Tonight kicks off the start of the NFL season. The Super Bowl champs Kansas City Cheifs host the Baltimore Ravens. Let’s get it on! But before that, I have some Quarterback questions for three, big time guys. Let’s examine.
QB 1 – Lamar Jackson
I know how talented he is and how he has elevated the Ravens back to Super Bowl contender status. He even has two league MVPs (2019 & 2023) under his belt. I wonder though, can he be more than just a great regular season QB? He finally won another game in the playoffs last season but it was just one win. When he had to go against a really good playoff defense, he looked average out there. Right now, he can’t beat Pat Mahomes or any of the top 5 QBs in the playoffs. He has a 2-4 playoff record. He’s beaten Ryan Tannehill and CJ Stroud. He’s lost to that same Tannehill, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Lamar’s a regular season QB champ right now. Sorry folks.
There is hope though! I did say right now, not forever. Peyton Manning also used to be a regular season champ type QB too. He eventually broke through to win a Super Bowl after a while. It can be done. Can Lamar raise his level up a notch or two in the postseason? I will have to see it to believe it. It’s past time.
QB #2 – Jalen Hurts
Hurts led his team to the Super Bowl during the 2022 season. He played really well in that game and they almost won. But after that 10-1 start last year, the Eagles went down hill fast. Even during that 10-1 start they didn’t look particularly dominant. Hurts exploded on an upward path in 2022 that no one really expected. Many wondered (silently and out loud) last year, was 2022 a fluke? Is he like Cam Newton, having his best year early on and then never coming close to reaching those heights again? Or, was last year just a down year?
With Jason Kelce retiring there’s a lot being said about Jalen having to step up his leadership responsibilities. I’ve never questioned Jalen’s ability to be a leader but he will have to take another step in that area. Maybe it’s not a problem at all for Jalen to rise up and be more of a vocal and inspirational leader that the team needs. I have no clue. However, he just got paid so it’s time for him to show up and show out again. Or, show people like me that you are not who we thought you were, which is that same Alabama QB that was super talented but had trouble throwing the ball with timing when WRs were not running wide open. He’s gotten way better since then of course but I need to see continued success, not just one great year. Step it up Hurts.
QB #3- Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow. The college championship winning QB. The QB who has help turn the Bungles back to the Bengals. The QB who beat Mahomes in the playoffs and took his team to the Super Bowl. The QB who is rated as a top 5 QB and sometimes a top 3 QB in the league. But he is also the QB who gets hurt almost every year. Can he stay healthy? Let’s look at his major injuries:
- Joe tore his ACL in his rookie season in November of 2020.
2. He had an MCL sprain that few people knew about in February 2022. That’s because it happened in the Super Bowl, towards the end of the game. There was no surgery and he rehabbed it in the offseason so not much was said about it.
3. A calf strain in July 2023. That doesn’t seem that big but remember, the Bengals started off very slow, 0-2, because Burrow couldn’t move much, in or outside the pocket.
4. A torn ligament in his wrist in November 2023, week 11, which ended his season.
And there there’s these college injuries too:
5. A fractured hand in 2017 which happened in practice at OSU. He had an operation to repair that broken bone.
6. A chest rib fracture in Janurary 2020. He powered through that one though.
There’s no way I am questioning Burrow’s toughness. I’m just wondering how many more major and minor injuries can he take before he is no longer the same effective QB. The body can only take so much. I hope he is able to protect himself from injury so we can see if he truly is one of the great QBs in the NFL. I think he is but I’m not totally sure. Stay healthy and show me Joe B. Burrow, not Biden.
Other Quarterback questions I’d like to know:
Can Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins come back from achilles injuries and lead their teams to respectable seasons? I’m just talking about 8 or 9 wins here. I’m not asking for a playoff appearance. I just want to see if they still have the pop in their bodies after those terrible season ending injuries so late in their careers.
Can CJ Shroud thrive again this year or will he go through a sophomore slump? Last year is going to be a tough year to follow up.
Will Bryce Young look like an NFL QB this year? As an Alabama fan, last year was rough to watch.
Will any of the rookie QBs (Williams, Daniels, Nix) look as good in the regular season as they did in the preseason? When will Penix take over for Cousins?
Can Tua take another step forward and lead the Dolphins back to the playoffs again? He’s making me nervous with all that talking he has been doing since he’s gotten paid. I hope he backs it up.
Will Pittsburgh go with a Quarterback by committee approach? Ouch!!!!
And that was that. Those are my Quarterback questions that I’m anxious to find out the answers to. We’ll see pretty soon. For now though, I’m out. Come back again, I’ll have more content for you later.