In life, not everything goes the way you desire. Sometimes a situation can fall apart. Other times you can flourish at the start, then grow stagnant. And other times the situation could never even take off. But there’s nothing wrong with a fresh start -- sometimes it’s needed -- and each of these quarterbacks could use a fresh start. All these QBs have once upon a time been billed as the QB of the future for an NFL franchise, but for some reason or other it hasn’t worked out that way. However, none of these players are irredeemable and a fresh start could be just what they need to jumpstart their careers.
5. Dwayne Haskins, Washington Football Team (Go to the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Even though he was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Dwayne Haskins was drafted into a losing situation. After he was selected was reported that Haskins was the preferred pick of team owner Dan Snyder and former president Bruce Allen and that then-head coach Jay Gruden didn’t want him on the team. Regardless of that, he still appeared in nine games, starting seven of those, and finished his rookie season completing 58.6% of his passes for 1365 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions on a team without any real offensive threats. And even though Gruden is no longer the head coach and the Washington Football Team is under a complete rebuild, new head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t seem sold on the second-year player either. Haskins started the first four games of the season, but was benched due to lack of effectiveness, as there were rumors going around about his attitude and lack of work ethic.
One franchise where Haskins could be the answer and get a chance to truly turn his career around is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ever since Ben Roethlisberger became the starting quarterback in 2004, the Steelers haven’t had the need for a top quarterback prospect (or the ability to even get one, as they haven’t had a losing season in 17 seasons). With that being said, the 38-year-old Big Ben probably has one more season in him, as the wear and tear of 17 years in the league has taken its toll and it’s evident he’s not what he once was. Haskins sitting behind Roethlisberger for at least one year could benefit him greatly, as he was compared to him during pre-draft evaluations. The no-nonsense style of Mike Tomlin and the Steelers culture would benefit him, as he’d learn how to be the consummate pro and not have to deal with the dumpster fire that is the Washington Football Team. The Steelers also have arguably the best four-man rotation of WRs in the NFL with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and James Washington and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner also employs the type of spread scheme that is helped Haskins throw 50 touchdowns during his lone season at Ohio State. Haskins on the Steelers would be a match made in heaven for all parties involved.
4. Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas Raiders (Go to San Francisco 49ers)
Marcus Mariota was the number two overall draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft (behind a player mentioned later in this article) and deservedly so; he had an illustrious collegiate career, winning the Walter Camp Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Heisman Trophy, AP Player of the Year, and many other awards, as well as put on a spectacular showing at the 2015 NFL Combine. He was supposed to be the savior of the Tennessee Titans, the first quarterback to lead the team to a Super Bowl since Steve McNair… only none of those things happened. While Mariota only had one losing season and some playoff success in his five years with Tennessee, they were always mediocre and never able to get over the hump. A big reason for that was the constant shuffling of the coaching staff. Mariota played for three different head coaches, four different offensive coordinators, and five different playcallers during his stint with the Titans. That lack of continuity along a staff isn’t conducive to any young QB’s success, especially when none of those coaches adapt to your play style or get you weapons. Another reason for Mariota’s flaming out in Tennessee is injury. So far in his career, he’s suffered two MCL sprains, a fractured fibula, hamstring pulls, pinched nerves, and an elbow sprain; and those are just the injuries that came up on the injury report, as he’s played through a plethora of other injuries.
Now with the Las Vegas Raiders, Mariota is back in the national spotlight, with starting QB Derek Carr out with a “significant groin injury,” via NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport. During a Week 15 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Mariota got his first chance at extended playing time. Mariota displayed the accuracy, anticipation, and athleticism that made him a number two draft pick, completing 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and adding for 88 yards and another touchdown on the ground. The tools that he displayed during the game showed he still had some potential he could unlock, and one person that is known for doing that is San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is the son of legendary head coach Mike Shanahan and like his father employs the West Coast offense. Where the father and son differ however, is that the younger Shanahan has modernized the offense and has woven spread concepts into his scheme as well. The Niners offense features a lot of movement, pre-snap motions, run-pass options and plenty of other things that Mariota succeeded at during his college days at Oregon. Shanahan is an offensive guru that made Matt Ryan an MVP quarterback and took him to the Super Bowl, helped Jimmy Garoppolo keep pace with Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl, and made backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard look like viable starters. When you add mobility to the equation, none of these players have the natural talent that Mariota has. Shanahan and Mariota working together would open up the playbook in ways they couldn’t even imagine. This is truly a perfect pairing.
3. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts (Go to the Washington Football Team)
As a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, when it came to starting, Jacoby Brissett was never given a fair shake. He was drafted by the New England Patriots as a developmental prospect to take over for Tom Brady when he finally retired, but ended up being traded to the Indianapolis Colts once franchise quarterback Andrew Luck was lost for the season. In his first year with the Colts he threw for 3,098 yards, only 13 touchdowns, had seven interceptions, completed 58.8% of his passes, and led them to a 4-12 season. However, when adding context to the season, you see that he did the best he could; he didn’t have a full offseason to prepare and learn with the team (as he was traded just eight days before the first game), the Colts had one of the worst offensive and defensive lines, and he only had one above average wide receiver in the oft-injured T.Y. Hilton. When he got his second chance to start for the Colts in 2019, he had a better offensive line and running game, but his receivers were worse, as Hilton missed six games and no other receiver topped 300 yards; he put up 18 TDs to six interceptions, with 2942 yards and completed 61% of his passes.
