With another 6 miserable football-less days to wait until the Eagles face the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, and Tom Brady’s retirement 2.0 announcement fresh in our minds, it seems like as good a time as any to evaluate each team’s need at quarterback heading into 2023.
Locked In, No Doubt Starters
Buffalo Bills
Allen might shade too far into gunslinger territory occasionally, but he’s what makes the Bills offense go. Whether it’s through the air or on the ground, Allen has proven that he’s worth the mega contract that ties him to the Bills until after the 2028 season.
Cincinnati Bengals
After dragging the Bengals to the Super Bowl last year despite a paper thin offensive line, Burrow was unable to repeat the feat this season after 3 out of his 5 offensive lineman went down with injuries. That does nothing to discredit what has become one of the league’s most accurate passers. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Bengals would be wise to open up the vault and make Burrow one of the top earners in the league.
Chicago Bears
While the Bears stumbled – hard – all the way to the 1st overall pick where there are some intriguing options at quarterback, I would be shocked if they gave up on Fields. Despite their dismal record, Fields has shown game changing talent as a runner while improving dramatically as a passer, despite a below average cast of talent in skill positions around him. The Bears would be wise to use their pick as a valuable trade chip to acquire more offensive assets and see how far Fields can take them.
Dallas Cowboys
Prescott is probably the most questionable member in this category. Despite showing flashes of elite level talent he also has a tendency to disappear in games, and has been on the injury report far too often for Cowboys fans to be comfortable. Despite that, Jerry Jones seems to love him, and there have even been rumblings about talks of a contract extension. It seems he is safe in Dallas.
Jacksonville Jaguars
After wasting a season under Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence showed massive improvements in his second year under Doug Pederson. With two more seasons, and then a team option, of Lawrence on his rookie scale deal, look for the Jags to go all in on skill positions to try and accelerate this rebuild. If Lawrence continues this type of growth he’ll be eating up a large portion of cap space as soon as the 2025 season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl MVP, 2018 MVP and offensive player of the year, 5 time pro bowler, 2 time first team all pro and likely to win another MVP trophy for his work this season. Mahomes is also locked in throughout his prime as his massive contract doesn’t expire until the 2031 season. Chiefs rest easy knowing the top quarterback in the league will be keeping them in contention for the foreseeable future.
Las Angeles Chargers
While the Chargers haven’t had the playoff success they so desperately desire, it’s of no fault of Herbert. He enters his 4th year on his rookie contract and the Chargers would be wise to work out a long term extension sooner rather than later.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts showed how valuable he is to this Philadelphia offense after missing 2 games late in the season. Detractors said he was a system quarterback but without him the offense was almost non-existent. He blends his elite running talent with an innate ability to know when to throw the ball deep and let one of his skilled playmakers go get it. It’s unlikely he’ll enter the 2023 season without a large contract extension after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Let’s See What We Have
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots’ Mac Jones seemed to regress (or at least not show progress) in his 2nd year under Bill Belichick. But after the hiring of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator he probably deserves a fair shot at redemption. New England will likely go into 2023 with Jones as their QB1 and re-evaluate next offseason.
New York Giants
The Giants are in a tricky situation because technically they don’t have anything. After declining Daniel Jones’ 5th year option, he’s entering the market as a UFA. With Tyrod Taylor the only quarterback currently on the roster, I’m going out on a limb and assuming that the Giants will retain Jones, either by a long term contract or franchise tag.
While flawed, he helped orchestrate a 5 win increase from 2021, as well as a playoff victory. With Brian Daboll in charge of the coaching staff, it would be worth franchising him and seeing if a long term deal is a possibility going forward.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett might not be the most accurate QB in the league, but he is fearless and has yet to approach his ceiling. The Steelers refuse to bottom out despite an aging roster so it’s unlikely they’ll find a better option with their mid round draft picks, and are cap strapped so they probably won’t go big name hunting in free agency. With Mitch Trubisky signed on for one more year as a break in case of emergency backup, the Steelers might as well let Pickett loose and see what they have in him.
Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill is under contract for 2023, and after showing signs of decline he likely won’t be back in Tennessee after this season. He isn’t the one the Titans should be focusing on. After falling in the 2022 draft, the Titans were lucky to scoop up the athletic Malik Willis in the third round. With an offense that’s already designed around the running abilities of Derrick Henry, why not give the young QB a chance to develop and reach the ceiling that once had him pegged as a 1st round pick.
