With a month now in the books in the 2026 NFL season, the NFC quarterback picture is starting to take shape. The league’s toughest position has already delivered its usual mix of sharp play, uneven stretches, and a few situations no quarterback could make look easy. And as expected, the top passers are attached to some of the top teams.
At the bottom of this latest NFC quarterback ranking sits Jalon Daniels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Baker Mayfield sidelined by a dislocated thumb, Tampa Bay has turned to Daniels, and his first NFL regular season start came with the expected growing pains.
He looked shaky, and the situation around him has made life even tougher. He is a rookie, and this setup gives him virtually zero percent chance to play well right now.
None of that is on him, but for the moment he lands at No. 16.
There is still a chance he develops into a high-end backup quarterback, but that is the long view, not the present one.
Just ahead of him is Kyler Murray, now with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 15.
Murray and the Vikings should keep improving offensively as the season moves along, and if the defense keeps holding up, this group could become a juggernaut. Murray has not looked good yet this season, but the concussion that already cost him time is part of the story.
Even so, he is the kind of quarterback who could climb quickly through these rankings if things start clicking.
In Other News...
T.J. Hockenson Just Revived A Big Vikings Question Around J.J. McCarthy
T.J. Hockensons latest performance offered a reminder of why the Vikings value him so highly, even as the details of the game created a quirky side story of their own. He scored a touchdown and then slid instead of taking it to the end zone, a choice that ended up mattering to some bettors, but the bigger takeaway for Minnesota was the way he looked as a central part of the offense. Hockenson finished with 119 yards on 13 catches, his first 100-yard outing since the ACL injury that sidelined him in 2023.
For a team still sorting out its long-term offensive picture around J.J. McCarthy, Hockensons health and production remain part of the conversation. His return to that kind of form comes after a difficult recovery and serves as another sign that the Vikings may be able to lean on him as they continue making roster decisions tied to their young quarterback. The touchdown celebration may have drawn attention for a different reason, but the broader significance was Hockenson looking like himself again at a time when Minnesota needs clarity from its core pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin OConnell Just Gave Vikings Fans A New Offensive Debate
The Vikings are 4-0, but the way they got there has not exactly settled the offensive conversation in Minnesota. Kevin OConnells group has already gone two games without a touchdown, and even in a win over the Dolphins, the offense ended up at the center of a familiar kind of debate: whether the safest path is always the best-looking one.
Late in that game, T.J. Hockenson was instructed to stop short of the end zone instead of finishing a touchdown, a move designed to drain more clock and keep the result secure. It was classic situational football from OConnell, who has leaned into minimizing risk, but it also gave critics fresh reason to wonder whether the Vikings are playing to win cleanly or simply playing not to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin O'Connell's Late Week 4 Call Said Everything About These Vikings
With the game hanging in the balance late in the fourth quarter, Kevin O'Connell made a choice that said plenty about where these Vikings are right now. Faced with 4th-and-5, the Minnesota coach sent out the field-goal unit for a 29-yard try, opting to stretch a 15-10 lead rather than gamble on another offensive snap. It was the kind of decision that fits a team willing to trust its defense and the broader game script instead of forcing the issue.
The analytics backed the call, and the next sequence made the reasoning look even better. Minnesota's defense answered with a stop to preserve the lead, turning a measured coaching decision into a winning one in the moment. For a team trying to sort out its identity in the early part of the season, the sequence offered a clear snapshot of O'Connell's approach: play the percentages, lean on the group, and let the roster's strengths carry the pressure. [Read more 🡒]