RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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When it comes to training camp storylines, quarterback battles take center stage. This summer, we have a handful of battles to sink our teeth into, ranging from Atlanta, Minnesota, Cleveland and Las Vegas. On top of those battles, there are also a few signal callers in precarious positions. Their jobs are necessarily at risk, but they have plenty to prove to put themselves on a stronger footing.
Below, we take the temperature of the four quarterback battles currently underway, highlighting the latest updates from camp, plus give our prediction of who we see coming out on top. Then, we'll put the spotlight on a handful of veteran quarterbacks who aren't in a battle, but need to watch their backs.
Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are entrenched in a head-to-head competition for the Week 1 job in Minnesota. To begin camp, Kevin O'Connell split the reps between the two signal-callers, but Murray does appear to be gaining momentum as of late. Murray showcased his best practice of camp on Saturday, according to a wide array of reports at Vikings camp, including ESPN's Kevin Seifert . Most importantly, he was on the field for 16 of the first team offense's 22 snaps on 11-on-11 drills, per Seifert. He also completed all three of his passes to Justin Jefferson during the session, which is a key rapport metric to monitor. As for McCarthy, who did get more snaps over Murray during Friday's session (32 vs. 26 in full-offense drills), didn't have as successful a practice on Saturday as Murray.
Prediction : Kyler Murray wins the Week 1 job.
The Falcons technically have a quarterback battle on their hands between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr,, but it hasn't exactly been a slugfest. Why? Well, injuries have gotten in the way of this being a true competition. Of course, the most notable injury surrounds Penix, who is still rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 11 last season. New coach Kevin Stefanski said last week that Penix is still not cleared for full team activities , which means he cannot take part in 11-on-11 drills. Penix also provided an update to reporters, and the timeline isn't encouraging for his chances to secure the Week 1 gig. He noted that it could be another four weeks before reaching the next stage of his rehabilitation. If you tack that into the calendar, Penix is looking at being cleared by the end of August, meaning he'd likely miss all of the preseason. Under that scenario, it's hard to imagine him truly pushing Tagovailoa.
Speaking of Tagovailoa, he also was not on the field last week due to a reported back injury. Stefanski described the injury as minor and the former Dolphins quarterback "will be out there sooner rather than later." Under different circumstances with a healthy Penix, this could've been a pocket for Tagovailoa to lose some ground. Instead, it won't really move the needle.
Prediction : Tua Tagovailoa wins the Week 1 job.
In Cleveland, first-year coach Todd Monken is mulling whether to name Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders the starter for the Browns in 2026. Through the early days of camp, it doesn't appear as though either quarterback has truly endeared himself. Watson has thrown multiple interceptions in two of the four practice days, according to The Athletic . Despite that, Monken tipped his hand in favor of Sanders, continuing to split the reps between the two with the first-team offense.
As a rookie, Sanders went 3-4 for the Browns, and the passing metrics leave little to be desired. For the season, he completed 57% of his passes, threw seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and posted a 68.1 passer rating. Since his debut in Week 11, Sanders threw an NFL-high 10 picks. That said, Sanders has noted this summer that he feels much more comfortable heading into his second season, so that could help level out those numbers amid this battle with Watson.
As for Watson, he hasn't played since tearing his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 season. He also suffered another tear in that same Achilles tendon during his rehab, which resulted in him missing the entire 2025 season. In all, he's played in just 19 games over the last four seasons since coming over to the Browns in that blockbuster trade with the Texans . While he's shown plenty of rust over the course of camp thus far, it does seem like Monken is giving him the space to shake it off and, at times, feels like he has the inside track at the job.
Prediction : Deshaun Watson wins the Week 1 job.
As we look to Las Vegas, it's less of a quarterback competition and more of a philosophical approach with how the Raiders want to handle the development of Fernando Mendoza , who they selected with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft . Klint Kubiak has stated that he believes the best way to usher a young quarterback into the NFL is to bring him along slowly and not start him in the game. The ideal approach is to have an established veteran begin the year and then eventually hand the keys over to him when he's ready.
The Raiders have an established veteran on the roster in Kirk Cousins , and he's been the top quarterback throughout the offseason. That includes Kubiak putting Cousins out there as QB1 on the first day of training camp to work with the first-team offense. Even if Mendoza takes training camp by storm, Kubiak's path for the young quarterback could lead to him starting his career as Cousins' backup. That said, it's only a matter of time before the Mendoza era begins in Sin City.
Prediction : Kirk Cousins wins the Week 1 job.
Mayfield isn't in danger of losing his starting job, but his future with the Buccaneers beyond 2026 is murky at best. The veteran enters the final year of his contract and, after the two sides were unable to come to terms on an extension by his self-imposed deadline, negotiations are over. Now, Mayfield is focusing on the upcoming season, which could very well be his last in Tampa, especially after he acknowledged publicly that he felt "disrespected" by...
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