Being a starting quarterback in the NFL is the most important position in sports. With the football in their hands on (almost) every offensive play, they shoulder an immense amount of responsibility and are expected to make the right decision every time—with the ultimate goal of leading their team to victory.
If quarterbacks fail to perform at a satisfactory level—whether that be due to poor play or an injury—they can easily be replaced, as evidenced by the 63(!) signal-callers who started a game across the regular season and playoffs in 2025.
Each week, 32 players in the NFL have the pleasure of being named their club’s starting quarterback. Here's a look at all of them.
This list will be updated throughout the 2026 season as benchings, injuries and more take place across the league. Backup quarterbacks will have an asterisk next to their name in each division's chart.
All 32 NFL starting quarterbacks: Week 8
AFC EAST
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Buffalo Bills | Josh Allen |
New England Patriots | Drake Maye |
New York Jets | Geno Smith |
Miami Dolphins | Malik Willis |
Leading the charge in the AFC East are 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen for the Bills and ’25 MVP runner-up Drake Maye for the Patriots. Elsewhere, Geno Smith returns to the team that drafted him in the Jets and Malik Willis will start under center for the Dolphins—who signed him to a three-year, $67.5 million contract this offseason.
AFC NORTH
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson |
Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow |
Cleveland Browns | Deshaun Watson |
Pittsburgh Steelers | Aaron Rodgers |
Much to the dismay of Browns fans, Deshaun Watson was named Cleveland’s starting quarterback by coach Todd Monken to begin the 2026 season. The rest of the division, meanwhile, is running it back with veterans Joe Burrow (Bengals), Lamar Jackson (Ravens) and Aaron Rodgers (Steelers).
AFC SOUTH
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Houston Texans | C.J. Stroud |
Indianapolis Colts | Daniel Jones |
Jacksonville Jaguars | Trevor Lawrence |
Tennessee Titans | Cam Ward |
The four quarterbacks who started the 2025 season in the AFC South will do the same in ’26. Among them are Cam Ward, entering his second season with the Titans, and Daniel Jones, returning to the Colts after an Achilles tendon tear prematurely ended his breakout first campaign in Indianapolis.
AFC WEST
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Denver Broncos | Bo Nix |
Kansas City Chiefs | Patrick Mahomes |
Las Vegas Raiders | Kirk Cousins |
Los Angeles Chargers | Justin Herbert |
While Bo Nix, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes are the returning starters for the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs, respectively, the Raiders are going in a different direction this season. Despite drafting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Las Vegas named veteran Kirk Cousins as their starter to begin the campaign.
NFC EAST
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Dallas Cowboys | Dak Prescott |
New York Giants | J.J. McCarthy |
Philadelphia Eagles | Tanner McKee* |
Washington Commanders | Jayden Daniels |
Dak Prescott and Jayden Daniels remain as starting quarterbacks in the NFC East. Second-year pro Jaxson Dart unfortunately suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, which thrust backup Jameis Winston into the starting role before the reins were handed to trade acquisition J.J. McCarthy in Week 7. Hurts is currently managing a superficial blood clot in his calf, which has thrust Eagles backup Tanner McKee into the starting role for the time being.
NFC NORTH
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Chicago Bears | Caleb Williams |
Detroit Lions | Jared Goff |
Green Bay Packers | Jordan Love |
Minnesota Vikings | Kyler Murray |
The NFC North officially has three former No. 1 picks starting at quarterback after the Vikings tabbed Kyler Murray as their guy this summer. The others are Caleb Williams (Bears) and Jared Goff (Lions). Jordan Love, a former first-round pick himself, is back for his fourth season as the Packers’ franchise signal-caller.
NFC SOUTH
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Atlanta Falcons | Michael Penix Jr. |
Carolina Panthers | Bryce Young |
New Orleans Saints | Tyler Shough |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Baker Mayfield |
Bryce Young (Panthers), Tyler Shough (Saints) and Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) all remain at the helm of their team’s offenses for 2026. The Falcons, meanwhile, are moving forward with Michael Penix Jr. now that he’s back healthy after last season’s knee injury.
NFC WEST
Team | Starting quarterback |
|---|---|
Arizona Cardinals | Jacoby Brissett |
Los Angeles Rams | Matthew Stafford |
San Francisco 49ers | Brock Purdy |
Seattle Seahawks | Sam Darnold |
The starting quarterbacks in the loaded NFC West division include the reigning NFL MVP in Matthew Stafford and a reigning Super Bowl champion in Sam Darnold. The 49ers will again roll with Brock Purdy under center, while Jacoby Brissett will start for the Cardinals after inking a new deal with the club earlier this summer.