The searing spotlight doesn't dim once the offseason rolls around

Quarterback is an important position — the most important in pro sports. And with that comes the highest level of scrutiny. The searing spotlight doesn’t dim once the offseason rolls around, either, as teams are annually trying to improve their situation under center.

After spending the season ranking quarterbacks on a weekly basis, I think this is a good time to look ahead at what might be in store for a number of teams and players at the position in the 2024 offseason.

Bill O’Brien’s return didn’t solve the situation under center in New England. Mac Jones didn’t work out. Bailey Zappe isn’t a long-term answer. And for the second time since Tom Brady’s departure for Tampa, the Patriots are looking at spending a top-15 pick on a quarterback. This time, they’re in a better position to potentially land a permanent solution at the position, picking third overall. They might find themselves third in the pecking order for passers — depending on what Chicago does with the first overall pick — but it’s still safe to expect the Pats to select a QB. They simply can’t run it back again with the Jones/Zappe combo.

Arthur Smith’s decision to hitch his wagon to Desmond Ridder — and not pursue an outside option better than backup Taylor Heinicke — spelled the end of his time in Atlanta. Sure, there were moments when Ridder flashed potential, but the total product was unsatisfactory, both in terms of his individual play and the team’s results. The Falcons should be back in the market for a new quarterback, and that market could take them down a number of paths, with the first hinge point coming via the head-coaching search. Is the goal finding a good fit between coach and signal-caller? Is the aim to land the most talented player available? Could Justin Fields be a fit, if Chicago is willing to part with him in favor of a top prospect in the draft? Everything is possible, but one thing is certain: Ridder didn’t earn another chance to take the job in 2024.

Russell Wilson’s benching understandably shocked many near the end of the 2023 regular season. The money detail brought the most sense to the decision, because Wilson wasn’t playing horribly. But the Broncos tried to make it a football issue, too, which combined to produce a PR campaign of sorts that told me one truth: They’re considering moving on. Whether Wilson can still sling it isn’t the debate I’m focused on here. Instead, I’d like to know how they’re going to find a replacement, if they’re even able to do so. Is a trade up from the No. 12 spot in the draft coming? Might they seek another veteran to bridge the gap? This all remains to be seen. And make no mistake: A return for Wilson is definitely still possible if the money is right. But unfortunately for Broncos fans, who have been tested repeatedly since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after winning Super Bowl 50, they’ve ended up in an all-too-familiar place after two years of disappointment.

Ron Rivera tied himself to Sam Howell in 2023, and for a stretch, he looked somewhat like a fortune teller. But honestly, as soon as the franchise’s ownership changed hands, a shift felt inevitable, save for an unlikely run of on-field success. That didn’t happen, and Rivera lost his job. The transition could also spell doom for Howell, who struggled with turnovers down the stretch and all but wiped out the goodwill he’d built with some surprisingly strong early-season performances. A new regime might not see the same potential in Howell as Rivera did, and with the second overall pick in their possession, Washington is in a prime position to select a new savior under center from what has the makings of an enticing QB class, with USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye having declared their intentions to enter the draft. To some, it’d be awkward seeing Washington replace one UNC quarterback (Howell) with another, but that’s just the way things go sometimes. It’s a cold, results-driven world, and it sure feels like a new signal-caller is destined for Washington.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related News

You may have missed