He threw for 4,159 yards in 2023 and failed to match that total in 2024 or 2025.

"I don't think he gets enough credit for playing the position consistently well, and he has got the athletic traits to match it," one NFC scout said.

The Packers opted against making any big additions to the passing game. They're likely counting on 2025 first-rounder Matthew Golden, who had just 361 receiving yards as a rookie, to fare much better. Having Christian Watson healthy for more than 10 games would also help boost Love's production in 2026.