How every NFL team's QB situation currently stacks up

The NFL's quarterback carousel has spun out of control. More than a fourth of the league will have new starters. Marquee names have changed teams, and even though the two highest-profile QBs decided to return to their respective squads, even those decisions produced considerable fallout. Here is how the league's QB situations stack up amid an offseason featuring more splashy moves.

The Falcons took a glaring L from the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, making it known they were chasing a controversial quarterback and seeing it lead to Matt Ryan's 14-year tenure ending. All for the Browns to outmuscle the Falcons, who understandably wanted no part of a fully guaranteed Watson contract. The result: a third-round pick recouped for an all-time Falcon and an NFL-record $40 million in dead money. Marcus Mariota will be Atlanta's placeholder, reuniting with Arthur Smith, who spent most of Mariota's Tennessee stay as tight ends coach. The Falcons will likely have a very good draft pick in 2023.

Jared Goff will not be the NFL's worst starting quarterback next season. He might not be in the bottom five. But the ex-No. 1 overall pick is a known commodity lacking upside at this point. The Lions' No. 2 overall draft slot does not match up with this year's quarterback prospects, though that could change as it is the season of unjustified QB hype. Goff ranked 24th in QBR last season and presumably will have better receivers in 2022. That is not nothing, but the Lions are not going to chase another veteran. It indeed looks like they are set for a second (and presumably final) year of Goff. 

The Panthers' 2021 season wrecked the Sam Darnold bandwagon, but after the team's lengthy Watson pursuit produced a fourth-place finish in March's strange sweepstakes, Darnold may still be Carolina's Week 1 starter. Holding the No. 6 overall pick, the Panthers have solid draft real estate to land this year's top QB -- either Malik Willis or ex-Matt Rhule recruit Kenny Pickett -- but this also seems the logical Jimmy Garoppolo destination. Regardless of Garoppolo's Charlotte-relocation prospects, Darnold is owed nearly $19 million guaranteed. This is the NFL's most desperate QB situation. 

The beneath-the-surface buzz about Russell Wilson's status produced a blockbuster, and while the Seahawks will have a rebuild opportunity after collecting two firsts and seconds for their 10-year starter, they drop off a cliff for present relevancy. Sending Wilson to Denver saddles Seattle with Drew Lock, a strong-armed but erratic passer going into a contract year. Geno Smith is also a free agent, but the Seahawks now must be considered for Pickett or Willis with their new No. 9 overall pick. This also makes too much sense as a Baker Mayfield destination. Pete Carroll rebuilding at 70 still does not add up. 

Reputation-wise, going from Ben Roethlisberger to Mitchell Trubisky is a downer. But the maligned ex-Bears starter may well be an upgrade over the broken-down Big Ben that trudged through his age-39 season. But, just as Mike Glennon arrived before the Bears selected Trubisky, the Steelers may use Trubisky as a bridge. If the known Malik Willis buffs cannot orchestrate a trade-up for he or Kenny Pickett, this season will involve considerable Trubisky. The Steelers still have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins contracted, but this is suddenly a bleak situation, given the AFC North's three other QB1s.

Benefiting from his draft slot, Daniel Jones looks like he will move into a fourth season as the Giants starter. His 1 1/2 years with Jason Garrett were a disaster, and they came after a historic rookie-year turnover spree. The Giants still have Jones tied to a low wage ($8.4M cap number), but he has proven to be one of the NFL's worst QB1s. As Big Blue prepares to give Jones a shot with Josh Allen developer Brian Daboll, Tyrod Taylor at least represents a big QB2 upgrade. Last year's insane Mike Glennon decision led to one of the worst stretches in the Giants' 97-year history. Taylor would help prevent a similar disaster.

Through Jameis Winston's seven 2021 starts, the Saints were 5-2. The former No. 1 overall pick's ACL tear halted a promising season, in which he somehow compiled a 14-3 TD-INT ratio despite the Saints having the NFL's worst pass-catcher situation. Winston going from a one-year, $5.5 million deal to a two-year, $28M pact represents a nice win for the scrutinized ex-Buccaneers INT machine. The Saints also shuffled their backup chair, adding Andy Dalton and ending the long-running Taysom Hill-at-QB experiment. Of course, having a non-Sean Payton play-caller for the first time since 2005 could derail this process. 

Upside still roams here, and Zach Wilson's rookie contract runs through at least 2024. Based on Wilson's actual performance, the Jets would rank much lower. The BYU product occasionally flashed but was legitimately in a QB controversy with a man named Mike White last season. Wilson did see his top receivers all go down for the stretch run. That does not entirely excuse his Josh Rosen-esque nine-TDs-in-13-games run. He is off to a worse start than Darnold mounted in the Big Apple. White is back as a restricted free agent. For some reason, Joe Flacco will be back as well. 

