The writers, editors, and managers of Last Word on NFL have compiled the 2026 quarterback rankings for each division. Jared Goff is number one for the NFC North. However, here’s how Goff ranks compared to the other NFC number one quarterbacks.
Ranking Jared Goff Against Other 2026 NFC Number One Quarterbacks
Note: All statistics are provided by Pro Football Reference from a comparable time period of 2018-2025.
4. Baker Mayfield, NFC South
31-year-old Baker Mayfield, the number one rated quarterback in the NFC South, is a consecutive two-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The NFL record holder for the highest playoff passer rating at 105.9, he was the first overall selection of the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Mayfield set an NFL record with 27 passing touchdowns, the most ever by a first-year quarterback, and was the 2018 PFWA Rookie of the Year. Two years later, Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff game in 18 years and their first postseason victory since 1994.
In October of 2021, Mayfield suffered the first of two injuries that would derail his season. Despite initially playing through a partially torn labrum, a subsequent right knee injury forced him to miss playing time.
After Mayfield underwent surgery to repair his torn labrum in the offseason, the Browns traded for Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, which Mayfield interpreted as a sign of disrespect. Requesting his release, he was subsequently traded to the Carolina Panthers. However, his time in Carolina was problematic, leading Mayfield to request his release. Fortunately, the season ended on a high note following a successful 5-game stint for the Los Angeles Rams, when he filled in for an injured Matthew Stafford.
Described as “the most proven quarterback” in the NFC South, Mayfield is credited with stabilizing the Buccaneers following Tom Brady’s departure. Completing 63.5 % of his passes since 2018, Mayfield has 197 touchdowns on 28,525 passing yards.
3. Dak Prescott, NFC East
The number one quarterback of the NFC East, Dak Prescott, led the Dallas Cowboys to a winning record in six of his 10 seasons.
Now, in his 11th season with the Cowboys, the four-time Pro Bowler remains one of the steadiest, most prolific passers in the NFL. Passing more than 4,400 yards per season in four of the last eight years and three of the last six years, Prescott recorded 198 touchdowns on 28,998 yards with a 67.3% completion rating.
Described primarily as a “pocket passer” with exceptional ball-throwing ability, the four-time Pro Bowler’s best season was in 2019 when he passed for 4,902 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He ranked second that season atop the NFL leader board for the most passing yards. As one of the league’s more mobile quarterbacks, Prescott notched another 277 yards on 52 carries with three touchdowns.
However, due to injury, Prescott has appeared in the fewest games (107) of the top NFC quarterbacks. A Week 5 right ankle compound fracture in 2020 cost him the remainder of the season. Two years later, in 2022, Prescott suffered a thumb injury that kept him sidelined for five games. Finally, in 2024, he missed several games with a severe hamstring injury.
Earning his ranking as the number one NFC East quarterback, Prescott had one of his best seasons in 2025, leading the league for a second time in passing completions with 4,552 yards on 404 completions (67.3%) with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
2. Matthew Stafford, NFC West
The NFC West’s number one quarterback and 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player is also Goff’s biggest competition in the division. At 38 years old, Matthew Stafford is playing the best football of his career, leading the NFL in 2025 with 4,707 yards passing on 388 completions (65.0%) with 46 touchdowns. Recording the most passing yards and the most touchdowns that season, he rightfully earned the MVP title.
The first overall selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft, Stafford will forever be connected with Goff because of the 2021 trade that propelled both of their careers to new heights. In March of 2021, after 12 frustrating seasons in Detroit, the Lions’ quarterback requested a trade.
Even though Goff had been the team’s first overall draft pick in 2016, the L.A. Rams jumped at the chance to pick up Stafford. In what would become one of the biggest trades in NFL history, the Rams agreed to part with Goff and several draft picks.
Detroit acquired a 2021 third-round draft pick and two first-round draft picks for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, along with the quarterback who had led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. The trade proved to be a boon for both teams. Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first season, while Goff helped transform the Lions into a winning organization and premier NFL team.
Compiling a 65.3% career completion rate on 2557/3913 throws for 29,767 yards with 207 touchdowns, Stafford is focused on earning a second Super Bowl ring with L.A. in 2026.
1. Jared Goff, NFC North
As the number one quarterback in the NFC North, Goff did more than simply transform the Lions organization into a winning team; he set multiple NFL records along the way. A four-time Pro Bowler, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 18 straight passes without an incompletion or interception. Goff is also the only QB in NFL history to record multiple 400-plus passing yard games with a perfect passer rating. During the Lions’ 15-2 season in 2024, he became the first quarterback to post a 72.0% completion percentage and a 105.0 passer rating in six-straight games.
In 2025, Goff passed for 4,564 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Although Stafford finished the 2025 season ahead of Goff in the rankings, the big picture tells a slightly different story. Armed with eight-year stats that top the other three quarterbacks in every category, Goff is the clear number one on this list. In 129 games, he completed 65.8% of his passes for 34,729 yards with 223 touchdowns.
Furthermore, Goff holds a winning record against each of these quarterbacks. Against Mayfield, he is 3-1. In seven games against Dallas, Goff has the edge over Prescott 4-3, and against Stafford, he holds a 3-2 advantage.
At 31 years of age, Goff is just hitting his prime. Protected by a rebuilt offensive line and equipped with some of the NFL’s premier scoring weapons and Drew Petzing’s new offense, he looks poised for his best season yet. Ranked against the other NFC number one quarterbacks, Goff is the clear overall NFC number one quarterback.
