Sportsnaut
Every year, players around the NFL are overlooked heading into the season. That’s especially true at quarterback this year. Here are five QBs who aren’t getting enough attention ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Related: Ranking The Top 10 NFL Head Coaches Ahead of the 2026 Season
Out of nowhere, Jacoby Brissett turned in arguably his best season in 2025. While it came with just a 1-11 record, Brissett seemed to have unlocked a new gear he hadn’t previously shown. Brissett completed a career-high 64.9% of his passes, averaging 240.4 yards per game, and had 23 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Which, by the way, he holds the NFL record for the lowest interception rate of all time at just 1.4%.
Brissett’s situation figures to improve upon last season, considering he’ll now receive more first-team reps as the installed starter rather than Kyler Murray, who’s now in Minnesota. Not to mention, Brissett has one of, if not the game’s best tight ends in Trey McBride at his disposal, a hungry Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, who’s coming off his first 1,000-yard season. And that’s not even getting into Jeremiyah Love, who could take a lot of pass-rush pressure off Arizona’s line. With first-year head coach Mike LaFleur pressing the buttons, Brissett has a chance at being even more impressive, earning that raise he’s currently seeking.
Many questioned it at the time, but making Tyler Shough the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is looking pretty smart for the New Orleans Saints right now. The rookie got hot last year, winning four of the team’s last five games. Now entering Year 2 under Kellen Moore, things should slow down a bit more for the 26-year-old QB. Plus, last year he was competing with Spencer Rattler to start; now he’ll be getting all the reps with the full confidence of the locker room behind him.
Not to mention, last year the Saints didn’t have a lot to work with at the receiver position outside of Chris Olave, especially once Rahid Shaheed was traded to Seattle. Now the Saints have added a freakish talent in first-round pick Jordyn Tyson, who will help take attention away from Olave and Alvin Kamara’s new backfield mate, Travis Etienne Jr. Overall, this Saints offense could be set to go off in 2026, and Shough will be the leading catalyst.
Related: 2026 NFL QB Rankings
The 2025 fifth-round pick still has A LOT to prove. But he’ll be given a much better chance this go-around. The fact that Shedeur Sanders even saw the field as a rookie selected 144th overall was an impressive feat. He likely learned a ton in his seven starts. But more than anything, he’s more positioned to succeed in his second season because the Browns have drastically upgraded their offensive foundation.
They’ve overhauled the offensive line, brought in a new offensive-minded head coach who is eager to give the 24-year-old a fresh...
