Week 9 QB Power Rankings: Familiar name returns to No. 1, Cam Ward crawls out of basement

Josh Allen returns to the top spot, Joe Burrow climbs into the top five and Patrick Mahomes moves up once again

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Quarterbacks are the most vital position in football. After all, they're the highest-paid players, and the past 13 NFL MVP award winners are, that's right, quarterbacks. While some quarterbacks are a byproduct of their offensive ecosystems, a select few elevate above their current circumstances to the ranks of the elite.

These rankings are fluid and designed to tell the story of each starting quarterback's respective rise and/or fall throughout the season. That's why some quarterbacks in this week's rankings rose as many as seven spots or fell as many as five. Not in a vacuum, Patrick Mahomes would remain No. 1 for the foreseeable future and so on. He hasn't been in the top spot for some weeks now, given his torn ACL and others playing better ahead of him. However, that isn't set in stone, and he could rise back to the top of the board as the 2026 season progresses. He made some steps forward this week.

So where do the league's biggest names line up entering the ninth week of the regular season? Enjoy the Week 9 edition of the 2026 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings:

1
Josh Allen returns to the top spot after a strong performance (289 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and one interception on 21-of-34 passing in addition to 30 yards rushing and one touchdown on seven carries). He enters Week 9 leading the league in yards per pass attempt (8.7), second in the NFL in total touchdowns (20, 11 passing and 9 rushing), second in expected points added (EPA) per dropback (0.26), 10th in completion percentage (65.9%) and eighth in passer rating (101.1). The 2024 NFL MVP has led his Buffalo Bills to a 6-1 record and the No.1 seed in the AFC, and Allen is back atop our quarterback power rankings entering Week 9. (+1)
2
Jared Goff (176 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception on 18-of-25 passing) and the Detroit Lions dethroned the Minnesota Vikings to hand them their first loss of the year; that's a signature win. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (153 yards rushing and a touchdown on 23 carries) led the way, but Goff did enough against Brian Flores' blitz. Goff is averaging 280.6 passing yards per game (third in the NFL) with 15 passing touchdowns (tied for fifth in the NFL) and just one interception. Goff is the fourth quarterback to have those numbers through the first seven games of a season, joining Tom Brady (2015 and 2016), Alex Smith (2017) and Patrick Mahomes (2019). Goff is third in the NFL in EPA per dropback (0.25), and he is second in these rankings entering Week 9. (-1)
3
On his Week 8 bye week, Brock Purdy regained his status as the NFL's EPA leader (0.27). He is third in the league in completion percentage (69.2%), fourth in pass yards per attempt (8.3), tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (15) and third in passer rating (110.1). Purdy is squarely in the MVP race and could get the top spot back on this list after another week or two of strong production. (No change)
4
Joe Burrow is now the first player in NFL history with a 70% completion percentage and four-plus touchdowns in three consecutive games. He now leads the NFL in completion percentage (73%), passing yards per game (302.1), passing touchdowns (20) and total touchdowns (22). Burrow also ranks fourth in the league in EPA per dropback (0.21). What is holding Burrow back from rising this week is that his epic performance (462 passing yards, five passing touchdowns on 38-of-48 passing plus a rushing touchdown) included three interceptions in a 43-36 overtime win against the 1-7 Tennessee Titans. It doesn't feel right to elevate someone off a performance that included three picks. Burrow will rise quickly with cleaner performances in the coming weeks. (No change)
5
Trevor Lawrence smoked the Indianapolis Colts (210 yards passing and three passing touchdowns on 10-of-14 passing) in a Jacksonville Jaguars' 42-7 win. He is third in the NFL in passing touchdowns (17) and second in the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.5). Lawrence now leads the league in passer rating (112.6) for the 5-2 Jaguars. (No change)
6
Caleb Williams pulled off an efficient outing at the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on "Monday Night Football" with 247 yards and a passing touchdown on 24-of-34 passing in the Chicago Bears' 34-17 victory. He's been outstanding since his return from his hamstring injury, averaging 286.7 passing yards per game with a four-to-zero touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 111.3 passer rating. Williams is one of just two quarterbacks averaging 250-plus passing yards per game (253.4, 11th in the NFL) and a completion percentage above 70% (70.9%, second in the NFL), along with Burrow. Williams also ranks fifth in passer rating (104.6) and fifth in EPA per dropback (0.21). He is right there for a top-five spot on this list. (No change)
7
The Packers ask Jordan Love to captain the ship with one hand tied behind his back, and he continues to power them into a playoff position with a 5-3 record. Tallying 288 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 30-of-41 passing was enough in the Packers' narrow home win on "Thursday Night Football" against the Carolina Panthers. Green Bay is dead last in the NFL in rushing offense by over 15 yards per game (60.6 rushing yards per game) while leading the league in dropped passes with 23, eight more than the next closest teams (the one-win Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers). Love has also been hit 53 times this season, the fourth most in the league. With all that adversity, Love leads the NFL in passing yards (2,246) and is fourth in passing touchdowns (16). He is the NFL's Ethan Hunt, completing seemingly impossible missions with regularity. (No change)
