4 NFL teams that must address their QB situation
So precarious, so precious is the quarterback position in the modern NFL that teams must not only have their passer of the present on the roster but also their thrower of the future. It's perfectly fine if that quarterback is one and the same.
Alas, some teams aren't prepared for the road ahead...
Which NFL teams must reassess their passing situation?
-Atlanta Falcons
Since 2008, only three quarterbacks have started a game for the Atlanta Falcons...even the mighty Patriots have used more in that span. Matt Ryan, the primary man of that bunch, has provided the production and consistency that most NFL teams can only dream of. But all good things must come to an end, and the 36-year-old Ryan isn't getting any younger. He's signed on through, at least, the 2022 season, but the scary part is that the Falcons have done little to prepare for life after Ryan. Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks are the current backup options. Franks had a productive preseason but is nowhere near trustworthy with long-term starting duties at this point in time. It's also pretty clear, at this point, that Rosen's days as a potential franchise man are long gone. Atlanta had a prime opportunity to draft Ryan's potential successor when they chose fourth overall in the most recent NFL Draft, but they chose to use that selection (their highest since taking Ryan third overall in 2008) on Kyle Pitts, the best athlete available, instead. Overall, Atlanta hasn't chosen a thrower since the seventh round in 2013, when they chose Sean Renfree out of Duke.
-Houston Texans
Bless the Texans' hearts, they, at least, tried to prepare for the inevitable post-Deshaun Watson era by taking Davis Mills with their first selection (67th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. With Houston being the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention, the team has opted to turn the reigns over to Mills for their final five meaningless contests. It's prudent in the sense that injured veteran Tyrod Taylor isn't going to be the long-term solution, so giving Mills one last chance over irrelevant action all but assures he won't gain a cult following this offseason. But the Texans, never ones for NFL consistency, need to figure something out sooner rather than later. Watson has probably played his final down with the franchise and neither Davis, Taylor, or Jeff Driskel are suitable moving forward.
-New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill is the living, breathing version of the Wildcat offense: He was once an NFL sensation that was the talk of the town or, at least, social media, when he stepped on the field. The pre-snap process was once met with bated breath to see what would happen. When a quarterback was chosen in the latter stages of the NFL Draft, analysts would cheer that the team in question would be able to run the offense and/or have their "own version" of Hill. But teams eventually studied and adapted to the offensive surprise and rendered them meaningless, and now they exist only as a passing phenomena, literally and figuratively. The Saints were another team that seemed to have the right idea in mind...giving Jameis Winston a one-year "prove it" deal to open the post-Drew Brees era...but huge question marks surround the collegiate national champion after his season ended early with a torn ACL. Though the Saints linger on the fringes of the NFL playoff bracket, they must give fourth-round selection Ian Book some snaps before the year lets out, if only so they're absolutely sure about their offseason checklist.
-Pittsburgh Steelers
As one of the NFL's more unlucky franchises when it comes to consistent quarterback health, the Steelers have had many opportunities to audition potential successors to Ben Roethlisberger, whose exit is undoubtedly approaching. There's plenty of proof that neither Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins are up to the challenge, but Pittsburgh has remained decidedly stubborn when it comes to grooming a potential successor. It's great that they brought in names during the latter days of the NFL draft during the process (i.e. Rudolph, Landry Jones, Josh Dobbs), but the time to use primary picks...or, at least, a sizable part of offseason capital...has come.