5 NFL quarterbacks with most to prove in 2020
The quarterback landscape in the NFL has shifted considerably. We discuss five signall-callers facing career-defining seasons in 2020.
5. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
Rivers is 38 years old and for the first time in 17 seasons, not suiting up for the Los Angeles Chargers. No, the Chargers willfully moved on from Rivers to draft Justin Herbert, allowing the potential future Hall of Famer to catch on with the Colts.
If Rivers can showcase his vintage form in Naptown during this one-year deal, there’s a real chance he gets another lucrative, short-term deal. If not, it’s almost certainly the end of the line for Rivers as a starter in the NFL.
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4. Sam Darnold, New York Jets
Darnold is the first of three quarterbacks on this list from the 2018 draft class. Look, the Jets have been floundering for a decade and Darnold, fair or not, needs to lead them out of the wilderness. If New York is terrible again and Darnold is throwing 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions as he did in 2019, it’s over.
The Jets need Darnold to take the next step and become consistently ablate avoid turnovers while making big plays in the red zone. Until it happens, he’s a guy.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen is one the best Bills team — at least on paper — in 25 years. He needs to complete more than 60 percent of his passes for the first time in his career and turn Stefon Diggs into the missing piece he was acquired to become. If Allen falters, Buffalo fans are going to sour on him.
It’s time for the youngster to make his move up the proverbial ladder. Last year, Allen started all 16 games and threw for 3,089 yards and 20 touchdowns. Neither number is near enough for a top-tier player. He needs to improve by 30 percent in both categories.
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2. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Stafford is still in the prime of his career at 31 years old. However, he’s coming off an injury-plagued season where he started eight times. Yet in those starts, he set a pace for more than 5,000 passing yards.
With the Lions one bad season away from a full-scale rebuild, this is a critical campaign. If Stafford is hurt again (and it’s worth noting, he played 16 games each fo the prior eight years), Detroit may decide to start fresh and put him on the market. Considering the financial landscape, that may not be ideal for his fortunes.
1. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Plain and simple, Mayfield has no safety net. If he and the Browns are bad again in 2020, there’s real reason to believe general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski look to move on. Why? Because neither was in the building when Mayfield’s drafted. They have no ties to him.
