The best QB seasons on losing teams

Cousins had a statistically better season for the 2020 Vikings (7-9), but that squad housed Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. In 2017, he managed to hold his own despite Washington not doing well to replace DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, who had left in free agency. Washington also had struck out in filling its running back spot. Cousins still ranked in the top 10 in passing yards (4,093), TDs (27), completion percentage and yards per attempt. This came with slot receiver Jamison Crowder miscast as a No. 1, and aging tight end Vernon Davis as the top supporting pass catcher. Cousins, who led four game-winning drives, bolted in free agency after his second franchise-tag season.

Hadl's third 3,000-yard season was not enough to drag the Chargers to a winning record, as they went 6-8. Hadl, however, led the NFL in passing yards despite the Bolts trading all-time WR great Lance Alworth that year. The team also ranked 23rd defensively, raising the bar for their 10th-year QB. Hadl led the NFL with 3,075 yards and 21 TD passes. This season did come with 25 INTs, but lofty pick totals were not uncommon in a run- and defense-fueled era. The former AFL champ led the Bolts to a win over the AFC West champion Chiefs and NFC Central-winning Vikings, eventually being traded to the Rams in 1973.

One of the great talents at the position debuted as a starter in 2008, after a messy training camp situation led to the Packers trading Brett Favre. Rodgers showed he was worth the wait, even if the team results were not there yet. The Packers finished 6-10 with Rodgers at the helm; they would not go sub-.500 with the four-time MVP finishing a season again until 2018. Rodgers totaled 4,038 passing yards and threw 28 TD passes (both fourth in the NFL) and was not yet as risk-avoidant (13 INTs) compared to his stat-protecting years. The Packers defeated the Vikings and dealt the Colts a 34-14 defeat. They gave Rodgers what became a team-friendly extension midway through his rookie slate.

Kyle Shanahan's 2017 exit turned out to be rather significant in Atlanta. Ryan never made another Pro Bowl after his 2016 MVP performance, and 2018 marked the first of seven straight Falcons playoff absences. Atlanta finished 7-9 and did not beat a playoff team. This is a stats-based placement, but Ryan finished with a career-high 4,925 yards and a 35-7 TD-INT ratio. The aging QB ranked in the top four in both categories, along with passer rating. Ryan had still-surging WR1 Julio Jones to target, and rookie Calvin Ridley showed immediate promise. Dan Quinn's defense: less so, as it ranked 28th in yards allowed.

A Browns-to-Ravens carryover in the latter franchise's debut, Testaverde made the Pro Bowl and helped for some entertaining contests to mark Baltimore's NFL return. The 10th-year passer threw 33 touchdown passes and compiled 4,177 passing yards — second in both categories — but was stuck on a team that had seen Bill Belichick's defensive blueprint unravel. The Ravens ranked 28th defensively and went 4-12. In his best season to this point, the former No. 1 overall pick threw four TD passes in a shootout loss to the No. 1-seeded Broncos and helped the Ravens to a 14-point win over the playoff-bound Steelers. 

While this Falcons season is best remembered for one play, Bartkowski impressed on a team that began a playoff drought. The Falcons, who had booked their first postseason berth in 1978 and then qualified in 1980 and '82, went 7-9. Atlanta's 25th-ranked defense limited Bartkowski, who threw 22 TD passes and just five interceptions. Leading the NFL in passer rating, Bartkowski missed two games but pieced together a 366-yard day to lift the Falcons past the NFC Central champion Lions. But this season is best known for Bartkowski's Hail Mary heave to Billy "White Shoes" Johnson — requiring nifty moves to finish -- to stun the 49ers at home.

A knock against Marino's legacy came in the late 1980s, when the Dolphins missed the playoffs in four straight years between their QB ace's age-25 and age-28 seasons. At 27, Marino led the NFL in passing yards (4,434) for the fourth time. This came for a 6-10 Miami team during a season that featured a 28-23 TD-INT ratio. The Dolphins featured neither a 500-yard rusher nor a top-25 defense, forcing Marino — a refrain in his brilliant career — to do heavy lifting. Miami also saw all-time center talent Dwight Stephenson suffer a career-ending injury in 1987. The '88 Dolphins lost six of their final seven but did top the Vikings' No. 1-ranked defense and beat the playoff-bound Browns during an otherwise lost season.

As you can probably imagine, this will not be Brees' lone appearance here. The Saints built porous defenses in the mid-2010s, with the unit bad enough to keep an all-time great out of the playoff picture. As he did on seven occasions, Brees led the NFL in passing yards (4,870), with 7.8 per attempt, and threw 32 TD passes. This was, however, his lone non-Pro Bowl season from 2008-20. This is partially due to the high standards he had set, but the Saints fell to 4-8 at one point. Their defense gave up an NFL-record 45 TD passes. This backdrop did create some fun Brees assignments, headlined by a 52-49 win over the Giants in which the host QB posted seven TD strikes.

