A handful of teams are up against the ropes when it comes to figuring out their quarterback situation before it’s too late.
The criteria for this is as follows: we’re only talking about potentially good teams with a future that hinges on finding someone who isn’t its current quarterback. The Packers are cooked with Brett Hundley, but they have Aaron Rodgers. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter in Tampa but it’s Jameis Winston’s show. Ditto (kinda) for the Dolphins and Ryan Tannehill.
This also applies to bad teams with aimless futures, like the Colts, Rams, or Bengals. Those teams are either bad or on the downside of being good. We’re looking at teams where the Super Bowl window is closing and it’s time to either figure out the quarterback situation or submit to a total rebuild.
Other things that need to change: Head coach, upgrade at running back
Few teams epitomize being on the brink better than the Giants. Manning is not the answer, and it’s just a matter of when the team needs to make the switch. Davis Webb was drafted to maybe (?) be the successor, but that was before the Giants were in line for a very high draft pick this offseason.
New York will be in a situation to draft the proper heir to Eli’s throne, and that’s the right move. The question becomes how much Manning factors into the future and the handing over of the keys to whoever is drafted to replace him. He has another year left on his contract but the Giants can get out of that if they want to and save over $15 million. Is New York a Super Bowl contender with a healthy array of weapons and a defense that plays at the top-notch level it’s capable of?
It all comes down to who the head coach will be. If he sees value in keeping Manning around or thinks he’s capable of having one more good year, then is that worth potentially sacrificing another year of contending?