Quarterback

The quarterback is arguably the most important position in football, as they command every offensive snap, make crucial decisions on the field from passing plays to rushing through intense defenses, and are the primary on-field leaders. While most NFL teams have their answer at QB, there are quite a few of them that still have massive question marks at the position. Those question marks include who will be ready to start in week one of the 2026 season? Who will be able to keep their teams afloat for the season as it progresses? Who will potentially rebound after dealing with a rough 2025 season? And who will continue to step up and improve? These are questions we, as NFL fans, must know for these teams. Here at TPS, we’re going to dive into these teams and explore these questions, hopefully answering some of them. Which teams have the most unstable QB rotation right now? Pittsburgh SteelersSteelers helmet (Photo via Eric Hartline-Imagn Images) The Steelers have been known for their hard-hitting defense and have fielded some incredible defenses under Mike Tomlin’s leadership, before he decided to step down after the team’s Wildcard loss to the Houston Texans. After Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022, the Steelers haven’t found their true number one quarterback to lead them on offense, as they drafted Kenny Pickett in the 2022 Draft, who fizzled out, Mason Rudolph, who’s currently a backup, Mitch Trubisky from 2022 to 2023, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in 2024, and recently Aaron Rodgers in 2025, who’s NFL future is currently unknown. The Steelers currently have Will Howard, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Rudolph, who are not Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks. Howard never suited up for the 2025 regular season, as he fractured his hand during training camp, which placed him on injured reserve. Howard was activated off injured reserve in November 2025, and it’s unknown how Howard will perform in the league. Rudolph played in five games for the Steelers in 2025 and started in a week 12 game against the Chicago Bears, as Rodgers dealt with a wrist injury, but the Steelers lost 31-28. Rudolph completed 38 passes for 310 yards, threw two touchdowns against two interceptions, and rushed for six yards on seven carries in the 2025 season. Not the most promising numbers for Steelers’ fans hoping the 2026 season is going to be a cakewalk for their team’s QB. Even if Aaron Rodgers returns to the Steelers for the 2026 season, it’ll very likely be his final season in the league. If Rodgers doesn’t return in 2026 and if Rudolph and Howard don’t work, the Steelers will have to look at drafting their next signal caller in the 2027 NFL Draft. New York JetsAug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports The Jets had Justin Fields on the roster in 2025, but that experiment was a complete flop, as he and Tyrod Taylor split the starting reps during the season. Fields was shipped off to the Kansas City Chiefs, while Taylor is still on the roster. Taylor has some potential to be serviceable, but has mainly been a backup quarterback for most of his career. The Jets traded a sixth-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to bring Geno Smith back to the fold, which raises some eyebrows in the wrong way, as Smith flopped with the “Silver and Black.” Smith was sacked 55 times, which was the most in the league in 2025. He threw 19 touchdowns against 17 interceptions (the most interceptions thrown in 2025), and went 2-13 as a starter. Those stats are not inspiring for “Gang Green” heading into 2026, but they could draft Ty Simpson in the upcoming draft and have him learn from both Smith and Taylor during the 2026 season. If Simpson does get drafted by the Jets, he wouldn’t start right away and would have to wait until the time is right to play QB for this team. Las Vegas RaidersAug 23, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders Riddell speedflex helmet on the field at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Even though the Raiders are very likely going to draft Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, they decided to sign Kirk Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal, with $20 million guaranteed.  Cousins will be a great veteran quarterback for Mendoza to learn from, but Cousins has had a history of injuries throughout the years, and one bad injury could force Mendoza or Aidan O’Connell into the starting role. While it’s not known how Mendoza will do at the professional level, O’Connell has professional experience as a backup, but has a 7-10 record as a starter. Cousins, on the other hand, gives the “Silver and Black” a more skilled veteran signal caller and has great leadership experience on the field. Heading into the 2026 season, Cousins could be named the Raiders’ starting quarterback, but things could change, as either O’Connell or potentially Mendoza could be handed the keys to the offense depending upon what happens after the 2026 NFL Draft. Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns helmets (Photo via Stephen Lew-Imagn Images) If there’s a team with a massive question mark at QB, it’s the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson will likely be the team’s starting quarterback when he returns to action after recovering from his re-ruptured Achilles injury. However, the team still has Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders (who made the Pro Bowl in 2025), who could split time and command the offense in the upcoming 2026 season. Gabriel may have gone 1-5 as a starter, but he completed 110 passes for 937 yards, threw seven touchdowns against two interceptions, and rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries in the 2025 season. Sanders, on the other hand, went 3-4 as a starter, completed 120 passes for 1,400 yards, threw seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions, rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries, and scored a rushing touchdown. Not the best numbers, but Sanders was put into the Pro Bowl as a replacement as other higher-ranked AFC quarterbacks declined the invitation. Sanders and Gabriel have room for improvement heading into the 2026 season, in case Watson is not ready to start for week one. Atlanta FalconsNov 10, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Atlanta Falcons helmet against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The Falcons released Kirk Cousins and will be forced to continue to develop Michael Penix Jr. as their main quarterback moving forward, despite his injury problems so far in his career The Falcons recently signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year contract with the team and have also signed backup Trevor Siemian to the roster. However, similar to Penix Jr., Tagovailoa has had his own injury problems, as he dealt with concussions, fractured ribs, and a fractured finger in his throwing