Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask battled for the starting job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The NFL preseason has reached its final week, and as always, one of the main unknowns is who will be the starting quarterbacks for each of the franchises. For this 2023, and despite the fact that at least 10 franchises considered different options to take control, the 32 starters have already been defined. Next we will make a count of each position.
Mayfield vs Trask, the last piece to fall
Until a few hours ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only team that had not yet defined the starting position for Week 1 of the season. The battle was between two quarterbacks who came in very different ways. On the one hand, Baker Mayfield was looking to make good what could be his last chance to start in the NFL, after a couple of unspectacular seasons in Cleveland and Carolina. Kyle Trask, for his part, was the second-round pick in the 2021 draft, and the organization expected him to be the heir to Tom Brady.
Mayfield looked solid in the Bucs’ preseason opener, completing 8 of 9 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. However, after looking dubious in that same game, Trask completed 20 of 28 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown in last week’s game against the New York Jets. Despite Trask’s performance, Todd Bowles settled on veteran Mayfield, who will at least face less pressure than when he was with the Cleveland Browns.
Arizona without a starter for Week 1
There is no doubt that when he is ready to see action, Kyler Murray will be the starter for the Arizona Cardinals, however, there is still no clear date for his return. What does seem to be a given is that he won’t be ready before the opening week of the campaign. Colt McCoy is tipped as the second-team quarterback, but Clayton Tune’s performance could change those plans. McCoy, Tune, Jeff Driskell and David Blough came into preseason looking for the job, but Tune has looked the best thus far.
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Kyler Murray, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, still does not know when he will return to activity. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The rookie completed 12 of 24 passes for 133 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, while McCoy has 42 yards in two split games. But the biggest difference is the mobility of both quarterbacks. While McCoy is a veteran used to shooting out of the pocket, Tune is a more mobile rookie. Given the problems with the Cardinals’ offensive line, starting the season with a younger, more mobile quarterback seems like an option Jonathan Gannon could consider.
newcomers to the scene
Despite playing little in the preseason, Anthony Richardson is one of three rookie quarterbacks to open the season as starters. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Gone are the days when rookie quarterbacks waited at least a few weeks to take the reins of a team. Or so the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts hope. Bryce Young and CJ Stroud lived up to expectations and showed enough in preseason to clinch the Week 1 start. While neither particularly shone, both they did enough in teams that still have many holes to fill before competing for a championship.
The most surprising case was that of Richardson. Noted by some analysts as a project in the medium or long term, the product of the University of Florida officially received the title after the first game of preseason. Richardson didn’t particularly shine in that game and threw an interception. Also, the colts have Gardner Minshew, who has been a competent quarterback in the NFL, however, Indianapolis decided to go another route.
Attention in case of injury
Brock Purdy returned to activity with the San Francisco 49ers, but there are questions about his fitness after a serious elbow injury. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
One of the most interesting races seemed to take place in San Francisco, where the 49ers until a few weeks ago did not know if Brock Purdy would return in time. Purdy, who excelled in his rookie season, bounced back in time and has already seen action in the preseason. The former Iowa State quarterback will start the season, but questions remain about his recovery, particularly given the complications he could encounter from injuring his elbow.
That is why the fight between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold for second place has acquired greater importance. Both were first-round picks and haven’t been able to live up to expectations. Lance was drafted by the 49ers in 2021, but injuries have kept him from getting off the ground, and there are questions about his ability to handle Kyle Shanahan’s system. Darnold was the third overall pick in 2018 by the New York Jets, but he hasn’t had success in either the Big Apple or Carolina. In the event of an injury to Purdy, it will fall to the race winner to maintain the high aspirations in the bay.
A similar situation occurs with the quarterbacks of the Las Vegas Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo came on to replace Derek Carr, but he’s just coming off a foot injury. Garoppolo has struggled to stay in the field before, and the second spot would be between veteran Brian Hoyer and rookie Aidan O’Connell. Hoyer knows Josh McDaniels’ system, but in the preseason it’s hard to find a better-performing quarterback than O’Connell.
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