8
Drake Maye is perhaps playing better right now than he did as the NFL MVP runner-up a season ago. He threw for 199 yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions while adding a rushing touchdown in New England's victory at the Miami Dolphins. No one produced more total yards (1,532) and total touchdowns (17) from Weeks 4-8 than Maye. Maye's 10 turnovers in 2026 are the third most in the league, but seven of them occurred in September. His 18 total touchdowns are now the fourth most in the NFL. With five consecutive weeks of three-plus total touchdowns, Maye now has the second-longest such streak in Patriots history behind 2007 Tom Brady's run of 10 such games in a row. (No change)
9
Patrick Mahomes individually bounced back (321 yards passing and three passing touchdowns on 30-of-41 passing) in the Kansas City Chiefs' narrow road loss at the Denver Broncos in Week 9. He now has 49 career games with three-plus passing touchdowns, passing Peyton Manning and Dan Marino for the most in a player's first 10 seasons in NFL history. However, Mahomes is also the only quarterback in the last 20 years to average under 5.0 air yards per pass attempt in three consecutive games within a season, per Pro Football Focus. He needs to get back to threatening defenses downfield again. (+2)
10
Kirk Cousins quietly ranks second in the NFL with 19 passing touchdowns entering Week 9, and he helped put an end to the Raiders' four-game losing streak in Week 8 against the New York Jets. He threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Las Vegas' 38-33 victory on an efficient 19-of-26 passing. If Las Vegas ends up being sellers at the trade deadline next week, Cousins could be one of the most coveted players up for grabs. (+3)
11
Something is off with Matthew Stafford. Yeah, he led the Rams to a 24-9 victory over the Chargers on Sunday, but he doesn't look right. He threw for 157 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 17-of-25 passing on a day in which the Rams' offense looked harder than it should have. He's thrown for under 225 yards in three consecutive games after having 300-plus passing yards in four of the first five games of the season. Stafford's ceiling is higher than most when he is clicking, but his performance has been near the floor in recent weeks. (+1)
12
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys short-circuited against the Arizona Cardinals, blowing the first 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in a home game in team history. The defense and head coach/offensive play caller Brian Schottenheimer deserve plenty of blame for the collapse, but Prescott (195 yards passing and a touchdown on 19-of-29 passing) totaled his first game with under 200 yards passing since Week 1 against the New York Giants when Dallas had just two second-half drives. The Cowboys need to let Prescott air it out to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to get things back on track. (-3)
13
Jayden Daniels (16-of-29 passing for 217 yards and a touchdown) was far from perfect in the Washington Commanders' 27-10 win over the slumping Philadelphia Eagles, but he got the job done. Without Terry McLaurin, Daniels missed a number of throws, but he took care of the football and repeatedly made the right decisions with it. Daniels is now the sixth player in NFL history with 240-plus total yards per game (242.2 total yards per game), eight total touchdowns and no turnovers through the first five starts of a season. He joined Michael Vick (2010), Alex Smith (2017), Drew Brees (2018), Marcus Mariota (2019) and Jared Goff (2026). Not bad company. (+4)
14
C.J. Stroud is averaging 266.7 passing yards per game (sixth in the NFL) with an 11-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (third in the NFL) for the league's ninth-best passer rating (100.7). However, his Texans are 2-5. In Houston's last game, Stroud and Co. had four of their final five drives end in punts in a 27-21 overtime defeat against the Giants. The up-and-down nature of the Texans' run game doesn't help, but the Texans need Stroud to find another gear late in the fourth quarter. (+1)
15
The Atlanta Falcons became the first team to lose without allowing a pass to be completed since 1974 because their quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had a total meltdown (8-for-24 passing for 125 yards and a career-high four interceptions. Penix Jr. now ranks 18th in passer rating (90.9) with a 4.8% turnover-worthy throw rate, the fourth-worst in the entire league this season. Prior to Week 8, Penix climbed into the top 10 with a 9-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 109.1 passer rating. It will take a long time for him to get back up that high after he was worse than Baker Mayfield in a game in which Mayfield didn't complete a pass. (-5)
16
Aaron Rodgers struggled against the Cleveland Browns' top-10 pass rush with just 172 yards passing and an interception on 13-of-25 passes, but the future Hall of Famer was able to get out of the way and let Jaylen Warren cook en route to another victory. Rodgers' 13 passing touchdowns since Week 3 are tied for the fifth most in the NFL, which will keep him at No. 16 entering his bye week. (No change)
17
The Panthers' offensive line is beat up, and Bryce Young has been unable to withstand the battering. Young is averaging just 186.0 passing yards per game across the last two games after he led the NFL with a 309.8 passing yards per game average during Carolina's 3-2 start. He's been sacked 11 times across the last two games, making him the first Panthers quarterback to be sacked five-plus times in consecutive games since Kyle Allen in 2019. Times are tough in Charlotte. (-3)
18
Tyler Shough is fresh off a Week 8 bye, and Week 9 will be his 17th career NFL start. His 68.1% completion percentage and 3,977 yards passing since his first start both rank top seven in the league, but turnovers remain an issue in 2026. His nine giveaways this season are tied for the fourth most. (No change)
