Six NFL quarterbacks primed to make the leap in 2026

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With only four teams remaining and three games left to play in the 2025 NFL season, it’s only right I continue to look ahead with the QB Index. After preparing for the action of free agency last week, I’m looking inward at quarterbacks who aren’t headed elsewhere, but could be in line for a big jump in 2026.

A significant portion of my methodology is dependent on the coach-quarterback pairing. Some candidates with promising outlooks won’t land here because they don’t yet have a coach or an offensive coordinator in place to project how the marriage might fare. In the same respect, new hires have indeed influenced my optimism regarding some players.

Here are six quarterbacks who stand on the precipice of reaching new heights in their respective careers next season, at least in my mind.

While the Bears’ dreamlike season ended in disappointment (brought on, in part, by a Williams interception), Chicago has every reason to carry an overwhelming sense of optimism into 2026. Williams’ first year under Ben Johnson produced a noticeable jump, both statistically and visually, and that’s before I even mention the revelation of his indefatigable clutch gene. Williams graduated from a quarterback who held on to the ball too long in an effort to make the perfect play to a signal-caller who became a fearless gunslinger, both to his benefit and his detriment. He possesses rare arm strength and athleticism — empowering him to pull off some of the most unbelievable plays we saw in 2025 — and he grew more comfortable operating Johnson’s offense as the season progressed. An offseason (and perhaps an addition at receiver) should only see Williams become an even better quarterback in a system he’ll know much better than he did to start 2025.

I admit this may seem absurd at first glance because Lawrence played the best football of his career in the back half of the 2025 season, powering an ascending Jaguars team to the AFC South title. Both things can be true, though: Lawrence was better than ever in 2025 and can improve even more because of the coaches guiding him. Liam Coen and his staff did an excellent job with Lawrence in their first year together, as evidenced by the fact that 30-year-old offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is attracting head-coaching interest in the current hiring cycle. With this coming after Baker Mayfield‘s 41-touchdown campaign in 2024, Coen’s quarterbacks have enjoyed career years in consecutive seasons. (OK, technically, Lawrence’s 2025 totals weren’t as strong as his 2022 numbers, but by the eye test, he’s never been better.) That leads me to believe Coen will continue to foster growth from Lawrence, a former No. 1 overall pick who was considered a generational talent coming out of Clemson. It’s time to deliver on those expectations, and I believe Lawrence is capable of doing so under Coen.

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