Quarterback has long been the most important position in sports. If your main man under center isn’t getting the job done, then you’re likely racking up L’s. On the other hand, if your QB is accurate and is chucking the ball for big yardage on a routine basis, you’re likely a playoff contender.
Most NFL teams already know who their QB1 is right now, as training camps get underway. That said, there are several franchises that are holding legit QB competitions this summer. All of these battles feature veteran signal-callers versus young quarterbacks. These are the Top 5 QB Competitions in NFL Training Camps.
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tua Tagovailoa
This is a juicy one as it features a player in Tagovailoa that is just a few seasons removed from throwing for 4,624 yards and 29 TDs in one season, versus a player that was drafted eighth overall in 2024. Working against Penix Jr. is the fact that the Falcons fired most of the guys who shockingly drafted him early in the first round a little over two years ago. The new Atlanta administration, led by Matt Ryan, signed Tagovailoa to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in March. Surely the new admin will want to see what they have with Tagovailoa, who, at the moment, is fully healthy. Penix, meanwhile, is recovering from a torn ACL. It is Penix’s third torn ACL, so Tua is the favorite to win the starting job right now.
Projected Week 1 Starter: Tagovailoa
Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett vs. Gardner Minshew vs. Carson Beck
Brissett and the Cardinals resolved their contract drama this past weekend, and most indications are that Arizona’s starting job for Week 1 is Brissett’s to lose. The 33-year-old veteran posted the best numbers of his career last season for the Cardinals, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 TDs and just 8 INTs. If Brissett does end up winning the starting job for Week 1, as expected, it is likely that he will have a short leash. New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur will want to establish a new identity for the franchise, and doing so typically involves giving the reins to a young QB at some point in Year 1. It’s extremely early, but third round draft pick Carson Beck has not exactly wowed so far in training camp. Journeyman Gardner Minshew is the other option under center for LaFleur, but Minshew-mania is running on fumes these days. Minshew played for Las Vegas in 2024, and for Kansas City in 2025. In 14 games played the past two seasons, Minshew has thrown for 9 TDs and 11 INTs.
Projected Week 1 Starter: Brissett
Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders
Watson versus Sanders looks to be a true training camp/pre-season competition as new head coach Todd Monken looks to clean up the perennial mess that is the Cleveland Browns. Watson has not played in an NFL game since Oct. 20, 2024 when he went down with an Achilles tear. The injury-riddled and scandal-plagued QB has not played more than 10 games in a season since 2020. Monken praised Sanders for “being more decisive” during non-contact practices in June, but there is certainly no guarantee that the job is his. Sanders mostly struggled in his rookie NFL campaign, throwing 7 TDs and being picked off 10 times in 8 games played.
Projected Week 1 Starter: Watson
Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza vs. Kirk Cousins
Cousins signed with the Raiders in early April, and a few weeks later the franchise drafted Mendoza. New Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak has maintained that he prefers for Mendoza to sit early in the regular season, learning the position from the sidelines. “Ideally, you don’t want [a newly drafted QB] to start day one,” Kubiak said at the annual league meetings. “You’d love to be able to learn behind somebody.” Kubiak is quite comfortable with Cousins, as the duo enjoyed success together in Minnesota. Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Vikings from 2019 to 2021, and during those seasons Cousins enjoyed some of the best years of his career.
Projected Week 1 Starter: Cousins
Minnesota Vikings
Kyler Murray vs. JJ McCarthy
A year ago, the Vikings were all-in on JJ McCarthy as their starting QB. Today? Not so much. McCarthy struggled in his first season playing in the NFL, throwing for just 1,632 yards, 11 TDs, and 12 INTs in 10 games in 2025. Similar to the situation in Atlanta, all signs point to the team rolling with the established veteran come Week 1 of the NFL season. McCarthy has struggled with his mechanics as a thrower, and if he has some sub-par showings in the pre-season, it will give head coach Kevin O’Connell plenty of reason to lean Murray’s way.
Projected Week 1 Starter: Murray
