New Quarterback Landscape in the NFL

The landscape of quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL) is undergoing a seismic transformation. Let's take a closer look how each team's quarterback situation reflects broader trends in the league, impacts on-field performance, and ultimately, shapes the future trajectory of your favorite teams.

Arizona

Starter Kyler Murray is back for his 6th season. The Cardinals traded wide receiver Rondale Moore for quarterback Desmond Ridder in the hopes of becoming Murray's backup. Murray has only played a total of 19 games in the past 2 seasons.

Atlanta

The Falcons signed veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins to a 4-year-contract worth $180MM, with $100MM fully guaranteed. They also signed journeyman quarterback Taylor Heinicke to serve as the backup in 2024. 

Baltimore

2023 MVP Lamar Jackson is back with Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham set to be backups. Look for Baltimore to bring in a more seasoned alternative as an insurance policy in the event of a Jackson injury.

Buffalo

The Bills get superstar Josh Allen back under center and have added former first round pick Mitch Trubisky for his second tour of duty in Buffalo. Shane Buechele is listed as the 3rd string on the depth chart.

Carolina

The Panthers are hoping to see improvement from their 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young. Andy Dalton offers ample veteran experience in case of a Young injury. 

Chicago

The Bears traded their starting quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 conditional draft pick. This move all but guarantees that Chicago will be drafting Caleb Williams out of USC with their first overall pick. Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien are the only quarterbacks on the roster after the Fields trade.

Cincinnati

The Bengals made no changes to their quarterback room. Hoping for a return to health for superstar Joe Burrow is the biggest wish for the Bengals' organization. Jake Browning did a commendable job as backup in 2023 and should be back in 2024. Look for the Bengals to add another arm to their quarterback room for depth purposes.

Cleveland

Last year's second half hero Joe Flacco signed a deal with the Indianapolis Colts. The Browns opted to sign both Jameis Winston from New Orleans and Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens to fill their quarterback room. Is this a signal of the administration in Cleveland losing faith in starter Deshaun Watson, who may be already wearing out his welcome? The Browns also have Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the roster, adding to a crowded quarterback room.

Dallas

The Cowboys have restructured Dak Prescott’s contract to free up money in 2024. However, they still have not come to an agreement on an extension yet. Prescott will be under center for the 9th consecutive season for the Cowboys. The quarterback room also consists of Cooper Rush and former first round pick Trey Lance.

Denver

The Broncos released Russell Wilson, allowing him to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while they are still on the hook for around $38MM dollars of Wilson's salary this year and next. Jarrett Stidham is listed as the starter for the moment but look for Denver to draft a quarterback in round one to compete for the starting job. Besides Stidham, Ben DiNucci is the only other quarterback on the roster.

Detroit

Starting quarterback Jared Goff is back for his 4th season in Detroit. The Lions were one step away from the big game last season and with the steady hand of Goff, they appear to be well on their way in 2024. Last year’s 3rd round draft pick Hendon Hooker is the only other quarterback on the roster. Look for Detroit to add another arm by the beginning of the season.

Green Bay

Jordan Love had a coming out party in 2023 and established himself as a solid NFL starting quarterback, throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns. Sean Clifford and Alex McGough are listed as backups and Draft Nation thinks Green Bay could always bring in a veteran to help out the room.

Houston

The Houston Texans found their future signal caller in last season’s draft. Once Bryce Young went to Carolina first overall in 2023, the Texans wasted no time making Stroud their future quarterback. Stroud was the offensive rookie of the year after throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, while only throwing 5 interceptions. The Texans have Davis Mills, Case Keenum, and Tim Boyle on the roster as potential backups to Stroud.

Indianapolis

Anthony Richardson is back for his 2nd season as the Colts signal caller. Richardson showed glimpses of his talent in 2023 but his season ended after 4 games. Gardner Minshew took over and performed admirably but has since left as a free agent, signing with Las Vegas. Indianapolis brought in veteran Joe Flacco to be the backup in case of injury to Richardson. Sam Ehlinger is listed as the 3rd string quarterback heading into the 2024 season.

Jacksonville

Trevor Lawrence is entering his 4th season as the Jaguars starting quarterback and is still looking for consistency throughout a whole season. The Jaguars made headlines by trading a draft pick to New England for former first round pick Mac Jones. Jones gives the Jaguars an experienced backup and drops C.J. Beathard to #3 on the depth chart. 

Kansas City

What more can you say about Pat Mahomes? 6 consecutive AFC Championship Games, 4 Super Bowl Appearances, and 3 Super Bowl titles. Oh, by the way, he very rarely misses games and is not slowing down anytime soon. The backups for the Chiefs are Chris Oladokun and Ian Book.

Las Vegas

The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment came to an end after one season as the Raiders' quarterback. Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew who has proven to be able to lead a team for large swaths of time. Aidan O’Connell is listed as the starter and showed some leadership skills in 2023, after taking over for Jimmy G. Anthony Brown is listed as the 3rd string. Look for the Raiders to select a quarterback somewhere in the first 3 rounds. 

Los Angeles Chargers

New head coach Jim Harbaugh inherits Justin Herbert as his starting quarterback. Herbert, now entering his 5th season, has put up nice numbers in his career, but the wins seem hard to come by at times. Easton Stick and Max Duggan are listed as backups, but don’t be surprised to see Harbaugh bring in a more veteran presence. 

Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford will be back as the Rams signal caller in 2024. The Rams have signed Jimmy Garoppolo who will miss the first 2 games due to league suspension for using a prescribed medication without league approval. Last year's 4th round pick Stetson Bennett is also on the roster adding some depth at quarterback. 

Miami

Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finally made it through a whole season without suffering any injuries and set career highs in every category. He threw for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns leading the Dolphins to an 11-6 record. Mike White and Skylar Thompson are listed as the backups to Tagovailoa.

Minnesota

The Vikings lost their leader Kirk Cousins to free agency when he signed with Atlanta. Minnesota brought in Sam Darnold, who is listed as the starting quarterback. Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall are the backups and Draft Nation thinks that the Vikings will look to the draft to bring in another arm to compete for the starting position. 

New England

New England traded former starting quarterback Mac Jones to Jacksonville for a 2024 6th round pick. They then brought in Jacoby Brissett for his 2nd tour of duty with the team. Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke are also on the roster for the Patriots. With the 3rd overall pick in the draft it appears that New England will secure their future starting quarterback in either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. Brissett could start the season as the starter until the rookie is ready to go.

New Orleans

Derek Carr is back for his 2nd season as the Saints' signal caller. He led them to a 9-8 record but just missed out on the playoffs. Jake Haener and Nathan Peterman are the backups coming into the 2024 season.

New York Giants

Daniel Jones is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he only played 6 games. Jones has been a bit of a disappointment since signing his huge extension. With only Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito on the roster, the Giants lack a lot of options at the position.

New York Jets

The Jets lost Aaron Rodgers to injury on their first offensive possession in 2023. Former first round pick Zach Wilson was once again inconsistent and the Jets have given him permission to search for a trade partner. With Rodgers expected back and healthy the team signed Tyrod Taylor in free agency to serve as the backup.

Philadelphia

The Eagles once again have Jalen Hurts back under center but have restructured the rest of their quarterback room. Marcus Mariota left as a free agent and signed with Washington. The Eagles made a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, obtaining former first round pick Kenny Pickett for a draft pick swap. Tanner McKee is also a part of the quarterback room, listed as the 3rd string.

Pittsburgh

The Steelers in one year went from Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph to signing veteran Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields. Russell Wilson is in the pole position to be the starter, but look for Fields to press him for playing time. Pittsburgh will still need to add another arm to the room via free agency or the draft. 

San Francisco

Brock Purdy once again proved that he is more than just a Mr. Irrelevant from the 2022 NFL Draft. He led the 49ers to the Super Bowl while throwing for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns. Sam Darnold left via free agency and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. That only leaves Brandon Allen as the only other quarterback on the roster.

Seattle

Geno Smith is back after throwing for 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns. Drew Lock left via free agency and then the team obtained Sam Howell from the Washington Commanders for a draft pick swap. The Seahawks traded a 3rd and 5th to Washington for a 4th and a 6th round pick.

Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers re-signed Baker Mayfield after his career rejuvenating season of 2023. Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns last season in leading the Buccaneers into the second round of the playoffs. Kyle Trask and John Wolford are the other 2 quarterbacks on their roster. 

Tennessee

The Titans welcome back last year’s 2nd round pick Will Levis as the starting quarterback. Levis showed some glimpses of what he can do with his strong arm in leading Tennessee. They brought in ex-Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph as the backup and former draft pick Malik Willis is set to be the 3rd string.

Washington

The Commanders traded last year’s starting quarterback Sam Howell to Seattle and lost Jacoby Brissett to the Patriots in free agency. Washington has brought in Marcus Mariota to more than likely serve as the backup to Jayden Daniels or whoever else Washington selects with the #2 overall pick.