Its time to finish this off an get ready to predict the NFL divisions and this year there is more to cover than usual. My Top Ten has started off with a bang with #10. San Darnold #9. Caleb Williams, #8. Joe Burrow, #7. Dak Prescott, & #6. Jalen Hurts. Its important to offer nuance as to why certain players are ahead of others and for these 5, that was in the last article.

Now we’re going to hit the final 5 and include honorable mentions so lets get going:

#5 – Drake Maye: Had a remarkable run to Super Bowl LX with a very surprising ang gaudy 8.9 ypa. The singular stat from a QB that translates to team success. His 2025 was 354  of 492 for 4,394 yards 31 TDs to only 8 interceptions. Where many will remind me this is just about going into the 2026 season and not a lifetime ranking, take a look at how last season ended for Maye. Not just the Super Bowl drubbing but his statistical drop off from the regular season through the playoffs. Did you know Maye had the largest passer rating drop off in the last 30 years between regular and postseason?

Oh and Taylor Blitz told you the only stat equating QB success with team success is yards per attempt. That trailed off from a gaudy 8.9 yards per attempt to 6.9. Or in essence would have him behind Dak Prescott (9th) and Mac Jones who was (10th) at the time of last December’s article.

You’ll note both missed the playoffs.

He did receive a boost with the trade for former All Pro Receiver AJ Brown and some will question why have Maye this low going into 2026?

Keep in mind his Patriots will have a 1st place schedule vs last year’s 4th place schedule. Instead of the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, & Tennessee Titans. They now have the likes of Denver (held them to 60 yards passing in the AFC Championship), Seattle Seahawks (blew them out in SB LX 29-13, LA Chargers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. A total of 8 teams with 10 or more wins last year with 3 others with 9. Maye will struggle mightily all season and will face 4 of last year’s Top Ten defenses. Can he hold on to the 5th spot?? He throws a great ball but will be up against it in 2026.

#4 – Patrick Mahomes: The real question is will he be ready for the start of the season. His receiving corps seems in flux with Rashee Rice’s latest off season legal setback. Eventually Chiefs brass is going to grow to distrust Rice as a player. With a repaired knee will #15 be able to move to create time or duplicate last year’s 64 carries 422 yards 5TDs. Last year he had a down year with 315 of 502 3,584 yards 22 TDs and 11 interceptions. His yards per attempt plummeted to 6.6 yards and hopefully signing Kenneth Walker III from Seattle will take pressure off a less mobile Mahomes.

It’s not a must year for Mahomes in terms of who he is and based on 5 Super Bowl trips in 7 years looks to be headed to a few down years and this ranking will change. Yet his great years put him in position where we have to see it happen first. I really hope he isn’t slowed by his knee injury but that was a nasty take down he suffered last December. We just don’t know how he will move around once he comes back.

#3 – Lamar Jackson: With this being his 1st year without HC Jim Harbaugh in Baltimore will he be able to flourish?? Which sounds ridiculous when he had 2 NFL MVP seasons playing for him. However I warned you before he was drafted in ’18 the challenge is to develop Jackson totally as a passer. The offensive approach in Baltimore hasn’t changed from the read option game where the passing offense has sputtered in curcial playoff losses. Nuance and timing in the passing game has rendered receivers ineffective as none have really established themselves with the Ravens from a league wide perspective.

Jackson still has time but this is going to be a year he has to show his growth from the pocket from play call passing specifics. Not just throw to TE Mark Andrews or from scrambling around. In ’25 he threw for 2,549 yards 21 TDs while rushing 62 times for 349 yards with 2 scores. He did have a gaudy 8.4 yards per attempt which is Super Bowl level but he has to show up with complete games in the playoffs. He can’t afford to miss 4 games again due to injury & with Harbaugh’s dismissal it will all come down on #8 if they falter in the playoffs again.

#2. Josh Allen: Speaking of playing under the tutelage of a new Head Coach, Allen comes into ’26 with former OC Joe Brady elevated to the big seat. On the heels of winning league MVP he followed up ’24 completing 319 of 460 3,668 yds with 25TDs. However he threw 10 interceptions having to squeeze throws in to receivers who couldn’t get separation. Bills brass is hoping the trade for WR DJ Moore will cure some of that.

Allen is in his 9th season. Not a kid anymore

Allen had 579 yards and a whopping 14 TDs on the ground but he’s taken 12 years worth of hits in his 8 seasons. One issue is while playing Superman he can be wreckless with the football evidenced by his 7 fumbles last year. None more costly before the half in the AFC Divsional loss to Denver that had the Bills fighting uphill. A back-breaking turnover. Turning 30 he has to take less hits and become a distributor and lean more on James Cook, Moore, Dawson Knox & Dalton Kincaid.

He still has a cannon for a right arm but the hits he’s taken will send him down the Cam Newton path of a big body having the throwing prowess beaten out of it. I warned of this as last year was concluding & they couldnt chase down the new AFC East bully in New England. Now they have gone to the Super Bowl Josh hasn’t been able to achieve. This year will be interesting now he and Buffalo are now the hunters…

#1. Matthew Stafford: This year’s reigning MVP is gearing up for a ride off into the sunset Super Bowl triumph at Sofi. A 2nd Lombardi Trophy cements a Hall of Fame legacy as last year he had his best season. In completing 388 of 597 for 4,707 yds with a career best 46 TDs and just 8 interceptions, he was the best in pro football by a mile last year. He had his tenth 4,000 yard season at 37 years of age… yikes

His yards per attempt was a Super Bowl worthy 7.9 last year & he put up 374 yds & 3TDs in an NFC Championship loss up in Seattle. He put up 27 points but the defense let them down. Hence the trade for Myles Garrett & both KC Chiefs starting cornerbacks. Although he is headed into his 18th season, he’s entered a quarterback mastery phase where his body isn’t betraying him. Not like other great contemporaries. Think about it a second…

2018-2020 Drew Brees struggled to complete passes more than 15 yards downfield. Peyton Manning in his final two seasons, with his neck and foot injuries had him a shell of himself. In fact he was hobbled in his final season 2015 throwing 9TDs to 17 interceptions while only starting 9 games. It seemed Stafford might have been going that route when Rams brass kept alluding to a back injury that could sideline him to start ’25.

Now he’s at full strength with Puka Nacua (129 rec/1,715 yds/ 10TDs), a full offseason with Davante Adams (60 rec/ 789yds / 14 TDs) & ’25 NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett?? Before his trade The Chancellor of Football already had the Rams picked to win Super Bowl LXI going away. How many short fields can Myles Garrett create for him. Stafford will go for Peyton Manning’s record of 55TDs (2013) and reignite the conversation of the Bob Waterfield/ Norm Van Brocklin team that won it all in 1951 with the highest scoring team in league history…well up to that point.

How big will the next ring be??

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