Sadly, the NFC South Quarterbacks are not elite.
What it does have is four quarterbacks who enter 2026 with widely different levels of experience, expectations, and pressure. Depending on which fan base you ask, each one has a case to be the best NFC South Quarterback in the division by the end of the season.
Saints fans believe Tyler Shough is ready to surprise people. Falcons fans spent much of last offseason convinced Michael Penix Jr. was their future. Panthers fans watched Bryce Young finish the year playing his best football as a professional. Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield continues to be the veteran that everyone but Bucs fans seems to overlook.
The reality is that none of these quarterbacks have separated themselves from the pack the way Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, or Cam Newton once did. This is what makes this one the most fascinating quarterback division in football.
Ranking the NFC South Quarterbacks Entering the 2026 Season
4. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
This ranking will probably upset Falcons fans, but it needs to be said.
To Penix’s credit, he has tremendous arm talent and showed flashes during his limited action last season. The problem is that we’re still working with a very small sample size. There is a reason why new Head Coach Kevin Stefanski brought in former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as a backup.
His talent is obvious. His consistency is still a projection in 2026.
Atlanta truly believes Penix is the future, and he may eventually prove to be the best quarterback in the division. But until he puts together a full season as a starter, it’s difficult to place him above quarterbacks who have accomplished more.
The upside is real. So are the unanswered questions.
3. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
No quarterback in the division has a wider range of outcomes than Shough. He is who Falcon fans thought Penix would be after his rookie year.
If you’re talking about talent, there are people around the league who believe he could quickly become one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC South. He has size, arm strength, and enough athleticism to create outside the offense’s structure.
Ironically, his experience is what makes ranking him difficult. He has only started 9 games. Shough is getting a full offseason, which will be key for his development to show that he can be a long-term answer for the Saints. Reports are showing he has shown a lot of growth, making fast decisions and frequently connecting on deep throws during practice.
The reports are making Saints fans excited. Every offseason produces a quarterback hype train, and right now, Shough is driving New Orleans’ version of it. The excitement makes sense, but expectations for him should be tempered until he proves it against real NFL defenses.
Could he finish the season at number one on this list?
Absolutely.
Could he struggle through the typical growing pains of a rookie quarterback?
That’s on the table too.
2. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young enters 2026 with more momentum than any quarterback in the division.
After a disastrous start to his NFL career, Young looked like a completely different player during the second half of last season. His confidence returned. His decision-making improved. Most importantly, he began making the kinds of throws that made him the first overall pick. His performance against the Los Angeles Rams really left a good vibe for Panthers fans this offseason.
The Panthers organization is also betting heavily on that growth.
Young still has plenty to prove. His fifth-year option has been picked up, but talks of a long term extention havent producted actual results. One strong finish doesn’t erase everything that happened during his first two seasons. But at the same time, his trajectory is pointing in the right direction.
If he continues building on what he showed late last year, he will get his money and the title of best NFC South Quarterback.
1. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Until someone takes the crown, it belongs to Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield isn’t a top-10 quarterback. And an argument could be made that he is not a top-15 quarterback either. What he is, however, is the most proven quarterback in the division.
Over the past two seasons, Mayfield has helped stabilize Tampa Bay after the Tom Brady era and has consistently produced at a level the other quarterbacks in this division are still trying to reach.
There are quarterbacks with higher ceilings. There are quarterbacks with more long-term upside.
Right now, there isn’t another NFC South Quarterback who combines production, experience, and reliability the way Mayfield does.
That’s why he starts the season at number one.
The race to become the top NFC South Quarterback will be one of the division’s biggest storylines in 2026, with Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, Tyler Shough, and Michael Penix Jr. all having something to prove.
Main Photo: [Bob Donnan] – Imagn Images
