2026 Free Agent Quarterback Rankings | PlayerProfiler

Yet it is what we have to work with. Earlier this month I tackled the best free agent running backs. Take a look if you missed it. Now it’s time to go through the signal calls. Without further ado, here are my 2026 free agent quarterback rankings.

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2026 Free Agent Quarterback Rankings

1. Daniel Jones, Foals

It’s been a red-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 had five rushing scores. For a few months it looked like Danny Dimes was back.

That’s when 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. Starting in Week 11, after such a promising start, the Colts lost out and finished 8-9.

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 reunification. It makes sense: Jones was enjoying a career resurgence before the injury, and Indianapolis is clearly in win-now mode after trading two first-round picks and more for Gardner.

He may miss a few 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 redrafts with one QB, you can largely ignore him until the latter rounds. But assuming he’s back in Indianapolis, he could be a good option in the Superflex leagues.

2. Malik Willis, packers

Jordan Love’s backup for the past two seasons is the most intriguing wild card in this free agent class. We haven’t seen Malik Willis as a full-time starter in quite some time, but he has flashed enough in limited action to make a case that he should lead the charge on offense in 2026.

Malik Willis’ advanced statistics

The former third-round pick has played three games since 2024. In those games, he completed 43 of 54 passes (79.6%) for 612 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 21 times for 174 yards and three scores. Perhaps most impressively, he committed just one turnover: a lost fumble in Week 17 against Baltimore last year. Willis hasn’t thrown an interception since his rookie season in 2022. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but he protects 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 touchdowns. He put up 31.5 fantasy points and was the QB3 that week. He doesn’t need to light it 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 sign Willis as a short-term gamble to see if he has what it takes to be a long-term starter. He would be highly sought after in Superflex formats if he lands a starting gig. In 1-QB leagues, he would 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 quite limited if he wants to prepare for a 22nd NFL season. The most logical one is a return to Pittsburgh to reunite with Mike McCarthy, the Steelers’ new head coach. Another (fun, but unlikely) possibility is following Brett Favre’s career and signing with the Vikings. Furthermore, I don’t think there will be a 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, throwing for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 starts. But the four-time MVP was the fantasy QB23 per game, averaging 14.6 fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, he’s not a needle mover anymore.

At this stage of his career, there is no upside for Rodgers in fantasy. He can’t turn back the clock and carry your schedule. He’s a matchup-based fill-in, one you can pick up off waivers to plug into during bye weeks or emergency starts. In Superflex, he’ll be against a QB3 at best.

The best of the rest

• Kirk Cousins’ time in Atlanta is over. The team will release him on March 11 so he can hit the open market. He should generate interest as a potential bridge QB. Last year, however, he looked pretty pedestrian – aside from 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 a year removed from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023, and brings a resume that includes 44,700 passing yards and 298 passing TDs. A reunion with the Vikings makes sense. The QB-needy Jets could also be an option. As for fantasy, Cousins ​​can be safely ignored in all single-QB formats, but will be a QB3 in Superflex leagues if he gets the starting job.
• At the beginning of 2025, Joe Flacco looked like a 41-year-old QB in Cleveland. It seemed like it was time to make a career out of it. He was then traded to Cincinnati to fill in while Joe Burrow was sidelined with a toe injury, and suddenly Flacco was looking good again. Turns out throwing the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has restorative effects. He had three consecutive top-seven fantasy appearances in weeks 7 through 9 and briefly looked like a savior of waiver wires for fantasy managers. At his age, Flacco will only return if there is a path to playing time, but he is largely forgettable in fantasy outside of the deepest formats.
• Marcus Mariota has been a solid backup in Washington over the past two seasons as he can mirror a lot of what Jayden Daniels brings to the table. Unfortunately, thanks to Daniels’ numerous injuries, he was forced to play far too often last season and went just 2-7 as a starter. When he plays, Mariota’s legs give him high-end QB2 upside. However, at this point in his career, Mariota’s starting days are long behind him. If he stays in Washington to back Daniels again, he’ll be a priority handcuff for dynasty managers who have Daniels.
• Is Russell Wilson done cooking? If last year was any indication, it would appear so. Other than a 450-yard performance against woeful Dallas High School in Week 2, Wilson looked inept and was benched for Jaxson Dart in Week 4. Maybe the 37-year-old can convince a team to let him be a bridge QB in 2026, but the leash will be short and the upside is basically non-existent. At this point, Wilson is more of a name than a fantasy asset.

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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him at X on @DynastyFFWolf.