Sam Darnold was always supposed to have a Super Bowl appearance as a quarterback. After all, he was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. The only problem was, he was supposed to do it with the New York Jets. Impatience forced him around the NFL and he had to get to the Seattle Seahawks to finally reach the top.
The NFL is a copycat league and his story is the next evolution of NFL franchises starving for a franchise quarterback to deliver them a Super Bowl appearance. The next question is who will be the next quarterback that will have a storybook moment in their career like Darnold? Here are five names that could be on the same trajectory as Darnold.
Daniel Jones
The Indianapolis Colts cannot let Daniel Jones leave. Yes, I know he’s going to cost a lot to retain for next year, but it just isn’t wise to let him go. They saw how bad things got with a makeshift quarterback in Phillip Rivers, once Jones went down. They can’t afford to regress again without Jones. He was a beam of hope for the Colts this year and it’s clear Indianapolis needs him.
Jones will be a free agent and I can see the Minnesota Vikings thinking about how they regret letting him go and getting really aggressive in signing him this offseason. Jones isn’t an elite quarterback, but he clearly thrives in the Colts’ system. If they let him walk this offseason, they’re as good as done contending for the playoffs and beyond.
Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers saw everything they needed from Bryce Young to end the season to realize the need to believe in him and not abandon him. There was talk about him possibly being dangled as trade bait, but the Panthers believed in Young and it paid off. They now have a foundation to work with in this offense and they’ll only become better because of it. The Panthers aren’t quite contenders, but they are favorites to dominate in the feeble NFC South.
To end the season, Young not only was accurate, but he was making decisive decisions. He wasn’t holding onto the ball too long and was largely the reason the Panthers had the season they had. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not there yet at all. But Carolina finally has something to work with and optimism behind it.
It helps that the NFC South is bad. Tampa Bay is supposed to be the best team in that division and they struggled to end the year. If that division continues to be wide open, the Panthers have every reason to take over that division. If they win back-to-back division titles, it will very well put them in position to be legitimate contenders.
Kyler Murray
I want to preface this by saying the Arizona Cardinals are not contenders. That said, they have a quarterback that is an NFL veteran that isn’t worth giving up on yet. Mike LaFleur did wonders with the Los Angeles Rams offense – granted he had a lot to work with – so going to a team with a lot of potential could be what helps Murray reach his potential and the Cardinals to get out of the depths of the NFL.
Go back to what Murray looked like when he was with Kliff Kingsbury during his first few years in the league. He was on a trajectory to being one of the NFL’s most exciting players. Injuries hampered him as well, which is why Arizona can’t give up on him yet. In the right – or wrong – hands, Murray could turn into the player he was always supposed to be with a new team and the Cardinals will never let themselves down from that.
LaFleur is a smart, offensive mind based on how things have gone with the Rams. I don’t think he takes that job if Murray isn’t an option at quarterback. He should be able to tap into him in ways Kingsbury could and in ways Jonathan Gannon never could. If LaFleur can get the version of Murray that Kingsbury tapped into, it might just make the NFC West division even stronger.
Jalen Hurts
Say what you want about Jalen Hurts and how he didn’t look overly impressive this season. He had a terrible offensive coordinator and a terrible system that didn’t allow him to play to his strengths. I can’t believe this is even something people are talking about, but Hurts won a championship with the Eagles already. Getting rid of him now only sets this team back years. He’s good and with the right offensive coordinator, he will get back to the level that helped him play in two Super Bowls and win one.
It’s fair to say that because he’s not a strong passer – or at least hasn’t looked like a gunslinger like some of his counterparts – it’s hard to see him get any better than he is, but it’s just hard to think this is the best version of Hurts. Hurts threw for just over 3,200 yards this year, which is 300 yards more than what he finished with last year, a Super Bowl winning season.
Hurts needs that bright offensive mind to work with him and help elevate his game. Kevin Patullo is an anomaly for what Hurts can be. Sean Mannion is the new offensive wizard in Philadelphia and if he can unlock Hurts, Eagles fans will appreciate being patient.
C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud was heavily criticized after looking putrid against the Pittsburgh Steelers and then the New England Patriots in the divisional round. The Houston Texans should not abandon Stroud … yet. That said, Stroud has two years left on his rookie contract. If he doesn’t step up to the plate, the Texans might have to consider letting him walk. For now, they shouldn’t even think about trading him.
Yes, he wasted away one of the best defenses in the NFL and what was probably a Super Bowl run, but that shouldn’t end his career in Houston yet. He has a lot to prove and honestly had lofty expectations after his stand out rookie season. He hasn’t lived up to those expectations, but it doesn’t mean he can’t get back there.
Stroud has potential and abandoning that now just means they will regret letting him go and watch him thrive in another system. Quarterbacks are at a premium and until Stroud gives them a real reason to trade him or not extend him, they can’t afford to let Stroud land with a new team and thrive.