Who Will Win the Starting Job Among Prominent Quarterback Competitions?
Now that the NFL preseason is underway, it is a good time for teams to start evaluating and deciding who will be their starting quarterbacks to start the season. This process is straightforward for some teams as they already have their franchise quarterback heading into camp. However, others presently have a quarterback controversy on their hands. Therefore, the NFL preseason presents a chance for teams to have their quarterbacks get some live game reps with their teammates and determine whether or not they can successfully lead the team. So let’s evaluate the teams that have a quarterback controversy on their hands.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields
Projected Starter: Justin Fields
This has been the focus of most fans’ attention this offseason when it comes to discussing a quarterback controversy and this attention is well deserved. The Steelers have been seemingly stuck in neutral both as an offense because they have struggled to move the ball, and in terms of standings, as they always end the season just on the outside of the playoffs looking in which has landed Mike Tomlin on the hot seat. Therefore, the Steelers made two moves to sure up their quarterback position by getting Russell Wilson on a veteran minimum deal from the Broncos and Justin Fields from the Bears for a sixth-round draft pick. However, both quarterbacks were former starters on their respective teams and neither one has really ever been a backup quarterback, so the prospect of sitting on the bench isn’t exactly appealing to either one. As they enter camp, it appears that Fields has been the more dynamic playmaker using his athleticism at times to make plays at practice. Wilson no longer has the athletic abilities that he used to and he is looking like a shell of the quarterback he used to be on the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Steelers currently are favoring Wilson to start for them, don’t be surprised if Fields makes some tremendous plays this preseason and rises above Wilson in the depth chart by the time the season starts.
Minnesota Vikings - Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy
Projected Starter: Sam Darnold
The Vikings this offseason lost Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, but with the number 10 overall pick, the Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy from the National Champion Michigan Wolverines as the heir apparent to Cousins. Everyone knew that McCarthy wasn’t the most talented quarterback, but there was no denying that he had won everywhere he went this far into his career. However, now he is in the midst of a competition to win the starting job in Minnesota against Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold is an interesting veteran in the league because he came into the league with high expectations and then proceeded to flame out with the New York Jets. However, there are a few still out there, including myself, who still believe that Sam Darnold may actually turn out to be half-decent if given a shot with a real team. With McCarthy still needing a lot of development before getting into an NFL game, I’d expect the Vikings to give the job to Darnold and they’ll see how the season progresses without forcing McCarthy into the fire before he is ready. Luckily, Darnold will be given every weapon needed to win at his disposal with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones on the field beside him.
Denver Broncos - Zach Wilson vs. Jarrett Stidham vs. Bo Nix
Projected Starter: Jarrett Stidham
The late John Madden once said, “If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you have none.” Well, the Broncos won’t have to worry about that issue because they don’t have two quarterbacks, they’ve got three! All joking aside, the Broncos in the post-Peyton Manning era still haven’t been able to find their solution at quarterback. Therefore, the Broncos brought in two veterans, Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, who still haven’t successfully secured a long-term starting job in the NFL, and a new rookie out of Oregon, Bo Nix. I do believe that Nix will start for the Broncos as of about the mid-way point of the season, but he won’t get to start the season as the Broncos are looking to make sure he is comfortable with the offense prior to putting him out there. Therefore, I predict that the starting job in Week One will go to Jarrett Stidham as he has the most experience in this offense and with Sean Payton as a coach. However, I’d expect all three quarterbacks engaged in this quarterback competition to play meaningful snaps for the team at some point this season for one reason or another.
