One month into the season, the quarterback picture in the AFC is already starting to take shape, and the bottom of the list is as ugly as you’d expect when the play under center isn’t holding up. The league can survive a lot, but it rarely survives bad quarterbacking for long.
That’s why the early returns matter. Through four weeks, the teams near the top are getting strong QB play, while the ones stuck near the bottom are learning how quickly things can fall apart when the passing game never gets off the ground. With 2026 production as the baseline, the AFC rankings already tell a pretty blunt story.
At No. 16, Malik Willis has not given the Miami Dolphins much to work with.
He has thrown just one touchdown pass in four games, has completed less than 60 percent of his passes, and could wind up on a team that struggles to get even one win this year. The Dolphins, as the source puts it, are flat-out bad, and Willis is not carrying them out of it.
It’s a rough setup all around.
Right above him sits Cam Ward at No. 15, and the start to his second NFL season has been just as rocky. The Tennessee Titans are 0-4, Ward has only three touchdown passes, and he is averaging 181.5 passing yards per game.
The Titans do not have much offensive talent around him, but Ward also has not done much to separate himself in 2026. The first overall pick in a weaker quarterback class was supposed to be a big bet, and the early read here is that he is getting uncomfortably close to bust territory.
In Other News...
Titans Executive Shakeup Leaves One Power Structure Looking Untouchable
The Titans have been in the middle of a notable business-side shakeup, parting ways with three executive vice presidents as the organization keeps reshaping itself behind the scenes. Among those who moved on was Erin Swartz, the executive who helped lead the clubs recent rebranding effort, a reminder that even the most visible off-field projects can quickly become part of a bigger reset.
Burke Nihill, who has been empowered to speak for owner Amy Adams Strunk, declined interview requests about the in-season personnel changes, leaving plenty of questions about what comes next. What is clear is that the Titans president and CEO remains in place, even as the rest of the executive structure continues to churn around him on the business side. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Put JC Latham In Spotlight For A Defining AFC South Test
The Titans head into Week 5 with an AFC South trip to Houston that already feels loaded, even before considering the standings. Both Tennessee and the Texans are still searching for their first division win, which puts a little extra weight on every snap for a Titans team trying to steady itself against one of the leagues most demanding fronts.
JC Latham is in the center of that challenge, with the rookie right tackle set to spend plenty of time dealing with Will Anderson Jr., who Pro Football Focus rates as the highest-graded defender in the NFL. Latham has shown noticeable growth in both pass protection and the run game this season, and this matchup will say a lot about how far he has come, and how ready he is for the kind of test that can shape a division race. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Have A New Rookie To Watch In Houston
The Titans have already gotten plenty of mileage out of this rookie class, with several young players carving out meaningful roles and drawing attention early in the season. Fernando Carmona has pushed his way into the lineup, Anthony Hill has earned recognition, and Keldric Faulk has become one of the more interesting developmental stories on the roster thanks to the way his play has steadily improved.
Faulks progress matters now because Houston is the next stop, and the matchup brings a new test against quarterback C.J. Stroud. There is also growing buzz around Carnell Tate after a notable receiving performance, adding another layer to a rookie group that is starting to shape the Titans present as much as their future. The question is whether Faulks recent jump is enough to earn even more playing time in a game that should reveal a lot about where he stands. [Read more 🡒]