Ok, For Now
Detroit Lions
Jared Goff quarterbacked one of the most surprisingly entertaining offenses in 2022, and is under contract for another 2 seasons. There are constant doubts raised about him after not being able to get a much more talented Rams team to the Super Bowl. He seems like a perfect stopgap for this developing Lions team, but it really feels like they will be looking for an upgrade when their young talent starts reaching their prime.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings can see some light at the end of the tunnel, as they enter the last year of Kirk Cousins guaranteed deal. While Cousins hasn’t been bad, it seems clear that no matter the talent around him, he just can’t get it done in big time situations. While he’ll probably lead them to the playoffs again, making drafting his replacement all the more difficult, the Vikings have an opportunity to open up plenty of cap space in the 2024 offseason and hopefully find an upgrade through free agency.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith is a free agent, but after his remarkable season with the Seahawks, it’s hard to imagine that both player and franchise wouldn’t come to an agreement for Smith to return in 2023. At 32 years old, Smith probably isn’t going to be a long term answer at the position.With the 20th and 5th overall pick in the draft, the Seahawks have the ammunition to move up and take a new franchise quarterback. But given Pete Carrol’s draft history it’s more likely he trades down, acquires more assets to fill other roster holes, and rides Smith until they are forced to find another long term option.
Tied To What You Got
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Brown gave the Houston Texans 3 first round, one 3rd round and one 4th round pick, then signed Watson to a mind blowing 5 year $230 million guaranteed contract despite knowing he would miss the majority of the 2022 season. They are fully committed to Watson, a QB who has played all of 6 games over the past 2 seasons. They won’t be able to get out of this deal anytime soon if things turn south.
Denver Broncos
Already being talked about as one of the biggest trade busts in NFL history, the Broncos sent the Seahawks a king’s ransom before signing Russel Wilson to a 5 year $242.5 million extension. After a disaster of a season, Nathaniel Hackett was fired and the Broncos gave up more assets to gain the rights to hire Sean Payton as their new head coach. They better hope he can reinvigorate the 34 year old quarterback as they don’t have a contractual out for another couple of seasons, and lack both the financial flexibility and draft resources to find a replacement.
Las Angeles Rams
The Rams have gone all in for a few seasons now, and it led them to a Super Bowl victory. They’ll be paying for it now, and they have the aging and oft injured Matthew Stafford under contract until 2026 with no viable means of replacing him. While I wouldn’t put it past Stafford to come out and impress in 2023, odds are that his best years are behind him and the Rams will be in a financial bind until he retires.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints could use an upgrade at quarterback but have (financially) committed to Jameis Winston, so they’ll be hard pressed to make a move this offseason. Andy Dalton, who started more games than Winston even when Winston was healthy, is a UFA. The Saints also gave up this year’s 1st round pick to the Eagles at last year’s draft, so the opportunity to draft a high level quarterback prospect is lessened.
New Orleans might be forced to stand pat, see what they can get out of Winston, and look towards 2024. The did acquire assets after letting Sean Payton sign with Denver Broncos, which makes a trade a possibility, however their tough cap situation would require the incoming quarterback to restructure their contract.
Questionable Situations
Arizona Cardinals
With Kyler Murray recovering from an ACL injury that might keep him out of the lineup until midseason, the Cardinals are at a crossroads. Rumors of Murray’s lack of commitment came to a head last season when it was leaked he had certain clauses written into his contract enforcing more off field study sessions.
Tensions between quarterback and coach led Cardinals management to let go of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. They’ve yet to fill that position, leading to more speculation that coaches just don’t want to deal with Murray’s immaturity. While Murray is under contract until 2028 without any reasonable outs until 2027, he should be firmly set as the QB1. Yet it doesn’t quite feel that way.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens must figure out what to do contractually with Lamar Jackson, after he proved time and time again he is the one who makes that offense tick. With Anthony Brown the only other Qb still on their roster, re-signing Jackson is a priority.
After not getting an extension done in the 2022 offseason, the Ravens might be forced to franchise tag Jackson, a move that he has made clear he would not appreciate. The Ravens have the cap space to make the deal, and despite being one of the most stubborn organizations around I can’t see them letting Jackson walk. But until there’s pen to paper, the question looms.
Green Bay Packers
After rumors ran rampant last offseason, Aaron Rodgers restructured his deal and opted to come back to Green Bay, despite them trading away his #1 target in Davante Adams. Fast forward and we seem to be right back where we started.
Apparently Rodgers is open to a trade, which at this point might be best for both organization and player. Jordan Love is also in his last year of his rookie deal and hasn’t shown much since being picked in the first round. Could this be the year that the Packers end decades of certainty at the quarterback position?
Davante Adams isn't hiding his recruitment of Aaron Rodgers pic.twitter.com/1Fw5HLIltl
— PFF (@PFF) February 6, 2023
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have lots to consider after Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion-filled season, but health issues aside, he did prove when healthy he’s capable of being a number 1 quarterback. The allure of Miami always seems to attract any and all available big names options, however, and speculation will always prevail with the Dolphins.
