- Potential rookie QBs for the 2026 draft include Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore.
- Former first-round picks Mac Jones and Daniel Jones are possible reclamation projects.
It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the 2026 NFL season – and that’s especially true for the nine teams (with more likely to follow in Week 15) that have already been officially removed from playoff contention in 2025.
Some of them – the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and more to be determined – will be focusing on their cultures at large as they set out to identify new head coaches and, by extension, a change of direction overall.
But other clubs will be prioritizing that most important of roster assets as they strive to solve festering quarterback problems and shed their current – and perhaps perpetual – plight into irrelevance. And while the upcoming draft will doubtless provide options for some organizations, what projects as a fairly limited (and still undefined) supply of top-tier passing prospects seems likely to force several franchises into more creative and/or expensive alternatives.
While not every circumstance is created equal, here are seven* quarterbacks who should draw extensive attention for the squads likely to have a hole to address next season:
Rookies in 2026
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Maybe it’s apt that the newly anointed Heisman Trophy winner has drawn comparisons to recently resurrected Philip Rivers. Mendoza’s size (6-foot-5, 225 pounds – similar to Rivers, in his prime anyway) accuracy, poise, toughness in the pocket and ability to push the ball downfield all speak to that. Mendoza does not have Rivers’ shot put delivery yet does offer better mobility – especially when it comes to pulling the ball in the red zone … though NFL defenders may limit his efficacy as a scoring threat in those circumstances moving forward. Mendoza, 22, is the prohibitive favorite to be the first QB off the draft board next spring with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets projecting as likely options. However other teams might jockey to acquire him given the probability a team like the Giants or Titans, who don’t need young QBs, could be looking to vacate the No. 1 spot.
*Dante Moore, Oregon
It’s easy to spot some Jayden Daniels in his game, from the way Moore glides in the pocket, to the jersey number (5), to the ability to deliver downfield strikes with seeming ease … to the slender build (6-3, 206). But the Daniels label is also an unfair one, Moore lacking the burst (and perhaps proclivity) to set sail on dynamic runs while escaping the pocket – which may not be the worst thing given the injury issues the slightly built Daniels is already running into at the NFL level. But Moore’s ability as a passer could set him apart from his fellow draft class quarterbacks – though it’s simply a matter of whom those guys will be given it’s not certain whether or not he will enter the 2026 draft, hence the asterisk. Moore doesn’t turn 21 until May.
Reclamation projects in 2026?
Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
The former New England Patriots washout has taken advantage of his first year in Kyle Shanahan’s halfway house for first-round busts after moving into Sam Darnold’s room. Jones played so well – winning five of eight starts, completing nearly 70% of his passes and racking up 2,151 yards, 13 TD passes (against 6 INTs) and a career-best 97.4 passer rating – while QB1 Brock Purdy was dealing with a turf toe injury, that he sparked some debate that he should be the Niners’ full-time starter. Though Jones is under contract through the 2026 season, he could be an enticing trade target for teams hoping to find the next Darnold or Baker Mayfield – an experienced NFL player (Jones now has 58 pro starts) who’s still young, has ample upside and wouldn’t command a premium contract. Jones’ low-key cockiness also appeals to a lot of his current and former teammates.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
He seemed to be something of a fallback option when Indy signed him earlier this year. But Jones won the starting job in August, then proceeded to lead the Colts to the top of the AFC South in what projected to be the best NFL season for a guy drafted sixth overall by the Giants in 2019. Of course, Jones tore his Achilles last weekend and may or may not be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign – which is obviously the bad news. But on the plus side, he might have sufficiently revitalized the Colts, who haven’t extended Jones beyond this season, that it’s possible a bidding war for his services could materialize in the offseason. His no-frills approach, underrated athleticism, respect he quietly commands from a locker room – plus a reduction of the killer turnovers that so often undermined him in Gotham – could make Jones a very attractive option, particularly since he won’t draw anything close to top dollar at the most expensive of NFL positions.
Bridge to somewhere?
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
He’s spent a decade in the league as a backup or stopgap, currently in the latter role, yet has markedly upgraded Arizona’s offense while taking the reins from injured Kyler Murray. Brissett’s 95.3 QB rating and 66.2% completion rate are career bests, and his 245.9 passing yards per game are illustrative of recently tapped potential for a player who had never before averaged even 200 over a season. Depending on how things play out with Murray, staying in the desert might be the best − and maybe obvious given he’s in Year 1 of a two-year pact − course of action for Brissett, who started five times for the New England Patriots in 2024 before Drake Maye took over. But if Murray returns to the Cardinals, Brissett, 33, who’s nearly egoless relative to the position he plays and tends to be embraced in every locker room he graces, figures to have more appeal than fairly similar peers like Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz and Mitchell Trubisky − if Arizona would even be willing to move a valuable player averaging just $6.3 million per season.
Pro Bowl pedigree … with questions
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Yes, he’ll be 38 next season. But if you didn’t see Atlanta’s upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, it’s also apparent Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, still has gas in the tank – spinning it to the tune of 373 yards and three TDs against the Bucs. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s now two years past the Achilles tear that ruined his final season in Minnesota. One of the premier businessmen in NFL history, Cousins seems more interested in an opportunity to start at this point in his career rather than pulling down another massive contract laden with significant guarantees. He’s due a $35 million base salary in 2026 and 2027, but only $10 million guaranteed – total – over the next two years, making it far more likely that Atlanta will release or deal him after this season, assuming Cousins waives his no-trade clause. Cerebral, dedicated and still able to connect with younger teammates, Cousins could be ideal for a decent team biding its time while identifying a long-term solution.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals
As intriguing an option as any, he hasn’t played since Oct. 5 due to a foot injury and won’t return this season. Yet there seems to be some convenience to that organizational approach given how much better the offense has run with Brissett at the controls than it did with Murray, who’s still only 28. There’s no doubting the physical tools of a two-time Pro Bowler. But the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft has shown limited progression as a passer and hasn’t been the same threat as a runner as he was earlier in his career. Murray’s dedication and comportment have also been targets of criticism over the years. But the raw talent remains obvious … even if it might need to be mined and refined somewhere else. Murray is under contract through the 2027 season, the 2028 campaign currently constructed as a club option. But his guarantees run out after next year. While a trade (and contractual transfer) would seem to be the optimal exit strategy for Murray and the Cards – if that’s the route the parties eventually choose – incurring a cap hit of nearly $58 million to release him next year might be unavoidable if it’s obvious the relationship between team and player has run its course.
