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10 Impending NFL Quarterback Disasters in 2017-18

Written by Jeremy

Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. After all, you need a competent QB who can lead your team downfield without throwing the ball into opposing hands.

Of course, there are only so many good quarterbacks to go around. And for every Aaron Rodgers, there’s a Brock Osweiler to balance things out.

If your team doesn’t have a decent QB, then your prospects of winning are small. And unfortunately, the following 10 teams are looking at potential disasters at the position.

1. New York Jets – Josh McCown, Bryce Petty & Christian Hackenberg

Last year, the Jets surprised many by taking Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg with their second-round pick. And the reason for the surprise is that Hackenberg has major accuracy issues.

Apparently these issues still persist because he was nailing media members with passes during OTAs. And the ultimate evidence that he’s not NFL-ready is that Hackenberg didn’t even attempt a regular season pass in 2016 – despite playing on a 4-12 team.

Another option is journeyman Josh McCown, who’s not terrible. But McCown is also 37 years old and has never thrown for more than 2,511 passing yards in a season.

Bryce Petty will also compete with McCown for reps. He was definitely better than Hackenberg in 2016, throwing for 809 yards and three touchdowns. But my guess is that McCown plays over Petty early on.

Either way, it’s a mess that won’t be fixed this season.

2. Chicago Bears – Mike Glennon & Mitch Trubisky

Chicago surprised many by giving up several draft picks to move up one spot and take Mitch Trubisky No. 2 overall. The North Carolina QB won’t play right away, but maybe he can improve the Bears’ future quarterback situation.

In the meantime, Chicago will roll with Mike Glennon, whom they signed to a $45-million deal in the offseason.

Glennon has a solid 2:1 career TD-to-INT ratio. But he’s never been a dynamic passer, which is why Tampa Bay replaced him with Jameis Winston in the first place.

Add in a lackluster Bears offense, and it’s going to be a long season for Glennon.

3. LA Rams – Jared Goff

Second-year man Jared Goff is coming off a season where he threw for 1,089 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in six games.

Nothing about these numbers suggest that last year’s No. 1 overall pick is destined for greatness.

It also doesn’t help that he won the starting job by default – after the team could no longer handle watching Case Keenum’s plodding 10-yard drives.

4. Cleveland Browns – Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler & DeShone Kizer

Cody Kessler looks like the default starter after a year in which he threw for 1,380 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. These are respectable numbers, but Kessler doesn’t have great arm strength and doesn’t make big plays.

Of course, Cleveland will likely opt for Kessler’s safe play over anything Brock Osweiler has to offer. The Texans gave Cleveland a second-round pick just to take Osweiler and his $16 million guaranteed salary off their books.

Cleveland used this selection to draft Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer. The Notre Dame man could end up being a gem, but he likely won’t play until later in the season.

5. Houston Texans – Tom Savage, Deshawn Watson & Brandon Weeden

Houston may have gotten the Browns to take Osweiler off their hands. But it hasn’t done much for their current QB situation.

Tom Savage will likely open as the Week 1 starter. The fourth-year Pitt man has 461 career passing yards and no touchdowns. This isn’t promising, but the hope is that he avoids throwing interceptions and putting Houston’s elite D in tough situations.

Brandon Weeden is the other vet here. A former first-round pick of the Browns, Weeden is as uninspiring as any QB.

Deshawn Watson – drafted No. 12 overall out of Clemson – is Houston’s future QB. But if the Texans have another successful season, like they did in 2016, Watson may not see the field for a while.

6. Denver Broncos – Trevor Siemian & Paxton Lynch

Trevor Siemian didn’t put up bad numbers last season, with 3,801 passing yards, 18 TD passes, and 10 INTs. But then again, he has elite wide receivers and a strong line. And just 18 TDs on a team that expects to compete for a Super Bowl doesn’t cut it.

Of course, Siemian still appears to be miles ahead of Paxton Lynch. The Broncos’ first-round pick last season only saw action in two games and didn’t do anything to steal the job from Siemian.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Blake Bortles

Blake Bortles enters his fourth year in what’s a make-or-break season. He showed major promise in 2015 after throwing for 4,428 yards, 35 TDs, and 18 INTs. But then Bortles took a huge step back in 2016, tossing for 3,905 yards, 23 TDs, and 16 INTs.

This looks like Bortles’ team for at least one more season. The backups are Chad Henne and third-year player Brandon Allen.

8. San Francisco 49ers – Brian Hoyer

Brian Hoyer is a stable choice for a 49ers team that dealt with the Colin Kaepernick situation all of last season. Hoyer put up very solid numbers with Chicago last year, including 1,445 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

The only problem with Hoyer is that he’s not going to lead San Francisco on a lot of big drives.

But the upside is that Hoyer isn’t Matt Barkley, third-round rookie C.J. Beathard, or undrafted rookie Nick Mullens – the Niners’ other three current options.

9. Philadelphia Eagles – Carson Wentz

The second-overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Carson Wentz started right away after Sam Bradford was traded to Minnesota. He threw for 3,782 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

The only problem is that Wentz’s play declined as the season wore on. And the Eagles likely would’ve won a few more games with a veteran QB.

Chances are that Wentz improves this season. But if he doesn’t, it’ll raise plenty of questions in the offseason.

10. Buffalo Bills – Tyrod Taylor

Tyrod Taylor has put up solid numbers with the Bills in the last two seasons. He threw for 6,058 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2015 and ’16.

Normally these numbers would have a player on the verge of being the franchise QB. But Terry Pegula is a very impatient owner, and Buffalo hasn’t met his standards the past two seasons. This puts extra pressure on Taylor to make 2017 a successful year.