Three weeks into the NFL season, there have been some really bad quarterback play. Here are three quarterbacks that need to be benched before next week.
With some teams unsure of whether or not they want to enter a full rebuild or still contend for a playoff spot, quarterback play has become extremely important early into the season. And so far, there’s been some horrendous quarterbacking all over the league. Now, for some of these quarterbacks, there’s usually one or two viable reasons as to why the play has been less than stellar but when it’s been consistently bad, that’s when changes are warranted.
After three weeks, the worst of the quarterbacks are evident. Some are veterans who should probably be worrying about what resort to spend their winter in rather than playing in the winter, while others are freshmen who have not shown that they have what it takes to be adequate field generals in the league. Regardless of where they fall upon this scale, they are negatively affecting their teams.
Three weeks into the NFL season, here are three quarterbacks who need to be benched going into Week 4:
1. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Week 3 stats: 6/20, 68 yards, 9 sacks, 5.8 QBR
Now, it’s easy to say a rookie quarterback getting his first start in the league is expected to struggle. And, it’s true, most rookies struggle especially when they were not penciled in as the starter coming into the season, as was the case with Justin Fields. Since taking over for an injured Andy Dalton last game — a game that the Chicago Bears somehow held on to win — the 11th overall pick from this year’s draft has looked awful.
Against the Cleveland Browns this week, Fields couldn’t even crack 70 passing yards, leading a very stale Bears offense. Although he didn’t turn it over, he wasn’t very on point with his passing attempts and the Bears loss 26-6.
In his three appearances so far, Fields scored his lone touchdown in game 1 on a QB scramble but hasn’t sniffed the end zone since. He’s completed exactly 40 percent of his passes for 138 yards and an interception. While it’s a fairly small and early sample size, Fields has shown little to no promise so far, and should not be starting for Chicago next week.
With Dalton still out, the Bears have the greatest quarterback handcuff on their team: Super Bowl champion Nick Foles. If Chicago decides to make a quarterback change, which they should, Foles is their guy. On several occasions, he’s shown the ability to be able to right the ship and inspire a locker room, this Bears team is in need of the same thing.
2. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 3 stats: 38/58, 318 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 37.7 QBR
Being stubborn is probably how Ben Roethlisberger got good enough to get to three Super Bowls — and win two. It’s this same stubbornness that’s also kept him playing until the age of 39 when he’s not all that good anymore.
After only playing two games in 2019 due to an injury, Roethlisberger returned for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and played really well. Behind his 3,800 yards and 33 scores to 10 interceptions, he led the Steelers to a 12-4 record and into the playoffs. This year, that same ability hasn’t really reared its head and the Pittsburgh Steelers might be suffering for it.
At 1-2, the Steelers are still very much in the hunt for the postseason but with their grizzled quarterback throwing 32, 40 and 58 times in consecutive games, they are in serious trouble.
Roethlisberger isn’t in a situation where he’s been bad enough that the Steelers absolutely have to bench him but by keeping him at the helm, he may be impeding the team’s future especially when Mason Rudolph showed so much promise in 2019 when he filled in for an injured Roethlisberger. The Steelers should make the switch if only to induce some freshness and life to their offense.
3. Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Week 3 stats: 19/35, 160 yards, 2 INT, 42.6 QBR
The New York Jets are an ironic organization. They traded away Sam Darnold, the third pick in the 2018 draft, to make room for Zach Wilson, who they drafted at No.2 in this year’s draft. Darnold and his Panthers are sitting at 3-0 after Week 3 — the Jets and Wilson are 0-3 after the rookie laid another egg.
It’s early but the Jets may want to consider making a change at the quarterback position if they have any aspirations of some semblance of success this season and possibly the next. Wilson was drafted as the savior of New York, the one meant to inspire and get them back to winning. But he hasn’t shown nearly a glimmer of that ability yet.
Wilson followed a four-interception game last week with two more this week. He has now thrown seven picks on the season to go with only two touchdowns and 668 yards. He’s been bad — given, so have the Jets been as a whole. They were shut out today against the Broncos, losing 0-26.
Wilson may benefit from the fact that there is no viable backup in New York for him. The next man on the depth chart is 2018 fifth-rounder Mike White, who has yet to experience any playing time in an NFL game. Wilson may be allowed to get air it out and make more mistakes but it would behoove the Jets’ organization to bring in a veteran presence to ease his and their load.