Best QBs In The NFL: Has Josh Allen Overtaken Patrick Mahomes As Best Quarterback?

There's no position in sports that's debated more than quarterback. And for the first time in years, there's plenty of debate about who the best quarterback in the NFL is. After Patrick Mahomes' and the Kansas City Chiefs' underwhelming 2025 season, there's no consensus on who is the No. 1 quarterback in the league. Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP winner, while Josh Allen played at an elite level again last season following his MVP win in 2024. Then there are the likes of Lamar Jackson, who is a two-time MVP winner, and Joe Burrow, who has been statistically dominant when healthy. So, which quarterback is actually the best in the league entering the 2026 campaign? Here is how the six of us ranked the 10 best quarterbacks. Greg Auman: Goff finished second in the NFL last year behind only Matthew Stafford in both passing touchdowns (34) and passing yards (4,564). He’s topped 4,400 passing yards four years in a row, and his 130 passing touchdowns since 2022 are 13 more than any other quarterback. What’s missing? Goff only has two playoff wins in five years in Detroit, so the best thing he can do to elevate his status is beat other top quarterbacks head-to-head in January. If Detroit is healthy on defense and a reshuffled offensive line can work, it'll be a playoff team again and potentially a dangerous one. Detroit’s last two games are at Chicago and Green Bay, so it very well might be that its playoff run starts in Week 17. Can Goff outduel Caleb Williams and Jordan Love on the road down the stretch? Eric D. Williams: At 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds and blessed with one of the strongest arms in football, Herbert possesses all the physical tools to be considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. The Oregon product also has the stats to back up that claim. Herbert’s 24,820 passing yards through the first six seasons of his career are second in league history. He is the only player ever to eclipse 4,000 yards in each of his first three years and his 31 games with 300-plus passing yards rank tied for second in the NFL since 2020. Still, Herbert has failed to get it done in the postseason, going 0-3 so far in the playoffs. The Chargers believe the addition of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will unlock a higher level of play for Herbert and the Bolts’ offense, which will lead to a deep postseason run in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s third season with the team. Henry McKenna: I’m happy we have Love on this list. I’m not sure that Love’s statistical breakthrough season is coming this year, given that he still doesn’t have a bona fide WR1. But I will say that his breakthrough season — from a decision-making and consistency standpoint — was last year. His game was clunky and filled with easy mistakes in 2024, perhaps because of pressure or perhaps because of injuries. But in 2025, he looked like the NFL’s best decision-maker, capable of managing games from throw to throw and drive to drive. He didn’t throw a million passes, but he generated the explosives when they presented themselves and largely took what the defense gave him. I’m expecting another impressive year on film and in advanced statistics, even if I can’t promise he’s a top-10 fantasy QB. Ben Arthur: While playoff success has eluded him, Prescott has long been considered a top-10 quarterback. The 33-year-old this past season led the NFL in completions for the second time in his career (404) and registered his fourth 4,000-yard passing season. The former fourth-round pick ranked in the top five in passing yards, passing touchdowns, EPA (expected points added) per dropback and completion rate over expected in 2025. Notably, Prescott is one of the NFL’s most aggressive passers. He led the league in tight window rate for the third time in the last four years last season. Entering his second year with the CeeDee Lamb-George Pickens tandem at receiver, the four-time Pro Bowler is positioned to continue putting up big numbers in 2026. McKenna: The guy made it to the Super Bowl in his second year. Admittedly, he got trounced immediately after arriving in the big game. But it was a testament to his ascendance in a season when he finished second in MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford. Last year, Maye was outstanding in just about every measurement. You want wins? He had 14 in the regular season and three more in the postseason. You want touchdowns? He scored 35 total last year. You want efficiency and advanced stats? He completed 72% of his passes and finished with an EPA per dropback of .25 (first in the NFL). Last season was an ascent comparable only to what we’ve seen from Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Now the question is whether — with a tougher schedule — Maye can maintain what he’s built. Whether he can meet this new standard. That uncertainty is what’s keeping him out of the top five. Auman: Burrow had five playoff wins and a Super Bowl appearance in his first three years in the league, but the Bengals have now missed the playoffs three years in a row. That’s on a terrible defense and Burrow’s bad injury luck. Can both change in 2026? The Bengals are the AFC’s Cowboys, led by a prolific quarterback and two elite receivers but hobbled by a bottom-five defense. Can Burrow stay healthy and get back to his dominant 43-touchdown form in 2024? That, and even a mediocre defense, will put the Bengals back in the playoffs and give Burrow a chance to reset himself among the elite quarterbacks in the league, not by reputation, but on production. Their schedule is super-easy, with only five games out of 17 against the top half of our most recent power rankings. Arthur: Jackson missed four games last season due to injury, but he remains on the shortlist of superstar quarterbacks when healthy. In 2024, his last full season, the two-time MVP led the NFL in touchdown rate, yards per attempt and passer rating. He also added 915 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on a league-high 6.6 yards per carry that year. Entering his age-29 season, the mobility that has made Jackson arguably the best dual-threat quarterback of all time could start to diminish. It’ll be paramount for the four-time Pro Bowler to continue making massive strides as a passer. In 2024, the former first-round pick registered his first 4,000-yard passing season. Williams: Stafford deservedly won a close competition over Drake Maye for the NFL MVP award last season — the first time the 38-year-old signal caller took home the trophy in his illustrious, 18-year career. Stafford lit up the scoreboard for L.A.’s offense in 2025, leading the league in touchdown passes (46), passing yards (4,707) and finishing second in passer rating (109.2). Stafford threw a league-high 32 touchdowns and just one interception against the blitz during his MVP season. Stafford missed most of training camp last year with a balky back, so can he make it through a full season healthy again? The Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round as insurance, but he’ll likely not be ready to lead this team, heavily favored to win the Super Bowl. So, it will be up to head coach Sean McVay to keep Stafford upright. Stafford played a full, 17-game season for the first time last year since 2021. Arthur: Mahomes may be the "GOAT" of this era, but his passing numbers in recent years have been nowhere near as spectacular as they were at the start of his career. He’s also coming off the first major injury of his career: a torn ACL. In 14 games last season, he completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. The reality, though, is that he remains one of the most gifted and creative quarterbacks of all time. He ranks first in league history in passing yards per game (285.2) and passing success rate (51.9%). His postseason success is also unparalleled among his peers: three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVPs, five Super Bowl appearances and seven AFC Championship Game appearances. If Rashee Rice is healthy and focused, Mahomes will have his best wide receiver room in years. Having reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in the backfield takes pressure off him as well. Ralph Vacchiano: If Allen could just win one championship, he might end up being in the conversation with Patrick Mahomes as the greatest quarterback of their generation. And really, he should be anyway. He’s finished in the top five in MVP voting four straight years, and five of the last six. That also includes four finishes in the top four. Allen still has the strongest arm in the game and is a lock to run for 500 yards and double-digit touchdowns every year. He may not be putting up the gaudy numbers he did earlier in his career, but he’s still averaged 3,700 passing yards and 27 touchdowns the last two seasons with a questionable arsenal of weapons and no true No. 1 receiver. Allen was also the MVP in 2024 and might have ended up finishing higher than third last year if the Bills could have prevented him from getting sacked a career-high 40 times. This year, the Bills upgraded his receiving corps a little with D.J. Moore and he could get an even bigger boost with his old offensive coordinator Joe Brady now running things his way as the Bills head coach. Allen is 30, so he isn’t exactly running out of time. But there is definitely a feeling in Buffalo and around the league that his time may be right now.