19
Geno Smith and Garrett Wilson had an animated discussion after losing to the previously winless Dolphins, but Smith came back to life on Sunday with 290 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception on 20-of-32 passing in a loss against the Raiders. Smith is on pace for the best statistical season for a New York Jets quarterback in years, maybe ever. However, that likely won't be enough to airlift New York back to the postseason for the first time since 2010. (+3)
20
Bo Nix has an unprecedented career. He has a 13-3 record in games when averaging 6.0 yards per pass attempt while all other active quarterbacks combine to have a .277 winning percentage in starts with 6.0 yards per pass attempt or less. He is fortunate to have a defense that can regularly bail him out when he refuses to seek explosive plays. Nix did just enough (222 yards passing and two touchdowns on 20-of-32 passing) to survive a one-score game against Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs in a 28-24 victory. However, his pedestrian style of play will likely come back to bite him. (+4)
21
Malik Willis (211 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and an interception on 21 of 32 passing) had the New England Patriots sweating for a moment in a 24-19 home loss. Willis is heating up for the tanking Dolphins with consecutive games with multiple passing touchdowns after producing just two total in the first five games of the season. (+4)
22
J.J. McCarthy is playing free for the Giants. Unburdened by the weight of needing to be the much-needed savior for the Vikings quarterback position, McCarthy is letting rip. He has five-plus 20-yard completions in consecutive games, making him the first Giants quarterback to do that since Daniel Jones in 2019. McCarthy is also the first Giants quarterback to produce an explosive play on 15% of his dropbacks in consecutive games since Eli Manning in 2011. (+1)
23
Kyler Murray is the reason the Vikings aren't undefeated anymore following a 19-15 loss at the Lions. His 170.3 passing yards per game rank 30th out of 31 qualified passers this season, and he just seems unable to execute what head coach Kevin O'Connell is drawing up for him. Murray regularly panics in the pocket, and he can't regularly find 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Those are both major problems. (-4)
24
Sam Darnold has played skittish since returning from his glute injury he suffered in Week 1. Darnold has the lowest EPA per dropback (-0.67) when pressured in the NFL this season, and his nine interceptions are tied for the second most in the NFL along with Daniel Jones. The Seahawks desperately need to rediscover their run game to help take some of the pressure off of Darnold. (-3)
25
Cam Ward nearly outdueled Joe Burrow in Cincinnati in a 43-36 overtime defeat in Week 8. He threw for a career-high 304 yards, a career-high two passing touchdowns and no interceptions on 26-of-40 passing. Ward also did this without No. 1 rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate. Ward now has something to build on entering the Tennessee Titans' Week 9 bye week. (+7)
26
Deshaun Watson is turning back into a pumpkin. His 33 sacks this season are 10 more than any other quarterback through Week 8. Watson's diminished arm talent and mobility after years of injuries have left him desperately searching for answers that remain just out of his grasp. He allowed the Steelers to sack him eight times in a 27-6 defeat. That figure now stands as the Steelers' most sacks in a game since 2021. Not great. (-6)
27
Gardner Minshew came off the bench for an ineffective Jacoby Brissett on Sunday, and he threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns, all in the fourth quarter, on 17-of-23 passing in an overtime win at Dallas after erasing a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit. That made him the first quarterback with three passing touchdowns in a fourth quarter this season and just the second Cardinals quarterback with three passing touchdowns off the bench in a game in the Super Bowl era. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain a similar playing level against the Seahawks. (Not ranked entering Week 8)
28
Baker Mayfield failed to complete all three of his passes in a rain-soaked, 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He did chip in 14 rushing yards on four carries as well. Mayfield has just 64 passing yards since returning from his dislocated thumb injury, the fewest by a starting quarterback in consecutive team wins since 1974. (-2)
29
Daniel Jones has the worst passer rating (68.7) in the NFL this season. He has also thrown for fewer than 150 yards passing in consecutive healthy games for the first time in his career. Since the second half of last season, he has 13 total touchdowns to 20 turnovers. (+1)
30
Justin Herbert has the most interceptions in the NFL (10) this season, and he is tied with Daniel Jones for the most turnovers (12). Herbert is also the first quarterback in NFL history with an interception and multiple sacks taken in each of his team's first seven games of a season. Herbert is one of the biggest reasons why the Chargers are 0-7. (-1)
31
Tanner McKee doesn't have the ability to make even mediocre NFL defenses pay, throwing for just 212 yards and an interception on 23-of-34 passing in a primetime defeat at the Washington Commanders on "Sunday Night Football. The end is near for a Philadelphia squad that has lost six in a row after a 2-0 start. (No change)
32
Joe Fagnano will be the second undrafted rookie quarterback to start a game in Ravens history, joining Anthony Brown (2022). He made his NFL debut in Week 8 after both Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (turf toe) went down on Sunday. He threw for 91 yards and an interception on 10-of-21 passing in a 36-10 defeat against the Bills. (Not ranked entering Week 8)