Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Looking At Who Has Quarterback Questions Heading Into the Offseason



So, let's get at it.

NO PROBLEM AT ALL

CHIEFS: Patrick Mahomes is likely the NFL MVP for 2022.

EAGLES: Jalen Hurts had an MVP-like season.

BILLS: Josh Allen.

BENGALS: Joe Burrow.

CHARGERS: Justin Herbert.

JAGUARS: Trevor Lawrence.

COWBOYS: Dak Prescott. Despite all of the noise surrounding him, Dak will be back. He's their guy. 

VIKINGS: Kirk Cousins isn't the most popular Viking right now, but he's their guy. 

SEAHAWKS: It would seem that Geno Smith is the guy for now in Seattle. 

BROWNS: Deshaun Watson. They spent a lot of money and draft picks on him and hope a full offseason can knock off the ton of rust he showed in 2022. 

STEELERS: Kenny Pickett was their first round pick last year and nearly led Pittsburgh to the playoffs. 

BRONCOS: Russell Wilson may have had a horrendous season, but he's got to be the guy with all the money and resources used to obtain him last offseason. 

BEARS: Chicago may be the worst team in the league and own the No. 1 overall pick, but they won't be using that pick to draft a quarterback. They are all in with Justin Fields. 



A LITTLE BIT OF A QUESTION

DOLPHINS: You would think that Tua Tagovailoa would be the starter, but his concussion issues bring some real world questions about his health going forward. And don't forget that the Dolphins are losing their first round pick in the upcoming draft because they were tampering with Tom Brady.

GIANTS: It seems as if Daniel Jones has proven himself to be the guy for New York, but it is far from a done deal, contract wise. I expect it to get done, but it isn't 100%.

PATRIOTS: Mac Jones regressed last year, but that could be due to New England's messy offensive coaching and play-calling setup. It's doubtful New England looks to make a move right now. 

LIONS: If I wrote this over a month ago, the Lions certainly wouldn't be in this slot. But Jared Goff had a fantastic second half to the season and darn near put Detroit in the playoffs after a 1-6 start. Goff was once the top overall pick and started a Super Bowl so it isn't like he is a bum. 

FALCONS: I'm guessing Desmond Ridder will be given the opportunity to blossom next season. I doubt they draft anyone early in the upcoming draft, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't consider a later round pick. They also could look to bring in a veteran to mentor Ridder. It should be Ridder's job no matter what they do. 

RAMS: This is Matt Stafford's team, but is he in the phase of his career where he'll be missing more time during the season? Baker Mayfield looked pretty good in Stafford's absence, but who could parlay that into a starting opportunity elsewhere. 

CARDINALS: With Kyler Murray down with a knee injury, he could miss a sizeable chunk of the 2023 season. So Arizona will need to figure out who their guy will be in Murray's absence. A Jacoby Brissett type job. 

DECISIONS TO MAKE

RAVENS: The Lamar Jackson saga has reached an ugly turn due to Jackson missing the end of the season and unavailable for Baltimore's playoff game against Cincinnati. With his contract status up in the air and the possibility of the franchise tag being used, this will be one of the main storylines of the offseason. 

BUCCANEERS: Is the Tom Brady era over in Tampa? That will be the question for the second straight season. Will he retire? Will he look to go somewhere else (Miami? Tennessee? Las Vegas?) for a better shot at a championship? Is there any possibility he returns? After that absolute dud of a playoff performance against Dallas, that doesn't seem to be the case. 

PACKERS: Does Aaron Rodgers retire? He sure looked like he was retiring the way he left Green Bay's final game of the season. Of course, he could decide to come back for another season with the Packers ... or he wants to play but the Packers may decide that it is time to go with Jordan Love and move on from A-Rodg. Another major offseason storyline.

49ERS: This is one of the weirdest situations in the league. Trey Lance was the No. 3 overall pick that the Niners traded up for, but who missed most of 2022 with an injury and was already a bit of a project. Jimmy Garopollo was the starter most of the year before he became injured. And, well, everyone just loves what Brock Purdy is doing right now in San Francisco. Jimmy G likely moves on and then a decision will need to be made about Purdy and Lance. I mean, it has to be Purdy, right?

TITANS: Look, Ryan Tannehill is expensive and the Titans can get out from under that this offseason. But Tennessee could stick with Tannehill, especially with Malik Willis clearly not ready. 

COMMANDERS: Word is that the Commanders' brass is telling potential candidates for offensive coordinator that Sam Howell is the plan for next season. Howell showed a lot in college and came off well in his lone playing time (Week 18) during the 2022 season. Expect them to lock in an experienced backup or retain Taylor Heinecke. 

SAINTS: The salary cap limits what New Orleans could do in free agency. Right now, Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill don't seem to be long term solutions but they may have to run it back with one or more of those guys. If not, they may be on the market to look at a Baker Mayfield or Carson Wentz to be a stop gap. Yeah. So maybe running it back is not a horrible option. 

LOOKING FOR A BRAND NEW GUY

JETS: Sure, there may be an attempt to save Zach Wilson's career, but he's shine is all but gone from the fans and his teammates. With some bigger names out on the market and the Jets with a roster that can contend for a deep playoff run, New York will likely look for a better option. 

RAIDERS: All we do know is that Vegas is done with Derek Carr. Carr will be one of the top free agent quarterbacks for several of the teams in this category, but Las Vegas doesn't want him back. Is his replacement Jarret Stidham the answer? Eh. Rumors of everyone from Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers will stick in Sin City until we get that answer. 

TEXANS: Houston is at rock bottom right now. They need a new coach, new quarterback and lots of talent. They also have the No. 2 pick in the draft and look to draft their next franchise quarterback. 

COLTS: Well, the Matt Ryan experiment ... among other experiments that went on in Naptown ... didn't work and now they need a new plan. And a new coach. With the fourth pick in the draft, expect the Colts to look for their future QB there. 

PANTHERS: Carolina has one of the most interesting quarterback cases in the NFL. Who will be their guy? Sam Darnold looked okay towards the end of the season as Carolina had a real shot at reaching the playoffs. PJ Walker likely isn't the guy. Could Matt Corrall, the rookie who missed all of 2022 with an injury, be looked at as the future hope for the Panthers? There is also the possibility that Carolina could be willing to trade up to draft someone. 

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