NFL greats like Steve Young, Kurt Warner, and Jim Plunkett are the golden examples of how it’s never too late to find success as an NFL QB. Just because you failed with the first one, two, or three teams of your pro career, it doesn’t mean you’re done for.
Here are five active NFL quarterbacks who saved their careers with a new squad and five whose careers fell apart after switching teams.
Find out which NFL QBs turned their careers around after changing teams and which ones faltered.
Saved: Baker Mayfield
Many were stunned when the Cleveland Browns decided to swap out Baker Mayfield for Deshaun Watson in the 2022 offseason — a year after the 2018 first-overall pick led the team to their first playoff victory in 26 years.
Mayfield got the chance to revive his career when he was sent to the Carolina Panthers, but they dumped him after six lousy starts. He finished the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Rams, making four starts after they had lost starter Matthew Stafford for the season.
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up Mayfield on a one-year deal in 2023 free agency, hardly anyone batted an eye. The Bucs looked poised to bottom out in year one of the post-Tom Brady era, but Mayfield had other plans.
All Baker did was set career highs with 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against only 10 interceptions. He led the Bucs to a third straight NFC South division title and to a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
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Mayfield was awarded a three-year extension worth $100 million in 2024. He upped his game even further in year two with the Bucs, showing that 2023 was no fluke.
The Browns made the colossal mistake of giving up on Mayfield early. He made them pay for it.
Destroyed: Deshaun Watson
Remember when Watson was a borderline top-five quarterback during his tenure with the Houston Texans? Hard as it is to believe now, that was a thing once.
As everyone remembers, Watson requested a trade from the Texans after a dismal 2020 season in H-Town. Watson put up MVP-like numbers, but inept management and coaching set the franchise way back. So, he understandably didn’t want to waste any more prime years on a rebuilding team.
Watson, however, missed the entire 2021 season dealing with serious legal matters after disturbing allegations against him emerged. The Cleveland Browns took the risk anyway and surrendered a king’s ransom to the Texans — highlighted by three first-round picks — for his services.
Watson then signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns despite never playing a snap for them. So, how has the deal gone?
Well, he was suspended for the first 11 games of 2022. Then, he made just six starts in 2023 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Then he put together a 2024 season that’s in line to be literally the worst in history.
By the way, remember when the Browns offense functioned way better with 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco, who was near retirement before coming to Cleveland? So yeah, Watson is clearly the problem if guys like Flacco could light it up in the same offense.
At this rate, Watson’s career will mark the biggest downfall for a QB in NFL history.
Saved: Geno Smith
Smith was the Jets’ main starting quarterback in 2013 and 2014 before losing the gig to Ryan Fitzpatrick in year three. He was Eli Manning’s backup with the New York Giants in 2018 and with Philip Rivers’ Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 before landing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
Nobody made a big deal at the time when Smith signed with the ‘Hawks in 2019. I mean, who was gonna replace Russell Wilson as the franchise QB in Emerald City?
Well, the Seahawks had no choice but to turn to Smith in 2022 after honoring Wilson’s trade request by sending him to the Denver Broncos. Everyone thought the ‘Hawks would tank with Smith behind center and then get their next QB in the 2023 draft — but boy were we all wrong.
Smith led the league with a 69.8 completion percentage in 2022 and threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. His efforts helped Seattle to a Wild Card appearance, where they fell to the archrival San Francisco 49ers.
The 2013 second-round pick Bowler also won Comeback Player of the Year honors before signing a three-year extension worth $75 million. Smith proved it was no fluke and had another strong performance in 2023, earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod.
It’s been quite the run for Smith, who firmly reminded us all that it’s not how you start…but how you finish.
Destroyed: Mitch Trubisky
The Chicago Bears memorably traded up to snag Trubisky second overall in 2017, memorably passing on future Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes. Painful stuff, we know.
Trubisky had four inconsistent seasons during his tenure with the Bears. His best season was in 2018 when he tossed 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. The organization finally gave up and let him walk to 2021 free agency, eventually replacing him with Justin Fields.
Trubisky spent one year as Josh Allen’s backup with the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. This was The Truth’s last chance to show he could be a starting-caliber NFL QB, and he had a Hall of Fame coach in Mike Tomlin to help.
But Trubisky was even worse in Pittsburgh than Chicago, losing five of seven starts and throwing eight touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He spent most of his tenure in Steel City backing up Kenny Pickett, who hardly performed any better.
Pittsburgh cut bait with Trubisky in 2024, and he returned to Buffalo to back up Josh Allen.
Considering how he went from merely average in Chicago to borderline unwatchable in Pittsburgh, it’s safe to say Trubisky indeed destroyed his career. Nobody will try him as a starting quarterback again after his disastrous tenure in Pittsburgh.
Also Read: Which QB Holds The Record For The All-Time Highest Rushing Yards In NFL History?
Saved: Joe Flacco
Flacco lost his starting job to rookie Lamar Jackson in the 2018 season, and the Baltimore Ravens never looked back. Riding with the future two-time league MVP, the Ravens sent Flacco to the Denver Broncos in a 2019 offseason trade.
Flacco, again, lost his starting job to a rookie — this time Drew Lock. But he hung around the league for the next three years as a backup for the New York Jets, making nine starts on a mostly unwatchable team.
Just when retirement seemed inevitable, the Super Bowl 47 MVP signed with the Cleveland Browns late in the 2023 season after losing Deshaun Watson to injury. Flacco won four of five starts, averaged over 300 passing yards a game, and tossed 13 touchdowns to guide Cleveland back to the postseason with an 11-6 record.
