The Team or the QB?

Seeing Sam Darnold have success in Minnesota has really made some people rethink their opinion on Darnold's potential as an NFL quarterback.  He also played on a team that made the Super Bowl last season, albeit as Brock Purdy's backup, which is something a lot of fans probably wouldn't have expected after his struggles with the Jets and Panthers.  Although, should it really have been a surprise to see a quarterback find success after he got away from those two franchises?

This problem isn't exclusive to the Jets and Panthers, of course.  The Bears and Browns are also notorious for their quarterback turnover.  So is Washington, although it looks like the Commanders may have found a keeper in Jayden Daniels.  What do all of those teams have in common?  They haven't been the most successful over the past decade (some for even longer).

Meanwhile, contrast that to teams like the Chiefs or the Brady Patriots or the Manning Colts.  Or the Steelers, Ravens and Packers.  And, more recently, teams like the Bills.  Consistent playoff contenders that have stability at the quarterback position.  Which makes a huge difference.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying it's an absolute science.  Not even close.  The Raiders had Derek Carr for years and still consistently missed the playoffs.  And you have playoff teams that want to make QB upgrades all the time.  Then there are the bad teams that stick with their quarterback even when they shouldn't (I'm looking at you, Giants and Daniel Jones).  But, for the most part, the bad teams are the ones constantly looking for a new quarterback.

Sometimes it's simply the right combination.  Brady with the Patriots, Mahomes with the Chiefs, Manning with the Colts, etc.  There's also an argument to be made that all some quarterbacks need is the right system.  Which is true.  You don't need a Hall of Fame quarterback to win the Super Bowl.  However, we've also seen the impact the wrong system can have.

Aaron Rodgers is a perfect example of this.  He's a future Hall of Famer who consistently put up ridiculous numbers and won multiple MVP awards with the Packers.  When he decided he wanted out of Green Bay, he forced a trade to the Jets, who were willing to give him anything he wanted.  They even hired one of his Packers coaches as Offensive Coordinator!  Well, we've all see how that's gone.  Even if you take out last year, when he missed basically the entire season, his Jets tenure hasn't exactly gone well.  Yes, he's 40.  But he's also not as good a quarterback anymore (with way too much power).

Or how about Russell Wilson?  The Seahawks decided to move on and traded him to Denver.  Wilson's Broncos tenure was, to put it mildly, a disaster!  He ended up getting benched midway through last season and is now on the Steelers, where he's had a bit of a renaissance.  So, was he really the problem in Denver?  Or was it the team that hasn't been a winner (or had a consistent quarterback) since Peyton Manning retired?

Speaking of Peyton Manning, the Colts were spoiled as a franchise for a long time.  They had Manning, then Andrew Luck.  Since then, Indianapolis has turned into a bit of a quarterback retirement home.  Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Jacoby Brissett.  It's basically been one year at a time, then on to the next (old) guy.  Now they've got Joe Flacco, who finished last season in Cleveland.

The Browns are another classic example.  Clevland has had a revolving door at quarterback pretty much since they reentered the league 25 years ago.  Last offseason, they decided to throw a ton of guaranteed money at Deshaun Watson for some reason.  Yes, they made the playoffs last season...but they also went through four different quarterbacks and ended up finishing the year with Flacco, who they picked up off the scrap heap after he'd been discarded by four different teams!  Now, this season, Watson is out for the year and it's on to Jamies Winston, who's been on several teams himself.

One of those discarded Cleveland quarterbacks is Baker Mayfield.  After leaving, he went to Carolina, struggled, was released and finished the 2022 season with the Rams.  Last season, he signed with Tampa on a one-year deal, started every game and threw for over 4,000 yards on a division winner.  So, as it turns out, he's plenty capable of playing quarterback in the NFL after all!  He just needed to be on a competent franchise with a system that works.

Kansas City didn't find consistent success until Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes showed up.  Same thing with the Bills and Josh Allen.  The Bengals and Joe Burrow.  The Cardinals with Kyler Murray (although, the jury's still out on that one), etc.  Every team hopes to find that franchise guy and won't stop until they do.  But it can't be a coincidence that the same teams keep getting it wrong. 

Cam Newton won an MVP in Carolina and took the Panthers to the Super Bowl.  Since then, how many quarterbacks have they gone through (including Darnold, Mayfield and Andy Dalton)?  Same thing with the Bears.  How long have they been looking for "the guy?"  How many have they tried?  Washington.  They may finally have their guy, but how many attempts did it take?  Is it any wonder that these three teams have consistently finished at the bottom of the standings year after year?

I really think there is something to this.  The same franchises, over and over, regardless of who their coach is or what scheme he runs, seem to be a black hole when it comes to quarterbacks.  Their reclamation projects don't pay off, only to find success elsewhere.  It can't just be the quarterback.  You have to wonder if the culture created around these franchises is a big part of the problem.

Will Carolina eventually find another Cam Newton?  Maybe.  Will things finally work out for the Jets and a quarterback, whether that's Aaron Rodgers or someone else?  Perhaps.  But until it does, the same franchises will be stuck in the same purgatory while watching the same teams that have competency and consistency at the most important position on the field make the playoffs.  Rinse and repeat.