The 2023 season will provide answers to some of the biggest questions in fantasy football. Fifteen teams are defined by their quarterback questions.
What is the Arizona quarterback plan?
Kyler Murray signed a 5 year, 230-million-dollar extension with over 100 million dollars guaranteed in 2022. Murray’s preparedness came under fire after a clause requiring him to spend time studying the playbook was revealed in his extension. Murray then tore his ACL in week 13 before general manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury got fired this offseason. The team has a new front office and head coach, while Murray is expected to miss time to start the season. Arizona is the favorite to have the number one pick in the NFL Draft in 2024, in a class that has Caleb Williams as the projected number one overall pick. Murray has 35 million dollars guaranteed and a 51.9-million-dollar cap hit in 2024 and could be a potential trade candidate if the team lands in the top of the draft in 2023.
Can Justin Fields take the team?
There is a lot of optimism about Justin Fields. He has struggled to date, particularly with high sack and scramble rates that have left Chicago as one of the lower passing volume teams in the league. D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, and Cole Kmet all will depend on growth from Fields as a passer. If he does not take a leap as a passer, Chicago could be a candidate to use their two first-round picks in the 2024 draft to upgrade at quarterback.
Can Russell Wilson rebound?
Russell Wilson had a terrible debut with the Denver Broncos, and his 2023 season is a major turning point in his career. The team fired Nathaniel Hackett during the season before hiring Sean Payton earlier this offseason. Wilson is a candidate to rebound his touchdown rate, and Payton should help his career.
Who is Jordan Love?
The last time a quarterback other than Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers started week one for the Green Bay Packers was the 1991 season. Jordan Love has sat behind Rodgers the past three years, and the vibes around his development have been better this year than in years past. Love’s development will have a major impact on key fantasy football players like Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Christian Watson, and Romeo Doubs.
Can Matthew Stafford rebound?
The health of Matthew Stafford’s elbow was a big concern in 2022, and he struggled before a spinal contusion cost him the second half of his season. Now Stafford is back, with a reworked team and the team claiming his elbow is 100% healthy. Stafford’s participation and health in training camp are key watches in training camp. Stafford’s cap hit jumps to 49.5 million dollars in 2024, 50.5 million dollars in 2025, and 49.5 million dollars in 2026, but only 31 million dollars in salary in 2024 is guaranteed. If Stafford struggles, the team could cut him with a post-June-1 designation for a cap hit of 49.5 million dollars if they cut him with a post-June-1 designation. The team is tied with Tampa Bay, Houston, and Indianapolis as the second-worst win total at 6.5 wins and is projected to pick very early in an NFL draft class with a strong quarterback class, so this is a critical year for Stafford to protect his job.
Does Deshaun Watson rebound?
Deshaun Watson has been a top 6 performer on a per-game basis at every point of his career until sexual abuse allegations derailed his career. He sat out the 2021 season before being traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2022. Watson played only 6 games in 2022 and threw for only 6.5 yards per attempt while finishing as QB24 in per game scoring among quarterbacks with multiple starts. Watson has rebounded to a top-10 quarterback in fantasy valuations and has been picked near the first-second round turn in Superflex startup drafts, so the market is bullish on his ability to rebound in 2023. If he rebounds, that could be a bargain, but his price could plummet if he performs closer to the 2022 version than the 2020 version. The vibes out of Cleveland’s training camp have been positive about Watson’s progression, a good sign for his dynasty prospects.
Can Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy?
Tua Tagovailoa was concussed at least two times in 2022, which cut his promising season short. He discussed how he considered retirement after his second concussion, which created skepticism in the dynasty fantasy football market. Tagovailoa was a top-12 quarterback in fantasy scoring before the injuries took their toll, and he has Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill as an elite wide receiver corps. If he stays healthy, Tagovailoa could be a major value from the mid-teens in dynasty quarterback valuations.
Is Mac Jones the future in New England?
Mac Jones enters 2023 with an actual offensive coordinator in the form of Bill O’Brien, which is a stark departure from a defensive coordinator calling plays in 2022. This is a critical year for Jones, who started well as a rookie but took a major step back in 2022 because of the offensive dysfunction. O’Brien has been successful as an offensive play caller throughout his career, which should jump-start Jones’s development. The third season is a critical year for a quarterback before decisions on the fifth-year option and contract extensions will need to be made in 2024.
Who is the quarterback in San Francisco?
After trading up for Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL draft, San Francisco has never gotten the return they expected. Lance has only started four games in his career and played in only two games in 2022 before suffering a season-long injury. Brock Purdy took over as the starter late in 2022 and led the team to the NFC Championship game before he suffered an elbow injury in the NFC championship game. Purdy has gotten the push from the front office and Kyle Shanahan throughout the offseason and is the presumed starter if he is healthy after the elbow surgery. Additionally, the team added Sam Darnold, who could make Trey Lance expendable if the team finds a suitable trade to move on from Lance.
What is the future in Tennessee?
Ryan Tannehill enters the final year of his contract with the Tennessee Titans. The team has looked toward the future in the past two drafts, selecting Malik Willis in 2022 before trading up for Will Levis in the second round in 2023. Tannehill should be the starter, but the team has a win total that could put them in line to pick early in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The team may want to get a look at Will Levis this season before they begin evaluating quarterbacks in the 2024 draft.
Is Kenny Pickett the future in Pittsburgh?
Kenny Pickett finished 28th in quarterback scoring in 2022 when the offense was a disappointment. Pickett had 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while averaging only 6.2 yards per attempt as a rookie. Pickett graded better than his production by non-box score metrics and is almost certainly due for a touchdown-based bounceback in 2023. Year one to year two is usually one of the bigger jumps a quarterback will make and the team has the type of supporting cast to amplify Pickett’s development.
What is the future of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota?
Kirk Cousins is scheduled to be a free agent, and Minnesota is projected to be near the middle of the pack in the NFC. If the team picks in the mid-teens, they will have a difficult time drafting a quarterback. Cousins could be playing for an extension or auditioning for another team in 2023.
What happens in uncertain quarterback situations?
Tampa Bay, Washington, and Atlanta each have questions at quarterbacks, without true commitments at the position past this year and headline the potential contenders to make quarterback additions in 2023.