Taking Stock of NFL Quarterback Battles
Whos starting in |A|
Week 1? The final |B|
week of the NFL |C|
preseason has arrived, and |D|
a few teams have |E|
still yet to name |F|
a starting quarterback. Lets |G|
check in on the |H|
most interesting QB battles |J|
around the league. The Commanders put |L|
an end to their |M|
suspense-less QB competition on |O|
Monday, naming rookie Jayden |P|
Daniels as their starter |Q|
for the season opener. |R|
Daniels, the No. 2 |S|
pick in this years |U|
draft, seemed destined to |V|
be the teams starter |Y|
from the moment his |Z|
name was called on |A|
draft night. Technically, he |B|
was fighting with veteran |C|
Marcus Mariota for the |D|
spot, but the job |E|
was always Danielss to |F|
lose. Daniels saw limited |G|
action in the teams |H|
first preseason game against |J|
the New York Jets, |K|
completing two of his |L|
three passes. The highlight |M|
was a 42-yard bomb |O|
to Dyami Brown. He |P|
also scored a three-yard |Q|
touchdown on a read |R|
option. Daniels got more |S|
playing time in Saturdays |U|
game against the Miami |V|
Dolphins, completing 10 of |Y|
12 passes for 78 |Z|
yards. “We knew we |A|
would get here,” Washington |B|
coach Dan Quinn told |C|
reporters, “but we were |D|
just excited to see |E|
how we would. Seeing |F|
him hit all the |G|
spots, this is a |H|
rare competitor. Hes just |J|
had a remarkable start |K|
to things.” The other quarterback |M|
competition decided over the |O|
weekend was the Raiders |P|
job, which went to |Q|
veteran Gardner Minshew. Aidan |R|
OConnell, who started 10 |S|
games for Las Vegas |U|
last season, was also |V|
in the mix, but |Y|
coach Antonio Pierce said |Z|
Sunday that Minshew had |A|
won the job. “We |B|
feel like Gardner gives |C|
us the best opportunity |D|
to get off to |E|
a fast start, and |F|
thats what were going |G|
with,” Pierce said. “We |H|
support him, our teams |J|
behind it, our staffs |K|
behind it, our organizations |L|
behind it.” Minshew had |M|
a strong season last |O|
year with the Indianapolis |P|
Colts filling in for |Q|
Anthony Richardson after the |R|
rookie injured his shoulder. |S|
He completed 62.2% of |U|
his passes with 15 |V|
touchdowns and nine interceptions |Y|
in 13 starts, good |Z|
enough to be named |A|
to the Pro Bowl |B|
as an injury replacement. |C|
The Colts went 7–6 |D|
in games he started |E|
and narrowly missed out |F|
on a playoff spot. |G|Washington |K|
Commanders
Las Vegas |L|
Raiders
New |G| England Patriots
The top |H| two picks in this |J| years draft (Caleb Williams |K| and Daniels) have already |L| been named their teams |M| starting quarterbacks. Drake Maye |O| is hoping to make |P| it three-for-three, but hes |Q| duking it out with |R| Jacoby Brissett in New |S| England.
Patriots coach Jerod |U| Mayo had spent the |V| offseason saying Brissett was |Y| most likely to be |Z| the starter, but he |A| hasnt made the official |B| call yet. The fact |C| that Mayo has waited |D| this long to name |E| a starter means that |F| Maye is still in |G| the running, though.
Brissett, |H| 31, saw very limited |J| action last season with |K| the Commanders, throwing just |L| 23 passes in three |M| games, but was serviceable |O| in 11 starts for |P| the Cleveland Browns in |Q| 2022. Brissetts appeal is |R| obvious. Hes an experienced |S| pro who has successfully |U| adapted to new situations |V| throughout his career. Maye |Y| is much more athletic |Z| than Brissett, giving him |A| the ability to extend |B| plays and allowing the |C| Patriots to add elements |D| like the read option |E| to their playbook.
It |F| might make sense for |G| the Patriots to have |H| Brissett start early in |J| the season during what |K| is shaping up to |L| be a brutal four-game |M| opening stretch. New England |O| has road games against |P| the Cincinnati Bengals, New |Q| York Jets and San |R| Francisco 49ers, as well |S| as a home date |U| against the Seattle Seahawks. |V| Those Jets and Niners |Y| games—away from home against |Z| two of the best |A| defenses in the league |B| in back-to-back weeks—would be |C| particularly daunting for a |D| rookie quarterback.
Denver Broncos
|E| dir="ltr">The other rookie quarterback |F| with a chance to |G| start in Week 1 |H| is the one many |J| people didnt expect to |K| be selected in the |L| top half of the |M| first round. Bo Nix, |O| the former Oregon Ducks |P| signal caller, was a |Q| surprise pick at No. |R| 12 but appears to |S| be the frontrunner for |U| the Broncos job.
The |V| Denver QB competition is |Y| theoretically a three-way battle |Z| between Nix, Jarrett Stidham |A| and Zach Wilson, but |B| Wilson seems like a |C| distant third. Stidhams primary |D| advantage is that he |E| spent last year with |F| the Broncos and is |G| therefore familiar with coach |H| Sean Paytons offensive scheme. |J| He has thrown two |K| picks this preseason, though. |L| Nix, meanwhile, has been |M| lights out in exhibition |O| play. He has thrown |P| for 205 yards on |Q| 23-of-30 passing (76.7%) with |R| two touchdowns and no |S| picks.
Payton has yet |U| to name a starter, |V| but Nixs strong play |Y| in the preseason has |Z| made him the obvious |A| choice. All three quarterbacks |B| will have one last |C| chance to prove themselves |D| in Sundays preseason finale |E| at home against the |F| Arizona Cardinals.
