NFL teams with shakiest quarterback situations heading into 2026 season

There are a healthy number of teams in the NFL that have to address their quarterback situation for next season. Let's take a look at several notable situations heading into 2026.

New York Jets

The Jets once again sit on the podium of QB drama. They are unlikely to see Justin Fields as their long-term starter for the 2026 season, and their priority with the draft picks they have obtained should be finding a true franchise quarterback. 

Two possible options they could do for a change at quarterback would be to draft Ty Simpson in the middle of the first round or trade for Will Levis. This would create room for competition for the QB1 spot.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals' situation is messy mainly because it involves money and timing. Arizona is expected to move on from Kyler Murray after a 2025 season that included a foot injury and some benching late in the year. 

CBS Sports suggests that it could go with Jacoby Brissett in 2026 and try to draft a quarterback in the 2027 class. Other predictions have it getting Anthony Richardson Sr. as a swing while it waits for the 2027 class. 

Indianapolis Colts

On paper, the Colts look set with Daniel Jones, but the details say otherwise. Jones just played the best football of his career in 2025, performing like a top-10 quarterback before tearing his Achilles late in the season. He's expected to be ready somewhere around 6-8 months after the injury, but that is still a major question for a mobile quarterback. 

Indy has no 2026 first-round pick currently since it traded it for Sauce Gardner and sits tight near the salary cap. It may possibly have to go to Riley Leonard or another QB to start the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh isn't as desperate as some teams, but its QB situation is still far from locked in. With Mike McCarthy replacing Mike Tomlin, there is a scenario where Aaron Rodgers signs for a one-year reunion with his former coach. 

However, before and during the season, there was a string of comments from Rodgers where he stated that the 2025 season would be his last. The Steelers do have national championship winner Will Howard on their roster, and after sitting a year behind Rodgers, he may be ready to step into a role for Pittsburgh.

What these teams all have in common

Why do these teams stand out? They all share one of these factors:

• A big contract or recent investment that isn't fully trusted
• A bridge or aging veteran starting, while the long-term answer is unknown
• A young quarterback whose role as "the guy" is already being questioned

All of these teams have multiple possibilities that they can decide from to fix their quarterback room, and the right move could change the franchise for the next couple of years.