NFL QB Power Rankings: New No. 1 leads Week 4 list, Drake Maye drops

Quarterbacks are the most valuable position in football. After all, they're the highest-paid players, and the past 13 NFL MVP award winners are, surprise, quarterbacks. While some quarterbacks are a byproduct of their offensive environments, a select few elevate above their current circumstances.

Which teams are best equipped to make an early-season statement in 2026 because of who is under center? Which quarterbacks are the sport's most talented or gifted at this moment in time? Who could play their way out of a starting job with their current team? Which quarterbacks are just filler for their injured starters? Let's take stock of all 32 current starters with a snapshot of this present moment.

These rankings are fluid and designed to tell the story of each starting quarterback's respective rise and/or fall throughout the season. That's why some quarterbacks in this week's rankings rose as many as 12 spots or fell as many as 10. In a vacuum, Patrick Mahomes would remain No. 1 for the foreseeable future and so on. He hasn't been in the top spot for some weeks now given his torn ACL and others playing better ahead of him. However, that isn't set in stone, and he could rise back to the top of the board in the near future.

A quarterback's resume and their performance throughout the season, not just week to week, are parts of the formula used by yours truly to concoct these rankings. Some players have built up more equity than others with their play of late. So where do the league's biggest names line up entering the second week of the regular season?

Enjoy our Week 4 edition of the 2026 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings:

NFL QB Power Rankings 1

Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers QB There have only been two quarterbacks in NFL history with 10-plus total touchdowns and no sacks taken through the first three weeks of a season: Hall of Famer Dan Marino in his 1984 NFL MVP season and 2026 Brock Purdy. Purdy leads the NFL in passer rating (133.1), passing success rate (63.9%) and expected points added (EPA) per dropback (0.62) while co-leading the league in passing touchdowns (9). He's also been accurate, ranking third in the NFL in completion percentage (72.3%). That's despite seemingly losing key members of his 49ers supporting cast because of injury week after week. Purdy earned the top spot entering Week 4.  (+7) 2

Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs QB THE Patrick Mahomes might be back. He has the Chiefs out to a 3-0 start, and once again, no one is better than him when throwing outside the pocket. Mahomes leads the league in both completions (26) and passing touchdowns (4) outside the pocket this season. He also ranks top 10 in the NFL in virtually every key passing metric. Mahomes would be back in the top spot if not for a historic start to 2026 by Purdy.  (No change) 3

Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was nearly perfect throwing the football in the Baltimore Ravens' 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, completing 15 of his 20 throws for 186 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 50 rushing yards. He needed just six seconds to get Baltimore in position for a game-winning, 56-yard field goal after hitting Zay Flowers for a 27-yard gain on the first play of the game's final drive. Jackson is fourth in the league in passer rating (113.1), third in the league in EPA per dropback (0.31) and he leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (9.8).  (+1) 4

Josh Allen Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and the Bills' offense were stuck in the mud for much of the day in their 24-16 win over the now 0-3 Los Angeles Chargers. The team committed five turnovers with Allen responsible for three of them (two interceptions and a lost fumble). However, he and the Bills are 3-0, and Allen is the first player in NFL history with five-plus passing touchdowns (5) and five-plus rushing touchdowns (6) through the first three games of a season. That's good enough to remain in the top four.  (-3) 5

Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence bounced back in a major way in Week 3 against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. He shredded them for 182 yards passing, three pass touchdowns and an interception on 19 of 29 passing. He also graciously left a rushing touchdown on the table for the Jaguars' new RB1 Bhayshul Tuten by taking a knee at the one at the end of a 15-yard run. Lawrence has Jacksonville looking like an AFC contender once again in 2026. Lawrence's seven passing touchdowns are tied for the fifth-most in the league while he also ranks eighth in passer rating (107.8) and 10th in EPA per dropback (0.18).  (+4) 6

Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys QB The Cowboys are essentially at a point with their defense and game management that they need Dak Prescott to play near-perfect or perfect football. He nearly gave them that in a duel with Lamar Jackson, but his special teams and defense let him down in the game's last seven seconds. Prescott ranks tied for fifth in the NFL in passing touchdowns (7), ninth in passer rating (107.2) and fifth in EPA per dropback (0.28).  (-1) 7

Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff is the only NFL quarterback with five-plus passing touchdowns (8) and no interceptions this season. That has him ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (116.1) and seventh in the league in EPA per dropback (0.28). He got smacked around at the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, but he rebounded with 269 yards and two touchdowns on 25 of 32 passing in a 31-24 win over the New York Jets in Week 3.  (+3) 8

Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow has had a nice 2026 season with six passing touchdowns to just one interception with his Bengals out to a 2-1 start. He put together a nice performance against the Steelers on Sunday with 282 passing yards and three touchdowns on 28 of 37 passing (75.7%). However, he was also a key reason why they lost 30-27 since he allowed himself to be strip-sacked with just under 50 seconds left while approaching field goal range.  (-2) 9

