The AFC East quarterbacks felt like a one-man show for some time. Since becoming the full-time starting quarterback, Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen has been on an upward trajectory to succeed longtime New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as the division’s king. Thus far, he’s lived up to the hype, even capturing the league’s MVP in 2024.
However, on his trail is the incumbent Patriots quarterback, Drake Maye. The 2024 third overall pick shined in his second season, not only leading the Patriots to the AFC Championship but also finishing runner-up for MVP behind Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. With the Patriots’ offseason additions on offense, including acquiring star wide receiver AJ Brown from the Eagles, can Maye surpass Josh Allen as the best AFC East quarterback?
While the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins won’t be in the playoff hunt, the remaining teams in the AFC East made the most significant changes at the position itself. After a disastrous 2025, the Jets hope Geno Smith’s return to the organization provides a young but much-improved offense stability, but more importantly, can air the ball out to New York’s young but more diversified offense. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins are beginning a new chapter. The team moved on from both head coach Mike McDaniel and starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Now, new head coach Jeff Haffley is optimistic that Malik Willis’ breakout in limited action is enough to give Miami an enigmatic dual-threat quarterback this year.
The Best AFC East Quarterbacks for 2026
Number Four: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Our first of the AFC East quarterbacks may have the least starting experience, but offers a lot of promise. After a 7-10 season last year, the Miami Dolphins decided to start a new chapter after moving on from head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons. He was replaced by Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. With Hafley arriving, he and the new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, brought over backup Malik Willis, signing with the Dolphins to replace Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback. After a rough introduction to the NFL with his Tennessee Titans tenure, the 2022 third-round pick became a decent backup behind Jordan Love.
With only six career starts between four seasons, Willis has the most limited starting experience of the projected starting AFC East quarterbacks. In addition, the Dolphins moved on from wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. As a result, the Dolphins wide receiver room is thin behind Malik Washington. Ideally, the team should receive a boost in the second half of the season once rookie wide receiver Chris Bell is medically cleared after tearing his ACL in November while at Louisville. Before the injury, Bell was in the midst of a great season with 917 receiving yards, 72 receptions, and six touchdowns through 11 games.
In addition, the arrival of 2026 first-round pick Kadyn Proctor gives Willis a promising interior pass protector at guard. Along with having arguably one of the best running backs in the league in De’Von Achane, Willis still has pieces to be productive. However, it will be an uphill battle compared to the rest of the AFC East quarterbacks.
Number Three: Geno Smith, New York Jets
Nearly a decade-and-a-half ago, a 22-year-old Geno Smith left the University of West Virginia to become the New York Jets second-round draft pick in 2013. The team’s front office believed in the Mountaineers’ gunslinger’s long-term production; among them was Aaron Glenn, who worked as a scout with the Jets at the time.
Fast forward to July of 2026, and the duo is reunited after the Jets traded for Smith, now with more experience and renewed determination to help the franchise. With Glenn now as head coach, he believes in the development Smith has gone through since arriving in Seattle in 2020. From Russell Wilson’s backup to a two-time Pro Bowl starter with 95 touchdown passes and nearly 16,000 passing yards on a 68.2 completion percentage over the last five seasons. Smith might not be the best AFC East quarterback, but he certainly turned his career around.
Unfortunately, his only season with the Las Vegas Raiders was a rough one after Smith threw a league-leading 17 interceptions. Along with being sacked 55 times, losing over 400 total yards in the process. Not to mention the ongoing investigation into battery allegations after last week’s video surfaced, Smith could potentially face suspension to start the year. However, if he’s on the field, he’ll play in an accommodating situation for a veteran quarterback.
Despite underperforming as a whole, the Jets offense showed some promise. Their offensive line started the entire season without missing a starter. Among them are two first-round picks at offensive tackle with left tackle Olu Fashanu and All-rookie right tackle Armand Membou. Underrated running back Breece Hall gives Smith a talented receiver in the backfield that he can check down to if plays break down. Not to mention, his wide receiver options include former Rookie of the Year, Garrett Wilson; 30th overall pick and National Champion Indiana Hoosier Omar Cooper Jr.; and 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell.
