NFL Nation Reporter November 9, 2023, 6:20am ET10 minutes read
Ryan Clark: Kyler may quell Cardinals’ tanking talk
Adam Schefter and Ryan Clark discuss Kyler Murray’s potential start in Week 10 against the Falcons.
We’re officially at the halfway point of the 2023 NFL season, which seems like a good time to look at the quarterback situations around the league. And we have a lot to look at: In nine weeks, 49 QBs have thrown at least 10 passes and 46 have started at least one game.
We asked our NFL Nation reporters to answer 12 important questions about the game’s most important position. They touched on growing concerns, possible returns from injury, big changes to the game and even some implications for 2024 and beyond. Let’s start with Arizona, where Kyler Murray could join the list of quarterbacks who have started a game this season if he is able to return in Week 10. These 12 questions are sorted alphabetically by team.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BUF | CIN | DAL | THE
LV | MIN | NYJ | PHI | TEN | WSH
How will the organization evaluate whether Murray is the long-term man?
It’s important to note that the Cardinals view him as their long-term quarterback as of now and something would have to happen to change that. However, Arizona obviously has a big decision to make if it lands at or near the top of the draft board this offseason.
The victory is important, but not the deciding factor. Arizona wants to see consistency, improvement and production in this new scheme – Murray was 19th in QBR last season before suffering a torn ACL at 53.6. If for some reason none of that pans out and Murray isn’t a good fit with Jonathan Gannon’s coaching staff once he’s back on the field, then Arizona might reconsider whether he’s the long-term answer. But otherwise he will be her man. – Josh Weinfuss, Cardinals reporter
Are the Falcons more likely to stick with Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heinicke as their 2024 starter or go with someone new?
At this point, it looks like the trend is toward someone new, especially if the Falcons don’t make the playoffs in a suspect NFC South division. Ridder has made progress — he has completed 65.4% of his passes this season — and has seen the field better in recent weeks, but the turnovers (particularly the fumbles) have been part of his bench rotation. And while Heinicke is the perfect bridge starter or high-level backup, it currently seems unlikely that he will enter a potentially decisive season with him as the starting quarterback.
Why Loza relies on Levis
Liz Loza explains everything she likes about Titans’ new quarterback Will Levis.
How would that change? If the Falcons make the playoffs, either due to a good performance from Heinicke or a return to the lineup and then much-improved play from Ridder, that would at least give Atlanta something to think about heading into 2024. – Michael Rothstein, Falcons reporter
How concerned are the Bills about Josh Allen’s injured right shoulder?
As coach Sean McDermott likes to say, all injuries are cause for concern. And that’s especially true when it’s the franchise quarterback’s throwing shoulder.
The Bills’ offense has been up and down overall, but since Allen first suffered the injury in Week 6 against the Giants, he has completed three of 15 pass attempts of 20 or more yards, and one attempt resulted in an interception. The team limited his work last week because he did not participate in practice on Wednesday and did not throw as much as he normally would in pregame warmups before the Week 9 game against the Bengals.
However, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said the Bills aren’t too concerned about Allen’s shoulder being an issue in the Bengals’ game when it comes to play-calling. “We were a little more vertical at times than we have been in the past because we felt good about where Josh’s shoulder was and he was comfortable with that,” Dorsey said. – Alaina Getzenberg, Bills reporter
What has been the biggest difference in Joe Burrow’s play in recent games?
Health and mobility. Burrow is a completely different quarterback now that his right calf has returned to full strength. Coaches, players and opponents have all noticed the difference in Burrow’s performance, especially in recent wins.
As of Week 5, Burrow ranks fifth in outside-of-the-pocket QBR (87.0), after ranking 25th in that category in his first month (14.0). This ability to extend games has led to big gains and key conversions during Cincinnati’s four-game winning streak. – Ben Baby, Bengals reporter
What are you hearing about the likelihood of Dak Prescott getting another extension after the season?
Lately? Nothing. But Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have consistently said that Prescott will be the Cowboys’ quarterback in 2024 and beyond. He has a cap hit of $59.4 million in 2024 and his contract expires after next season.
