Chief weakness for every NFC starting quarterback

No starting QB is perfect — even three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Ahead of training camps opening in late July, Yardbarker NFL writers identify the chief weakness of every starting quarterback in the NFC.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | Dak Prescott | 60 million reasons | Dallas hasn't won a Super Bowl in 30 seasons, and pressure is always centered on the team's passer. Prescott is the highest-paid NFL player ($60M a season), but he missed the final nine games of 2024 with a hamstring injury. He must quickly silence doubters.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Russell Wilson | Looking over shoulder | With 10-year veteran Jameis Winston and first-rounder Jaxson Dart waiting in the wings, Wilson could quickly get yanked if he underwhelms like he did during the Pittsburgh Steelers' five-game losing streak to close last season. After 10 years and a Super Bowl win with Seattle, the 36-year-old passer is on his third team in four seasons. 

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Jalen Hurts | Doesn’t do "windows" | Hurts beats teams as much with his legs as his arm, averaging 10 carries for 63 yards per game last season. Still, he misses chances to go deep and too often avoids tight windows on medium-range throws. 

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Jayden Daniels | Second receivers, left side | The second-year quarterback too often threw to closer receivers for short gains as a rookie rather than his options farther downfield. Perhaps with new left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Daniels will get even more opportunities to go deep and can drift more to the left side of the pocket. — Rick Snider

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Kyler Murray | Second-half woes | In 2024, Murray and the Cardinals bolted to a 6-4 record, with the QB posting an impressive 16 touchdown passes (and only six turnovers) through 10 weeks. After setting Arizona up for a potential playoff appearance, Murray collapsed, turning the ball over nine times and taking 15 sacks in the final seven weeks. As a result, the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Matthew Stafford | Throws under pressure | Stafford is a terrific QB, but his performance under pressure cratered last season. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Stafford had the fourth-lowest grade in the league (33.3) when under pressure — the same grade as Tennessee's underwhelming Will Levis.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Brock Purdy | Arm strength | Purdy plays on time and is an underrated playmaker, but his arm strength is lacking. Among the 87 QBs with at least 20% of their team’s attempts, Purdy ranked 82nd with a 15.8% Big Time Throw Rate (passes with excellent ball location and timing 20+ yards downfield into a tighter window), via PFF.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Sam Darnold | Struggles against pressure | Darnold had an incredible 2024 season that was erased by late-season struggles when pressured. Per PFF, Darnold’s impressive 84.2 passing grade dipped to a mediocre-at-best 60.7, and his interception rate doubled to 3.2% when under pressure. — Sterling Bennett

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | Caleb Williams | Errant throws | Williams’ rookie numbers weren’t bad, with 62.5% accuracy and only six interceptions. However, he sometimes turns an easy pass into a wild throw at the worst times.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Jordan Love | Lack of rhythm | The third-year starter and fifth-year veteran ended last season with his three worst games (completion percentages of 57.7, 59.3 and 50). For the rest of the season, he was generally consistent, but his total passing yards were a rollercoaster.

DETROIT LIONS | Jared Goff | New system | With OC John Morton replacing Ben Johnson, Goff must adjust to a new coordinator. He slumped slightly when he came from the Los Angeles Rams to Detroit in 2021, but then adjusted over the next three seasons.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | J.J. McCarthy | Too fragile? | After losing his rookie season to a torn right meniscus, questions will dog McCarthy about durability. Maybe that’s why the Vikings have four passers on the roster. His arm, once perceived as a weakness, apparently isn't. "He can definitely zip it whenever he needs to," receiver Justin Jefferson said, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.  — Rick Snider

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | Michael Penix Jr. | Throws between the numbers | NFL Pro data tells us that Penix’s completion percentage was 26.4 percentage points worse than expected on throws between the numbers in a Week 18 overtime loss to the Panthers. Penix has the arm strength to hit on throws near the sidelines, but he’s leaving a lot of real estate uninhabited with his struggles on attempts toward the middle of the field.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Bryce Young | Size | The third-year pro’s diminutive frame scared some away, and through his first 18 NFL starts, the 5-foot-10 QB looked overwhelmed by the competition. He grew in stature (figuratively speaking, at least) last season after being benched in Week 3, but he must always overcome his below-average height for an NFL quarterback.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Tyler Shough/Spencer Rattler | Age, injuries/handling pressure | Shough, the No. 40 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, turns 26 in September and suffered three season-ending injuries while in college. Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round pick, appeared in seven games last season (six starts) and couldn’t handle pressure, ending the season 30-of-68 (44.1 percent) for 386 yards and one interception and getting sacked 22 times when under duress. (h/t PFF)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Baker Mayfield | Ball security | For as much as Mayfield gives the Bucs, he also takes a lot away with his reckless playing style. Last season, Mayfield led the NFL in interceptions (16) and fumbles (13), pushing his gunslinger mentality to the extreme. — Eric Smithling