An x-factor for Smith’s production will be the team’s promising duo at tight end. After taking Mason Taylor in the second round of the 2025 Draft, fans were shocked to see New York select Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 16th pick. However, it could be the thing that helps Smith keep pace with the AFC East quarterbacks.
Taylor and Sadiq give the Jets two promising tight ends of different styles. While the more experienced tight end profiles as a traditional inline tight end, Sadiq lined up at multiple spots at Oregon. A versatile target like Sadiq can be utilized to allow him and Taylor to coexist and make life easier for the Jets veteran quarterback.
Number Two: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
After selecting UNC quarterback Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots had high expectations for the ex-Tar Heel. After becoming the earliest drafted quarterback since Drew Bledsoe was taken first overall in 1993, it’s safe to say Maye is off to a good start. Even with Josh Allen in the same division, the Patriots quarterback made a strong argument to be the best AFC East quarterback last season.
Maye finished his first full season as a starter, throwing for 4,394 yards while completing a staggering 72% of his passes with a league-leading quarterback rating of 113.5. Along with 31 touchdown passes and four rushing touchdowns against eight interceptions, Maye finished runner-up in the MVP vote behind winner Matthew Stafford. Maye’s production, along with head coach Mike Vrabel’s staggering defense, led the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Although defeated by the Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots are confident they can return. However, the key will be to surround Maye with the right talent. After being sacked 47 times in the regular season, the Patriots invested in the offensive line by signing veteran guard Alijah Vera-Tucker away from the New York Jets and drafting offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round.
However, the biggest x-factor for Maye’s continued success will be the new wide receiver room. The team features two big additions to their depth chart after signing former Green Bay Packer starter Romeo Doubs and trading for AJ Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. While his relationship with the Eagles deteriorated, Brown finished his fourth consecutive season with over 1,000 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns in his four seasons in Philadelphia.
While his tenure in Philadelphia ended with a lackluster three-catch, 25-yard outing against the 49ers in the wildcard game, AJ Brown is determined to bounce back after reuniting with Vrabel in a reunion between the former Tennessee Titans wide receiver and head coach. If AJ Brown can regain the 1,400-yard+ season production that he showed in 2023 & 2023, Drake Maye could cross runner-up off in next year’s MVP ballot.
Number One: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Finally, our number one of the AFC East quarterbacks. Despite not repeating as MVP, Josh Allen remains the pinnacle of the AFC East quarterbacks. The now 30-year-old is in the prime of his career and remains the engine driving the Buffalo Bills. While the Bills continued to prioritize running back James Cook in the game plan, the experienced Bills quarterback leads the way for the franchise. Even though the talented Allen hasn’t thrown over 30 touchdown passes in three seasons, he had a career-high completion percentage of 69.3 last year, while averaging eight yards/attempt. Along with averaging double-digit touchdown runs for three consecutive seasons, Allen has 41 rushing touchdowns since 2022.
This season will be unique for Allen. For the first time in his career, he no longer shares a sideline with Sean McDermott, who was fired as head coach back in January. Fortunately, the organization maintained continuity for him by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. Since arriving, Brady has done his part to help Buffalo involve the running game to make Josh Allen’s life easier as Brandon Beane retooled the wide receiver room post-Stefon Diggs. A key will be to protect Allen as much as possible after he was sacked 40 times in a season for the first time.
One x-factor that can keep Allen as the top AFC East quarterback is the arrival of two dynamic wide receivers. After an up-and-down tenure in Chicago, the Bills trade for Bears wide receiver DJ Moore to Buffalo. Perhaps reuniting with Joe Brady, who was Moore’s OC with the Carolina Panthers from 2020 to 2021, can help Moore rebound. In addition, promising fourth-round pick Skyler Bell has a lot of promise after his All-American season at UConn. The University of Connecticut wide receiver finished 2025 with 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns on 101 catches through 12 games. If Bell can reach that kind of production with Allen, the Bills quarterback will be right back in the MVP race.
Main Photo: [Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle] – Imagn Images
