NFL QB Power Rankings: Week 3 sees Prescott rise, Rodgers fall

Quarterbacks are the most valuable position in football. After all, they're the highest-paid players, and the past 13 NFL MVP award winners have been, you guessed it, quarterbacks. While some quarterbacks are a byproduct of their offensive ecosystems, 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. However, he will not be found in the top spot since he hasn't been the best quarterback this season. That being said, a QB'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 3 edition of the 2026 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings:

NFL QB Power Rankings 1

Josh Allen Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is on an NFL MVP pace: he is just the third quarterback with nine-plus total touchdowns (9) and no turnovers through two games, along with two past NFL MVP winners Peyton Manning (2013) and Patrick Mahomes (2018). He's coming off a five-touchdown game in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on "Thursday Night Football." No reason to remove Allen from the top spot this week.  (No change) 2

Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs QB THE Patrick Mahomes might be back. In the Kansas City Chiefs ' 33-30 overtime victory in Week 2, Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three passing touchdowns on 32-of-47 passing. That marked his first game with 350-plus yards through the air, three passing touchdowns and no interceptions since 2022, his most recent NFL MVP season. If Mahomes keeps producing like this, he'll be back in the MVP hunt and challenging Allen for the top spot on this list. (+1) 3

Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford returned to his 2025 NFL MVP form in Week 2 in his first game back in the United States this season. He threw for 327 yards, four passing touchdowns and an interception, while completing 71% (22-31) of his passes. Stafford now has 22 games with four-plus passing touchdowns, surpassing Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the sixth-most in NFL history. Looks like he'll be alright this year on a normal sleep schedule.  (+2) 4

Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens QB Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is off to a strong start, leading the NFL in passing yards per attempt (10.0). However, he needs to lock in during the fourth quarter. He has three total touchdowns and no interceptions in the first three quarters and no touchdowns and an interception in the fourth quarter this season. In Week 1, he didn't need to do anything in the fourth quarter in a 41-23 win over the Colts . In Week 2, he wasn't able to find the end zone after halftime in a 24-17 upset loss against the Saints . Fortunately for him, he plays the Dallas Cowboys ' defense in Week 3.  (-1) 5

Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was in complete command in Dallas' 37-20 victory, throwing for four touchdowns and 279 yards on 26-of-31 passing. His four touchdown passes vaulted him past his predecessor Tony Romo  as the Cowboys' all-time passing TD leader with 249. Prescott's six passing touchdowns are tied for the most in the NFL this season. Dallas will need him to perform like that every week to keep winning with their early-season defensive issues.  (+4) 6

Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals QB Given he's fresh off playing the Texans in Houston, Joe Burrow throwing for two touchdowns, 207 yards and no interceptions on 20 of 31 passing is an accomplishment. He did, however, get sacked a whopping five times against Houston's high-powered pass rush. Burrow is still getting in rhythm early this season, but a 2-0 start is a big deal for the notoriously slow starter.  (-2) 7

Jordan Love Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love is holding the 1-1 Green Bay Packers  together by a thread. Packers running backs are averaging 3.4 yards per carry, the sixth-lowest figure in the league. His offensive line is allowing the fourth-highest quarterback pressure rate (43.6%) in football while ranking dead last in ESPN's pass block win rate and PFF's pass block grade metrics. His pass catchers have also registered a league-high six drops. Yet, Love is one of just nine quarterbacks with multiple passing touchdowns in both games this season, and he's produced 532 passing yards (the eighth most in the NFL) and four passing touchdowns (tied for the ninth most in the NFL) in extremely adverse circumstances. If tape is your thing, turn it on. He's made some of the most impressive throws of the young season with a collapsing pocket. Also, his 387 yards, two passing touchdowns and one interception against Brian Flores' Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 1 looks a lot more impressive after seeing that unit manhandle the Chicago Bears in Week 2.  (No change) 8

Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy put together a near-perfect game against the tanking Miami Dolphins in a 35-13 Week 2 victory. He completed 20 of his 22 throws for 287 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 30 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. He and Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young in 1998 are the only 49ers with three-plus total touchdowns in each of their first two games of a season. That's pretty, pretty good.  (+3) 9

Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence fell back to earth in the Jaguars ' 20-13 defeat against the Denver Broncos , completing 17 of his 29 passes for 189 yards and an interception a week after throwing for four touchdowns and 245 yards on 18-of-23 passing in a Week 1 win against the Cleveland Browns . His Week 3 game against the New England Patriots will be quite revealing about the direction of his 2026 season.  (-3) 10

