Caleb Harris
The draft is done. Free agency has calmed down. The schedule is on its way. It’s time to look ahead NFL, with training camps and the 2024 season approaching. So let’s open a little Friday notebook, with some fresh and lingering thoughts on spicy quarterback situations and a potential sleeper for the new year:
Haven’t we learned our Mr. Irrelevant lesson?
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We released our first post-draft edition of 2024 Quarterback Power Rankings this week, and easily the most controversial choice was putting Brock Purdy at No. 2 behind only Patrick Mahomes. Let me start by saying that these hierarchies never satisfy everyone, and that makes perfect sense because it all depends on your criteria. If I’m starting a NFL team Tomorrow, for example, I would of course prefer to receive physical gifts from, say, Josh Allen. And, yes, maybe Kyle Shanahan instead of has Josh Allen as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Imagine what a signal-caller like Allen could do there, with all those weapons and all those favorable schemes.
And to that I say: look at what Purdy has already done done there. Everyone can claim they’re tired of Purdy’s “Mr. Irrelevant” label, but it seems there’s still a sizable faction of people who believe, consciously or not, that Purdy is yet irrelevant, at least in the elite quarterback conversation, for the simple reason that he plays for a good team. Comparing him to Jimmy Garoppolo or other Shanahan products also carries some weight, because Garoppolo has never been more efficient, more mobile, more resilient, more durable, especially at such an early stage in his career. Would Purdy be who he is if he started for the Houston Texans? Maybe not. But he can’t control it. He is who he is and, unlike the Allens and Lamar Jacksons of the world, he has already played a real part in getting his club to the final stage.
What more do fans want from Purdy? Fifty touchdowns instead of 31? An 80% completion rate instead of 69%? Two rings instead of two NFC title game appearances in two NFL seasons? A trade request from the 49ers so he can prove he’s not just a byproduct of the Shanahan system? I understand the arguments. I also believe that others may have more transcendent skill sets. But it’s not like Purdy is a flat-footed pocket statue either. He does off-script plays. In big spots. And he’s just 24 years old and entering Year 3. If, for whatever reason, he can’t maintain his veteran poise and production, he’ll appropriately fall down the rankings. Until then? I think the 49ers are very happy to have him.
Nashville Could Be Home to a Sleeping Titan
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Every team gets a lot of hype in the offseason. But if you’re looking for a surprise candidate to emerge from the shadows, take a look at what’s happening in Tennessee. Initially, general manager Ran Carthon’s offseason picks had me scratching my head: $20 million-plus a year for 29-year-old Calvin Ridley? Top 10 running backs for Tony Pollard? The headlines seemed more appropriate for the year 2020. But then L’Jarius Sneed came around the corner. Lloyd Cushenberry inside. A first round attack, with JC Latham.
Suddenly, in a single off-season, the Titans appear to have gone from a clumsy rebuild to quietly competing. The best part: They’re wasting no time giving young quarterback Will Levis a deep supporting cast. Is Levis the answer? This is not clear. But the rugged bulldozer showed promise in limited action as a rookie, and now, unlike, say, Justin Fields with the Chicago Bears, he can at least rest easy knowing he’s entering a full-season audition with proven capabilities in front, throughout and behind the scenes, where former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan should be able to infuse some additional passing efficiency.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have everything they need to be tough again. The Houston Texans are the darlings of many, making their own flashy adjustments around CJ Stroud. But who’s to say the Titans can’t return to the wild-card scenario, finally relieved of the old-school Ryan Tannehill era?
Quarterback competition? Follow the Trail in Pittsburgh
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The Steelers went against character in trading patience for proactive action at quarterback this offseason, and many understandably praised them for securing not one but two low-risk, high-reward options in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. But how should we evaluate the competition for the top job? On the one hand, coach Mike Tomlin has long exercised restraint and has spoken about Wilson’s NFL experience, while also admitting that the veteran is in pole position for QB1 duties. On the other hand, Pittsburgh’s unusually aggressive 2024 suggests that a riskier, albeit more attractive, signal-caller like Fields could have a cleaner path to the field.
At the end of the day, though, I feel like Wilson is a relatively safe bet to go under center in Week 1, barring injury. The Steelers are perpetually in win-now mode, or at least don’t-lose-now mode. Tomlin is not an easy part of the decision-making process in this organization and is likely telling the truth about Wilson’s established perception of the game. There’s also general manager Omar Khan’s admission that the Steelers never imagined acquiring Fields, at least until exiled former first-rounder Kenny Pickett did a nasty report on Wilson’s rapid rise to “pole position.” This means the Steelers originally intended for Wilson to be O Pickett’s alternative.
Put it this way: Are the Steelers more likely to open the year with Fields, the NFL’s most mercurial passer, and later turn to Wilson, who has 188 career starts, to salvage their season? Or will they be more likely to start with Wilson, preserving the 25-year-old Fields as a “break the glass in case of emergency” scenario, potentially buying more time for the current regime in case Wilson gambles – and the 2024 season – Are you heading south in a hurry? Count me in for the last one. Could Fields be integrated sooner, in other ways? I could certainly see that. But in terms of a Week 1 starting quarterbackthe signs point to the first Super Bowl champion getting the nod.
Four more casualties
- Confusion in Jacksonville: Jaguars coach Doug Pederson not committing to a play-caller for the 2024 season after previously suggesting he could regain the role from offensive coordinator Press Taylor. This may or may not be cause for concern after such an erratic showing from Trevor Lawrence and Co. in 2023. Keep in mind that Pederson previously parted ways with the Philadelphia Eagles because of his supposed loyalty to Taylor, even as their once vaunted offense became obsolete there.
- Joe Burrow is right: Cincinnati Bengals star recently launched the idea of the NFL creating a “Pro Bowl Week”, like the NBA’s All-Star break, in the event of a future 18-game regular season schedule. This would allow all 32 teams to enjoy a second bye, all at the same time. The concept seems foolproof, to be honest. Additionally, it would allow the NFL to better market its fading stars product.
- A note about other competitions: We spoke to the Steelers previously. But I think it’s also safe to say that basically any team that stages a real quarterback competition involving a veteran is bound to start multiple signal-callers in 2024. Think of the Las Vegas Raiders with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Even the New England Patriots with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. Odds are, when a guy isn’t definitely good enough to secure a job on day one, more than one will end up playing anyway.
- Panthers starting to run: New coach Dave Canales I just revealed “The intention of our offense is to run the ball.” Which could signal to some a decrease in confidence in last year’s No. 1 pick, quarterback Bryce Young. That’s a reach. Some of the best signalers in the game grow, or maintain excellence, by having something as simple as real ground support. Furthermore, after bolstering the interior with expensive guard additions, Carolina is better built to handle the ball as well.
