Bijan Robinson and Puka Nacua share the spotlight in CBS’ under-25 NFL player ranking as young quarterbacks surge

CBS Sports released a Top 25 ranking of NFL players age 25 and under for the 2026 season, framing the exercise as a snapshot of the league’s next generation. The idea is straightforward: when the sport’s center of gravity moves toward younger stars, it typically indicates that teams have found the kinds of difference-makers who can carry franchises forward through major cycles.

The ranking’s eligibility rules are built around timing and experience. Players must be 25 or younger as the 2026 regular season begins, and the cutoff is tied to the league’s opening date of Sept. 9, 2026. To keep the focus on established production, first-year players are excluded, meaning this is a list of young but already-proven NFL contributors rather than pure prospects.

In CBS’ ordering, Bijan Robinson takes the No. 1 spot, edging Puka Nacua for the top role in the league’s under-25 tier. Both are positioned in the ranking as players whose performances extend beyond any single stat category, reflecting how modern offenses and game plans increasingly revolve around players who can create value in multiple ways.

CBS also highlights the passing game’s youth movement, noting that three quarterbacks are included in the top 10. That matters because quarterback play tends to define how teams view their window of contention. If younger report-callers keep producing at high levels, more franchises can plan with confidence that the “face of the offense” will remain durable through a multi-year build, rather than requiring constant resets.

The list’s context is also shaped by recent postseason realities, where rosters have been anchored by younger players for both teams involved in Super Bowl LX, according to CBS’ framing. While the ranking is not a prediction of 2026 outcomes, its premise is that championship-level teams increasingly rely on youth for the long stretches where seasons are decided: third downs, late-game execution, and the ability to keep producing as defenses adjust.

It is important to treat any media ranking as a barometer, not a verdict. CBS does not present the list as an official league evaluation, and the under-25 filter can create situations where a player’s immediate impact is weighed against teammates who might be older, injured at the wrong time, or simply featured differently. Even so, rankings like this are useful for understanding which teams are currently staffed with players most likely to remain central to their plans.

Looking ahead, the questions the list raises are operational. Which teams have built offenses and defenses that can sustain high performance beyond a single star moment? And how soon will young quarterback production translate into consistent playoff outcomes? With Sept. 9 approaching as the age cutoff date for eligibility, the next on-field test for this generation of stars will begin the moment the 2026 regular season starts.

For fans, the most practical takeaway is watching whether the top tier stays intact as new roles expand and defenses learn new wrinkles. If Bijan Robinson remains the No. 1 reference point and Nacua continues to rank among the league’s most impactful young players, it will suggest that the NFL’s talent pipeline is producing not just highlights, but reliable, game-defining workloads.