NFL Teams Needing Quarterback Answers Look For Direction As This Week's Games Prove
The NFL is all about its quarterbacks and the questions, storylines and narratives about the position the league's teams perpetually create. If you don't believe it, look at the Week 15 schedule and you'll understand.
The NFL is playing 15 games between Saturday afternoon and Christmas night on Monday.
And 11 of those games feature teams that have significant, if not franchise-direction-setting, quarterback questions to answer once this season ends.
OutKick has been speaking with personnel within many of those franchises and sources around the league about the looming issues and so let's examine what is on the table by going through the games.
Jake Browning Headed To Large Payday
Bengals at Steelers: The 2024 starters for both these teams are set. Joe Burrow will return to the Bengals and Kenny Pickett is almost 100 percent going to get another season starting for the Steelers, so that's not the question.
The question is what happens behind those guys.
In Cincinnati, Jake Browning has been a revelation so far. He has been completing 73.6 percent of his passes through six games, which is the highest percentage for any quarterback with at least four starts. And if you think that's because he's constantly checking the football down, that's incorrect because he's averaging 8.7 yards per attempt which is the second highest mark in the NFL. The question becomes what to do with him?
Browning is a free agent after the season and at 27 years old is coming into the prime of his career. He wants to be a starter and he intends to test the open market to see if a team, perhaps the Vikings which he famously ripped a week ago, would sign him for the assignment.
The Steelers, meanwhile, need a backup quarterback because it is unlikely to be Mitchell Trubisky again next year, per sources close to the organization.
Trubisky didn't hold his starting job last year and has a 0-2 record as a starter in place of the injured Pickett this year, with 4 TDs and 5 interceptions. He's lost his backup job to Mason Rudolph this week. And seems likely to be cut in the offseason.
Desmond Ridder Didn't Meet QB Expectations
Colts at Falcons: The Falcons have starting QB issues.
They committed to Desmond Ridder at the start of this season and have benched him twice since. He's now out of the lineup, per coach Arthur Smith, through the end of the season.
The question is what the Falcons do for a starter in 2024?
That's uncertain because their coaching situation beyond Black Monday is uncertain. If Smith is retained, you can bet the Falcons will be in the market for a new starting quarterback in the coming offseason.
That's because Smith isn't going to gamble his future beyond 2024 to the same quarterback who didn't play up to expectations in 2023.
Drew Lock Wants To Be A Starting QB
Seahawks at Titans: Both teams have their starters for 2024. Both teams are about to lose their backups from this season.
Seattle's Drew Lock is a free agent and believes he's ready to be a starter. That 92-yard drive in the final minutes against the Eagles on Monday suggests he's ready. Ryan Tannehill is a free agent in the offseason and will be moving on at age 36.
Assuming Tannehill wants to continue playing, he might be a fit in Atlanta if coach Arthur Smith remains because Smith was his offensive coordinator in Tennessee when Tannehill had his finest NFL seasons.
Kirk Cousins reacts after a penalty in the first quarter of a game against the Green Bay Packers. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
A Kirk Cousins QB Re-Do In Minnesota?
Lions at Vikings: The Vikings are starting Nick Mullens now but have no earthly idea who their 2024 starter will be because Kirk Cousins is unsigned.
Here's a clue: Coach Kevin O'Connell absolutely loves Kirk Cousins.
Cousins may entertain offers to go elsewhere as a free agent, but he'll probably get a offer to stay with the Vikings as well, per league sources. That is if the Vikings don't focus on Jake Browning.
The wildcard will be whether some team wants to commit three or four years to Cousins, while the Vikings might be willing to do only one or two more years.
One thing is clear: The Vikings know Cousins has not been the quarterback to get them to a Super Bowl during his time there. But he's been the best quarterback they've put on the field and finding an upgrade has so far been impossible.
Sam Howell got a chance to be the unchallenged starter this season. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Sam Howell Should Expect Competition In 2024
Commanders at Jets: This one is a simple in that the Jets need a backup quarterback for next year to be ready to play if or when Aaron Rodgers cannot. And the Commanders, who committed to Sam Howell as the starter this year, may not be doing the same under a new coach/general manager.
The Commanders are bad enough that they're currently positioned to get a top 5 pick and that would put them in line to perhaps pick a quarterback just beyond the Caleb Williams or Drake Maye picks at the very top of the draft. So, maybe a Jayden Daniels?
Howell will not be discarded whatever happens. He's still on his rookie contract. But will he get competition for the starting job next year that he didn't necessarily get this year from Jacoby Brissett? He should expect that, sources say, although no decision is known because we don't even know who will be running the organization.
As for the Jets, the likelihood is they are moving on from Zach Wilson in the offseason, league sources say. They need a viable backup to Rodgers who is capable of winning games. Rodgers, you must recall, will be 40 years old and coming off a season-ending injury next season.
So having a good backup behind him is vital. As we saw this season.