One of the few favors Giants management did Manning during his career's second half, Odell Beckham Jr. became a revelation in the mid-2010s. While Beckham thrived early, Manning missed previous top target Victor Cruz for all of 2015 and had seen injuries end Hakeem Nicks' prime by his mid-20s. The potential Hall of Famer also was tied to a last-ranked pass defense, which was on display when he and Brees combined for 13 TD passes in a 52-49 Saints win. Manning finished with a career-high 35 TD passes. Just two of New York's 10 losses came by multiple scores, and Manning impressed in shootout losses to the Super Bowl-bound Panthers and perennial power Patriots.

Fields was still developing as a passer in his second season, and the 2021 first-round pick took an NFL-high 55 sacks. After a 2-4 start, the Bears turned Fields loose on the ground, keying one of the greatest rushing seasons in quarterback history. Fields reached at least 70 rushing yards eight times between Weeks 6 and 17, clearing 100 thrice. He topped out at 178 against the playoff-bound Dolphins. Fields finished with 1,143 rushing yards, second-most in QB history, and had a shot to break Lamar Jackson's record (1,206) before the Bears strategically sat him for Nathan Peterman in Week 18 to secure the No. 1 draft slot in 2023.

Probably the last season of Jurgensen's prime, it started shortly after Vince Lombardi revealed a cancer diagnosis before passing away not long after. After taking over in Washington in 1969, Lombardi had led the team to its first winning season since 1955. Replacement Bill Austin took over at the 11th hour, and he had Jurgensen still dealing. The gunslinger threw 23 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions — a strong split for the era — and paced the NFL in completion percentage (59.9). Washington went 6-8, but the team beat playoff-bound Detroit and Cincinnati squads. New coach George Allen would bench Jurgensen for Billy Kilmer in 1971.

This list cannot be complete without an Archie Manning season, as he was the years-long poster boy for good QB/bad team. Playing well before free agency launched, the Manning patriarch never completed a winning season. A poorly run Saints organization limited its QB, but he earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods in 1978 and '79. In '78, the Saints finished 7-9 but picked up wins over the playoff-bound Rams and Vikings and against a Buccaneers team housing a top-five defense. Manning's 3,416 passing yards and 61.8% completion rate ranked second, as young teammates Wes Chandler and Chuck Muncie showed early promise (before mid-prime trade exits).

Carrying Super Bowl hype, the Chiefs could not fix their problematic defense. Issues on that side of the ball keyed a 7-9 season, but Kansas City's Hall of Famer-laden offense still excelled. Given elite support with an all-time great O-line (featuring Canton-bound cogs Will Shields and Willie Roaf) and targeting Tony Gonzalez while handing to All-Pro Priest Holmes, Green established career highs in completion percentage (66.4), pass yardage (4,591) and TD tosses (27). Kansas City started 1-4 but beat conference championship representatives Atlanta and Indianapolis. Green put together a 389/3/0 game in a shootout win over the Colts, avenging a 2003 divisional-round loss.

Included in the Philadelphia-Washington Sonny Jurgensen trade in 1964, Snead could not turn the Eagles' fortunes around. He did offer an interesting fourth season in green, however, throwing 29 TD passes — second in the NFL to Jurgensen that year. Snead did add 24 INTs in a 3,399-yard season, as the NFL remained a run-oriented league compared to the snazzier AFL. Snead helped wideout Ben Hawkins to his career-best season, featuring an NFL-high 1,265 yards. The Eagles beat the playoff-bound Browns and Cowboys, and Snead posted three four-TD games — one of them a 35-all tie with Washington, which featured Jurgensen matching him with four TD strikes.

Tarkenton ultimately could not turn the Giants around, but it is not like the wheels fell off for the versatile QB star in New York. Acquired from the Vikings for a bounty in 1967, Tarkenton did not guide the Giants to the postseason — a more difficult feat in the four-team playoff era — but he dealt an early blow to his former team in Week 1. Tarkenton led a 14-point comeback to down the Vikings 24-23, tossing two fourth-quarter TD passes. While the Giants went 6-8, the future passing kingpin assembled a 23-8 TD-INT ratio. No Giant running back topped 400 rushing yards, and the team fell out of contention by losing seven straight after a 3-1 start.

Not that Brees' legacy needs much burnishing, but this does help the QB great stand out as Sean Payton — the primary play-caller during the free-agency addition's other 14 New Orleans seasons — was suspended for his role in the Bountygate scandal. Brees still posted the third of his five 5,000-yard passing seasons and led the league with 43 TDs through the air. Working with OC Pete Carmichael calling plays, Brees also led the NFL in INTs (19) and saw his completion rate drop by eight points from 2011. This was the accuracy maven's worst Saints season in that category, but he also broke Johnny Unitas' record for most consecutive games with a TD pass (now at 54) during this 7-9 season.

This has not aged well, as Watson's off-field actions during this period were set to redefine his career. But the talented QB led the NFL in passing and motored to his third straight Pro Bowl. Closing out a turbulent period in personnel, the Texans went 4-12 — as they fired HC/GM Bill O'Brien in-season. Watson's 4,823 passing yards (along with an NFL-high 8.9 per attempt) and 33 TD passes were runaway career highs, and the dual threat still added 444 on the ground. The Texans ranked 27th defensively, and the running back acquired in the panned DeAndre Hopkins trade — David Johnson — totaled just 691 yards. The spree of Watson sexual misconduct allegations surfaced soon after.

