Quarterback is definitely the most important position in the modern NFL, but the following five starters get too much credit from fans.
The chances of any team experiencing real success without an above average starting quarterback in the modern NFL are pretty small. Any team with legitimate playoff hopes must have a quality option at the game’s most important position.
That pressure causes quite a few teams to overrate their own starters at quarterback. The following five guys aren’t necessarily bad players, but they aren’t quite as ready to make an impact in 2020 as most people seem to believe. If the starting signal caller of your favorite team is on this list, it might be time to accept that your franchise isn’t ready to make a Super Bowl run this year.
5. Tom Brady
Buccaneers fans have every reason to be excited about Brady’s arrival. He’s a significant upgrade over Jameis Winston. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be the Messiah who brings a Lombardi Trophy home to Tampa Bay.
There’s a significant chance that a big part of Brady’s success hinged on Bill Belichick’s coaching in New England. That doesn’t mean he won’t be an above average starter for the Bucs, but it does mean that he might not be quite the elite player that many Tampa Bay fans expect him to be.
In particular, there’s a reasonable chance that he won’t be a top two quarterback in his own division. Drew Brees is still a star for the Saints. Matt Ryan isn’t the most dynamic passer in the league, but his accuracy makes him a star with the Falcons.
Buccaneers fans who are making Super Bowl plans due to Brady’s arrival need to tap the brakes slightly. He’s going to give their offense a significant boost, but this could be the year where age related regression really shows up in the veteran signal caller’s game. If that happens, he’s going to let a lot of Tampa Bay fans down.