Trevor Lawrence Is Ready to Be MVP: AFC South QB Tier List
After years of being overlooked by the general public, the AFC South is starting to garner some interest from the broader NFL fan base.
The Houston Texans have an otherworldly defense. The Tennessee Titans have some sweet new uniforms and a fun, young quarterback at the helm. The Indianapolis Colts had some of the most exciting games of 2025. And the Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to turn their franchise into a perennial contender.
But how do all the starting signal-callers in the division stack up?
Here are my rankings of the AFC South QBs heading into the new campaign.
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1. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
The prince that was promised might finally be here. Trevor Lawrence was one of the most highly-touted college QB prospects in history, and after a few seasons of up-and-down play, he might finally be unlocked.
You could make the argument that he was the best QB for the last half of the season in 2025, and if that level of play continues, the Jaguars will be legitimate contenders in the AFC.
2. Daniel Jones (Indianapolis Colts)
After Lawrence, it’s truly a crap shoot with all three of the remaining starters having massive question marks.
Jones is coming off a serious injury, but at least the last time I saw him play, he looked extremely good. I will bet on good health, and even if he’s 80% of what he showed before going down, that could be enough to be second in the division.
3. C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
Stroud was supposed to be the face of the AFC South for the next decade-plus after his marvelous Rookie of the Year season.
Now, we’re getting dangerously close to wondering if the Texans should be looking elsewhere for a starting QB.
Houston has a defense that is good enough to win a Super Bowl. If Stroud can’t get them there, then the Texans might be forced to make an aggressive move to find that QB.
4. Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans)
Ward being fourth is fair after a middling opening campaign, yet it’s hard to fault the young playmaker with a supporting cast that was more bland than vanilla oatmeal.
With Carnell Tate in the building, this year is more about seeing how their connection will develop. Even if it’s another disappointing year in the standings, if those two can develop a strong bond on and off the field, it’ll be considered a major win for Tennessee.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 8:26 PM.