The Dallas Cowboys’ schedule was released last week, and when ranking the difficulty of each game, some might consider travel time, who the opponent played leading up to the current week, along with other factors. Sometimes, it’s just about the quality of the quarterback the Cowboys are facing.
In many matchups, which quarterback plays the best ends up being the determining factor in winning and losing.
Ranking the opposing quarterbacks on the Cowboys’ schedule from worst to best, the list consists of 14 options thanks to home-and-away division matchups. Four of the 14 opposing QBs have played in the Super Bowl before, with three winning. How do they all stack up?
14: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
This could be Carson Beck, but it wouldn’t change the Cards signal caller’s position on the list. A journeyman quarterback or a rookie with a ton of questions will be last.
13: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
This was between two rookie quarterbacks from last year, Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart. Dart had a better year working with less talent around him due to injuries.
12: Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Jaxson Dart played well in his rookie campaign. He didn’t get to play much with Malik Nabers or Cam Skattebo, but he had a better bad throw percentage, QBR, and quarterback rating than No. 1 overall pick, Ward.
11: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud could be in a worse position on this list because of expectations. In 14 games, he threw for over 3,000 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions. His success rate was the highest, and his bad-throw percentage was the lowest of his career. Unfortunately, he didn’t help his team win enough with the best defense in the NFL.
10: Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones was having a Sam Darnold-like breakout season before getting injured. He attempted to play through it, but he wasn’t the same, and then he got a season-ending injury. He had a quarterback rating over 100 and a success rate over 50% for the first time in his career.
9: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels had an elite rookie season like Dak Prescott or Stroud, and it had him lined up as the next big thing. He had a substantial drop-off in Year 2, even before he was injured. Daniels has to show he can sustain his excellent play like Prescott has, or it could look like Stroud in Seasons 2 and 3.
8: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts has plenty of team success and has stepped up in big games, but his overall play and development as a quarterback aren’t at a hig level. The team around him is loaded, but Hurts’ inability to consistently throw has held them back. The Eagles led the league in three-and-outs with Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert as weapons. That’s unacceptable for a top 15-level QB.
7: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Is Jordan Love a product of Matt LeFleur, the way Jared Goff was under Sean McVay and Ben Johnson? Neither is bad; on the contrary, they both are solid franchise quarterbacks, but they seem to have clear ceilings. Love routinely throws for an average of 3,500 yards, 25 touchdowns, and around 10 interceptions, but hasn’t taken the next step to that next tier of quarterbacks.
6: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy could be another in a long line of quarterbacks whom Kyle Shanahan elevates as a play caller, though he is still a step up from Jimmy Garoppolo. His success rate is over 50% regularly, and his on-target percentage was an incredible 82.2 last season before his injury. He has to get his interceptions under control, and hopefully, Dallas signing of two former 49ers defensive players will help the Cowboys get one, but he is still a good QB overall.
5: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence had an excellent bounce-back season under new head coach Liam Coen. He threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. He led the Jacksonville Jaguars to the sixth spot in scoring and 11th in yards. The former first overall pick is starting to live up to the hype.
4: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield was an MVP candidate in 2024. His play slipped last year, losing the gaudy numbers he had the season prior, but injuries to the team contributed to that. He still threw for almost 3,700 yards with 26 touchdowns and the second-highest QBR of his career. No reason he shouldn’t bounce back in 2026.
3: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 12 interceptions might have been seen as a fluke in his last season with the Minnesota Vikings, but Darnold solidified himself in 2026. He threw for the best completion percentage of his career and for over 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns. He added a great postseason run and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.
2: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It’s possible injuries have caught up to Lamar Jackson, and his play will never reach the highs it once did. He had a poor 2025 by his standards, throwing for under 2,600 yards and running for a career-low 349 yards playing in parts of just 13 games. He is still a two-time MVP and strikes fear into any defense with his playmaking ability. If he struggles again, his place should slip, but not yet.
1: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is like Benjamin Button, getting better as he gets older, as if he were aging in reverse. He won an MVP and was an All-Pro at 37. Throwing for over 4,700 yards with 46 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Those numbers are like playing in rookie mode on Madden. If he stays healthy, he is a top-five QB in the league. He has the same returning weapons and the best player caller in the NFL, so it’s unlikely he slows down.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Ranking QBs Cowboys will face in 2026; Darnold, Stafford or Jackson?
Reporting by Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
