Every NFL team is under some amount of pressure going into a new season. The same can be said of quarterbacks. Some signal-callers are expected to contend for a championship. Others are out to prove they’re simply developing properly.
The NFC, in particular, has quarterbacks all over the spectrum: Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers, for example, are fresh off their second conference title bid in two years, entrenched in the top tier of 2024 offenses. Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, are still in the thick of a youth movement.
Which of the conference’s 16 starting quarterbacks are under the most pressure entering the 2024 campaign? Here’s our case for the top five:
(To check out the AFC quarterbacks facing the most pressure, click here.)
One year after landing a then-record $255 million deal, and two years after going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, Hurts isn’t going anywhere. He’s still got top-tier mettle as the even-keeled face of the Eagles. Still, there is immense pressure on Philadelphia to capitalize on an all-world skill group and return to title contention following a historic 2023 collapse. That starts with Hurts, whose more mercurial follow-up to 2022’s breakout helped facilitate Kellen Moore’s arrival as the new offensive coordinator. Hurts’ trajectory in the new system could determine the fate of coach Nick Sirianni as well.
He’s technically earning middle-of-the-road quarterback money now, but that doesn’t change the fact the Saints paid a not-small amount to make him “their guy” in 2023. At 33, he’s still a gutsy leader, fighting through injuries to finish his New Orleans debut efficiently. He’s been more serviceable, if not frustratingly conservative, for much of his career, however, and is still seeking his first playoff win entering Year 11. This feels like a make-or-break moment for both he and coach Dennis Allen in a contestable NFC South. After all, the Saints can easily exit his contract in 2025, when a post-June 1 cut would save $30 million.
It’d be one thing if Atlanta simply paid Cousins top-10 quarterback money as its prized free agent, betting on the former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller’s return from a torn Achilles going on 36. The fact the Falcons turned around and also spent a top-10 draft pick on Cousins’ likely successor, Michael Penix Jr., cranks the heat up even more. Penix may be the future to Cousins’ present, but that still puts clear pressure on the present, where new coach Raheem Morris is surely expecting an immediate playoff push out of the NFC South. Will Cousins’ aw-shucks leadership finally translate to a big-game result?
On one hand, Prescott’s representation probably isn’t feeling too much pressure: With Dallas potentially letting the Pro Bowler play out his current contract, the ninth-year veteran is bound for a major 2025 free-agent payday barring a major injury or regression. Still, it’s pretty clear Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is finally skeptical of his quarterback’s ceiling, telling us with his hesitation to extend Prescott yet again that the postseason hiccups haven’t gone unnoticed. So if Dak desires to remain the face of this franchise, he and coach Mike McCarthy almost have to deliver more than a one-and-done playoff run.
Can you believe Jones is already entering Year 6 with the Giants? Neither can he, probably. Already on his third NFL head coach, the former first-rounder hasn’t always been dealt a proper hand in New York. Major flareups of turnovers and injuries have left his $160 million contract looking like an albatross, however, and current Giants management has all but questioned his grip on the top job, openly exploring first-round replacements this spring. Unfortunately for Jones, his lineup still registers as a work in progress. But it’s probably now or never for him reclaiming the organization’s trust.
Honorable mention: Milder pressure
- Bryce Young (Panthers): New coach Dave Canales could be the perfect partner for the 2023 No. 1 pick. Still, Young has plenty to prove after a rookie year marred by poor protection and reaction time, not to mention his unprecedently small size. Carolina is banking on a second-year leap.
- Jared Goff (Lions): Visibly resilient as the figurehead of a balanced Detroit offense during the Lions’ storybook march to the NFC title game, Goff now faces the pressure of sustaining Motown’s sudden excellence. He’s at least got the weapons to maintain good numbers.
- Jordan Love (Packers): Like his NFC North counterpart in Goff, it’s all about delivering on raised expectations now. Love’s only going into Year 2 as a full-time starter, but with Josh Jacobs joining his offense and the playoffs clearly in reach, can he make even more strides as a gunslinger?
- Caleb Williams (Bears): Basically every rookie quarterback gets a pass when it comes to big-picture standing here, but Chicago did everything to accommodate his arrival, from trading Justin Fields to acquiring a slew of veteran playmakers, like Keenan Allen. The bar has been set relatively high.
- Geno Smith (Seahawks): New coach Mike Macdonald will probably prefer his experience to that of new backup Sam Howell, and Smith still has a crunch-time fastball. Going on 34 and coming off an uneven year, however, he feels much more like a placeholder than he did a year ago.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
July 18, 2024 | 9:10 am
