Now that the 2026 season is nearing its halfway point, it’s time to re-evaluate Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings so far.
These rankings consider many factors. Most importantly, how did a player perform last week? How does that align with their performance this season? Below, you’ll find out who the NFL’s worst quarterback and the NFL’s best quarterback are, and chances are, you won’t agree with everyone in between either.
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32. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 31)
While Cam Ward was close to getting back-to-back wins for the first time in his NFL career, the Tennessee Titans couldn’t get it done. But he did have a respectable outing, completing 20-of-31 passes for 181 yards. Unfortunately, he also had an interception for the fifth week in a row. Still, this was a small step in the right direction for the 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick.
31. Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 30)
With Jalen Hurts ruled out for the season due to blood clots, the Philadelphia Eagles had to turn to Tanner McKee for his second start this season. After averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt in his first start, McKee got that number up to 5.7 YPA in his second. Yet, the Eagles QB still struggled, completing 23-of-35 attempts for 211 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Just one completion went for more than 20, a 21-yard touchdown to Makai Lemon. Otherwise, the Eagles’ passing offense didn’t do anything special.
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30. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 28)
It’s never good when you have more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (five), but that’s been the story for Justin Herbert this year. Leading a winless Los Angeles Chargers squad through six games, Herbert has by far the lowest completion rate of his career at 59.4%. Combine that with his lowest touchdown rate, highest INT rate, and highest sack rate, Herbert is having easily his worst season yet. And Mike McDaniel was supposed to make this Chargers offense more explosive.
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29. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (LW: 27)
An already struggling Daniel Jones was matched up with arguably his toughest test yet, going up against a blitz-heavy Vikings defense coordinated by Brian Flores. It predictably led to a disastrous outing, being sacked four times for a loss of 44 yards while completing just 13-of-22 passes for a season-low 108 passing yards. Yet, the Colts still had a chance at the end thanks to a powerful rushing attack that averaged 4.7 YPC. Unfortunately, Jones threw an interception right to Harrison Smith as the Colts were starting to march for their attempt at a game-winning drive down by six.
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28. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (LW: 23)
While Sam Darnold has had an up-and-down season, he displayed both sides in Sunday night’s win. While he completed 20-of-28 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown, he also had an ugly interception in the end zone. Darnold is now tied for the most interceptions in the NFL, but this performance has him trending in the right direction.
27. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins (LW: 29)
The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Malik Willis. He came out of the bye completing a season-high 66.6% of his passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He even added 37 more yards as a rusher, tacking on another score in the process. It was his best start in a Dolphins uniform yet, but is it one he can build off of as Willis prepares to face Mike Vrabel’s Patriots next?
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26. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (LW: 22)
While Jacoby Brissett was more productive as a passer this week, it didn’t lead to a win. Overall, Brissett completed 27-of-48 attempts for 272 yards and a touchdown. But he did well to avoid turnovers. Though, he did take three sacks for a loss of 13 yards. While the Cardinals managed to get three completions of 20 or more yards, they had trouble finding the end zone. Overall, this was an up-and-down performance, but not bad enough to give Carson Beck a look quite yet.
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25. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (LW: 25)
Finally, Bo Nix put forth a performance to remember. This time, he only completed 15-of-29 passes, but they went for 222 yards and a touchdown. Aside from the incompletions, Nix did well to avoid negative plays, only taking one sack for a loss of four yards. Though, he also led the team with 74 yards and another rushing score. This was certainly a step in the right direction.
24. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jalon Daniels Ranked 32nd)
Playing for the first time after missing three starts due to a thumb injury, Baker Mayfield didn’t need to do much to get a big win in his return. The former No. 1 overall pick attempted just 11 passes, but he completed seven of them for 64 yards and a touchdown in a day when the Buccaneers scored 43 points. They won’t be that easy every week, and he’ll face a better pass-rush against Atlanta next time out.
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23. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings (LW: 21)
While Kyler Murray had been trending in the right direction before the bye, the Minnesota Vikings QB regressed against the Colts. The former No. 1 overall pick had a couple of bigger gains called back, but finished the game completing 14-of-24 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. His best play may have come on a 35-yard scramble to set up a five-yard touchdown to T.J. Hockenson a snap later. Overall, the Vikings would like to get more out of their passing offense, but he’s done well to avoid turnovers in the past three games.