hand. We would love to see both Cousins and Tagovailoa healthy for the 2026 season, but if they were both injured and forced to miss time, Siemian would be forced to step up, and his statistics don’t scream Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback. Simeian hasn’t played in the regular season since he was on the New York Jets in the 2023 season, and he went 2-1 as a starter, but threw four interceptions against two touchdowns. The Falcons must make sure Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa are fully healthy for the 2026 season and/or be prepared to roll with Simeian in case anything happens to both of them. Arizona CardinalsJan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona Cardinals helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Cardinals released Kyler Murray to escape his high-salaried contract, and to rebuild under new head coach Mike LeFleur moving forward. However, the current quarterbacks on the roster are Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Kedon Slovis, who aren’t Pro Bowl-caliber talent. Sure, Brissett and Minshew saw some success when they started games, but the Cardinals’ offense was awful in 2025, outside of Trey McBride. The offensive line was bad, as they allowed 59 sacks in the 2025 season. The Cardinals added Isaac Seumalo, Oli Udoh, and Elijah Wilkinson to bolster the offensive line for the 2026 season, which should help. Having a strong offensive line is a must for any quarterback, and we could be seeing both Brissett and Minshew split reps depending on how each of them performs or in case one guy is injured for the next man to step up. The Cardinals could also draft Ty Simpson, as he could replace Murray’s production and learn from both Brissett and Minshew before getting a chance to start. Not to mention, he would be a great fit in Mike LeFleur’s system, giving him pre- and post-snap movements and more defined reads that could get the offense moving in the 2026 season.  If the Cardinals do not draft Simpson and end up taking for the 2026 season, they could try to draft either Arch Manning or Dante Moore in the 2027 NFL Draft.  Miami DolphinsAug 3, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, US; A general view of a Miami Dolphins helmet on the field during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports After the Dolphins released Tua Tagovailoa, they signed former Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million deal to be their next quarterback. However, outside of De’Von Achane, the Dolphins’ offense has no other talented weapons for Willis to work with. The Dolphins also have Cam Miller and Quinn Ewers on the roster as well. Ewers did see some action in 2025, as he played in four games and started three of them, completing 55 passes for 622 yards, throwing three touchdowns against three interceptions, and rushing for 19 yards on eight carries. Ewers has the potential, but the starting job will likely go to Willis, as he’s more proven as a starting quarterback, thanks to his experience covering for Jordan Love when he was on the Packers. However, if anything happens to Willis before the start of the 2026 season, Ewers and Miller must be ready to take command. New Orleans SaintsDec 23, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a New Orleans Saints helmet during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images The Saints were an offensive mess in 2025, as they went through Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, with Shough emerging as the guy who’ll likely be the team’s week one starter for 2026. Shough showed some significant promise as the Saints’ starter, completing 221 passes for 2,384 yards, throwing 10 touchdowns against six interceptions, rushing for 186 yards on 45 carries, and scoring three rushing touchdowns in the 2025 season. Year two should be very interesting, as opposing offenses have time to study how Shough performs and handles pressure. Rattler, on the other hand, completed 174 passes for 1,586 yards, threw eight touchdowns against five interceptions, and rushed for 167 yards on 31 carries in the 2025 season, which were slight improvements on his stats from 2024, but he went 1-7 as a starter and must improve in the 2026 season. The Saints recently signed Zach Wilson to a one-year deal, who was previously with the Miami Dolphins for the 2025 season. Although Wilson isn’t as talented as Shough or Rattler, he and Rattler must be prepared to take on the starting QB role for this team, just in case anything happens to Shough. Indianapolis ColtsDec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; An Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on an equipment case during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Yes, the Colts re-signed Daniel Jones to a two-year, $88 million extension for the 2026 season, but his 2025 season was cut short due to an Achilles injury.  When Jones was healthy, he completed 261 passes for 3,101 yards, threw 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions, rushed for 164 yards on 45 carries, and scored five rushing touchdowns in the 2025 season. If Jones isn’t ready to begin the 2025 season, Anthony Richardson, Riley Leonard, and Seth Henigan will have to be ready to step up.  Richardson’s production wasn’t great in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but he did appear in two games in the 2025 season, completing one pass for nine yards. Richardson must improve upon his production if Jones isn’t ready to begin the season. Otherwise, he’ll have a rough 2026 season.  Minnesota VikingsJan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images J. J. McCarthy finally made his debut in the 2025 season, but he struggled at times, as the Vikings finished the year with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs. McCarthy started in 10 games, completing 140 passes for 1,632 yards, throwing 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, rushing for 181 yards on 37 carries, and scoring four rushing touchdowns. The Vikings recently signed Kyler Murray to a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum, opening the door for some serious quarterback competition in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” Murray has playoff experience compared to McCarthy, who still has much to improve on for the 2026 season, and he could serve as a good mentor for McCarthy to improve his game. If Murray wins the starting job, he can potentially resurrect his career with the Vikings, as head coach Kevin O’Connell is a quarterback guru who got the best out of Kirk Cousins and revived Sam Darnold’s career. The Vikings also have Carson Wentz on the roster, even though he’s a shell of his former self, and Max Brosmer, who started four games and threw four interceptions and no touchdowns.  The Vikings have more questions at quarterback than answers, and we look forward to seeing who the Vikings will roll with as their starter for the 2026 season.