The Los Angeles Rams are set to face a gauntlet of quarterbacks this season, due to their NFC affiliations and 2026 being the year the team takes on the AFC West. With an improved secondary, they should be much better against the pass, but the corners and safeties will be tested.
Here are the seven toughest quarterbacks the Rams will face this year.
Patrick Mahomes
Expect lots of Mahomes magic in 2026 as the Kansas City Chiefs added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the backfield, giving Mahomes the best running back he’s ever played with. A healthy Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy look to re-establish the Legion of Zoom, too.
Teams will be too concerned with Walker’s threat to play as aggressively as they did last season, giving Mahomes the platform to light up the secondary as he used to before. The biggest question is when Mahomes will be fully healthy.
Josh Allen
The former MVP now has his offensive coordinator as his head coach in Joe Brady, with NFL rushing leader James Cook III returning to help end the championship drought. With a new stadium, Allen has a lot to prove with expectations continuing to climb.
Allen also has a new playmaker in D.J. Moore. Moore was a game-changing talent in Carolina and Chicago, giving Allen the WR1 to stretch the field enough for his skillset and teammates to take advantage of.
Justin Herbert
Herbert made his name through his big arm and deep throws. He now has the offense and roster to finally realize his full potential. Chargers OC Mike McDaniel’s work in Miami set Tua Tagovailoa up with generational wealth, and now his high-flying offense will be operating mostly indoors.
With speedsters like Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton, and Quentin Johnston ready to break out, Herbert has no excuse not to be great. The Chargers also revamped their offensive line, with their star tackles finally healthy and an improved interior.
Bo Nix
Nix was the breakout star of 2025, helping Denver win its first division title and playoff game since its Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. He’s entering his third year in the Sean Payton offense, with a coaching star in Davis Webb taking over as the offensive playcaller.
Jalen Hurts
The Super Bowl winner regressed in 2025. He did the same in 2023, following a Super Bowl loss. Hurts responded last time with a championship effort, and it’s expected to be the same again. Until the Eagles trade A.J. Brown, he’s still on the roster, while the team added Makai Lemon from USC to their loaded offense.
With a new offensive system, Hurts should be back to top form, as the opposition still has to account for Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith.
Baker Mayfield
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have put Mayfield back in a McVay offense under new OC and former Rams assistant Zac Robinson, placing the speed threats around him to shine. Mayfield’s never-say-die attitude and the potential of Emeka Egbuka should give the Rams some concerns, as long as Todd Bowles can keep a rocky ship stable.
Mayfield will be without Mike Evans after he left for the 49ers in free agency.
Brock Purdy
Purdy is one of the NFL’s more underrated playmakers and with the San Francisco 49ers finally getting their roster and health in order, Purdy could have an MVP season. Evans has joined Kyle Shanahan in the Bay, while Raheem Morris has a defense that will allow the offense to thrive.
Purdy has his playmakers back, and with Evans, he has the true WR1 the team has been missing for quite some time.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Ranking the 7 best QBs on the Rams’ 2026 schedule
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