Joe Flacco throws during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Joe Flacco Has Earned A Return In Cleveland
Browns at Texans: Joe Flacco has been a revelation for the Browns in keeping them playoff relevant after joining the team in November. That doesn't mean he'll be the starter next year. That will continue to be Deshaun Watson when he's healthy.
So the question becomes does Flacco return as the backup? Or at age 39 next offseason does he get a chance to start somewhere else? Or does he even have a desire to go compete for a starting job with another team?
The Browns have had preliminary internal discussions about keeping Flacco as a backup for next season. His arm remains lively and he is still athletic enough at his age to move around in and out of the pocket.
Flacco is said to be in love with his Cleveland situation. He was on the practice squad for weeks there and had no intention of accepting an offer to go sign with another team's active roster if given the opportunity.
The question remains, does he accept being a backup on what promises to continue being a competitive team with a stable coaching staff? Or does he want to compete to start and play some place else?
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 17: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drops back to pass during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 17, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 34-20. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield In Line To Be A Starter In 2024
Jaguars at Buccaneers: The Baker Mayfield experiment in Tampa Bay has been an extraordinary success so far. So is it Tampa Bake in 2024?
That seems likely if the Buccaneers keep the current coaching/personnel leadership. And it will require either a full-blown contract or using the franchise tag on Mayfield because he is unsigned for 2024.
A new direction atop the franchise might be tempted to do a full rebuild that includes a bottom of the first round or second-round quarterback selection. That might send Mayfield into free agency as perhaps the most accomplished and relatively young starter on the market.
Kyler Murray has returned from knee surgery but hasn't been amazing. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Big QB Decisions Loom For Cardinals, Bears
Cardinals at Bears: It doesn't get more interesting than the decision both these teams have coming up with Justin Fields and Kyler Murray.
Both teams are seemingly headed for (vying for?) top 3 draft picks in the 2024 draft. They could be in the Caleb Williams or Drake Maye derby if they wish. The question is whether they go that direction and replace their current starters or keep Fields and Murray and use the draft resources to surround their incumbents with more top-end draft talent?
Fields would be easier to bench-trade than Murray because he's still on his rookie contract. Multiple NFL sources have told OutKick the signs are pointing to the Bears drafting a quarterback if the current leadership of Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus remain in charge.
In Arizona, Murray could tip the debate whether he'll be around next year in his favor by playing well. He's been unremarkable in five games since returning from an ACL injury, but he has precious few playmakers on the offense with him.
If Murray finishes strong, GM Monti Ossenfort would likely be convinced to improve the rest of the roster around Murray. If Murray wilts, however, the evaluation of the QBs in the draft compared to the Murray evaluation will likely drive the decision.
Mac Jones of the New England Patriots throws a pass against the Washington Commanders. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Patriots Want Upgrade From Mac Jones
Patriots at Broncos: The entire rest of the NFL expects the Patriots to draft a quarterback regardless whether Bill Belichick remains with the team or not. Mac Jones has failed as the starter and ownership definitely wants an upgrade.
That doesn't mean Jones will absolutely be cut or traded. He still has value as a backup. And, who knows, maybe a new coach can develop him in ways the current coaching staff could not. Just not as the expected starter.
The Broncos seem tied to Russell Wilson because of the $245 million contract Wilson signed last year. The wildcard here is the relationship coach Sean Payton and Wilson have had that, by some accounts around the league, has been sometimes rocky in Denver. (Yes, pun).
Can they make it work? Or would it get so bad that no contract can keep them together?
Aidan O'Connell has started seven games for the Raiders. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Aidan O'Connell Remains, Jimmy G Likely Gone
Raiders at Chiefs: The Raiders are in transition with an interim coach. The question becomes whether Aidan O'Connell is an interim starting quarterback.
O'Connell stays on the team in 2024 regardless of his status and he might even get a chance to compete for the starting job. But it's simply impossible to know what direction this will go because the club is likely to have a new coach and general manager.
O'Connell, who is about to start his eighth game of the season, is coming off his best outing in a drubbing of the Los Angeles Chargers. If he adds any consistency to that performance, he's likely to enter the offseason as the starter.
But if he continues to go through typical rookie inconsistencies, well, then everything is on the table in the offseason.
Oh, what about backup Jimmy Garoppolo you ask? The Raiders are likely to release him after the season unless the next coach's name is Bill Belichick.
Tommy DeVito celebrates with Wan'Dale Robinson at MetLife Stadium. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Tommy DeVito Earning Backup Role For 2024
Giants at Eagles: There are questions aplenty in both New York and Philly about starters Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts.
But the fact is both are tied to their clubs (and vice versa) because of the contracts they signed last offseason. The question for the Giants is whether Tommy DeVito has done enough to be the backup quarterback for 2024?
There is currently no reason the rookie won't get a chance to compete for the job in 2024. He's earned that right so far this year.