The Young Quarterbacks Driving the NFL Forward

Getty Images. Leanne Mattern/MH Illustration.5 min readThis story is part of Men's Health's NFL Strong 2026 package, a series of stories that explore how athletes build and maintain strength for the ultra-physical game of football. Read all the stories here.WHEN DRAKE MAYE pushed the Patriots to Super Bowl LX in February, it served notice: The next generation of quarterbacks has arrived. Today’s young signal-callers combine big arms and mobility with the rapid-fire mental processing required to dissect defenses on the fly. It’s a grueling workload. “Now you’re seeing that generation of kids that grew up using well-detailed scientific programming that’s built around becoming more and more efficient at a specific skill group,” says Tom Gormely, DPT, head of sports science at Gormely Performance Systems, who works with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, among others. The result: a class of young QBs who have used new tools to develop their bodies and minds—and have plenty of lessons that can level up your physical and mental strength too.Getty ImagesJayden Daniels25, Washington CommandersWASHINGTON’S TRIGGERMAN BURST onto the scene when he completed 69 percent of his passes as a rookie in 2024. Even in an injury-riddled 2025, when he missed 10 games, partly due to a gruesome elbow dislocation, he still threw eight TDs. Through 24 career games, he has just 14 total turnovers. To bounce back, Daniels spent extra time honing his footwork and fundamentals, says Taylor Kelly, QB coach at 3DQB, who trains Daniels in the offseason.GET A BETTER GRIPOne underrated secret to Daniels’s ball-security skills may be grip strength. This simple (but spicy) drill from Ryan Porter, founder and head coach of Cali Power, builds it. Grab a 25-pound plate by its edge and hold it at your side for 1 minute. Rest 1 minute. Do 7 rounds per side. “You’ll drop the weight several times,” says Porter, who trained Daniels when he was in high school and college. “Rarely do you get the full minute. But that’s the goal.”Getty ImagesCaleb Williams24, Chicago BearsAFTER WILLIAMS PILOTED the Bears to a dismal 5-12 season as a rookie, he led them to the divisional round of the playoffs last season on the strength of six fourth-quarter comebacks. “The number one thing with QB play is that stoic, mentally tough, not-shaken-by-anything type of demeanor,” says Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby. “Caleb has that.”Williams pairs that toughness with a physical superpower: He can throw from almost any position, even when his feet are not set. “Caleb is the freakiest thrower I’ve ever met,” says Danny Hernandez, who trained Williams in high school and college.SWIM-UP YOUR MOBILITYThe secret to Williams’s throwing ability, says Gormely, is “great mobility in his T-spine, hips, and ankles.” One way Williams builds that is by cross-training in a pool. “Swimming has totally played into where he’s at with his throwing,” Hernandez says. “There’s a rhythm, and tempo, and lag [when you’re swimming], which helps you in being very coordinated.” Once or twice a week, hit the pool for 15 to 30 minutes, alternating crawl, breaststroke, and kicking-only laps on your front and back.Getty ImagesC.J. Stroud24, Houston TexansTHREE NFL SEASONS, three playoff berths. Last season, the Texans started 0-3, but Stroud finished the regular season by leading them to six straight wins—and then a blowout 30-6 playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, before they lost, 28-16, in the divisional round to the New England Patriots.SLAM FOR STRENGTHStroud relies on explosive rotational power to make deep throws. His trainer Adam Dedeaux, cofounder of 3DQB, uses rotational medball slams to build it. Hold a medball at your chest, then raise it overhead and to your right. Slam it as powerfully as possible toward your left foot. Grab it and repeat on the other side. Do 2 to 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps per side.Getty ImagesBo Nix26, Denver BroncosIN HIS SECOND-ever playoff game, Nix went toe-to-toe with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen—and won. A broken ankle kept him out of the following week’s AFC championship loss to the Patriots, but Nix is already tied with Russell Wilson for the most victories by a QB in his first two regular NFL seasons (24). “He’s just ultra talented,” says QB Country founder and coach David Morris, who started training Nix when he was in college. “Bo, to me, is a Patrick Mahomes athlete and arm talent.”BOOST TOTAL-BODY POWERNix uses a medball “hitch slam” to build explosive power that translates to running, jumping, and throwing. Stand sideways about 5 yards from a wall in an athletic stance, with your nonthrowing shoulder facing the wall, holding a 10-pound medball at chest level. Explosively shuffle your feet, aiming for your back foot to land where your front foot started. As you do this, hurl the ball as hard as you can at the wall. . “There’s a ton of crossover on the lower- and upper-body mechanics from the weight room to the field,” Morris says. Do 3 sets of 3 reps per side.Getty ImagesBryce Young25, Carolina PanthersTHE MUCH-MALIGNED Young finally piloted Carolina back to the playoffs last season after two wildly inconsistent years, setting career highs in yardage (3,011), TD passes (23), and completion percentage (63.6 percent). Dedeaux, who’s worked with Young since eighth grade, sees a rare mental talent. “His vision, his feel for where the ball needs to be, his anticipation is as good as anything that (any QB) does,” he says.AMP UP AWARENESSYoung has made gains in processing speed during his three years in the league. Hernandez has a drill that can sharpen yours, too. Pick a chaotic moment with a lot going on. For a QB, that might be a play at practice; for you, a crowded office meeting. Afterward, try to recall as many specific details as possible. “I’ll say to my QB, ‘How many things can you see at one time?’ ” Hernandez says. A player might answer, “I see Timmy holding a football in his right hand; a red car just went by.” The goal is training yourself to notice—and process—more information, faster.Getty ImagesJaxson Dart23, New York GiantsIN JUST 12 starts last season, Dart piled up 24 total TDs (15 passing, 9 rushing) and passed for 2,272 yards. He also endeared himself to Giants fans with his fearless, physical running style. “Jaxson does the work,” says Dedeaux, who has trained Dart since high school. “It’s one thing to have flash, but he shows up, he grinds. He’s extremely tough, mentally and physically.”SPEED UP YOUR PROCESSOR3DQB’s Kelly tests Dart with quick-reaction drills. He sets up three or four colored targets in a catching net, then has Dart stand 10 feet away, back to the net, holding a one- or two-pound ball. As Dart turns, Kelly calls a color; Dart must immediately find and hit that target. Try a low-tech version with a friend. Stand facing away from them with a baseball or football. Turn, and have your partner immediately call out whether you should throw to their left or right. Do 8 to 12 reps. “You can get a lot of creativity with those drills,” Kelly says. The principle is simple: Force your brain to recognize new information, make a decision, and act—all in an instant.Check out our third annual MH Strong All-Pro Team for our rundown of the strongest players in the NFL.READ MORETo read other stories in Men's Health's NFL Strong 2026 series, click here.READ MOREAnna Katherine Clemmons is an adjunct professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, and has written for numerous publications, including ESPN the Magazine and The New York Times.