The adsorption and retention of polymers on the surfaces of oil and gas reservoir rocks play a significant role in the optimization of drilling fluid formulations and enhancing the economic benefits of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. In this study，the adsorption of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide（HPAM），partially hydrolyzed poly（acrylamide/ diallyldimethylammonium chloride）（HPAD），and hydrophobically associating polyacrylamide（HAP）on shale，coal rock，and sandstone surfaces was indirectly measured by starch cadmium iodide method. The adsorption quantities were quantified. The effects of adsorption time，polymer concentration，temperature，and salinity on the adsorption behavior of the three polymers on rock surfaces were analyzed. The results indicated that the adsorption of HPAM and HAP on rock surfaces conformed more closely to the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model，while that of HPAD adhered more closely to the pseudo-first-order adsorption kinetic model. Compared with HPAD and HAP，HPAM exhibited a higher equilibrium adsorption capacity. The adsorption processes of all three polymers on reservoir rocks better fit the Freundlich adsorption model. The time required to reach adsorption equilibrium was closely related to the polymer and the type of reservoir rock. The adsorption of HPAM reached saturation on the surfaces of all three rock types，while the adsorption of HPAD and HAP increased over time. An increase in temperature intensified desorption，resulting in a decrease in adsorption quantity. Conversely，an increase in salinity reduced the solubility of polymers， leading to an increase in adsorption quantity. The continuous adsorption of polymers on reservoir surfaces was the main reason for their consumption in drilling fluids. The sustained adsorption of HPAD and HAP on reservoir rock surfaces might result in the failure of drilling fluids due to their low concentrations.