From second-year passers leaping into stardom to veterans having career-reviving seasons, there were plenty of breakout quarterbacks in 2025. Some players put up seasons no one would’ve been able to predict.

But that’s what we’re doing today. Putting our hot takes hat on and trying to name who will be the better quarterback from each division in 2026.

NFC North: Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams‘ first season under Ben Johnson was electric. Johnson unlocked Williams in his second year, leading the Bears to the sixth-best offense in 2025.

But the NFC North is full of quarterback talent. Jared Goff has been consistently good, and Jordan Love is one of the most underrated passers in the NFL. So, how does Williams beat these veteran pieces out? It’s simple, Johnson is that good of a playcaller.

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Johnson helped flip a 5-12 Bears team to a playoff contender in just one offseason with Chicago. With another offseason to acquire the right personnel for his vision, there’s no saying how the Bears will perform, and the biggest beneficiary is Williams.

Many were ready to label the second-year quarterback as a top-10 passer just one season under Johnson’s scheme. Williams ended the year throwing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions. He also made an impact as a runner, rushing for 388 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Detroit Lions may return to form, and Goff could look like a top quarterback again, but is his ceiling as high as Williams? Probably not. Love could see tremendous development in his fourth year as a starter, but his trajectory has gotten worse before it’s gotten better.

2025 stats: 3,942 passing yards, 27 TDs, 7 INTs

NFC East: Dak Prescott

Not everyone is as high on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as I am, and that’s okay. But he has proven time and time again to be consistently good and elevates the Cowboys’ offense.

Prescott has thrown for 30+ touchdowns in each of the last four seasons that he stayed healthy, but that’s the tricky part—he has to stay healthy. The veteran quarterback has only remained healthy throughout the entire season in three of the last six seasons.

But when he’s healthy, Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. There are plenty of weapons around him, too. George Pickens has broken out into one of the top wideouts in the league, and CeeDee Lamb has been a solidified WR1 since he entered the NFL. Pickens will be a free agent in 2026, but Dallas will likely use the franchise tag if they can’t agree to a deal.

In one year as head coach, Brian Schottenheimer has developed the Cowboys into the second-best offense in the league. Similar to Johnson, it will be interesting to see what additions he makes to fit the roster better to his liking.

But what about Jalen Hurts, Jaxson Dart, and Jayden Daniels? The NFC East isn’t lacking quarterback talent, and that’s for sure.

Hurts led the most boring offense in football with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, and Daniels and Dart are each too unproven. Prescott is simply the more reliable and proven passer in a better offense.

2025 stats: 4,552 passing yards, 30 TDs, 10 INTs

NFC South: Tyler Shough

The NFC South is one of the most interesting divisions in football for quarterbacks.

Tyler Shough appears to be the guy for the New Orleans Saints, while Michael Penix Jr. and Bryce Young each have question marks surrounding them.

The Carolina Panthers were the division winners in 2025, but it was more like the Panthers brought Young with them rather than the fourth-year quarterback leading the way. Young is either a big season away from a massive contract or a poor season away from finding a new team.

The Atlanta Falcons invested heavily in Penix Jr, using the eighth overall pick, but have flip-flopped between the young signal caller and Kirk Cousins over the last couple of seasons.

The most consistent of the quarterbacks is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Baker Mayfield. After starting the year looking like an MVP candidate, however, Mayfield and the Buccaneers’ offense fell off the face of the earth.

So that leaves us with Shough and the Saints. The rookie quarterback saw his first NFL start in Week 9 and finished 5-4 as a starter. But it was his final five-game stretch that looked the most impressive, leading New Orleans to a 4-1 record in that span.

While Mayfield seems like the safe candidate, he hasn’t shown consistency, and Shough is the emerging star coming out of the division.

2025 stats: 2,384 passing yards, 10 TDs, 6 INTs

NFC West: Matthew Stafford

This is the easiest decision yet. Matthew Stafford is coming off a career year, earning MVP honors.

