If your favorite team needs a new starting quarterback in 2026 … I’ve got some bad news. This is not a free agent class to be excited about. The “headliners” include a guy with a 32-49-1 starting record rehabbing a torn Achilles, a former third-round pick with six career starts in four seasons, and a four-time MVP who’s flirted with retirement for years and is now 42 years old.
Still, it’s what we’ve got to work with. Earlier this month, I tackled the top free agent running backs. Take a look if you missed it. Now it’s time to go over the signal-callers. Without further ado, here are my free agent quarterback rankings for 2026.
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2026 Free Agent Quarterback Rankings
1. Daniel Jones, Colts
It was a blazing hot start for Daniel Jones and the Colts in 2025. After beating out Anthony Richardson for the starting job, Jones led the team to an 8-2 record in their first 10 games. During that stretch, he was the fantasy QB5, averaging 20.0 points per game. He threw for 2,659 yards, 15 TDs, and seven INTs and also chipped in five rushing scores. For a couple of months, it looked like Danny Dimes was back.
Then things started to spiral for Indianapolis. In Week 13, cornerback Sauce Gardner suffered an injury that would knock him out for several games. Then, Jones tore his Achilles tendon early in Week 14. From the Week 11 bye on, the Colts, after such a promising start, lost out and finished 8-9.
Daniel Jones’ 2025 Advanced Accuracy Metrics
Even with the injury, Jones is at the top of this list. It would be surprising if he didn’t re-sign with the Colts. Both sides have already expressed their desire for a reunion. It makes sense — Jones was enjoying a career revival before the injury, and Indianapolis is clearly in win-now mode after trading two first-round picks and more for Gardner.
He may miss some games early in the season as he recovers, but Jones could flirt with low-end QB1 production again once he’s back in the lineup. In single-QB redrafts, you can largely ignore him until the final rounds. But assuming he’s back in Indianapolis, he could be a nice value pick in Superflex leagues.
2. Malik Willis, Packers
Jordan Love‘s backup over the past two seasons is the most intriguing wild card in this free agent class. We haven’t seen Malik Willis over an extended stretch as a full-time starter, but he’s flashed enough in limited action to make a case that he should be leading an offense in 2026.
Malik Willis’ Advanced Metrics
The former third-round pick has started three games since 2024. In those contests, he completed 43-of-54 passes (79.6%) for 612 passing yards and three TDs. He also rushed 21 times for 174 yards and three scores. Maybe most impressive: He recorded only one turnover — a lost fumble in Week 17 against Baltimore last year. In fact, Willis hasn’t thrown an interception since his rookie season in 2022. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but he’s protecting the football.
From a fantasy lens, it’s that rushing upside that makes Willis such a fascinating free agent. That production gives him a solid floor, but also a high ceiling. In that game against the Ravens, Willis rushed for 60 yards and two TDs. He put up 31.5 fantasy points and was the QB3 that week. He doesn’t need to light it up through the air to rack up fantasy points at a high clip — his legs can do a lot of the heavy lifting.
Teams looking for a change under center could look to sign Willis as a short-term gamble to see if he has what it takes to be a long-term starter. He’d be highly sought after in Superflex formats if he does land a starting gig. In 1-QB leagues, he’d make a nice selection in the double-digit rounds as a high-upside or matchup-based backup to use when needed.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Steelers
At 42 years old, Aaron Rodgers‘ options are pretty limited if he wants to suit up for a 22nd NFL season. The most logical one is a return to Pittsburgh for a reunion with Mike McCarthy, the new Steelers head coach. Another (fun, but unlikely) possibility is following the Brett Favre career arc and signing with the Vikings. Beyond that, I don’t think there will be any market for his services.
To his credit, 2025 wasn’t a bad year for Rodgers, although it was mediocre for fantasy. He helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs and threw for 3,322 yards and 24 TDs in 16 starts. But the four-time MVP was the fantasy QB23 on a per-game basis, averaging 14.6 fantasy points per game. Sadly, he’s just not a needle-mover anymore.
At this stage of his career, there’s zero upside with Rodgers in fantasy. He can’t turn back the clock and carry your roster anymore. He’s a matchup-based fill-in, one you grab off waivers to plug in during bye weeks or emergency starts. In Superflex, he bumps up to a QB3, at best.
Best of the Rest
- Kirk Cousins’ time in Atlanta is over. The team is going to release him on March 11, allowing him to hit the open market. He should draw interest as a potential bridge QB. However, he looked pretty pedestrian last year — outside of one monstrous performance against the Buccaneers, where he finished with 26.9 fantasy points, Cousins averaged just 11.2 fantasy PPG. But he’s now another year removed from the Achilles tear he suffered in 2023, and brings a résumé that includes 44,700 passing yards and 298 passing TDs. A reunion with the Vikings makes a lot of sense. The QB-needy Jets also could be an option. For fantasy, Cousins can be safely ignored in all single-QB formats, but will be a QB3 in Superflex leagues if he lands a starting job.
- Early in 2025 with Cleveland, Joe Flacco looked like, well, a 41-year-old QB. It appeared it was time to call it a career. Then, he was traded to Cincinnati to fill in while Joe Burrow was sidelined with a toe injury, and suddenly, Flacco looked good again. Turns out throwing the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has restorative effects. He had three consecutive top-seven fantasy performances in Weeks 7-9 and briefly looked like a waiver wire savior for fantasy managers. At his age, Flacco will only come back if there is a path to playing time, but he’s largely forgettable in fantasy outside the deepest of formats.
- Marcus Mariota has been a solid backup in Washington the past two seasons because he can mirror a lot of what Jayden Daniels brings to the table. Unfortunately, he had to play way too often last season, thanks to Daniels’ numerous injuries, and went just 2-7 as a starter. When he does play, Mariota’s legs give him high-end QB2 upside. However, at this point of his career, Mariota’s starter days are long behind him. If he stays in Washington to back up Daniels again, he’s a priority handcuff for dynasty managers who have Daniels.
- Is Russell Wilson done cooking? If last year was any indication, it would appear so. Outside of a 450-yard performance against the woeful Dallas secondary in Week 2, Wilson looked inept and was benched for Jaxson Dart in Week 4. Maybe the 37-year-old can talk a team into letting him be a bridge QB in 2026, but the leash will be short, and the upside is basically non-existent. At this point, Wilson’s more of a name than a fantasy asset.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