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22. J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants (Jameis Winston Ranked 26th)
Making his first start as a member of the New York Giants, J.J. McCarthy did enough to secure the job for the foreseeable future. The 2024 first-round pick was sharp, completing 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards, all while avoiding turnovers. He did take three sacks for a loss of 20 yards, but the Giants’ QB also found some deep shots downfield, leading to three gains of 20 or more yards.
21. Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens (LW: 24)
With Lamar Jackson missing his third start of the season, backup Tyler Huntley once again performed admirably in his stead. But it didn’t matter with the Bengals completely shutting down the Ravens’ rushing attack, holding them to just 3.1 YPC. Huntley performed well, completing 23-of-34 passes for a career-high 298 yards to go with a touchdown and an interception. Chances are, Jackson returns this week, but the Ravens can’t be upset with how their QB2 performed.
20. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (LW: 18)
Tyler Shough got back on track in Week 7, completing 30-of-38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown, but he had a costly red-zone interception. He was the entirety of the Saints’ offense, even leading them with seven rushing yards on three attempts. But he lost all those and then some by losing 15 yards on two sacks. Shough’s been up-and-down, often looking like the franchise QB, and other times having young growing pains that leave the door open for other options.
19. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (LW: 20)
Deshaun Watson hadn’t had a 300-yard game since 2021, when he was still a member of the Texans. That streak ended on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns’ QB completed 25-of-36 passes for 308 yards, though he did have an interception. Watson didn’t have any passing touchdowns, but he did manage to rumble for 19 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Most importantly, he led the Browns on his fifth game-winning drive of the season.
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18. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (LW: 19)
Jayden Daniels has flashed a bit of everything this season: durability concerns, excellent passing, and game-breaking ability as a rusher. Now he’s coming out of the bye a bit healthier, but the Washington Commanders QB had already been playing really well. Next up is an Eagles defense that has somehow managed to stay afloat while the offense is falling apart.
17. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 17)
Playing in Paris, Aaron Rodgers took advantage of a woefully bad Saints defense, helping the Pittsburgh Steelers get their third win in a row. This time he only completed 19-of-30 attempts for 212 yards and a touchdown and also took three sacks. But on a day when Pittsburgh ran for 148 yards, Rodgers didn’t need to do much but keep the ball out of harm’s way while keeping the chains moving, and he did just that.
16. Drake Maye, New England Patriots (LW: 15)
Drake Maye tossed his NFL-leading eighth interception in Thursday’s six-point loss. But he also led the team with 26 rushing yards and a touchdown on a night where they couldn’t get much of anything on the ground. Through the air, aside from the pick, Maye performed well, completing 24-of-31 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns while taking two sacks. While there have been some rough patches, particularly with the interceptions, Maye looks like he’s returning to being one of the NFL’s best QBs.
15. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (LW: 16)
Finally, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys can put those “embarrassing” moments behind them by getting a win. Prescott wasn’t always accurate, and CeeDee Lamb dropping two didn’t help, but when he did connect, his completions went for big chunks of yards. Overall, he’d complete just 15-of-27 attempts for 212 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys’ QB didn’t commit any turnovers or even take a sack in an otherwise dominant performance on Monday night in primetime.
14. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (LW: 11)
While it was another up-and-down performance overall, Jordan Love completed just 27-of-45 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. He also took a sack that went for a loss of 10 yards. Though, it looked like Love had another red-zone interception had the defender not been out of bounds. This was one of those games where Love could have been quite a bit better with some head-scratching decisions.
13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (LW: 13)
A week after an ugly outing, Matthew Stafford had one of his best performances in 2026. The Los Angeles Rams QB completed 23-of-29 passes for 195 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. While Stafford did have the one turnover, he only took one sack for a loss of eight yards. The yardage total was the second-fewest of his season, but it was a game where the Rams also had 199 yards rushing, so it’s not like he needed to play hero.
12. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (LW: 5)
It turns out, Bryce Young is still human. The former No. 1 overall pick had his worst game of the season, completing just 14-of-27 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. But there were several bad plays in this one: the Carolina Panthers’ QB1 had two interceptions, took five sacks for a loss of 32 yards, and lost a fumble. His failures were a big reason why Carolina had no chance in the 30-point loss.