Thrown behind a worse offensive line than any of his rookie peers, Davis Mills somehow recovered from a horrid first leg as Houston's starter. The third-round rookie's QBR bettered the non- Mac Jones rookie contingent's figures, and he posted that 9-2 TD-INT ratio over his final five games despite Laremy Tunsil's absence and the team lacking receiving weaponry beyond Brandin Cooks. Mills cannot be penciled in as a franchise guy yet, but a previously unseen path to that status opened. 

Although he emerged from his cocoon just once last season, Nick Foles remains under contract. (Foles went 1-0 as a 2021 starter, perhaps elevating his trade value a tick.) He is tied to a through-2022 contract that spikes to a $10M cap number this season. Justin Fields finished last in 2021 QBR, delivering one historically awful outing (in Cleveland), several unremarkable performances while providing glimpses of promise. A coaching staff that had nothing to do with the Ohio State alum's arrival now takes over, with Fields in new play-caller Luke Getsy's hands. This is a less stable setup than it appears for the prized prospect.

Washington displayed its desperation by sending two Day 2 picks and dropping in this year's second round for a player Indianapolis was all but certain to jettison. The Commanders taking on all of Carson Wentz's salary, which calls for a $28 million 2022 cap number, also surprises. But this team saw injuries (Alex Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick) and a draft whiff (Dwayne Haskins) leave it without a true answer. Although two teams have now sent away the ex-No. 2 overall pick, Wentz ranked ninth  in 2021 QBR and posted a 27-7 TD-INT ratio without much receiving help. This was a gamble worth taking, but Washington has hardly solved its long-term need. Taylor Heinicke remains a quality backup.

The rare team to carry three top-20 picks into a draft, the Eagles could not use them to land Watson or Wilson. This leaves the runway clear for a second Jalen Hurts audition season. Philly has Hurts coming off an up-and-down campaign -- one that crash-landed in the playoffs after the Eagles beat one above-.500 team all year. Hurts nevertheless progressed, playing a centerpiece role in Philly's No. 1-ranked ground game, and Gardner Minshew resides as one of the NFL's top backups. In a contract year, Minshew resides as an interesting trade chip and starter candidate if Hurts falters. 

Pro Football Focus rated the Dolphins' offensive line 32nd, DeVante Parker started just eight games, and Will Fuller missed 14 contests. Oh, and Stephen Ross' Watson flirtation ran amok ahead of the trade deadline. Tua Tagovailoa is not on Justin Herbert's level, clearly. But he deserves better before being shown the door. With Tyreek Hill now a Dolphin, this will be a make-or-break season for the Hawaiian southpaw, whose injury troubles are obviously a concern. The Dolphins have upgraded at running back and on their offensive line. If Tua struggles, Miami native Teddy Bridgewater (63 starts) is plenty capable of stepping in.

Waiting for Mac Jones restored the Patriots, to some degree, though Bill Belichick was careful with his rookie passer. Ranking 16th in QBR (tops among 2021's rookies, by far), Jones got there without a No. 1 wide receiver. The Pats must locate one to further Jones' development. DeVante Parker does help as a potential WR2, however. The Pats might run into trouble on the coaching front as well. Josh McDaniels called plays for the past 10 Patriot teams. New England having no OC several weeks after McDaniels left for Las Vegas concerns at a critical point on Jones' developmental timeline. 

This placement still includes Jimmy Garoppolo, whose shoulder injury has affected his trade market. The 49ers' refusal to deploy Trey Lance unless absolutely necessary last season was telling. The longer Garoppolo is on the team, the more it plays into the rumors the 49ers front office talked Kyle Shanahan out of Mac Jones. Sporting a unique prospect profile, the North Dakota State one-and-done starter should not have been expected to be thrown into action. His $26M cap number notwithstanding, Garoppolo is more valuable to the 49ers in 2022 than a Day 2 pick. The NFC contenders might legitimately need him.

The Vikings kicked the Kirk Cousins can down the road, giving the well-compensated quarterback another extension. Cousins is now signed through 2023, with the Vikings -- per usual with Cousins -- being effectively unable to shed his contract until it expires. The soon-to-be 34-year-old passer will work with Kevin O'Connell, who will use a similar West Coast offense from Cousins' days with the Kubiaks. The Vikings being 1-for-4 in playoff berths with Cousins is not what the previous regime paid for, but he has leveraged the franchise thanks to the NFL's QB supply-and-demand problem. In the 2022 NFC, however, the Cousins-led Vikes look better.