The Browns lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round, but Flacco’s epic return wasn’t all for naught. He earned Comeback Player of the Year honors and showed everyone that he can still play, eventually landing a deal with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024 free agency.
And what happened when the Colts lost starting QB Anthony Richardson in the season to injury? Oh, Flacco casually tossed seven touchdowns against one interception to keep their season alive.
Not sure about you, but something tells us he should stop being a backup QB. Someone should make this guy a starter again because the Super Bowl-winning QB has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Destroyed: Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy G’s injury history and inconsistent play prompted the 49ers to eye a QB upgrade at the 2021 NFL Draft. So they moved up to select North Dakota State QB Trey Lance at No. 3 overall and had him learn behind Garoppolo for his rookie year.
Season-ending injuries to both Lance and Garoppoo forced Kyle Shanahan to make Brock Purdy the starter late in 2022. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Looking to revive his career in Sin City, Garoppolo reunited with Josh McDaniels and signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas worth $72.75 million. Not to break all the hearts of the ladies who fell in love with Garoppolo, but the contract with the Raiders marked the beginning of the end of his playing days.
Garoppolo was benched after just six starts, in which he threw seven touchdowns against nine interceptions. Rookie Aidan O’Connell replaced Jimmy G as the starter, and the latter was released with two years remaining on his contract.
Garoppolo had one chance to show he wasn’t a product of Kyle Shanahan’s system. He failed, and so he must accept second or third-stringer duties for the remainder of his career.
The 49ers made Garoppolo. Going to the Raiders destroyed his days as a starter. One of these franchises is not like the other, folks.
Saved: Sam Darnold
It’s unfair to fully blame Darnold for his miserable three-year stint with the Jets. I mean, Geno Smith and Zach Wilson were also once-promising young QBs who were held back by the dysfunction of Gang Green.
But Darnold’s attempted career revival with the Carolina Panthers went nowhere, a strong indicator that he was destined to go down as a bust. He spent one season as Brock Purdy’s backup in San Fran before signing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 NFL free agency — a month before they drafted Michigan QB JJ McCarthy in round one.
Well, Darnold has enjoyed a fantastic first year in Minnesota. He’s played the best football of his career and has them poised to return to the playoffs, reminding everyone that any QB can work in the right system.
Darnold had it bad with the Jets and Panthers. But a young and brilliant offensive-minded coach in Kevin O’Connell has unlocked Darnold, who’s also taken advantage of a Justin Jefferson-Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones-led supporting cast.
Who knows where Darnold will play long-term? McCarthy is still the Vikings’ guy. But all it takes is the right fit for a QB like Darnold to hit his ceiling. Like 2018 draft classmate Baker Mayfield, the fourth team proved to be a charm for Darnold.
Destroyed: Carson Wentz
Wentz was likely on his way to the 2017 MVP honors before suffering a season-ending ACL tear late in the year. Nick Foles took over as the starting QB, and, as we all remember, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl 52 championship.
Unfortunately, Wentz was never able to regain that elite form we saw in 2017. He struggled with injuries and consistency issues until getting benched late in the 2020 campaign in favor of Jalen Hurts.
Wentz was traded to the Colts in 2021 and actually had a fine statistical season, throwing for 27 touchdowns and only seven picks. However, owner Jim Irsay was furious about missing the postseason and forced the team to trade Wentz, who was sent to the Washington Commanders.
It was in DC where Wentz cemented himself as, well, no longer starting-caliber. He lost five of seven starts and had 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions, having been significantly outplayed by Taylor Heinicke.
The Commanders released Wentz after just one year, and he has since bounced around the league as a backup. One can argue that Indy gave up on Wentz too quickly, considering they gave up a first-round pick to Philly for him. Unfortunately, his career was destroyed when he went to a renowned quarterback graveyard in Washington.
Saved: Jared Goff
When the Los Angeles Rams acquired Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in a 2021 blockbuster trade, Goff was supposed to only be a “throw-in” to make the money work. Nobody really thought he’d be the Lions’ long-term QB.
Once viewed as a product of Sean McVay’s system, Goff showed he was anything but. In fact, the first-overall pick of 2016 has taken his game to an MVP-like level in Motor City — leading the Lions to their first NFC Championship Game appearance in 32 years in the 2023 campaign.
Stafford won his Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2021. The Lions got a younger and better fit in Goff as their NFL franchise QB. So much for being a throw-in, huh?
All told, this could go down as the biggest win-win trade in NFL history.
Destroyed: Derek Carr
Carr spent nine seasons as the quarterback of the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, spanning from 2014 to 2022. Despite lacking great coaching and a quality supporting cast, Carr put up stellar numbers and gave Vegas stability at QB, which they had lacked for more than a decade.
But after a frustrating 2022 season, Carr and the Raiders agreed to split up — and he was cut from his contract. Carr pondered signing with the Jets, but he wound up taking a four-year, $150 million offer from the Saints.
Carr had it all laid out for him in NOLA. A good offensive line. A top-10 defense. A nice set of weapons, and, of course, the luxury of playing in the weak NFC South. And yet, Carr somehow regressed mightily.
In an injury-riddled season, Carr averaged just 228.1 yards per game — the lowest average since his rookie year. Carr was even worse over his first five games of 2024 before suffering an oblique injury that sidelined him.
The Saints will have difficulty working their way out of Carr’s contract. Nobody is gonna wanna trade for him, so the Saints will have to release the four-time Pro Bowler and swallow up some dead money.
And no, Carr isn’t going to be a starter again after this. Hindsight is 20/20, but imagine if he chose the Jets before they landed Aaron Rodgers. Maybe he actually does something with Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and a top-five defense…just saying.
Ah well, there will always be the Raiders version of Derek Carr.
