Three NFL quarterbacks who need a big season in 2026

Not every quarterback has the same expectations entering the season, and not every quarterback has the same demands to meet. Some guys, like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, need a Super Bowl win to go down as an "all-time great."

There are other guys, like Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts, who are talented, but have doubters about how good they can truly be. They're still great quarterbacks but battling a perception issue. Then you have guys who are fighting for their careers in the NFL. You have guys who are trying to stay relevant or just trying to get the biggest possible payday of their career.

Let's look at the quarterbacks who have the most to lose, or gain, from this season.

The Cleveland Browns' starting QB

It seems unfair to list the position, but whoever takes the starting job, be it Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders, that player has to play absurdly well. For Watson, it's been the worst five-year stretch of his life and his career. He's likely not coming back to Cleveland once his contract is over, and if he ever wants to start in the NFL again, he has to play better than he's ever played before. 

During his tenure in Houston, Watson played very well, racking up 121 total touchdowns, passing for 14,539 yards and rushing for 1,677 yards in 54 games. Granted, he still missed about a third of his time while he was with the Texans, but most of that was due to him sitting out the 2021 season, not due to injuries. 

In Cleveland, however, Watson has just 22 total touchdowns, passed for 3,365 yards and rushed for 465 yards. All in 19 games, which amounts to him playing in just 27.9% of the possible games the Browns have played in that stretch. He's not played a season over seven games yet, and now he's coming off of one of the most devastating injuries an athlete can endure: a torn Achilles. An injury that usually ruins careers. 

Watson has everything on the line; likewise for Sanders, but for different reasons. According to Pro Football Reference, he threw for 1,400 yards and had a horrid 56.6% completion percentage. Sure, at times he threw a great deep ball, but it's the shorter, quieter plays that win you games. If he can't overcome Watson coming out of the 2026 NFL training camp, a player many think is washed up at this point in his career, no one is going to realistically think Sanders can be a true starter in the league again. 

Baker Mayfield

It's wild to think that Baker Mayfield, in three seasons, has thrown more touchdowns in Tampa Bay (95 passing TDs)  than he did in four seasons with Cleveland (92 passing TDs). Assuming this season goes well, he'll have more wins (currently 27) after four seasons in Tampa than he did in the same span with Cleveland (29 wins). 

That's great progress for the former No.1 overall pick, but the issue for Mayfield is that it's a contract year. He's currently set to hit free agency after the 2026 season ends, and if he plays exceedingly well, he will demand a huge contract from someone. 

If he plays poorly, or just doesn't look great, then who knows what 2027 looks like. No starting quarterback has as much at stake in 2026 as Mayfield does. He could possibly go from being one of the top-10 most paid players in the NFL to potentially being a guy hanging on by a hair if 2026 goes terribly. 

J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings gave up a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and an elite-level talent in Sam Darnold because they thought J.J. McCarthy was going to be better. So far, so terrible. 

McCarthy has only played in 10 of a possible 34 games, has a career completion percentage of just 57.6%, has only passed for 1,632 and has just 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Darnold, on the other hand, has thrown for 60 touchdowns in his last two seasons, both as a Pro Bowler, won the 2026 Super Bowl, and had a season so good many thought he was an MVP candidate for most of the year.

Sadly, the future for McCarthy isn't bright, as even the Vikings seem to believe he'll continue to struggle. Why else would they go and get Kyler Murray in the offseason? You don't land a multi-time Pro Bowler in Murray, who is in his athletic prime, if you have faith that McCarthy is going to start. He's got to step up during training camp; otherwise, McCarthy is likely on his way out of Minnesota, if not the NFL.