-
Dan Graziano
Th 2025 NFL training camp season is slightly gentle on true quarterback battles, however the 4 we will clearly establish are fascinating.
The Saints have a rookie trying to beat out veterans who’ve been there — however have not finished a lot. The Giants have a rookie and a pair of veterans who additionally just got there. The Colts have their very own former first-round choose and the Giants’ former first-round choose, each of whom could possibly be on their last chance. And the Browns… nicely, the Browns have a QB competition the likes of which we have by no means seen earlier than.
So after spending the previous couple weeks calling round and asking league sources what they know and who they assume will win these 4 camp QB battles, I needed to provide you a rundown of the place issues stand with just below six weeks till the beginning of the season. We could not begin wherever however Cleveland:
Bounce to a QB battle:
Browns | Colts | Giants | Saints
Candidates: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders
Flacco and Pickett are each former first-round picks, although not by Cleveland. Gabriel and Sanders are rookies who have been drafted within the third and fifth spherical in April, respectively. Let’s deal with them so as of seniority.
Flacco, who was the Super Bowl XLVII MVP for the Ravens 13 seasons ago, is 40 years previous and getting into his 18th NFL season. He began 5 video games for the Browns on the finish of the 2023 common season and gained 4, serving to raise Cleveland into the playoffs in a season that noticed them begin 5 completely different quarterbacks. (The Browns misplaced to Houston within the wild-card round, with Flacco throwing two pick-sixes.) Final season he began six video games for the Colts and posted a QBR of 53.4 — the primary time he has put up a QBR over 50 since 2020 when he performed 4 video games for the Jets. Previously six seasons since leaving Baltimore, he has thrown 46 landing passes and 28 interceptions whereas making 29 begins and profitable 9 of them.
Pickett was the first-round pick of the division rival Steelers simply three years in the past, however he washed out of Pittsburgh shortly and spent final season backing up Jalen Hurts for the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles. This offseason, the Browns traded quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round choose for Pickett, who has thrown 15 landing passes and 14 interceptions in 30 video games throughout three NFL seasons.
Then got here the draft, the place the Browns handed on Sanders a number of instances, drafted Gabriel on Day 2 after which lastly moved up on Day 3 to get Sanders in any case. Gabriel performed for 3 completely different school applications over six years, however his finest season was 2024 with Oregon, when he threw for 3,857 yards with 30 touchdowns to steer the Geese to an undefeated common season and Big Ten title earlier than dropping to eventual champion Ohio State within the playoff quarterfinal within the Rose Bowl. Sanders performed for his father, Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Deion Sanders, for 2 years at Jackson State and two years at Colorado. He threw for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 picks final season and was projected by many to be a first-round pick within the weeks main as much as the draft.
(It is also necessary to notice that Deshaun Watson remains to be on the Browns’ roster making $46 million in totally assured cash this 12 months and subsequent. He’s rehabbing an Achilles tendon injury and isn’t more likely to play this season.)
The Browns are struggling to seek out methods to get all 4 quarterbacks an appropriate number of practice reps to stage an actual competitors, and that might price the rookies, who spent many of the spring working behind Flacco and Pickett on the depth chart. Cleveland is open to the thought of any one of the four profitable the job for Week 1, and the best way the teaching employees divides reps within the coming weeks might supply clues about who’s within the lead. It is also potential — even probably — they find yourself buying and selling one among these guys earlier than season begins to ease the logjam.
Week 1 starter prediction: Pickett. I am positive that is not the preferred alternative among the many fan base, however as one league government identified to me, he is the one among these 4 the Browns tried the hardest to get. They acquired him in early March, realizing Watson was a protracted shot to play this season and earlier than they knew whether or not they would carry again Flacco or choose a single quarterback — not to mention two — within the draft.
There was a time this offseason when Pickett — who now has a hamstring injury — was the one wholesome quarterback on the roster. If he performs nicely sufficient in camp and within the preseason, do not be shocked if he will get first crack at this factor, although I might anticipate a minimum of one of many rookies to start out this season so the Browns can work out what they’ve in them earlier than taking two first-round picks into the 2026 draft.
Candidates: Anthony Richardson Sr., Daniel Jones
Jones was supposed to be the long-term quarterback reply for the Giants, who picked him No. 6 within the 2019 draft. However he got benched after which released final season, which he completed as a member of the Vikings. He then signed with the Colts in March to supply competitors for Richardson, whom Indy picked No. 4 in 2023.
Richardson has performed simply 15 video games over his first two NFL seasons, primarily attributable to a variety of injuries. He had a difficulty together with his throwing shoulder that saved him out of offseason work, however he arrived at coaching camp wholesome and able to compete. Richardson remains to be very younger — he turned 23 in Might — and his uncooked skill is off the charts. However he has had bother staying on the sector and hasn’t played well when he has been out there. He has 11 landing passes and 13 interceptions in his profession, although he has added 10 speeding scores.
0:41
McAfee: Anthony Richardson appears to be like like he is about to take over your entire AFC
Pat McAfee reacts to a photograph of Anthony Richardson exhibiting as much as Colts coaching camp trying higher than ever.
Each Richardson and Jones supply one thing additional with their legs, however Richardson’s dimension and pace are the principle causes he was picked as excessive as he was. The Colts at all times noticed him as a venture. The issue is that he hasn’t been wholesome sufficient for them to develop him the best way that they had hoped. Indianapolis hasn’t gained the AFC South since 2014, when Andrew Luck was the quarterback and Chuck Pagano was the coach. That is the longest division-title drought of any workforce within the division, and there is pressure on basic supervisor Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen to finish it quickly. Which signifies that sure, they nonetheless must see what Richardson could be, however additionally they must win video games.
