The starting quarterback position has become more and more of a revolving door as of late. Teams and fans are more impatient than ever to find their savior. After all of the recent moves, where does that leave us now? Which quarterbacks are on the hot seat for the upcoming 2022 season?
The Quarterbacks Under The Most Pressure In 2022
Matt Ryan
“You talk about Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or any of those guys, they’ve had times where they’ve had to transition and both of them have had tremendous success with that. In the back of my mind, that’s what I’m thinking about right now,” says Ryan in his introductory press conference with the Indianapolis Colts.
Ryan’s thinking out loud has now set unreasonable expectations for the 14-year veteran. What about the other quarterbacks that preceded him? Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz were all were one-and-done with the Colts. General manager Chris Ballard has proven to be impatient as of late, and if Ryan can’t deliver a playoff victory, expect Ryan to be on the move again.
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Ryan is coming off of a year where he threw for the fewest passing yards in his career since 2009. He only started 14 games in ’09.
He also threw his fewest touchdown passes since his rookie year. Yes, he wasn’t working with too many weapons as star receiver Calvin Ridley took a leave of absence, and his other talented receiver Julio Jones was traded to the Titans. However, the Colts have as many question marks at receiver as the 2021 Falcons.
Michael Pittman is unquestionably a stud, but T.Y. Hilton is 32 years old and hasn’t played a full season since 2017. Their second-leading receiver in 2021, Zach Pascal, has signed with the Eagles, Mo Alie-Cox is no Kyle Pitts, and Jonathan Taylor can only have such a large workload catching and rushing. Getting a number two receiver must be a top priority.
Ryan was the fifth-most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season. The Colts ranked 30th pass-blocking efficiency as the unit was decimated with injuries throughout the year.
Their tackles were responsible for nearly 20 percent of the team’s total penalities. The Colts re-signed former sixth-round pick, Matt Pryor, hoping that he can protect Ryan’s blindside. It’s safe to say that they should continue to upgrade the offensive line to keep Ryan upright.
The Colts have plenty of needs. Do the media and Ballard understand this? The pressure of being in win-now mode could end the Ryan era before it even begins.
Carr is now teamed up with the best receiver in the NFL, Davante Adams. The two-time all-pros’ season was overlooked by Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, but make no mistake, it was still a spectacular year for Adams. He had career-highs in receptions and yards. With Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller, this offense has the potential of being
The Raiders invested heavily in rebuilding their defensive line, re-signing Maxx Crosby, and adding Vernon Butler and Chandler Jones. Assuming they solidify the secondary in the draft, the defense will be more than manageable to help make a playoff run. Remember, they were one or two plays away from nearly making a comeback versus the Bengals who then went on to the Super Bowl.
However, Carr hasn’t had back-to-back winning seasons in his career, and the Raiders finished with a 10-7 record this season. Could history poise a potential concern?
The Raiders also never won a game this season by more than 11 points. What if the ball doesn’t bounce their way? Will lightning strike twice?
Josh McDaniels has expressed interest in Baker Mayfield in the past, who currently remains without a starting job. Don’t think that the Raiders don’t have a plan B if Carr doesn’t deliver with all of this talent surrounding him.
Ryan Tannehill
In Tannehill’s last two playoff games, he has thrown interceptions within the final minutes to ultimately ice the game and eliminate the Titans. Either you can get your team over the hump, or you can’t. His playoff record of 2-3 is underwhelming considering some of the other quarterbacks on the market. Cam Newton and Jimmy Garoppolo have more victories.
Derrick Henry‘s injury during week eight was supposed to be a blessing in disguise for Tannehill. A team heavily dependent on the running attack would have to rely on the arm of Tannehill. He was asked to throw 25 or more times all but twice following week eight, better preparing him for postseason play when throwing is necessary to win.
It didn’t. A quarterback could have spiked the ball every play and had a better QBR than Tannehill in the playoff game versus the Bengals. Inexcusable for a team that was the one seed in the AFC.
The Titans are running out of potential scapegoats.
The addition of Robert Woods adds another element to this offense. However, it is up to Tannehill to make the most of that talent.
If not, expect someone else to take his place.
Tua Tagovailoa
New York Jets fans are still in shambles after being shunned by Tyreek Hill. Hill took his talents to Miami, and instead of the pressure being put on Zach Wilson, it falls on Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa had the third-fewest completions of over 20 or more yards among 25 qualified passers. With a team now stacked with deep threats that arguably give the Dolphins the best receiving core in the league, his ranking has to increase.
PFF ranked the Dolphins’ offensive line as the worst in the NFL last season. The additions of Connor Williams and Terron Armstead will certainly upgrade the offensive line.
The Dolphins had the third-fewest rushing yards among all 32 teams this season. They added Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, who are former 500-plus yard rushers, to pair alongside Myles Gaskin. Now, Tagovailoa has a running game to lean on.
The Deshaun Watson trade rumors affected Tagovailoa throughout the first two months of the season. The Dolphins then won eight of the last nine after the trade deadline last year. Coincidence? Tagovailoa plays at his best when there is stability and security at his position.
Watson is now with the Cleveland Browns, ensuring security at least for the start of the season.
The drama and lack of talent around the Dolphins are over. So are the excuses for Tagovailoa.
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Matt Ryan to Indy is lowkey a great move. I can’t wait to see what they can do with him.
For Tua, he and his hive cant have any excuses after that Tyreek Hill trade.
Tannehill has held that Titans team back. As a Bengals fan, I was okay with it last January 😉