San Francisco 49ers
With Jimmy Garrapolo all but gone as a UFA this offseason, will the 49ers rely on the return of one of Trey Lance or Brock Purdy to lead this incredibly skilled roster back to the playoffs? Both young quarterbacks will spend their offseasons rehabbing from major injuries, so health will also be a factor. The window for the 9ers to win is wide open right now, so management might decide making a move for a veteran quarterback is the way to go. It won’t be a dull offseason in San Francisco.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have 3 quarterbacks under contract entering the 2023 offseason. The quarterback who started, and won, the most games for the team is not one of them, as Taylor Heinicke is a UFA. Carson Wentz is signed on for 2 more seasons, but there has been enough evidence shown that he is not a viable number one. After starting one game to close out the season, there’s slight buzz around 5th round pick Sam Howell, but he’s likely too raw to quarterback the team for a full season. Jake Fromm is the third quarterback, and will likely stay third on the depth chart despite what the Commanders decide to do at QB.
Give Me a Starter
Atlanta Falcons
While the Falcons still have Marcus Mariota on the books for the 2023 season, he’s yet to prove he’s capable of the #1 position. Desmond Ridder may have some untapped potential, but with high draft picks spent on weapons like Kyle Pitts and Drake London, as well as the dangerous backfield tandem of Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier, the Falcons might be in the market for someone to properly utilize these talents.
New York Jets
It appears that Zach Wilson’s time in New York is coming to an abrupt end. After being passed on the depth chart by 38 year old Joe Flacco and the exciting but flawed Mike White, it looks like Jets management are already planning to move on from their former 2nd overall pick.
The issue, however, is that neither Flacco or White are under contract for 2023. That’s fine, as neither would really be able to elevate this up and coming squad into the playoffs. The Jets have been tied to every big name QB free agent out there, and look for them to make a big move that will turn them from a playoff contender to playoff winner.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers started the season with Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback. As predicted, that was a disaster and they ended up trading him to the Rams at the trade deadline. A mix of injury and lack of trust in 2021 starter Sam Darnold led the Panthers to turn to PJ Walker for another handful of disappointing games before handing the keys back to Sam Darnold to finish out another underachieving season.
Those two are now free agents, leaving Matt Corral and Jacob Eason the only quarterbacks under contract for the 2023 season. Corral was a 3rd round 2022 pick, but is unlikely to make the move to full time starter. With pieces in place along the offensive line and skill positions, the Panthers could be one quarterback away from making a run at winning the weakest division in football. You can be sure with the recent hiring of former QB coach Frank Reich as head coach, he’ll be looking for his quarterback of the future. Perhaps just not in house.
Houston Texans
Davis Mills was a nice story, quarterbacking a depleted Texans team in 2021, but unfortunately he was unable to recreate that magic in 2022. While the Texans stole a win in the last game of the season costing them the 1st overall pick, they’re still in prime position to draft their next franchise quarterback at #2. They’ll head into the 2023 season with a rookie under center and hope that new head coach Demeco Ryans makes the right choice at offensive coordinator to develop the new young arm.
Indianapolis Colts
Matt Ryan, Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger are all under contract for the 2023 season. After the disastrous 2022 season, that desperately needs to change. With a solid offensive line, an elite running back and a productive defense, quarterback play cost the Colts any chance of playoffs in a division that was theirs for the taking.
With the Jaguars finally turning the corner, and the Texans likely to get their franchise QB, the Colts need to make a move to solidify their quarterback position. Possessing the 4th overall pick, the Colts are in prime position to jump up in the draft to get ahead of the Texans, or be patient and take whoever falls to them. After wasting the past couple years attempting to fill the void with veteran options, it’s time for new blood.
Las Vegas Raiders
After benching Derek Carr for the final two games of the season to ensure he wouldn’t get injured, which would result in the remaining years of Carr’s deal be fully guaranteed, it was clear that the Carr era in Las Vegas is at its end.
Vegas loves to make splashy moves, highlighted by their trade for Davante Adams last offseason, and with Chase Garbers the only quarterback signed after they move on from Carr, look for them to make another splashy signing by chasing a high value veteran quarterback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With 7 time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady’s latest retirement, the Buccaneers only have Kyle Trask on the roster for the 2023 campaign. After going all in and winning a Super Bowl in 2020, the Bucs are strapped for cap space and don’t possess the draft capital to select their next franchise quarterback. In the weak NFC south I’m certain the Bucs would love to bring in some high level talent at the position and make another run at the playoffs, but it will take some serious cap management to make that work.
This offseason is shaping up to have one of the most active quarterback markets in recent memory, and I for one can’t wait to see where all the pieces fall.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.