Jared Goff Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff's production (327 yards passing and four passing touchdowns on 26-of-38 passing) in Detroit's 41-31 Week 2 loss at the Buffalo Bills is a little deceiving. He looked overwhelmed by Buffalo's pass rush, absorbing four sacks and playing a key role in the Lions falling behind 21-0. However, his efficient 206 yards passing and two passing touchdowns in a narrow Week 1 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints look a lot better after the Saints went into Baltimore and upset the Ravens in Week 2.  (No change) 11

Bryce Young Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is in the midst of a breakthrough. Yes, his production came in a blowout Week 1 loss against the Chicago Bears and a blowout win against the hapless, Cooper Rush-led Atlanta Falcons , but he's absolutely balling out. Young has three passing touchdowns in both games to tie Jake Delhomme (2007) for the most passing touchdowns by a Panthers quarterback in the first two games of season, and he's the first Panthers quarterback with three-plus passing touchdowns in consecutive games since franchise G.O.A.T Cam Newton in 2017.  (+5) 12

Drew Lock Seattle Seahawks QB Drew Lock is thriving in place of an injured Sam Darnold . He lit up the Arizona Cardinals for 235 yards passing and three passing touchdowns while completing 19 of his 26 throws in a 31-7 blowout victory. He now leads the league in passer rating (127.3) through two weeks while finding 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba early and often. All four of his passing touchdowns this season have gone to JSN.  (+9) 13

Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had quite the roller coaster performance in Week 2: a narrow 24-20 victory at the Tennessee Titans to improve the Philadelphia Eagles to 2-0. On the one hand, he threw two ugly interceptions, including one right into the chest of Titans defensive back Amai Hooker in the red zone and an underthrown pass that resulted in another turnover. On the other hand, Hurts completed 26 of his 37 throws (70.3%) and threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He also came in clutch by throwing his second scoring strike to wide receiver Darius Cooper with nine seconds left from three yards out to win the game. Hurts is now the first Eagles player with multiple passing touchdowns in each of his first two games of a season since Carson Wentz in 2017 when he finished third in NFL MVP voting.  (No change) 14

Tyler Shough New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough nearly outdueled Jared Goff in a Week 1 overtime defeat before outdueling Lamar Jackson in a 24-17 Week 2 victory. He threw for a touchdown and ran for another while completing 79.4% (27-of-34) of his passes for 252 yards and a touchdown. Shough was nearly flawless in the fourth quarter, completing 12 of his 14 passes for 119 and a touchdown. He improved on his interception issue in Week 2, but he still put the ball on the ground via a fumble that a teammate recovered. A clean game could rocket the NFL's passing yards leader (662) up the rankings next week. (+9) 15

Kirk Cousins Las Vegas Raiders QB Who would have guessed 38-year-old Kirk Cousins would co-lead the NFL in passing touchdowns (6) and have the Las Vegas Raiders out to a 2-0 start in 2026? He thoroughly outplayed Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert , passing for 253 yards, three passing touchdowns and an interception on 19-of-29 passing in a 26-14 victory. His arm strength isn't what it once was, but he's getting the job done. (+11) 16

Geno Smith New York Jets QB Geno Smith ranking this high at the age of 35 in 2026 is more of a reflection on his peers than himself, but he's mostly been a decent game manager for the 1-1 New York Jets . His squad should be 2-0, but they gave away a 20-17 overtime victory to the Green Bay Packers with unbelievably unclutch play. Smith threw for 247 yards and a touchdown on 27-of-41 passing, but he and his offensive line cratered late. Two of his four sacks occurred on the Jets' first two offensive plays in overtime, forcing them to punt back to the Packers. (+9) 17

Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to a massive upset overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs before they lost 33-30. He hit Laquon Treadwell on a beautiful 50-yard throw that got the Colts down to the 17, but then head coach Shane Steichen got conservative with two consecutive runs that lost a combined three yards. Jones mostly managed the game well, completing 22 of his 31 throws for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception. (+12) 18

Drake Maye New England Patriots QB How the mighty have fallen. Drake Maye , the 2025 NFL MVP runner up, is in a rut in 2026. The Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 in Week 2 on the strength of their defense and running back TreVeyon Henderson . Maye failed to account for a touchdown and tied Cooper Rush for the league lead in interceptions with four. Maye's superstar turn in 2025 plus his team's 1-1 start is keeping him this high, but another rough showing next week and he could take another massive tumble. (-6) 19

Justin Herbert Los

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/week-3-nfl-qb-power-rankings-dak-prescott-aaron-rodgers/)._