The 2023 quarterback class came with a lot of hype, especially around the top-three trio of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Those three had a chance to revolutionize the NFL.
That hasn't exactly been the case, and many of the quarterbacks drafted beyond those three have struggled to see the field. So, where do they all stand heading into 2025?
Let's take a look at third-year NFL quarterbacks, and we'll limit it to players taken in the first four rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft (because there's no reason we need to talk about Sean Clifford and Tanner McKee.) . What kind of pressure is each player under?
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Actually, Bryce Young might feel the least pressure ever in 2025. Young's play at the end of the 2024 season solidified his starting job heading into this year, but I don't think the Panthers expect to be a playoff team just yet. It'd be nice, but missing the postseason in 2025 won't lead to the team to start searching for a replacement for Young.
Obviously there's some pressure. Young can't go out there and complete 40 percent of his passes with twice as many picks as touchdowns and expect to keep his starting job. But unlike the start of 2024, his starting role isn't likely to be yanked out from under him, provided he continues to slowly improve.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud enters 2025 with a fairly high amount of pressure on him, but it's a very different kind of pressure than the rest of his draft class. Other quarterbacks face uncertainty and pressure around their role in the NFL — Young looked good to end last season, but there's still no guarantee he's a long-term starter in the NFL, for example.
The only quarterback from this class who has looked like a real star is Stroud, who has led the Texans to the playoffs in both of his seasons. But Stroud had a bit of a sophomore slump last year, fueled in large part by an offensive line that couldn't consistently give him a clean pocket. Stroud saw drops in completion percentage and touchdowns, as well as a sizable rise in interceptions, but Houston still went 10-7 in a bad division and won a playoff game.
If Houston is going to take the next step from "team that wins a playoff game but then loses in the divisional round" to "actual Super Bowl contender," Stroud has to take another big step forward in 2025. The pressure is on him to make something happen.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
There is no third-year quarterback under more pressure heading into training camp than Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts. He's not just fighting for the starting role but for his NFL future.
Because here's the thing: Richardson's passing numbers last year were so, so bad. I mean, we're talking about a starting NFL quarterback who played double-digit games in 2024 while completing under half of his passes.
Richardson needs to come out in the preseason and show that he's made huge strides in his accuracy. Otherwise, Daniel Jones is going to beat him out for the starting role. And let's be for real here: If you lose your starting job to Daniel Jones, you're probably not bound for a long NFL career. Richardson might have to make a Tim Tebow/Terrelle Pryor-style position switch if he can't make major improvements to his ability to actually complete passes.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Will Levis probably feels a good bit of pressure this offseason, but the time for Levis to feel legitimate pressure on him ended the moment the Titans drafted Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick.
Levis needed to feel and then beat the pressure during his sophomore season. Instead, he went 2-10 as a starter and saw his interception rate leap from 1.6 percent to 4.0 percent. Once you lose your starting job to Mason Rudolph, you're kind of done as far as being an NFL prospect goes.
The good news is that Levis should have the No. 2 job on lock in Tennessee, so impressing during the preseason and any chance he gets to see the field during the season — whether that be garbage time or if Ward is ever sidelined — will be a chance to improve his shot at getting a second starting opportunity somewhere else in the league.
Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions
Hendon Hooker has played in three NFL games. He's 6-for-9 for 62 yards and he has absolutely zero shot to unseat a healthy Jared Goff as Detroit's starter.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have pressure on him in 2025, though. Hooker's NFL future depends on beating Kyle Allen out for the backup role in Detroit. As of now, he's still a Goff injury away from seeing the field. If Detroit decides it's better off with the veteran Allen behind Goff, though, then Hooker's NFL future suddenly looks very, very dire.
Jake Haener, New Orleans Saints
It feels like there's a surprising amount of pressure on Jake Haener right now, mostly because his NFL future depends on earning the No. 2 role in New Orleans. If we assume rookie Tyler Shough wins the starting gig for the Saints, Haener has to beat Spencer Rattler out for the backup job or he's probably in big trouble.
If the Saints enter 2025 with Haener third on the depth chart, he's not going to get the snaps needed to show other teams they need to take a chance on him. And if New Orleans opts to go with just two quarterbacks and cut Haener in the preseason, he's going to struggle to find another NFL team that wants him.
If Haener can't win the backup job in New Orleans, then he's probably looking at a future that heavily features an appearance in the UFL.
Stetson Bennett, Los Angeles Rams
Has there ever been pressure on Stetson Bennett? The Rams have a very good starting quarterback in Matthew Stafford and a backup in Jimmy Garoppolo, who is tough to unseat. So Bennett's just kind of there in L.A., locked into the No. 3 role with no one behind him to push him out of it.
Obviously, there's some pressure on Bennett, because he has to show something at some point to guarantee he fulfills his destiny as a lifelong journeyman backup quarterback, but right now it just feels like he's kind of chilling out in California.
Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
I don't think there's much pressure on Aidan O'Connell at this point. He's started 17 games over his first two NFL seasons and has shown exactly who he is, which is someone who you'd love to have on your roster as a backup but who shouldn't be counted on as a long-term starter.
Geno Smith is the starter in Vegas. O'Connell is the undisputed backup and should be in no danger of losing that role to 2025 sixth-round pick Cam Miller. If he just plays exactly like he has in the past, if he's ever pressed into action, he'll simply just continue to solidify the fact that he can spend the next decade as a backup in the league.