Newton delivered one of the better rookie seasons in NFL history, justifying his No. 1 overall draft slot. The NFL incorporating college concepts around mobile QBs in the early 2010s included Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III, but Newton laid the groundwork a year early. Newton paired a 4,051-yard passing season with 706 on the ground, rushing for 14 touchdowns (without a Tush Push-like easy button to pad that total). Newton was an instant mismatch who started his career with back-to-back 400-yard passing performances. The Panthers went just 6-10, even as Newton and Steve Smith overlapped, but they had identified the key building block.

Gabriel could not justify the cost the Eagles paid in a 1973 trade with the Rams, but he started off well in Philly. The former Rams MVP led the NFL with 23 TD passes and 3,219 yards, doing so at 33. The Eagles went 5-8-1, owing the struggles mostly to a 25th-ranked defense (out of 26 teams). Despite including standout receiver Harold Jackson in the Gabriel trade, the Eagles saw young WR Harold Carmichael take a big step forward with an NFL-most 1,116 yards — the most in his Hall of Fame career. Gabriel also helped rookie tight end Charle Young to an Offensive Rookie of the Year season, but it would be a while before the Eagles put it all together.

Lomax's final full season included a players' strike that wiped out four games — for those that did not cross the picket line. Lomax did not, but he still made his second Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 3,387 passing yards. The Cardinals went 7-8, but Lomax was 6-6 as a starter; St. Louis won four of its final six, beating the defending champion Giants and an ascending Eagles squad. Wideout J.T. Smith did cross the picket line and led the NFL in receiving. Playing for a floundering organization in a tough division, Lomax battled uphill during his career. A career-ending hip injury sidelined him early during the 1988 season.

A controversial sequence began Herbert's debut, as a pregame injection mishap sidelined starter Tyrod Taylor, but the Chargers' true Philip Rivers successor proved better than expected. Herbert set a rookie record with 31 touchdown passes, getting there in 15 games, compared to just 10 INTs. Herbert put a scare into a 14-2 Chiefs team upon debuting in Week 2 and dueled with Tom Brady in a Week 4 shootout loss; the latter effort came during a streak of seven straight multi-TD-pass games. The Chargers went 7-9 in Anthony Lynn's final season but found a franchise QB immediately after letting Rivers walk in free agency.

It is an indictment on the Saints' mid-2010s rosters Brees keeps making appearances here; the 2014 season marks the beginning a steep descent on the defensive side. New Orleans had made four of the previous five playoff brackets but ranked 28th defensively in 2014; this required plenty from Brees. The 2026 Hall of Famer-to-be did not disappoint, once again leading the NFL in passing yards (4,952) while adding 33 TD passes. This was the last Saints offense to feature Jimmy Graham, as they cashed in that chip in a 2015 blockbuster trade, and Marques Colston was winding down at 31. The Saints still beat three playoff teams, including a 44-23 win over the Packers in which Brees was 27-for-32 with three TDs.

This was Garcia's first full season as the 49ers' starter; he had taken over mid-Week 3 of the 1999 campaign after a Steve Young concussion. Although the 49ers went 6-10, Garcia showed the franchise — one that had transitioned seamlessly from Joe Montana to Young — needn't keep shopping at QB. Signed as a free agent from the CFL in 1999, Garcia helped Terrell Owens jump a level. The divisive star earned first-team All-Pro honors in Jerry Rice's San Francisco finale, peaking with Garcia feeding Owens a then-record 20 times in the 49ers' home finale. Garcia set a then-49ers record with 31 TD passes, compared to just 10 INTs. Garcia still holds this record, from a 32-TD 2001 that returned the Niners to the playoffs.

We return to Brees' mid-2010s plight, after we have detailed how most of his mid-30s went. At 37, Brees still had no defense to accompany him. The Saints went 7-9 for a third straight season, ranking second on offense and 31st defensively. Brees' 5,200 yards are second only to his 2011 masterpiece, and he returned to the 70% completion realm. A year away from the Alvin Kamara-Ryan Ramczyk draft class that turned the tide, Brees targeted Brandin Cooks and Michael Thomas — in the WRs' lone season together — and tossed a career-high 673 passes. Brees charted four games of four TD passes. Help was on the way, but the Saints squandered some of the Saints legend's best stuff. 

The NFL's response to Joe Namath's high-octane Jets offenses, Jurgensen shined in a run-centric period for the more established league. The future Hall of Famer led the NFL in passing yards (3,747), TDs (31) and rating, and finished second in completion percentage. The 1964 trade pickup teamed with future Hall of Famers Charley Taylor and Bobby Mitchell, along with standout receiving tight end Jerry Smith. Washington's defense: less good, finishing 15th (out of 16 teams). Otto Graham's team went 5-6-3 but did beat the powerhouse Cowboys thanks to a four-TD Jurgensen day. The 33-year-old QB followed that up with 418 yards in a shootout loss to the playoff-bound Browns the next week.