We’re six days away from the 2026 NFL regular season.
The preparation window is closed, 53-man rosters are set, and the pressure is about to ramp up in a major way.
Forget the OTA’s, the padded practices, quotes like “we like where we are” and “we’re improving every day”.
From the QB carousels to the fantasy football mock draft industrial complex, the NFL offseason is officially over.
On Wednesday night, the Seattle Seahawks will reveal their Super Bowl banner in front of a packed house at Lumen Field before the NFL kick-off game.
The New England Patriots lost the last game that counted to Seattle back in February.
Now the pressure is on Drake Maye and company to upset the defending champs in their own building and avoid losing the first game that counts this season.
Pressure, pushing down on me, pressing down on you.
FanDuel NFL Futures Day is next Tuesday September 8th, which means one final push for NFL season preview content across the TSN network and seemingly endless futures combination possibilities on the FanDuel app.
With the pressure continuing to build ahead of kick-off, I decided to look at the quarterbacks under the most pressure entering the 2026 NFL season.
If you reach the end of this column and are left wondering why a specific player didn’t make the list, remember the pressure that comes with the territory.
At the very least, a case can be made for Maye, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, Bo Nix, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough to deserve honourable mentions here.
All 32 NFL starting quarterbacks are under pressure.
Let me break down why I circled these six quarterbacks facing the most pressure in this Morning Coffee column for Thursday September 3rd, 2026.
Ranking The NFL QBs Under The Most Pressure In 2026
6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
+1900 to win NFL regular season MVP (12th choice)
The City of Brotherly Love will never be satisfied with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Hurts threw a career-high 25 touchdown passes, posted a career-best 25/6 TD/INT ratio, yet it was his owner teammate and No. 1 wide receiver A.J. Brown fueling the debate about whether the pass game was good enough.
Brown was traded to the Patriots, and Hurts ended up with another first-time play-caller as his new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion.
Hurts designed-run rate should climb under Mannion.
Still, Mannion is Philly’s sixth play-caller in seven years, the Eagles have a brutal early-season rest disadvantage, and if the offence stumbles out of the gates the finger will be pointed at Hurts once again.
Entering his seventh NFL season, all eyes are on Hurts in a new offence as he manages the weight of expectations in a city that maintains a Super Bowl or bust outlook.
5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
+5500 to win NFL regular season MVP (21st choice)
The sky was the limit for Stroud when he broke into the NFL as the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Three years later, Texans fans are left wondering whether he will ever produce at the level he did as a rookie.
With an elite defence in place, the management team in Houston retooled the offence to ensure Stroud is in the best possible position to succeed in 2026.
The additions of David Montgomery, Kayshon Boutte, a revamped offensive line, and the return of Tank Dell are all reasons to believe the offence can’t be any worse than it was last season.
Stroud’s meltdown in the 2025 postseason was a low point.
While an extension in Houston is expected at some point, Stroud is at an obvious crossroad as the biggest question mark for a Texans team that is otherwise ready to contend for a Super Bowl.
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
+1100 to win NFL regular season MVP (Fourth choice)
Two MVP rings, one AFC Championship, and yet Jackson is back on this list once again as he chases a ring.
The Ravens missed the playoffs entirely in 2025, leading to a major overhaul that featured longtime head coach John Harbaugh’s dismissal and the arrival of Jesse Minter as his replacement.
The 43-year-old Minter brought in Declan Doyle, who at 29 is the same age as Jackson and the youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Baltimore will run it back with a veteran core that features Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and Mark Andrews on offence.
How quickly that coaching staff and veteran core mesh will have a major impact on the Ravens success.
Jackson is still considered a perennial MVP contender.
However, he’s set to turn 30 in January, which is why some wonder whether he can stay healthy and continue to perform at an elite level for a full season.
Last year’s disappointment led to major changes, and the Ravens are a team in transition with a new staff.
Still, anything less than a Super Bowl win will be considered a disappointment in Baltimore.
3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
+1000 to win NFL regular season MVP (Third choice)
Herbert is still recognized as one of the most talented QBs in the NFL, but he’s 0-3 in the playoffs, leading to some labelling him as overrated.
The reality is that we’ve never seen Herbert’s skill set utilized to its full potential.
That’s expected to change this season.
The Chargers made several notable changes this offseason, but none was bigger than the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
A couple of years ago, McDaniel had Tua Tagovailoa in the conversation for NFL regular season MVP.
Now he has been tabbed as the creative mind capable of unlocking Herbert’s full potential in an offence that is loaded with talent.
Protection and the ability to stay healthy for a full season will be key in Year 1 under McDaniel.
With a revamped offensive line and a strong cast of skill position players in place, Herbert is the third choice to win NFL regular season MVP at +1000 at FanDuel.
All eyes are on Herbert to see if he can take that next step with McDaniels as his offensive coordinator.
An NFL regular season MVP award and a playoff win would go a long way towards rewriting his narrative.
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
+1000 to win NFL regular season MVP (Second choice)
When the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl in 2022, the expectation was that the window was open for Burrow to lead them back to the NFL’s biggest stage in the years that followed.
Instead, Burrow has dealt with several different injuries, missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
When they are healthy, Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins have the potential to put up massive numbers.
Burrow will turn 30 in December, and the clock is ticking for this core group.
The Bengals have been a popular pick to win the Super Bowl at +1900 at FanDuel.
Only Allen has shorter odds to win MVP than Burrow.
After a couple of disappointing years, expectations are as high as they have been in Cincinnati since 2023.
The pressure is on Burrow and company to deliver.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
+550 to win NFL regular season MVP (Favourite)
The Bills have a new head coach, a new wide receiver, and a new stadium entering the 2026 NFL season.
Buffalo is the favourite to win the AFC title at +490.
The Bills are the second choice to win the Super Bowl at +1000 behind only the Rams.
Josh Allen is the MVP favourite at +550.
The expectation is that Buffalo is primed to take a big step forward after all their offseason changes.
However, the Bills still have question marks on both sides of the football, including a defence that is clearly the biggest reason why they haven’t been able to close out games when it matters the most.
It’s impossible to quantify how much Buffalo has leaned on its superstar quarterback in recent seasons.
However, Allen is now 30 and his consistency at the position has been unrivalled around the NFL.
Can Allen deliver MVP numbers and stay healthy for a full 18-game season again?
Did the Bills bring in enough support to finally get over the hump when it matters the most in January?
Even if Allen delivers an MVP performance, it might not be enough to lead Buffalo to a Super Bowl victory.
With the 2026 NFL regular season just six days away, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Have a great day, everyone!
