Playing quarterback in the NFL is hard no matter how talented you are coming out of college. It can be a big adjustment going from college to the pros, and some QBs never adjust to the sped-up game that is the NFL.
Teams have issues deciding on whether to stay with the QB they drafted sometimes when they may have shown flashes of excellence but haven’t been able to be excellent consistently. It can be better to cut ties if you feel the QB is good, but not good enough to lead their team to a championship.
Here’s 5 teams that should stick with their current QB, and 5 teams that should move on:
KEEP – Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
The 5th Round Sophomore from UNC has impressed in his first full season as the starting QB in Washington.
His basic stats won’t pop on paper, But if you look a bit further, he has almost a 65% completion percentage and a QBR of just under 80.
It is especially impressive considering he has been sacked over 40 (!!!) times. He has some good weapons to throw such as Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but his offensive line has been horrid.
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Howell may have finally given the Commanders some stability at the QB position.
MOVE ON – Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Jones got a bag this offseason, inking a deal with the New York Football Giants worth 160$ Million over 4 years.
The deal was questionable at best at the time, and now it looks downright bad.
Jones has had injury issues throughout his career, which is concerning in and of itself. But combine that with his lackluster performance and it makes it bad. Jones has had chance after chance to prove he’s the guy and hasn’t been able to. It’s time to move on.
KEEP – Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield has been a refreshing sight so far.
He protects the football while also getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers. Unfortunately, I think the Bucs may try and go the younger route at QB and try to re-tool for life after Tom Brady. But if I was Tampa, I would stick with Baker
MOVE ON – Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Disappointing would be an understatement for Fields and the Bears.
They were projected by many analysts in the offseason as the team that could turn the corner, and Fields as the QB that could lead them there.
I think he deserves a chance somewhere else where he could be coached a little bit better than he is in Chicago, a team that Immediately comes to mind is the Atlanta Falcons. He has undeniable talent, but someone must get the talent out of him. It’s time for a change of scenery.
KEEP – Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Even though, Russ is most likely done in Denver we still stink they should keep him.
Russ needed a bounce back season like this after the terrible experience he had last year under former HC Nathaniel Hackett.
The Broncos aren’t winning, so Russ still gets a lot of the blame for the teams struggles but that take is entirely unfair.
If Denver had any sort of defense, the narrative would be much different than it is now.
MOVE ON – Zach Wilson, New York Jets
The Jets basically already moved on when they traded for Aaron Rodgers this offseason, but Wilson was thrust back into the starting role after Rodgers went down with his injury.
His confidence looks completely gone, and the Jets have been ravaged with injuries on an already questionable offensive line. Wilson has also received a ton of the blame for the Jets offensive woes this season, some deserved and some not so much.
His coaching staff doesn’t trust him, and he doesn’t trust the coaching staff. Lose-Lose.
KEEP – Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
This one may sound obvious now, but a couple years ago this would’ve been a hot take.
Goff was essentially a throw in piece when the Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams, but Goff has transformed his career into something special. He has led the Lions to one of the best records in the NFC this season and has the fans buying into the team for the first time in a long time.
It’s one of the best stories in recent memory, and the best part is that there’s a real chance it could end in a championship run. Another positive for Goff? The Lions are probably going to give him a big-time payday here soon. Not too bad for an “overrated” QB…
MOVE ON – Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
This one is a bit like the Zach Wilson situation, and it has played out the same way.
Atlanta wanted to see what they had in Ridder, a 3rd round pick from Cincinatti in 2022, and they found out.
Do I think the offensive play calling is where it should be? Probably not. But Ridder made life harder than it already was, he kept turning it over while also not getting the ball to the playmakers the Falcons have on offense.
The Falcons turned to backup QB Taylor Heinicke and had an instant offensive boost when he entered the lineup. Here is your “trade up for a QB” team when the offseason rolls around.
KEEP – Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy has faced some tough times this season occasionally, which has had fans in the NFL chattering on if Purdy could be replaced by backup QB Sam Darnold.
My answer? Hard no.
Those stats could be more indictive of the weapons Purdy has around him and Kyle Shanahan’s system more than Purdys play itself, but it is extremely hard to bench those numbers despite his play being a little bit up and down.
The Niners are super bowl contenders, so why change anything if what you are doing currently is working? I rest my case.
MOVE ON – Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford is a 35-year-old QB that is in the middle of his 15th NFL season, and father time may be catching up to all of the hits he has taken over his career.
He has battled injuries the last couple seasons ever since he won a Super Bowl with the Rams. On top of that, his play this season just hasn’t been very good.
The injuries could be playing into the numbers, but that’s exactly my issue. Does Stafford still have enough in the tank for one last championship run?
I’m not quite sure of that.
All I’ll say is if a top QB is available to them in Aprils NFL draft, I believe the Rams would strongly consider pulling the trigger.