The biggest non-Browns beneficiary from the Deshaun Watson market, the Colts snagged Matt Ryan for a third-round pick. Despite trading first- and third-round 2022 picks for Ryan and Carson Wentz, the Colts still hold two Day 2 selections this year. Chris Ballad took a roundabout way to upgrade his QB situation, but the sixth-year GM deserves credit for gouging the Commanders and waiting out the market. Ryan was trapped with a bottom-tier wideout situation in 2021 and equipped with a below-average offensive line. He will have a top-shelf run game in 2022, though Indianapolis needs to give its soon-to-be 37-year-old QB more receiving help than Wentz had.

Thrown into one of the worst situations for a quarterback in recent memory, Trevor Lawrence understandably fell on his face. But this is an ace prospect on a rookie deal. He is the face of a dysfunctional organization, but Doug Pederson and a better O-line and receiving corps will elevate the ex-Clemson phenom. Lawrence throwing one TD pass from Weeks 8-15 and leading the NFL with 17 INTs obviously alarms, but if a passer's rookie season could ever be written off, it is this generational prospect's during the Urban Meyer nightmare. Lawrence is capable of adding to the AFC's burgeoning arms race soon.

Josh McDaniels' defining act during his disastrous Broncos tenure occurred in his first weeks as head coach/de facto GM, when the young leader traded Jay Cutler. To start his second run as a head coach, McDaniels kept his word. Derek Carr is coming back, and ex-Fresno State teammate-turned-All-Pro Davante Adams joins him. Carr has turned his career around since a late-2010s rough patch, and although the rest of the AFC West has better quarterbacks, the Raiders are headed down the road to a renewed commitment for the soon-to-be 31-year-old QB. Many teams would love to have Carr under center, adding intrigue to his extension talks.

Like the others in the non-superstar QB genre, Ryan Tannehill requires extensive help to push a team to the Super Bowl precipice. The 10-year veteran faltering in a winnable spot against the Bengals shows the margin for error the Titans have. Still, Tannehill ranked eighth in QBR despite Tennessee losing just about every notable skill player last season. And he has managed to stay healthy post-30 after injuries wrecked his 20s in Miami. The play-action-enabled QB is attached to a sub-$30M-per-year contract, but his cap number spikes by $27M this year. The Titans are in a fine spot, but they are still rolling with a second-tier passer.

Although Jake Plummer had moments, he peaked in Denver. As such, Murray is the Cardinals' first homegrown franchise quarterback since the move to Arizona 34 years ago. Murray deservedly beat out Tom Brady for the Pro Bowl in 2020 and is a superior thrower to Lamar Jackson. The ex-MLB first-rounder should be inching toward a monster extension. Instead, this has become a situation to monitor closely. The Cards need to be careful. They have one of the NFL's top assets, and their QB situation would rank a tad higher on this list based on Murray's work and age (late-season swoons aside). But the 2022 headlines involving the parties concern.

Prescott has a slightly higher Q rating than his play warrants. The life of a Cowboys quarterback. And his contract hinders Dallas' roster-building capabilities, as the Amari Cooper and La'el Collins moves showed. But Dak is unquestionably a franchise passer; the 37-10 TD-INT ratio last season marked another step forward for the scrutinized signal-caller. The Cowboys winning one playoff game during Prescott's first six seasons concerns, especially as both the team's Hall of Fame-caliber O-linemen (Tyron Smith and Zack Martin) are 31. But Dak remains the NFC East's best QB and will continue to have cozy postseason avenues until that changes.

The Ravens are in a slightly worse situation than Lamar Jackson's play dictates. Jackson took a step back last season. His QBR dropped by nearly 20 points, and an ankle injury ended his year early. The Ravens did not win enough playoff games (one) during Jackson's wider-than-usual rookie-deal window, but the former MVP remains an electric talent. Now, the Ravens must navigate extension talks with their agent-less star who has logged almost 200 more carries than any other QB since 2018. Cam Newton's short prime should be a warning here; this is not a simple negotiation. As a backup, Tyler Huntley offered intrigue. Baltimore has something there.

A dark-horse entry in the Deshaun Watson market, the Browns completed their upset bid by breaking the NFL guarantee record by $80 million -- for a player accused by 22 women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The Browns lost some fans by trading three first-round picks and change for Watson, but they may be correct in betting the PR backlash will die down. If/once that happens, Cleveland has an elite QB talent for the first time since the franchise rebooted 23 years ago. Watson led the NFL in passing yards in 2020. While that seems like 10 years ago, the Browns are fully committed to a QB they once passed on in the draft. This is a franchise-changing move on multiple fronts.