Now relegated back to a backup for the Colts, Brissett is having his talents under-utilized; he only comes in for short yardage run situations (he has three rushing touchdowns) and the occasional deep ball. A team that could really use a player with his skill set is the Washington Football Team. Coming into the season WFT had only an 11% chance of making the playoffs. Now the team is leading the NFC East and overachieving to the highest degree. However, the team still has very few offensive weapons and Alex Smith is no longer a starting caliber quarterback, Kyle Allen was never good, and the organization has soured on Dwayne Haskins. Jacoby Brissett would be perfect for coordinator Scott Turner’s offense. Turner is the son of Norv Turner, one of the best offensive minds in NFL history, and uses the same offense as his father, the Air Coryell. To successfully run this offense you need a big arm, which Brissett has. The Football Team also has a few Terry McLaurin, a young receiver that will soon develop into a star, and a swiss army knife in running back Antonio Gibson. Those two play well in the spread concepts that Turner likes to incorporate. If WFT doesn’t have to worry about spending a draft pick on a quarterback and instead can get another receiver or an offensive lineman (they have given up 44 sacks on the season, tied for the second most in the league), combined with the strong defense they already have, Brissett would be in a position to truly make some noise.
2. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (Go to the Indianapolis Colts)
Carson Wentz was the second overall draft pick of the 2016 NFL Draft and was supposed to wipe the stench of the Chip Kelly era off of the Philadelphia Eagles and save the franchise. And for the first two years, he was on that path. During his second year, he was playing at an MVP level; he finished third in MVP voting, despite tearing his ACL in Week 14 and missing the rest of the season. That season backup quarterback Nick Foles was able to finish the job Wentz started and lead the team to its first Super Bowl win in franchise history. While it seemed as if this was the start of something great for the Eagles, this was actually the beginning of the end. The following season there was a quarterback controversy among the Eagles over who deserved to start, Wentz or former backup and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. The Eagles bet on Wentz, but when he even struggled slightly, fans clamored for Foles.
Fast forward to now Foles has been traded and Wentz has now been surpassed on the depth chart by electrifying rookie Jalen Hurts, after struggling greatly this season. Not only does Wentz want to go, as he’s “not interested in being a backup quarterback" and wants “to move on from the Eagles” according to Adam Schefter, but he needs to go. He was never really appreciated by the Eagles fans and it doesn’t seem like he’ll get back to that MVP-caliber player if he stays with coach Doug Pederson. One franchise that would be a great fit for him would be the Indianapolis Colts. The head coach of the Colts is none other than Frank Reich, the offensive coordinator that helped Wentz have his best season and the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Wentz already knows the offense and has had proven success running it. Another thing that Indianapolis holds over the Eagles is that they have more weapons. The Eagles are notorious for their lack of weapons, as Wentz was never surrounded with an adequate offensive line or elite skill position players. In Indianapolis the Colts have an elite deep threat in T.Y. Hilton, who can’t reach his full potential with the weak arm of Philip Rivers throwing to him. They also have the sixth ranked offensive line in the league and running backs Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, and (the currently injured) Marlon Mack, who can make up a dynamic three-headed rushing attack. Being reunited with Frank Reich would take Wentz out of the toxic Philly environment and bring back the Wentz of old.
1. Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints (Stay with the New Orleans Saints)
While all the previous QBs have been told to leave, Jameis Winston is in a very different situation. None of these other quarterbacks are being coached by Sean Payton, one of the most innovative offensive coaches in NFL history, and because of that Jameis should stay. During his 14 years in New Orleans, Payton has only had one season where his offense has ranked outside the top nine teams in yards gained—this season. A big reason for the offenses lack of success this season is quarterback Drew Brees. While Brees is a Super Bowl winning quarterback and owner of virtually every all-time passing record, he is 40 years old (soon to be 41) and well past his prime. Brees simply doesn’t have the arm strength or athleticism he once had and he is getting fragile, as all the wear and tear on his body is catching up. The Saints have a plethora of weapons, but Brees just can’t take advantage of them like he used to.
Enter Jameis Winston. During his entire coaching career, Payton has never had a quarterback with the natural talent that Winston has; none have ever had his combination of mobility and pure arm strength. While Jameis does have questionable decision-making skills and a penchant for turnovers (in 2019, his last season as a starter, he threw 30 interceptions), he still has the talent that made him a Heisman Trophy winner the number one overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If there’s anybody that can maximize Winston’s abilities, it’s Sean Payton. And for what it’s worth Jameis seems completely committed to rehabbing his image as a player and learning how to improve. He even got Lasik eye surgery to fix his vision. The Saints have a surplus of offensive talent in Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Taysom Hill (if they stop trying to use him as a quarterback), Latavius Murray, Jared Cook, etc. Jameis Winston could be the key that allows Sean Payton to push his offense to heights he’s never reached.