Week 1 starter prediction: Richardson. I do know Jones seems to have taken over the No. 1 spot on the depth chart after Richardson’s spring harm, however coaching camp is the place Richardson appears to be like the perfect — if he is wholesome, he is more likely to outperform Jones on the apply discipline.
The Colts even have a lot more invested in Richardson, and if it is a shut competitors, most individuals I speak to consider that may tilt issues in his favor — a minimum of to start out the season. Whether or not he can keep wholesome sufficient or play nicely sufficient to carry the job is one other matter completely.
Candidates: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener
Shough is the rookie the Saints chosen with the No. 40 pick in April’s draft. He performed seven school soccer seasons, the primary three with Oregon, the second three with Texas Tech after which final season with Louisville, the place he threw for 3,195 yards with 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Damage points are an enormous cause he did not get picked larger, however the Saints weren’t the one workforce that was excessive on him predraft; many across the league nonetheless consider he might become among the finest — if not the finest — quarterbacks within the 2025 class. He turns 26 in September.
After they drafted Shough, the Saints nonetheless had veteran Derek Carr beneath contract, although on the time there was some concern about his health and availability for the season. Carr shocked everybody by retiring in May, and when that occurred the simple assumption was that Shough was the front-runner to start.
Not so quick, say the Saints. They’re holding a real three-way competition between Shough, Rattler and Haener — a gaggle that has made a mixed seven NFL starts and gained zero. The teaching employees is dividing first-team reps evenly within the early a part of camp and is not more likely to transfer deep into the decision-making course of till they see these guys play in preseason video games.
Rattler was the workforce’s fifth-round choose final season. He performed in seven video games (with six begins) final season and accomplished 57% of his passes whereas throwing 4 landing passes and 5 picks. Haener was the workforce’s fourth-rounder in 2023, did not play in any respect that season and made one begin a 12 months in the past. He has one landing move and one interception within the NFL, the place he has accomplished 18 of his 39 makes an attempt.
On the floor, the numbers point out Rattler and Haener needs to be fairly straightforward for the fortieth choose to beat out. However a number of league executives insist there are individuals within the Saints’ constructing who’re massive followers of Rattler and consider he might become a very good starter if given the possibility and the proper teaching. And Haener is a man they appreciated sufficient to draft in Spherical 4 however hasn’t had an actual probability to indicate what he can do but. The necessary information factors are all nonetheless to return, as this competitors is simply starting.
Week 1 starter prediction: Shough. I do not know that it is honest to name him new coach Kellen Moore’s choose, however clearly Moore is a fan and would possibly get pleasure from an opportunity to construct his program across the man for whose draft he was already with the group.
What the Saints are doing is honest, and it might produce a shock if Rattler (who is precisely one 12 months youthful than Shough) outperforms Haener and the rookie within the preseason. However this teaching employees has no prior connection to Rattler and Haener, so with none actual information on which to base a prediction at this level, I will lean towards the man they appreciated sufficient to choose in Spherical 2 4 months in the past.
Candidates: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart
Tommy DeVito is the one QB on the roster who has ever performed a sport for the Giants, and it is probably that each one three of the others must get harm for him to start out. The Giants signed Winston, then Wilson, forward of the draft in order that whichever rookie they chose would not need to really feel strain to play immediately. That rookie ended up being Dart after they traded back into Round 1 to get him.
Dart threw for 4,279 yards with 29 landing passes and 6 interceptions final season for a 10-3 Ole Miss workforce. Of the quarterbacks the Giants knew they might have an opportunity to get (which means any of them however Cam Ward), he was the one who most impressed coach Brian Daboll and the New York employees within the pre-draft course of. Daboll is now tasked with molding him into a high quality NFL starter, irrespective of how lengthy that takes.
Daboll has stated on the report that Wilson is the Giants’ starter. The 13-year veteran and former Tremendous Bowl champion has bounced round from Seattle to Denver to Pittsburgh to New York over the previous 4 years. He’ll flip 37 in November. A number of league execs I spoke to for this story consider this might be a state of affairs akin to the one the Giants pulled off in Eli Manning‘s rookie season in 2004, when veteran Kurt Warner began the primary half of the season then gave way to Manning. However that is solely going to occur if Dart reveals he is prepared. New York would like to play nicely sufficient round Wilson to win video games and let Dart develop. It could relatively this be Patrick Mahomes‘ 2017 rookie season than Manning’s 2004 one.
After all, the Giants are coming off a 3-14 season and have not gained their division since 2011, after they went on to win their fourth Super Bowl. They’ve made the playoffs solely twice up to now 13 years, their schedule appears to be like formidable and Wilson hasn’t performed nicely in a minimum of three years.
Might Winston think about because the No. 2 QB on the depth chart early on in the event that they actually do not assume Dart is near being prepared? Certain. Might Winston be a commerce risk if Dart appears to be like like he could be prepared quickly? Completely. This case is admittedly all about Dart, who has to get a shot to be the Giants’ franchise quarterback eventually. Each veterans know they’re simply preserving seats heat for the rookie.
Week 1 starter prediction: Wilson. Daboll has been clear all alongside that Wilson is there to be the starter and Dart is there to study and develop. It is actually not out of the query that Dart dazzles and Wilson fizzles in preseason and Dart turns into the Week 1 starter. However these days, that’s not the best way the Giants are fascinated with this case or establishing the apply reps.
I predict Dart performs in some unspecified time in the future this season however that Wilson will get the start within the opener in Washington (and doubtless Week 2 in opposition to Dallas as nicely).