Three NFL quarterbacks who need a massive comeback in 2026

Some NFL quarterbacks enter a new season chasing awards or postseason glory. But three starting quarterbacks need to prove that one difficult year did not permanently change their careers.

Jayden Daniels needs to prove his body can hold up

Daniels entered 2025 as one of the NFL’s brightest young stars. He left it with more injuries than completed promises.

Washington’s quarterback sprained his knee in Week 2, injured his hamstring in Week 7 and dislocated his elbow in Week 9. Daniels attempted to return in December but aggravated the elbow after being pushed to the ground following an interception. The Commanders eventually shut him down after only seven starts.

The disappointing season did not erase his sensational rookie campaign. Daniels already proved that he can transform an offense and win in the playoffs. The question now concerns whether his slender frame can withstand the punishment attached to his playing style.

Washington does not need Daniels to abandon the mobility that makes him dangerous. It needs him to become more selective about when he exposes himself to contact.

A healthy season would quickly restore the excitement surrounding Daniels. Another year interrupted by injuries would create an uncomfortable conversation about whether Washington can build its future around him.

Patrick Mahomes has something left to prove

Mahomes owns three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVP awards and two regular-season MVP trophies. Somehow, people are questioning him anyway.

That is partly what happens when a quarterback establishes an absurd standard. A merely good season begins looking like evidence of decline.

Kansas City missed the playoffs in 2025, and Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee during the season-ending loss that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention. His 2026 comeback is therefore about more than returning to the lineup. He must show that he still possesses the movement, improvisational ability and confidence that once made Kansas City feel invincible.

Mahomes has been working toward a Week 1 return, but recovering quickly and returning as the same player are two different challenges. Defenses already had begun forcing Kansas City to survive on shorter throws while taking away the explosive plays that defined its earlier offenses.

Nobody should feel sorry for Mahomes. His résumé will survive anything that happens this season. Still, 2026 offers him an opportunity to remind the league that counting out the Chiefs remains a particularly foolish hobby.

Lamar Jackson faces pressure after an injury-filled season

Jackson’s 2025 season never settled down. A hamstring injury cost him three games, and problems involving his ankle, knee, toe and back followed.

The back injury ended his night against New England in December. Jackson received a Toradol injection but remained in too much pain to return. He then missed Baltimore’s next game, and the Ravens eventually finished outside the playoffs.

That would create pressure by itself. His contract situation adds another layer.

Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension in 2023, with $185 million guaranteed. Baltimore restructured that agreement this offseason to lower his 2026 salary-cap charge, pushing his 2027 figure to roughly $84.5 million. The Ravens also have discussed another extension, which would provide longer-term stability and ease future cap concerns.

Those numbers make Jackson’s health a franchise issue rather than an ordinary injury storyline. Baltimore cannot comfortably plan its future while wondering how many games its quarterback will be available.

Among these three NFL quarterbacks, Jackson may carry the most complicated burden. He is trying to restore his health, justify another enormous commitment and lead a team beginning a new era without John Harbaugh.