11. Geno Smith, New York Jets (LW: 12)
Geno Smith has a new best friend in Omar Cooper Jr., who’s now recorded over 100 yards in back-to-back games. But unfortunately, both performances came with a loss. Still, Geno Smith played well, completing 23-of-30 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns, and a costly red-zone interception in the second quarter. Nevertheless, Smith has been performing extremely well for a Jets team that has undoubtedly improved on both sides of the ball, but still has some more work to do.
10. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (LW: 6)
C.J. Stroud has been excellent this season, but he wasn’t at his best on Sunday. The Houston Texans’ franchise quarterback completed 17 of 28 passes for just 153 yards and two touchdowns. While he took just one sack, Stroud didn’t lose any yards in the process. On a day when the Texans gained just 237 yards, it’s safe to say that Stroud was part of the problem this time. There were opportunities to salvage the day, but Marvin Harrison Jr. dropped a would-be catch, and Houston’s offense couldn’t do squat in overtime.
9. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (LW: 14)
It’s safe to say Caleb Williams is back to making magic. Thursday’s win in primetime saw the former No. 1 overall pick complete 23-of-33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. While he did take three sacks, Williams avoided turnovers in the six-point win. Williams should be back to 100% by Monday night, but he’s already playing like an elite QB again.
8. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 9)
After falling behind early, the Las Vegas Raiders fell into a bit of a passing game script. Kirk Cousins took advantage, completing 26-of-44 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. The four-time Pro Bowl QB didn’t commit any turnovers and did well to suffer just two sacks for a loss of six yards. The Raiders have lost four games in a row, which makes one wonder if they’d eventually turn to Fernando Mendoza, but Cousins is playing too well to make that switch. Though, perhaps a strong trade offer could change their minds.
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7. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (LW: 10)
After losing back-to-back games started by Michael Penix Jr., he got them back into the victory column on Sunday with another excellent performance. The 2024 first-round pick completed 25-of-34 of his attempts for 213 yards to go with three touchdowns. The best part was that he did so against a top-five defense. Penix has been a breath of fresh air after the retreads Atlanta started the season with under center, looking like the franchise solution at QB.
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 7)
Entering the week with the second-highest sack rate in his career, Trevor Lawrence managed to stay upright against a scary Texans defense. He also had his second consecutive 300-yard game, while posting his second four-touchdown performance of the season in one of his better starts of the 2026 campaign. However, he also had a costly red zone interception in the team’s three-point loss. Still, the former No. 1 overall pick has been one of the best quarterbacks in football thus far.
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5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 4)
A week after responding well coming out of the bye, Patrick Mahomes went backward against the Seahawks, completing just 19 of 33 attempts for 165 scoreless yards and an interception. While Mahomes only lost two yards on his lone sack, it looked like he just couldn’t get in sync against Seattle, and one wonders if the Chiefs will make a move for another playmaker soon.
4. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (LW: 3)
Brock Purdy had a bad game for the first time this season, recording his only game with multiple turnovers (two interceptions). When he wasn’t turning the ball over, Purdy was otherwise productive, completing 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown. He also took two sacks, when he’s otherwise done a great job avoiding negative plays this year. But there were just too many to overcome on Sunday.
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 8)
Fresh out of a bye, Joe Burrow got back to business in Week 7, completing 22-of-30 attempts for 292 yards and four touchdowns. He was nearly flawless, taking just one sack for a loss of eight yards while avoiding turnovers. There wasn’t much Burrow could do wrong on Sunday.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (LW: 2)
After coming into the week with a league-leading 17 touchdowns combined (nine passing, eight rushing), Josh Allen got a chance to rest through the bye. While he’s not in the top 10 of passing yards, the Buffalo Bills’ QB has still been one of the best in the NFL, coming through when it counts. He should be able to take advantage of Baltimore’s defense after returning from the bye too.
1. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (Last Week: 1)
It took six games before Jared Goff committed his first turnover, this being a lost fumble. Coming out of the bye, the Detroit Lions’ franchise QB still performed well, completing 22-of-32 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns while getting sacked just once. Goff still hasn’t thrown his first interception this season, and he’s overall been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.