Franchise QB Tracker

Which teams have their star man and which teams need to think about changes?

by Brendan Smith, Sports O'Clock Writing Team Member

Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. Entire game-plans revolve around a quarterback’s ability to make big plays and accurate throws when needed. Without a good quarterback, it is incredibly tough to win games in the NFL. So, which teams can rest easy knowing that they have the quarterback they need, and which teams need to make appropriate plans to bring in someone new? I will assess the starting quarterback situation for all 32 NFL teams and will rank each one in these categories: very stable, stable but questions about the future, uncertain, needs to be addressed soon, and needs to be addressed now.

Very Stable

- Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes

- Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson

- Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray

- Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert

- Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow

- Houston Texans: DeShaun Watson

- Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen

- Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill

(photo credits: David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Each of these teams have their quarterback for the foreseeable future. I do not think anyone can argue that these quarterbacks are the cream of the crop and have many more years of high-level NFL play. Even though Burrow and Herbert are rookies, they have shown enough through the first half of the season to give their teams the confidence that they found the right guy to lead them forward.

Stable, but questions about the future

- Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers

- Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson

- Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott

- Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford

- Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff

- Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr

- Carolina Panthers: Teddy Bridgewater

(photo credits: Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press)

These quarterbacks are in stable situations for now, but things could chance very quickly. There is major uncertainty surrounding Prescott in Dallas considering there are questions about how long it will take him to fully recover from his season-ending ankle injury. Jackson’s passing struggles raises some questions in Baltimore, while Stafford, Goff, Carr, and Bridgewater could eventually be replaced in a few years. Now, about Aaron Rodgers: he would have been in the “very stable” category if the Packers did not draft quarterback Jordan Love. The presence of Love raises questions about just how long the Packers front office wants to keep Rodgers in town.

Uncertain

- Denver Broncos: Drew Lock

- Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa

- New York Giants: Daniel Jones

(photo credits: Troy Taormina - USA Today Sports)

I cannot make an accurate prediction about Lock and Jones. They play extremely well some weeks, and then they look below average during other weeks. I really have no idea what the Broncos and Giants should do to address that. Tua has only started two games, so the Dolphins will need more time to see if they are set at the quarterback position or not.

Needs to be addressed soon

- New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady

- Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger

- Indianapolis Colts: Philip Rivers

- Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan

- Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins

- Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz

- Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield

(photo credits: CBS Sports)

I put the five aging quarterbacks in this category. Brees, Brady, Roethlisberger, Rivers, and Ryan are all playing well this season, but they will not be able to play forever. The Saints, Buccaneers, Steelers, Colts, and Falcons all need to start looking towards the future and begin to plot who will replace their current starting quarterback. Cousins, Wentz, and Mayfield are in this category because they are incredibly inconsistent and may force their organizations to address the quarterback position sooner rather than later.

Needs to be addressed now

- New England Patriots: Cam Newton

- New York Jets: Sam Darnold

- Jacksonville Jaguars: Gardner Minshew II

- San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo

- Washington Football Team: Alex Smith/Kyle Allen/Dwayne Haskins

- Chicago Bears: Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky

(photo credits: CBS Sports)

All of these teams need new quarterbacks next season. The Cam Newton experiment is not working in New England, while the Bears need to move on from both Foles and Trubisky in order to upgrade the quarterback position. Alex Smith’s return has been a triumphant story, but he is not a realistic long-term solution in Washington; neither are Allen or Haskins. Minshew and Garoppolo have had their moments, but it would be best for the Jaguars and 49ers to move on. That leaves Darnold and the Jets. Darnold has shown he is filled with potential, but the Jets need to decide whether to stick with him or select Trevor Lawrence if they secure the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

(All photos are cited properly. No copyright infringement intended.)