Not saying the NFC West is full of pushovers, but Stafford’s career consistency and momentum make him the prime candidate.

The veteran quarterback has been the dream piece for Sean McVay‘s offense. The Los Angeles Rams had the best offense in the NFL in 2025, and the pairing of McVay and Stafford is a glaring reason.

Stafford leads with confidence, swagger, and veteran leadership. Sure, Brock Purdy has been pretty good, and Sam Darnold just won a Super Bowl, but neither of those quarterbacks can man an offense like Stafford.

2025 stats: 4,707 passing yards, 46 TDs, 8 INTs

AFC North: Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson? It’s really a coin toss, but Burrow gets the nod for familiarity.

Not that Burrow has been the better quarterback over the years, but he has the better weapons and the same head coach. With the Baltimore Ravens moving on from John Harbaugh, it’s hard to predict what their offense would look like without him.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals still have Zac Taylor, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. There’s simply more consistency for Burrow to return to than Jackson.

There’s also the extra factor of health. Both Jackson and Burrow dealt with injuries in 2025 that derailed their seasons early on. This may not be a competition on who can play better, but who can play the most games.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns aren’t in consideration for top quarterback; neither team even knows who’ll be under center in 2026.

2025 stats: 1,809 passing yards, 17 TDs, 5 INTs

AFC East: Josh Allen

Possibly a controversial pick here. Many would probably pick Drake Maye over Josh Allen here, but I choose the former MVP winner.

This selection is also pretty contradictory. I just chose Burrow over a 2x MVP because of head coach consistency. And now I’m picking a former MVP winner with a new head coach over a quarterback coming off a Super Bowl run with the same coach.

But Allen is simply the more proven and consistent quarterback. Unlike Burrow and Jackson, I don’t believe Allen and Maye are QB1a and QB1b. I believe the Buffalo Bills quarterback is the better player.

Maye began to show his youth in the playoffs. Teams took advantage of it and made the New England Patriots look as if they didn’t belong. I didn’t see that during the season with the Bills and Allen. Yes, there will be noticeable differences in their offense, but Joe Brady is the team’s offensive coordinator from last season, not a new coach poached from another team.

2025 stats: 3,668 passing yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs

AFC South: Trevor Lawrence

I really wanted to throw a curveball here. How fun would it be to say Derek Carr of the Indianapolis Colts was the best quarterback in the AFC South?

But Trevor Lawrence is the easy answer. The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback is coming off his best season as a pro after one season in Liam Coen‘s offense. This was with his WR1 being nonexistent for most of the season.

Outside of Lawrence, there’s a clear gap between. C.J. Stroud continues on a downward career trajectory, and while Cam Ward looked promising as a rookie, nothing screams he’s taking over the division in year two.

Daniel Jones looked awesome in the games he was healthy with the Colts, but I’m not even sure he’ll be in Indianapolis in 2026. Lawrence under Coen is simply the best quarterback in the AFC South.

2025 stats: 4,007 passing yards, 29 TDs, 12 INTs

AFC West: Justin Herbert

The AFC West is almost too close to call. Do I really have it in me to write off Patrick Mahomes as the best quarterback in the division? Why yes, I actually just switched his name for Justin Herbert’s in the sentence before this. Mahomes will have a fine season, maybe even another great season in 2026. I just believe the 2026 Los Angeles Chargers have a chance at competing for the Lombardi.

Don’t get me wrong, you might not find a bigger Mahomes fan than me, but I think Herbert will outperform him in 2026. The Chargers had an objectively better offense in 2025, and Jim Harbaugh has developed them into a playoff team. Weapons like Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton, and Oronde Gadssen II make their offense intriguing; now they just need to figure out OLine.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix could find himself in this conversation as well, but significantly less likely than Mahomes and Herbert. With a better roster around him, Herbert is the slim leader for best season out of the AFC West in 2026.

2025 stats: 3,727 passing yards, 26 TDs, 13 INTs