Every year the NFL sees new quarterbacks become stars, and old ones ware down. This season is no exception. Last season, the NFL saw CJ Stroud become a great star, and also saw Bryce Young show, well, the opposite of stardom. This season, the NFL has seen the new Jayden Daniels, the repolished Sam Darnold, and more.
Surprising NFL Quarterback Performances This Season
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes so far has led his team to a nice 6-0 record, but the thing is, he has not led them there. Mahomes has been one of the most important parts of his team but has overall struggled to throw touchdowns, and worse, has thrown an abundance of interceptions. So far, Mahomes ranks 9th in QBR, which is good (maybe not for him), but he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. With 6 TD’s and 8 INT’s, Mahomes has surprised many with his poor play in this category.
Mahomes remains to be a favorite of bettors still. And one of the most prominent trends in football betting is the use of betting bonuses and promotions for these kinds of options, like choosing who would be the MVP, a category where he remains in the conversation, even that his overall performance has been lackluster. With competition between online sportsbooks intensifying, new and seasoned bettors are increasingly drawn to sites which offer competitive sign-up offers and free bets. It’s a way of increasing a bettor’s bankroll or reducing their risk on initial wagers.
It’s a process that has been tried and tested in the iGaming industry for several years now. Online casinos operate in similarly competitive regional markets and promotions like free spins and deposit match offers are still popular today among players. The former gives new customers a risk-free opportunity to win and try out new gaming experiences without having to make upfront financial commitments.
Jayden Daniels
Sigh. In all likeliness thanks to the great Jayden Daniels injury the MVP is almost out of reach. But Daniels is almost certainly going to win the Rookie of the Year thanks to his amazing play in the games he has played this season. Daniels can do it with his arm and with his legs, and although a winner of the Heisman Trophy, Daniels has surprised many thanks to making the Washington Commanders contenders. Last year, that felt like a distant dream for Washington. Daniels possesses the third best QGR in the league and has been amazing. He has thrown for 6 TD’s and only thrown two picks, also he has rushed for 4 TD’s and 372 yards. What a year so far for Washington, and this surprising rookie is the reason why we can say such a thing.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold looked like he was going to disappear forever into the abyss after his abysmal campaign with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. In his first 4 seasons, Darnold thrown 54 touchdown passes but also threw 52 interceptions. In other words, Darnold did not do anything good with the Jets and with the Panthers. Darnold also played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 before arriving in Minnesota. Darnold doesn’t possess MVP numbers but he has led his team to a 5-1 record and an easy path to the playoffs.
He remains to be number 1 on this list because of his performance in his earlier years and his performance this year. Darnold this season has thrown for 12 TD’s and has thrown 5 INT’s, but has also thrown for 1,370 yards. His QBR ranks 18th in the NFL, which isn’t great. However, Darnold deserves all the respect in the world for his resurgence and his leadership in Minnesota.
Total, there have been an abundance of surprising players who have led (or not), their teams. The reality is that QB’s usually make up the strength of a team, a surprising QB, either good or bad, makes up what good be a or bad team. 2024’s season thus far shows that.
