The NFL offseason has been as crazy as it gets. We’ve seen Tom Brady retire and come back, Russell Wilson being traded to the Denver Broncos, and even Deshaun Watson finding a new home in Cleveland.
Multiple quarterback-needy teams made moves. Others are still on the fence and will give their starters a final chance to prove their worth. They know it, the media know it, the fans know it, and the pressure will keep mounting on.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five starting quarterbacks under the most pressure for the upcoming campaign. They better bring their A-Game or they could lose their jobs by mid-season.
NFL QBs Under The Most Pressure In 2022
5. Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston played only seven games last season and was posting the best passer rating of his career. The New Orleans Saints gave him an elite set of new weapons in Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry, and Michael Thomas will be back from injury.
Winston has the physical traits and tools to be the best QB in the league. He needs to stay healthy and avoid those risky and unnecessary mistakes he often makes. Otherwise, he may not even be on a roster by next season.
4. Marcus Mariota
It’s been a while since Marcus Mariota was a starter. He now gets a fresh start with the Atlanta Falcons, but we all know he’s just a place-holder until Desmond Ridder is ready to take over and lead the offense.
Mariota needs to prove why scouts were so high on him coming out of Oregon. He needs to make plays with his arm as often as he does with his feet, as this will be his final shot to be a starter in the National Football League.
3. Carson Wentz
This will be Carson Wentz’s third team in as many seasons. He fell from grace after being an MVP candidate, and he’s mostl yto blame for the fact that the Indianapolis Colts missed the playoffs last season.
If Ron Rivera can’t fix Wentz’s uncoachable nature, then no one will. The Washington Commanders have a nice set of weapons and the NFC East is always up for grabs. What version of Wentz will we see?
2. Sam Darnold
Even though the Carolina Panthers didn’t trade for Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo, that doesn’t mean they’re sold on Sam Darnold. If anything, the Matt Corrall pick only proves he’s walking on thin ice right now.
The word around the league is that the Panthers’ starting QB job is up for grabs. Moreover, they could pull the plug on Darnold mid-season and trade for a veteran if he starts dropping the ball—both literally and figuratively— again.
1. Trevor Lawrence
Yeah, we know most QBs struggle in their first year and that Peyton Manning looked like a bust in his rookie season. But Trevor Lawrence’s performances were somewhat worrisome considering how much of an elite prospect he was.
The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t win many games and they didn’t do him any favors. But after watching Joe Burrow’s leap in his sophomore season, pressure could keep mounting on Lawrence if he doesn’t start balling out in year 2.