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Other than Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and a few other top tier NFL quarterbacks, several others should keep their bags packed with their favorite realtor on speed dial.
After the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks surprised the sports world by sending star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, top stars in other sports may start getting nervous, too.
Looking backwards at the NFL’s past season, teams with the best quarterbacks in 2024 were (generally) the ones which went deep into the playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes (KC), Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia), Josh Allen (Buffalo), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore), and Jayden Daniels (Washington) had outstanding seasons and led their teams into NFL playoffs.
On the other end of the spectrum, check out the starting QB’s for losing teams
Can you name the starting quarterback for the NFL teams with the worst records last season?
Tennessee Titans – 3-14 (Will Levis)
Cleveland Browns – 3-14 (Deshaun Watson)
New York Giants – 3-14 (Tommy Devito or Drew Lock)
New England Patriots – 4-13 (Drake Maye – rookie)
Jacksonville Jaguars – 4-13 (Trevor Lawrence)
Las Vegas Raiders – 4-13 (Gardner Minshew)
New York Jets – 5-12 (Aaron Rodgers – for now)
Carolina Panthers – 5-12 (Bryce Young)
New Orleans Saints – 5-12 (Derek Carr)
It’s too early in the career of rookie Drake Maye (Patriots) and second-year QB’s Bryce Young (Panthers) and Will Levis (Titans) to give up on them – yet.
Likewise, 42-year old Aaron Rodgers (Jets) is likely to be a free agent soon. Rodgers has a Super Bowl ring with Green Bay, but his future options are thin.
The other quarterbacks on my list have not shown much consistency as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The most reasonable result for fans of those teams is to hope that their team will finally post a winning record.
Can you build a championship level team around a mediocre quarterback?
It doesn’t happen very often.
In the past 24 years, the list of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks is (generally) a rather stellar group:
Jalen Hurts – Eagles (2024 NFL season)
Patrick Mahomes – Chiefs (2023, 2022, and 2019)
Matthew Stafford – Rams (2021)
Tom Brady – Bucs (2020) and Patriots (2016, 2014, 2004, 2003, 2001)
Nick Foles – Eagles (2018)
Payton Manning – Broncos (2015) and Colts (2007)
Russell Wilson – Seahawks (2013)
Joe Flacco – Ravens (2012)
Eli Manning – Giants (2011 and 2007)
Aaron Rodgers – Packers (2010)
Drew Brees – Saints (2009)
Ben Roethlisberger – Steelers (2008 and 2005)
Brad Johnson – Bucs (2002)
Trent Dilfer – Ravens (2000)
Of those 24 championship squads, only four quarterbacks (highlighted above) should not expect to hear their names mentioned for future Hall-of-Fame consideration.
The NFL draft quarterback cupboard looks relatively thin this spring
After a few years with several first round selections at quarterback, the upcoming April NFL draft in Green Bay is considered relatively weak by recent standards.
One source indicates University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) will be selected within the first three picks of the NFL draft’s first round. Ole Miss signal caller Jaxon Dart might become a possible third quarterback selected but later in the opening round.
Likely second or third round projections include Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Kyle McCord of Syracuse.
Compare that to last season when six of the first 12 selections in the first round were all quarterbacks.
Which NFL teams could use an upgrade at quarterback to elevate them into the Super Bowl this year?
First, let’s identify a few top teams which could use need a better starting quarterback in order to make a Super Bowl run this fall.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7 and eliminated in first round of playoffs)
Ever since 18-year veteran Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 NFL season, the Steelers have floundered at the quarterback position.
Former first round selection Kenny Pickett lasted just two years in Steel City before being picked-up by Philadelphia last season. Ironically, Pickett, who served as the back-up to Jalen Hurts, now has a Super Bowl ring for being on last year’s Eagles championship team.
Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers rolled the dice on a duo of veteran NFL rejects. Former Chicago Bears first round pick Justin Fields and aging ex-Denver and Seattle QB Russell Wilson did not significantly improve the Pittsburgh offense last season.
