# Nick Wright: Wright's Week 1 'Mahomes Mountain' quarterback hierarchy for the 2026 season keeps Patrick Mahomes at No. 1 as the best quarterback in the league, tiers 28 quarterbacks across seven rows, and leaves Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson off the mountain entirely. He also suggests Tagovailoa and Watson won't hold their starting jobs much longer. **Claimed:** Sep 8, 2026 **Pundit:** Nick Wright — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/nick-wright **Outlet:** Fox Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fox-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/mahomes-mountain-week-1-its-go-time-4-quarterbacks-left-off 4 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 positional finishe and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > I understand it's now a controversial opinion to say Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league… *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Deshaun Watson to be a starter** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Patrick Mahomes to finish top 1 at his position, by passing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: too vague to check - **Tua Tagovailoa to be a starter** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mahomes Mountain is back ahead of Week 1 of the 2026/27 NFL season, and Nick Wright lists his QB hierarchy... Off The Mountain: Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, Jacoby Brissett, Deshaun Watson... 1st Row: 'The Best In the League' Patrick Mahomes** - Kind: Top Player Lists - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Deshaun Watson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/deshaun-watson - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Patrick Mahomes — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/patrick-mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Tua Tagovailoa — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tua-tagovailoa - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/falcons ## What others said about the same people - Ralph Vacchiano on Tua Tagovailoa: Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6f782be9-64d3-47cf-b054-6566e14194d6 (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Michael Penix Jr.: In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/968b3764-11ef-41b5-a370-ff570b3219d1 (scored 0) - Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0) - Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (scored 0) - John Breech on Tua Tagovailoa: The unsigned Pick Six newsletter expects Seth McLaughlin to step into the Lions' starting center job with Cade Mays injured, and suggests Tua Tagovailoa is on track to be Atlanta's Week 1 starting quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a040e9f9-5016-4dce-b2b3-a4c411e950f5 (scored 0) - Matt Okada on Tua Tagovailoa: In a PPR-framed fantasy draft guide, Okada makes a few non-fantasy claims: rookie Jeremiyah Love will be Arizona's featured back despite being listed as RB2, Tua Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, and Kyler Murray will open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8ada4169-6627-4730-a98d-6869382735d2 (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Tyler Sullivan on Drew Lock: In an unsigned Week 2 odds roundup, the piece states that with Sam Darnold hurt, Drew Lock will likely start at quarterback for Seattle against Arizona. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a14b5e6-066b-457f-b409-a3ddbd512aca (scored 0) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70a7844a-2fb6-44d7-814f-30ec9fbcc26d (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0653fc24-437c-4aba-89ee-f1f417e1983d (scored 100) - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/760054fd-7815-4b86-a9e3-bc9bdb0a730b (scored 0) - Emmett Matasovsky on Christian Izien: Matasovsky says Dobbs is currently leading the backup quarterback race and suggests Christian Izien may be pressed into a starting safety role in Week 1 while Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph rehab. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9715ee92-1646-4ee4-8911-e3e4cbae9027 (scored 0) - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's fantasy football preseason recap projects depth-chart outcomes, roster spots and fantasy value for numerous players across several preseason games, including Chig Okonkwo's expanded role in Washington, Ja'Kobi Lane as Baltimore's WR3, Malachi Fields winning the Giants' starting X job, and Zachariah Branch being a fantasy bust relative to his late-round cost. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/22a4578b-eb92-41d2-820b-1a7eaa2e4e2f (scored 0) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=nick-wright