One of the major storylines of the 2023 NFL offseason is the QB carousel. Many teams are in various stages of “down badness”, a symptom of desperation that will push decision-makers to try to make a splash at the position at all costs.
There could be as many as 13 teams with new signal callers next season and probably 9 or 10 at minimum. So, let’s look at the supply…Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and likely Aaron Rodgers (depending on what the darkness tells him) are the notable veterans that will be available. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson are the projected 1st round rookie signal callers.
That’s 7, and we know that some teams will be hesitant to start rookie QBs so banking on all 4 QB prospects to be week 1 starters probably isn’t the best bet.
So, who’s going to start all these games? Let’s take a look at a few players who could be on your waiver wires or could be had on the cheap that could return some value.
-Gardner Minshew
Minshew has spent the last 2 seasons in Philly as a backup to Jalen Hurts. In 2021 he appeared in 4 games, starting 2, and had a QB rating of 104.8. In 2022 he appeared in 5 games, again starting 2 and with a more open Eagles passing game he managed to produce 7.74 net yards gained per pass attempt…a number that only Tua Tagovailoa eclipsed last season.
There’s also the potential for rushing production. In his longest stretch of games as a starter in 2019, he averaged 24 yards per game in 14 appearances (12 starts). Not gaudy numbers by any stretch but icing we’ll take on a bye week or injury fill-in cake.
Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not trying to convince you that Minshew is some uber-talented QB being deprived of an opportunity, but he has shown the ability to produce on at least a moderate level when given the opportunity, and opportunity may come knocking this offseason.
What do newly hired head coaches love to do most? If your answer is making fake explosive noises to describe their players, that’s a really good guess, but not quite.
The correct answer is, to hire people they used to work with…and in Minshew’s case, he’s got 2 potential ins with the Cardinals and Colts respectively hiring Eagles coordinators.
Jim Irsay’s loose lips seem to have telegraphed the drafting of a 1st round QB, making Minshew a potential bridge that knows the system…and with the Cardinals, Kyler Murray is slated to miss time at the beginning of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, giving the Cards a need at the position as well.
Minshew could serve as a depth option for your dynasty roster or potentially fetch you a late-round pick for someone in a tight spot at the position that believes in Minshew-mania.
-Jacoby Brissett
Brissett had 37 starts under his belt coming into this past season but seemed to take a bit of a jump in play in his 11 starts for the Browns. He finished with the highest completion percentage, net yards per attempt, and QB rating of his career.
Now his progression didn’t reach Geno Smith levels, but he was poised, made good decisions, was accurate on the move, and supported a quality fantasy season for receiver Amari Cooper.
Brissett showed he can keep a ship on course and I would imagine he’ll have offers after the top veterans come off the board. He’s got history with Frank Reich from his time in Indy and could serve as a bridge to a young QB in Carolina. The Buccaneers are tight up against the salary cap and could use a cost-effective option in the short term. He also spent his rookie year with Josh McDaniels in New England, and while we expect the Raiders to aim higher…Aaron Rodgers can only Quarterback one team at a time.
Getting 11 starts out of Brissett like last year is probably too ambitious but unless he signs a high-end backup deal in a spot where the starter is locked in, I’d guess he makes some appearances.
-Tyler Huntley
It’s not too often that a pro bowl QB falls this far under the radar but here we are. In all seriousness though, Huntley has shown an ability to keep an offense on schedule. He’s a timing-based, short-area passer with good mobility and 4.56 wheels.
In an offense built around those attributes w/pass catching talent and scheme upgrades over what he had in Baltimore, I could certainly see someone talking themselves into it on a short-term basis.
If things go sideways in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson it could be there. I don’t anticipate this being the case but if Lamar is tagged and opts not to report early on, Huntley could be in line to start games early on. The Texans figure to draft a QB with their 1st pick but may want to bring in someone with experience early on who can execute over the middle of the field and limit mistakes ala Brock Purdy.
Huntley struggled a bit last season compared to the season prior, but I believe that was at least partly injury related. If someone dropped him after the season ended I think he’s worth a stash while we wait to see how the QB landscape shakes out.
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