The 2026 Buffalo Bills schedule has been released and it is never too early to get speculative. At first glance, the Bills will have their hands full from the very beginning of the season to the end in early January.
The Bills will face a litany of great quarterbacks, but not all of them can be winners. The team has made a few moves to get better during the offseason, but they will certainly be helped along in a few games by the less-than-stellar quarterbacks running those ships.
Which quarterbacks will Bills have a favorable matchup against?
4.) Geno Smith
The million-dollar question is, “Which Geno Smith are we getting in 2026?” Are we getting the revitalized Seattle Seahawks’ version that threw for over 4,300 yards or the one that led the NFL in interceptions in 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders?
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle, especially for a franchise like the New York Jets that seems perpetually snake-bitten at the quarterback position. He will bring a measure of stability but what is his ceiling with this kind of underdog team?
3.) Malik Willis
Malik Willis is as intriguing as it gets in terms of first-time starters. He came in late in the season when Jordan Love was injured, playing admirably in a primetime game against the Baltimore Ravens. It was enough to earn him a starting job in Miami.
Willis went 30-for-35 for 422 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in very abbreviated duty in 2025. He will get the starting role for a Miami team bereft of talent, and it will be an uphill battle, to say the least. The 2026 season will be trying and likely not entirely indicative of what Willis is capable.
2.) Kirk Cousins
Though he showed life down the stretch for the Atlanta Falcons, it has to be wondered just how much the 37-year-old Cousins has left in the tank. He started eight games for the up-and-down Falcons, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Cousins is clearly the bridge to the future of the franchise, Fernando Mendoza. When the two teams meet in Week 6, it is more likely that Cousins is still at the helm. If the Bills can’t get after the older, immobile Cousins, it should signal trouble for their pass rush.
1.) J.J. McCarthy/Kyler Murray
As of this writing, it is uncertain who will have the starting job when Week 1 rolls around, let alone Week 9 when the two teams meet in Minneapolis. J.J. McCarthy had a rough, injury-plagued 2025 season. In 10 games, he completed 57.6% of his passes for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and has everyone questioning his future in Minnesota.
Murray, meanwhile, is a hopeful reclamation project. He missed most of the 2025 season and showed flashes when he finally did play. With the Arizona Cardinals in transition, releasing him felt like the logical move. Murray could beat out McCarthy for the job but has to be considered the worst quarterback the Bills will face in 2026.
Great quarterback after great quarterback
Buffalo's other opponents have Drake Maye. Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, and Bo Nix are all staring at them from across the line. C.J. Stroud is the “worst” of this group not on the list above.
Simply put, the Bills’ defense is going to face a plethora of challenges this season. They will have to be good to ensure that the Bills are in every game and have a chance to recapture the AFC East crown. These quarterbacks, however, should give them a chance at a strong, confidence-building performance.
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