The Steelers passing game was woeful. The duo of Fields and Wilson passed for 3,200 yards but generated only 21 touchdown passes in 18 games (including a playoff loss at Baltimore).
One or both quarterbacks may become “one and done” Steelers as they become free agents this spring.
Many football fans in Pittsburgh may wish to help them pack.
Pittsburgh does have the #21 selection in the NFL’s first round. The top two QB prospects (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders) will be long gone by then.
Minnesota Vikings (14-3 and eliminated in first round of playoffs)
Unlike Pittsburgh, the Minnesota Vikings struck gold last season by signing journeyman Sam Darnold.
A former first round pick in 2018 by the New York Jets, Darnold lasted just three seasons in the Big Apple.
He bounced around to Carolina and San Francisco prior to being signed as an “insurance” policy last year by Minnesota.
That’s because the Vikings utilized their 2024 first round draft choice to select former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. After McCarthy went down with a season-ending right knee injury during a preseason game, Sam Darnold had a career year (35 touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions) and led Minnesota to a sterling 14-3 regular season record.
In last year’s NFL playoffs, the favored Vikings lost 27-9 to the Los Angeles Rams.
This year, Minnesota has the #30 selection in the NFL’s first round. After taking JJ McCarthy last year, the Vikings are unlikely to use that selection for another quarterback in a very thin draft.
Sam Darnold is now an unrestricted free agent. Is he worth paying about $50 million per year by the Vikings or another NFL contender?
I expect Darnold to re-sign in Minnesota. We’ll see.
Detroit Lions (14-3 and eliminated in first round of playoffs)
The Lions are still seeking their first Super Bowl appearance in team history. After a collecting home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, Detroit lost their opening round playoff game – at home – to Washington 45-31.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had a terrible game in that playoff loss.
His three interceptions (against just one touchdown pass) dropped him to 4-5 as a starting quarterback during his nine year NFL postseason career.
If Lions fans were dismayed by Jared Goff’s playoff performance last season, you can forget the team about any changes soon.
That’s because Jared Goff signed a four-year extension during last season (November, 2024).
He will make $53 million per year for the next three seasons. That makes Jared Goff the sixth highest paid player in the league (at least for this week).
In the upcoming April NFL draft, the Detroit Lions will have the 28th selection in the first round. Given the money being paid to Jared Goff, the Lions are effectively out of the quarterback market for this season.
Let’s Make A Deal – NFL Quarterback version
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem like the one NFL team whose playoff possibilities would zoom with an improved performance at the quarterback position this fall.
The Steelers defense was #8 in points allowed (just 20 ppg). The team’s running game is also solid (#11 out of 32 teams in rushing yardage per game last season).
Passing, though, has been another matter.
Ranked #26 out of 32 teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers woeful passing game netted just 191 yards per game. That’s 30% less than the top tier of NFL offensive units.
Pittsburgh rarely dabbles in the expensive free agent market. That likely eliminates Minnesota Vikings free agent Sam Darnold (who would be quite risky at his $50 million estimated price tag).
If Pittsburgh were to draft a young quarterback and add a possession type of wide receiver during the early rounds of April’s NFL draft, they might want to take a chance on 42-year old quarterback Aaron Rodgers for next season.
Don’t laugh.
The four-time NFL MVP had a productive season with the Jets last year.
Aaron Rodgers started all 17 games, passed for nearly 3,900 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Rodgers’ 2024 stats with the woeful 5-12 New York Jets were still 20% higher than Pittsburgh’s quarterback tandem of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Aaron Rodgers pocketed about $38 million last year with the Jets. He should be available at a sizable discount this year given his age and previous injury history.
The Steelers need a “very good” quarterback plus another wide receiver (via the draft or free agency) become a legitimate Super Bowl challenger this year.
Adding a rookie quarterback like Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the second or third round of the 2025 NFL draft to pair-up with a mentor like Aaron Rodgers might make for a terrific one-two tandem in Steel City next fall.
Will those Terrible Towels still be waving come the February, 2026 Super Bowl or will they remain gold colored crying towels again?