Which NFL Teams Need a Quarterback?

It’s no secret that some NFL teams are in dire need of a quality quarterback. But which teams are the most desperate? Let’s take a look.

The Teams

With the regular season coming to an end, we take a look at the NFL teams that need to find a new quarterback for next season. These teams may look to the draft, free agency, or trade for a veteran quarterback.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States. The Cardinals play their home games at State Farm Stadium, which opened in 2006 and is located in Glendale, Arizona. Since their founding, the Cardinals have won two NFL championships (in 1925 and 1947) and seven conference championships (1925, 1947, 1948, 1974, 1975, 2008, and 2009).

The franchise has registered three Super Bowl appearances: XLIII in 2009 after winning their 8th NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles 29–24; XLII in 2008 after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 32–25; and XLI after winning their 5th NFC Championship against the Carolina Panthers 33–13. They have also won five divisional championships (1974, 1975, 2008, 2009, and 2015), three wild card berths (1998, 2014, 2015), and have made 11 playoff appearances since 1947 (tied for ninth all-time). The Cardinal’s history includes players such as Roger Craig, Jimmy Conzelman, Ernie Nevers, Dan Dierdorf , Davey O’Brien , Jim Otis , Charley Trippi .

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback situation is dire. After trading away Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns, the Bills are left with Nathan Peterman and AJ McCarron as their only two options under center. McCarron was brought in during free agency, but he’s not exactly a long-term solution. He’s had some decent moments during his career, but he’s also been plagued by injuries. Peterman, on the other hand, is a young quarterback who has yet to prove himself at the NFL level. He’s shown flashes of potential, but he’s also thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his career.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football franchise based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Their home stadium is Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. They are coached by Zac Taylor.

The Bengals have been to the playoffs seven times since their founding in 1968, but have yet to win a playoff game. They have never reached the AFC Championship Game, and have only won two AFC divisional titles (1981 and 1988), both under former head coach Sam Wyche. The Bengals had their best season under Marvin Lewis in 2005, when they posted an 11–5 regular-season record and won their first AFC North title before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Browns play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium, which opened in 1999, with administrative offices and training facilities in Berea, Ohio. The Browns’ official colors are brown, orange and white. They are unique among the 32 member franchises of the NFL in that they do not have a logo on their helmets.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a new head coach in Vic Fangio, but they are still looking for a quarterback. They could look to the draft to find their guy or they could sign a veteran like Teddy Bridgewater.

The Quarterbacks

The NFL quarterback is the most important position in the sport. A good quarterback can make a big difference for a team, and a bad quarterback can hold a team back. There are a few teams in the NFL right now that could really use an upgrade at the quarterback position. Let’s take a look at some of those teams.

Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray was born on August 7, 1997, in Bedford, Texas. He is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and was drafted by the Cardinals first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray is the only athlete ever to be selected with a first-round pick in both the Major League Baseball Draft and the NFL Draft.

In his freshman year at Oklahoma, Murray became the starting quarterback after Baker Mayfield was injured. He led the Sooners to a Big 12 championship and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. As a sophomore, he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming Oklahoma’s seventh Heisman winner and second consecutive quarterback to win it. After his 2018 season, he decided to forego his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Dwayne Haskins

Dwayne Haskins was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Ohio State University. As a redshirt sophomore, he was the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. After completing his season, Haskins decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. He is 6’3″ and weighs 231 pounds.

Drew Lock

Drew Lock (born Novemberplaintiff, 19xx) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers and was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Harvard and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Fitzpatrick has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Case Keenum

Case Keenum is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Houston, where he became the NCAA’s all-time leader in total passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. Keenum was signed by the NFL’s Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He has also played for the St. Louis Rams, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.

The Bottom Line

NFL teams are always looking for the next great quarterback. This can be a difficult task, as there are only a few quarterbacks that have the potential to be truly great. However, there are a few teams that seem to be in need of a quarterback. Let’s take a look at those teams.

The Cardinals Need Kyler Murray

The Cardinals have the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and they need to use it on Kyler Murray.

Kyler Murray is an elite talent at the quarterback position. He has the ability to make all the throws and he is a playmaker with his feet. Murray also has experience in a pro-style offense, which will help him transition to the NFL.

The Cardinals need a quarterback of the future, and Kyler Murray is the best option for them.

The Bills Need Dwayne Haskins

The Buffalo Bills have a lot of needs on their roster, but perhaps the most glaring is at the quarterback position. Buffalo has not had a consistent starter under center since the days of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, and they have not made the playoffs since 1999. That drought is the longest in the NFL.

The Bills have had a revolving door at quarterback, with a new starter each season for the past decade. That includes first-round busts like EJ Manuel and Ryan Fitzpatrick, journeyman backups like Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman, and unproven youngsters like Josh Allen. None of them have been able to get the job done, and it’s time for a change.

Enter Dwayne Haskins. The Ohio State product is one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the game today, and he would be an instant upgrade for the Bills. Haskins has all of the tools to be a successful NFL signal-caller, and he showed it last season when he threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns while leading Ohio State to an undefeated regular season.

If the Bills want to finally end their playoff drought, they need to make a move for Haskins. He’s the best quarterback in this year’s draft class, and he has all of the potential to be a franchise quarterback for years to come.

The Bengals Need Drew Lock

The Bengals have been one of the most quarterback-needy teams in the NFL for the past few seasons. They’ve had a revolving door of QBs, and none of them have really gotten the job done. Andy Dalton was serviceable for a while, but he’s clearly not the answer. The Bengals need someone who can come in and be a franchise QB.

Drew Lock is a quarterback who has all the tools to be a great NFL QB. He’s got a great arm, he’s accurate, and he’s got good mobility. He also has good size (6’4″, 230 lbs). He played well in college, and he looks like he could be a star in the NFL.

The Bengals need to draft Drew Lock in the 2020 NFL Draft. He could be their franchise quarterback for years to come.

The Browns Need Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Cleveland Browns have been looking for a franchise quarterback since they returned to the NFL in 1999. They have tried 20 different starters at the position and have had only two winning seasons in that time. They need to find a quarterback who can lead them to consistently winning seasons and eventually, a Super Bowl victory.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a free agent quarterback who is coming off of a season in which he threw for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. He has also shown the ability to win games, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 9-7 record last season. Fitzpatrick would be a great fit for the Browns and could finally be the franchise quarterback they have been looking for.

The Broncos Need Case Keenum

The 2018 NFL Draft provided many teams with the opportunity to draft a young, promising quarterback. The most notable selections were Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns), Sam Darnold (New York Jets), Josh Rosen (Arizona Cardinals), and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens). All four of these quarterbacks have the potential to be starters in the NFL for many years to come. However, there are still several teams who did not draft a quarterback and need to find one via free agency or trade. One of these teams is the Denver Broncos, who have struggled to find a consistent quarterback since Peyton Manning retired following their Super Bowl victory in 2015.

The Broncos’ current starter is Trevor Siemian, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Siemian has shown flashes of potential, but he has also been plagued by inconsistency and turnover issues. He has thrown 30 interceptions in his two years as a starter, including 18 last season. The Broncos also have Brock Osweiler on their roster, but he is not considered to be a long-term solution at quarterback.

That leaves the Broncos in need of a quarterback who can come in and immediately compete for a starting job. Case Keenum would be a perfect fit for them. Keenum is coming off of a career year with the Minnesota Vikings in which he threw for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He also led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, where they narrowly lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

The biggest concern with Keenum is that he may not be able to replicate his success from last season. However, he has shown that he can be a winning quarterback in this league and would be an upgrade over Siemian and Osweiler for the Broncos.