3 NFL franchises that could be playoff contenders if not for their quarterbacks ft. Seattle Seahawks
Quarterbacks are the most important players in the NFL. They have a direct impact on the outcome of just about every game. Having an elite quarterback is often what separates playoff contenders from the rest of the pack.
Teams without a strong option at quarterback have an extremely difficult time making it to the NFL playoffs, regardless of how good the rest of their rosters are.
Although there have been teams that have successfully not built their systems around their quarterback, such instances are few and far between. Many have suggested this to be the case early in Tom Brady's career when a lot of the Patriots' success was thought to hinge on Bill Belichick's smarts instead of Brady's arm.
Similaries can be drawn to Jared Goff's run with Sean McVay's Rams. The fact that a lot of the quarterback's weaknesses are exposed with the Lions suggests that his success as a Ram was largely attributed to McVay's ingenuity.
Nonetheless, here are three teams who would have fancied their chances during the 2022-23 NFL season if they had better quarterbacks.
#1 Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks traded away quarterback Russell Wilson during the 2022 NFL offseason. This left them with one of the worst quarterback situations in the entire league. Their current options include Drew Lock and Geno Smith, two failed starters who have mostly been back-ups recently.
Geno Smith continues to seek out DK Metcalf’s turn in WR line, like Russell Wilson used to do at Seahawks camps. Drew Lock throwing to Tyler Lockett right after this @thenewstribune https://t.co/8C7Uh100qS
The Seahawks have a strong offensive unit, including star wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, as well as a strong stable of running backs. Their defense also ranked in the top 12 last season in points allowed per game, showing they're generally solid across the board.
That said, they're still unlikely to be in contention for the playoffs unless they significantly upgrade their quarterback.
#2 Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger officially announced his retirement during the 2022 NFL offseason, ending his memorable career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They will now enter the 2022-23 NFL season with 27-year-old Mitchell Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett as their potential starting quarterback options.
The Steelers have a well-balanced roster from top to bottom, including one of the best young running backs in the league in Najee Harris. They have a deep group of talented wide receivers and a defensive unit that seems to be solid every year. Despite making it to the playoffs last season, their quarterback situation in 2022 may prevent them from returning.
#3 Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers made it their main focus during the 2022 offseason to upgrade their quarterback situation. While they were successful in doing so by acquiring Baker Mayfield, that may not be enough for them to achieve their goal of making it to the postseason.
A healthy Christian McCaffrey would surely increase the Panthers' chances of making it to the playoffs. However, he's been unable to stay consistently healthy over the last two seasons. Even if McCaffrey stays healthy, the Panthers still have an uphill battle.
Christian McCaffrey was involved in a trade Thursday...don't worry, not that kind. https://t.co/XeB59x0rQV
Despite making the playoffs during the 2020/21 season with the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield was unable to do so last season with a roster likely better than the Panthers have this year.