Kirk Cousins Las Vegas Raiders QB The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is a big reason why. He's thrown three touchdowns in all three games, and he had his first interception-less outing in Las Vegas' 35-27 road win at the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. Cousins and Tom Brady (2015 and 2021) are the only players age 38 or older with nine-plus passing touchdowns in the first three games of a season.  (+6) 10

Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford has 717 yards passing and six passing touchdowns across the last two weeks. That makes him just the fourth quarterback age 38 or older to do that in a two-game span along with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Warren Moon. However, he's also thrown three interceptions in this span, including two in the 30-26 loss at the Denver Broncos. The first was a pick six that gave the Broncos the lead, and the last one was the final play of the game when Stafford was trying to throw a 19-yard, game-winning touchdown. If he just hadn't thrown the first interception, perhaps a Rams loss and the second interception wouldn't have happened.  (-7) 11

Geno Smith New York Jets QB Geno Smith has turned the clock back to his Seattle Seahawks, Pro Bowl prime in his second stint with the New York Jets. Smith is fresh off throwing for 321 yards and three passing touchdowns on 31 of 37 passing in a narrow 31-24 defeat against the Detroit Lions in Week 3. He now leads the NFL in completion percentage (75.5%) while ranking fifth in passer rating (110.0) and 11th in EPA per dropback (0.17). Quarterbacking is now an old man's game in the NFL.  (+5) 12

Bryce Young Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is in a tough spot with the Carolina Panthers. His offensive line is allowing a quarterback pressure rate of 47.7%, the highest in the NFL, and two of his top three receivers, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette are banged up. That has turned him into an inefficient chucker (59.5% completion percentage, 26th out of 32 qualified quarterbacks) with the most passing yards in the NFL (939).  (-1) 13

Jordan Love Green Bay Packers QB Like Bryce Young, Jordan Love is also in a difficult predicament. His offensive line is allowing a quarterback pressure rate of 44.7%, the second-highest in the NFL, and his pass catchers have dropped an NFL-high nine passes. Despite all that, his six touchdown passes are tied for the ninth-most in football, and his 844 pass yards are the fourth-most in the league. Fortunately for Love, Green Bay added veteran offensive line reinforcements with the signing of Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton. Perhaps they can provide the protection he is craving at the moment.  (-6) 14

Tyler Shough New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough is a boatload of fun. His 917 yards passing are the second-most in the NFL, and his eight passing touchdowns are tied for the third-most in the NFL. However, he has a ball security problem. His six turnovers (three interceptions and three lost fumbles, tied for the most in the NFL) are the second-most in the league. Shough has fumbled five times, which leads the league, and he's fortunate two of them having been recovered by the Saints. Shough can certainly level up to greater heights this season if he just takes better care of the football.  (No change) 15

Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold returned from his glute injury in Week 3, and it was a mixed bag in the Seahawks' 33-31 loss at the Washington Commanders. On the one hand, he threw for a career-high 379 yards in addition to four touchdowns. On the other hand, he threw two interceptions including a pick six with just under four minutes left that put the game out of reach. Darnold's career-best five-game streak without a turnover including the playoffs is over, but he'll certainly look better the more he knocks the rust off.  (Not ranked entering Week 3) 16

Marcus Mariota Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota had his best performance in years in Washington's 33-31 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. He threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 19 of 31 passing, and he sealed the game with a read-option keeper that harkened back to his Heisman glory days at Oregon. Sunday was Mariota's first game with at least three passing touchdowns and no interceptions since 2019 when he was still a Tennessee Titan. Doing so against Mike Macdonald's Seahawks is a big, big deal.  (+13) 17

Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts' performance against the Chicago Bears (153 yards passing and an interception on 16 of 25 passing; 25 yards rushing and a touchdown on four carries) in a 27-7 defeat vs. the Case Keenum-led Bears validated every worry people have about his game. Hurts avoided the middle of the field and most of the left side of the field, which made it pretty easy to defend him through the air. Hurts and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion need to get on the same page quickly with a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams looming in Week 4.  (-4) 18

Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.'s return to the starting lineup brought the Atlanta Falcons' offense back from the dead. Atlanta had scored 16 points combined with seven turnovers with Cooper Rush the first two weeks of the season. With Penix, they won 35-14 at the Green Bay Packers on "Thursday Night Football." Yes, he threw an early interception, but after that, Penix settled in nicely, throwing for 256 yards and a touchdown on a 72% completion percentage (18 for 25). Bijan Robinson and Drake London both looked ready to explode on the sideline, but in Week 2, they each had 194 yards either

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/week-4-nfl-qb-power-rankings-drake-maye-plummets/)._