Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran discuss why it makes sense if Kayshon Boutte wants out of New England on a New Patriots Talk Podcast.
Organized team activities for every NFL team begin this week, so it's a good time to take stock of all 32 starting quarterbacks in the league and rank them into tiers.
Phil Perry did just that on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast.
One of the biggest risers in Perry's rankings compared to his 2025 list was New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Maye came in at No. 14 on Perry's 2025 ranking, and he's now up to No. 5 on the 2026 list.
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The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft took a major step forward in his development last season. He put together an MVP-caliber campaign with a 72.0 completion percentage, 4,394 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Patriots exceeded all expectations with a 14-3 record and a trip to Super Bowl 60, where they lost 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Can Maye make a further jump in the upcoming season and get into Perry's "A-List" Tier? He's just outside that group right now.
Maye wasn't the only player to make a huge jump in Perry's ranking, though.
Caleb Williams was ranked 20th on the 2025 list and he's now all the way up to No. 8 after leading the Chicago Bears to the playoffs last season. Sam Darnold went from No. 27 in 2025 to No. 16 in this year's ranking after helping lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Lombardi Trophy.
Check out Perry's full ranking of all 32 starting quarterbacks based on who he'd want for the 2026 season, and the full Next Pats episode below:
The "A-List" Tier
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
The "MVP-Caliber" Tier
5. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The "Alien" Tier
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
The "Imperfect But Excited To Have You" Tier
10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
11. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
12. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
The "Don't Love It But Providing Hope" Tier
13. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
15. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
16. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
17. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
The "You're On The Clock" Tier
18. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
20. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The "Have To See It" Tier
21. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
22. Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
23. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
24. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
25. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
The "Makes You Nervous" Tier
26. Geno Smith, New York Jets
27. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
28. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
29. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
The "Seen It, Seen Enough" Tier
30. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
31. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
32. Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons