Teams with Established Starters
Arizona Cardinals- Kyler Murray
Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan
Baltimore Ravens- Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills- Josh Allen
Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow
Cleveland Browns- Baker Mayfield
Green Bay Packers- Aaron Rodgers
Kansas City Chiefs- Patrick Mahomes
Los Angeles Chargers- Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Rams- Matthew Stafford
Minnesota Vikings- Kirk Cousins
Pittsburgh Steelers- Ben Roethlisberger
Seattle Seahawks- Russell Wilson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Tom Brady
Tennessee Titans- Ryan Tannehill
All of the team listed above have either elite QB talent or young exciting QBs recently drafted and are no-brainers to be the starter for their team in the 2021-2022 season. Even those who have been surrounded by controversy as to whether or not they should be starting or be replaced (e.g., Mayfield, Cousins, Ryan). I believe that this is reckless speculation or pipe dreams of other teams calling with trade offers.
Detroit Lions- Jared Goff
By taking the Rams trade offer over the Panthers' 8th overall pick shows that the Lions are at least committed to Goff in the short term. By drafting a QB this year they would waste the asset they have in the cast-off QB. The main reason the Rams could not offload their former number one overall pick is simply that NO ONE wanted him. Why trade for Goff if he is not your starter for at least the next season. The aggressive run game the Lions are presumed to have in the next season will take a load off of their QB and hopefully have him regain some confidence and allow him to grow as a passer.
Las Vegas Raiders- Derek Carr
Rumors of trading Derek Carr have been circling around for basically every year since his MVP-caliber season in 2016. Whether or not it's the fans or coaches that have been frustrated with this slightly used Carr he has always seemed to stick around. After a great season stat-wise finishing top 10 or just outside in Passing Yards, Completion %, QBR, Passer Rating, and Touchdowns it is hard to see him moving this offseason.
New York Giants- Daniel Jones
This is perhaps the biggest wildcard on my "Established Starter" list. Jones was flat out terrible this year. Personally, I would rank him somewhere in the bottom quarter of first-string quarterbacks in the league. He has sparks of being a good passer but has oftentimes found himself losing games for his team. Based on reports around the league it seems that the Giants are strangely committed to the Jones project and will probably keep him around to finish out his rookie contract.
Trade Bait / Free Agency
Chicago Bears- Nick Foles, Mitch Trubisky, Carson Wentz
The Chicago Bears have been looking for a quarterback ever since Jay Cutler left. The genius-ness of Ryan Pace to choose the great Mitchell Trubisky over the likes of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes have only dug their hole deeper. Trading for Nick Foles after his failed career in Jacksonville to replace their first-round bust seemed like a great idea when he outplayed Trubisky in the first few weeks of the season, but it wasn't long until Mitch was thrown back into the lineup and played lights out to help them to a playoff berth. What to do now? Keep Trubisky and if he fails, clean house and fire everyone? Admit your mistake, keep Foles, and draft I don't know the 4th best QB in the draft? Or trade for a washed-up version of Carson Wentz and everyone still loses their job? Lose-lose-lose situation for the Bears. Get those firing helmets ready, it's tank season Chicago.
Dallas Cowboys- Dak Prescott, Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick
We all know that the Cowboys will franchise tag soon-to-be free agent Dak Prescott, but what if in some world he decides to sit out? Well with Dalton also hitting free agency they need to find a solid backup for emergency purposes. Do they go with Dalton who already knows the system or should they try to find a gunslinger to utilize their offensive weapons like a Winston or Fitzpatrick?
Denver Broncos- Drew Lock, Deshaun Watson, Andy Dalton
John Elway cannot draft a quarterback. Luckily this offseason he realized that and fired himself and hired a real GM. However, this does not mean he won't have a say in his quarterback in 2021. There's is nothing the Broncos love more than a star quarterback looking for a new home. After hearing conflicting reports of whether or not Watson sees Denver as an ideal location it would be an all-out gunfight in the AFC West with Mahomes, Herbert, Watson, and...uh... Derek Carr. Watson would make any team a sure contender (minus the Jets) and the Broncos are for sure all in on Watson. Another QB I have seen tied to Denver is Andy Dalton, at this stage in his career he is one hundred percent a bridge QB and this would lead me to believe that the Broncos would look to the draft for their next passer. After having seen Denver fail to try to trade for Stafford it is clear that Lock is on his way out as a Bronco, if he starts next year best believe he was their last option.
Houston Texans- Deshaun Watson, Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tua Tagovailoa, Drew Lock
The belle of the ball Deshaun Watson is the talk of the NFL these days. After the team traded away everything they had, the star QB requested a trade early in the offseason, and with the recent release of J.J. Watt, his frustration could only have grown. The team has been reluctant to say they will move him, but odds are that they will be gifted a bounty of picks and players for him. NYJ, MIA, SF, and DEN have all been announced to be in the bidding for this elite QB all potentially moving their starting QB along with multiple firsts to acquire Watson. We will see in upcoming weeks which team comes out on top.
Indianapolis Colts- Jacob Eason, Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz
With the Colts on their fourth quarterback is as many years they are running out of options after missing out on Matthew Stafford. Jacob Eason is the one QB left on the roster after the retirement of Philip Rivers and with Brissett heading to free agency, seen as a project I would not expect Eason to be the answer to this win-now team, but he is worth mentioning as an in-house solution. Jacoby Brissett is also not necessarily an answer to taking the Colts to the next level as we've seen him take great Andrew Luck teams to lackluster in a matter of snaps, but as an elite backup, he could win a few games if an oft-injured QB comes to town. Along with the Bears, Indy is the other team in the Wentz sweepstakes(?) with former Philadelphia OC Frank Reich at the helm of the ship. If Reich can salvage Wentz behind an elite offensive line, great defense, and suitable weapons you could see this Colts team in Los Angeles next year.
Miami Dolphins- Tua Tagovailoa, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Deshaun Watson
Similarly to Dallas, Tua will be the presumed starter unless the Dolphins offer a king's ransom to Houston for Watson. Resigning Fitzpatrick would be ideal for Miami as he has seen success in replacing Tua multiple times during the season.
New England Patriots- Cam Newton, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Patriots are an interesting case because I have no idea what they will do this offseason. I do not believe they will resign Newton after his TERRIBLE play this season despite the support from his teammates. I am also not sure which bridge free-agent quarterback they would target to figure things out, Dalton, Flacco, Trubisky? None of those players really fit for me so I figured why not finish the AFC East gauntlet and sign the man, the myth, the legend, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The perfect guy to help train a young rookie or lead you the promised land in the 2022 NFL Draft
New Orleans Saints- Taysom Hill, Jameis Winston
With the impending Drew Brees retirement press conference the Saints have no cap space and no quarterback. They recently (over)paid Taysom Hill to keep him on the team for the next two years, but his lacking passing abilities make him a question mark to start for the Saints. With Jameis' recent Lasik surgery and praise given from the future-HOFer Brees, he would be my best bet to start for New Orleans in 2021.
New York Jets- Sam Darnold, Deshaun Watson, Draft?
It seems to me that the Jets have given up on Darnold and are actively shopping him. Another team in the Watson lottery and allegedly is his number one choice (for whatever reason) and they have the draft capital to get him. However, if the Jets are entirely out on Darnold they can look to the draft and get any quarterback not named Trevor Lawrence at #2. However, my not-so-professional opinion is to sit tight with Darnold and build a team around him so that either he improves or they can replace him and have a playoff-ready team built for success.
Philadelphia Eagles- Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Nick Foles
The Eagles had an important decision to make this offseason: keep Pederson and start Hurts or fire Pederson and start Wentz. They chose neither. Now they are looking for a Stafford-package to offload their very expensive QB and no one is biting. One interesting tidbit I have heard around is offloading both QBs and drafting another and starting over completely with Philly legend Nick Foles as a bridge for their rookie quarterback. Crazy I know, but we need hot takes to keep our imaginations alive.
San Francisco 49ers- Jimmy Garoppolo, Deshaun Watson
Like Miami, the only real option for San Francisco is Watson or bust. Just a year removed from a solid Super Bowl performance the Niners look to replace golden boy Jimmy G. I believe that trading for Watson will cost the Niners parts of their Championship roster that carried them to the Super Bowl in the first place, whether or not they see this has a small cost for them is up to management but Watson will absolutely turn San Francisco into a serious threat in the NFC.
Washington Football Team- Alex Smith, Taylor Heinecke, Cam Newton, Draft?
I initially had Washington as a "Draft Ready" team until the extension of Heinecke this past week. With Alex Smith pondering retirement after another leg injury, the Football Team needs a new starter. Ron Rivera loves his past Panthers QBs as we saw with the trade for Kyle Allen and now the aforementioned extension of Taylor Heinecke, but could he look to a familiar face in his former NFL MVP Cam Newton for help? Rivera unlocked a potential that Bellichick could not is Newton poised for a reunion with his former coach in Washington? Another meme-y choice for WFT is their former young star Robert Griffin III. Free-agent RG3 was released from the Ravens after their playoff loss to Buffalo. This Lamar Jackson understudy could see his one chance at starting once again.
Draft Ready
Carolina Panthers- #8 Overall
The Panthers came in 2nd for the Stafford deal and are gunning to trade for Watson, but with multiple suitors, Carolina's best bet is the draft, sure there will be multiple teams in the list above looking to draft their next QB Carolina is the only one poised exactly to draft at worst the third passer on the board.
Jacksonville Jaguars- #1 Overall
Saved the best for last, Trevor Lawrence is the starting quarterback for Jacksonville in 2021, no real explanation other than duh... Urban Meyer gets to coach the best prospect since Andrew Luck, but the real question is whether or not they can build the team around him to compete with the rest of the AFC powerhouses.
by Brandon McCann
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