Ten years after acquiring Peyton Manning, the Broncos transformed their dreadful post-Manning quarterback situation. Russell Wilson's arrival gives the AFC West a historically lethal QB quartet and adds to the conference's contender gauntlet. The Broncos did not acquire a passer quite on Aaron Rodgers' level, but Wilson is five years younger than Rodgers and nearly three years younger than Manning when he arrived. Wilson, 33, also has missed just three career games. Wilson will have a deep skill-position group to gel with ahead of his 11th season. The Broncos are hoping to ride a third Hall of Fame-caliber 30-something to a title.

In what certainly looks like a Tom Brady power play, the Buccaneers solved their quarterback problem. Brady might not be taking enough heat for a brief retirement that preceded Bruce Arians' exit, but the Bucs having their franchise QB back obviously changes their outlook. Brady will likely have a greater say in Tampa Bay's offense, which will run through he and 42-year-old OC Byron Leftwich. The legendary QB will follow through with his long-proclaimed goal of playing until age 45. Brady's return comes as a major talent shuffle stacked the AFC and left the NFC light on contenders, further benefiting the Bucs.

Joe Burrow gave his Comeback Player of the Year campaign a Kramer-esque double-exclamation point conclusion, taking one of the NFL's most downtrodden franchises to an unthinkable place. The former Heisman winner did not wow in the playoffs on the level of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but he has less experience and did lead one of the great modern postseason comebacks. Burrow's performances despite weekly sack barrages also open the door to another leap now that the Bengals acquired three new offensive line starters. A stacked AFC will feature a more talented Cincinnati team than the Super Bowl LVI entrant.

Carolina and Washington offered first-round picks and change for Matthew Stafford; Los Angeles winning that derby changed the longtime Lion's career. Going from his various Lions play-callers to Sean McVay put a quarterback who went 12 seasons without a playoff win onto the Hall of Fame radar. While Stafford is far from certain to end up in Canton, he displayed his historically elite arm talent on the sport's top stage and became the player who finally validated the modern Rams' go-big strategy. Ahead of his age-34 season, Stafford has a new contract and a new WR2 in Allen Robinson. 

The Packers repaired a relationship that looked broken, but even though Aaron Rodgers recommitted to Green Bay, his latest NFL-record contract having a 2023 escape hatch will bring a potential divorce back into the spotlight. And the Packers have since traded Davante Adams, leaving the two-time reigning MVP's receiving corps in tatters. The Pack's 2020 trade-up for Jordan Love -- regardless of its motivational effect on Rogers -- remains odd. Green Bay will not be able to recoup close to the same value in a trade. Even if Love does end up taking over one day, this represents poor value for a modern rookie-QB contract.

Time is up for the Chargers, whose roster and in-game decision-making somehow led to a Pro Bowl starting quarterback missing the playoffs. That had not happened since Boomer Esiason in 1989. The Chargers employ one of the league's highest-ceiling players in Justin Herbert. Week 18 provided a strong final second-season impression for the 5,000-yard passer, who cannot be extended until 2023. The Bolts recognize the window here, having made a consistent effort to retain top talent on offense (Mike Williams) and add impact starters on defense (Khalil Mack, J.C. Jackson).

Buffalo's mega-talent deserved better in Kansas City, seeing managerial and defensive breakdowns cost him what could have been a defining win and a gateway to a Super Bowl berth. Allen's 2021 season ensured his prior breakout was no fluke. That changes the game for the Bills, who should be able to manipulate their QB's cap figures on his through-2028 contract to keep fortifying their roster. They are already gunning for it all in 2022, having spent for Von Miller. Allen's running ability also enhances Buffalo's offense considerably. He will enter the 2022 season under pressure, given his top QB rivals' Super Bowl credentials and OC Brian Daboll's exit.

While the Bills will break in a new play-caller in Ken Dorsey, the Chiefs' staff continuity gives their quarterback the edge. Patrick Mahomes has benefited considerably from Andy Reid, and despite Eric Bieniemy's now-controversial extended OC run, he has certainly contributed to the Chiefs' ascent. Mahomes turned the Chiefs from perennial early exit to annual Super Bowl favorite. The Chiefs only winning one Super Bowl after hosting four straight AFC title games can be examined, but Mahomes remains on a stratospheric course. His 10-year contract will continue to benefit the Chiefs until the parties scrap the deal. Kansas City trading Tyreek Hill will provide a new test for its superstar passer.