Ideally, the Cowboys would sign him to an extension in the offseason to lower the cap and allow the team to add more playmakers to the roster, but negotiations on his current contract have taken much longer than expected, and it is It’s possible that things will drag on again. It should be noted that Prescott has no-trade and no-franchise tag clauses in his current contract.
Regardless of when something happens, given the way Prescott has played the last three games (eight touchdown passes, one interception), it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys wanting to start over at the most important position. – Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter
What three words best describe the match between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton so far?
In progress. Wilson had some moments this season where he was comfortable and productive on offense — but he also looked like his 2022 self at times. He has two 300-yard passing days this season, but also two performances with fewer than 120 yards. In fact, he only had five games with fewer than 120 passing yards in his entire career, and he had two in the Broncos’ last three games.
Denver will have to make a decision on Wilson later, and potential dead money hits of $35.4 million next season and $49.6 million in 2025 (if he were released before June 1) are reason to pause. Regardless of the Broncos’ draft prospects, March will be the turning point for Wilson going forward. While his 2024 base salary is already guaranteed, his 2025 base salary – $37 million – will be fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the new league year.
Payton needs to find a better way to fit Wilson into what he wants to do on offense, at least until the Broncos have a prospect at the position. – Jeff Legwold, Broncos reporter
How likely is it that the Raiders move on from Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason?
How about…very? That Garoppolo was benched as part of the reset that saw coach Josh McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi fired does not bode well for the quarterback’s future in Las Vegas. He threw nine interceptions but seven touchdown passes in six games. Then again, it all depends on how well rookie Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders play in Garoppolo’s absence. Interim coach Antonio Pierce also said we probably haven’t seen the last of Garoppolo this season.
Many factors still play a role in determining whether the Raiders need to look for a franchise QB in the 2024 draft, where ESPN’s Football Power Index projects them at No. 6. – Paul Gutierrez, Raiders reporter
What do you think about the chances of free agent Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota in 2024?
There are a lot of people in the Vikings organization who want to bring Cousins back next season, and he has said he wants to finish his career in Minnesota. Ultimately, the decision rests in Cousins’ hands.
He has never accepted a discount in his hometown and would likely get big offers on the free-agent market despite his torn right Achilles tendon. And since the Vikings plan to give receiver Justin Jefferson a quarterback-sized contract, they might not match the highest offer.
As for current starter Joshua Dobbs, no team would make future plans based on a single game. Given his history in the league, there’s a strong chance he could replace Cousins as Minnesota’s starting quarterback in 2024. – Kevin Seifert, Vikings reporter
What’s the latest on Aaron Rodgers’ potential to return at some point this season?
Rodgers is aiming to return in “a few fortnights”, or around six weeks. But just because he says it doesn’t mean it will happen. Not only does Rodgers have to be medically cleared after tearing his left Achilles tendon in Week 1, the Jets would also have to make a football decision based on risk and reward. Much will depend on the team’s placement in the AFC standings. The Jets are currently 4-4, and if they’re out of contention by the end of the season, it wouldn’t make sense to bring him back. – Rich Cimini, Jets reporter
How concerned are the Eagles about Jalen Hurts’ left knee injury?
No alarm bells are ringing. Hurts reportedly has a bone bruise in his left knee. He has struggled with pain in recent weeks and suffered a direct blow to the knee against the Cowboys that left him significantly impaired. But Hurts hasn’t missed any practice or playing time and continues to perform at a high level even though his mobility is below 100%. The hope is that the bye week will help with healing. – Tim McManus, Eagles reporter
How much will the Titans’ offense change with Will Levis replacing Ryan Tannehill?
From a technical perspective, the offense itself won’t change much. However, look for more vertical passes as Levis looks to push the ball up the field. Since his debut in Week 8, he leads the NFL in air yards per pass attempt (10.1). However, he admitted that he needs to be more aware of the routes underneath so he will adjust accordingly in the future.
Additionally, Levis’ mobility and ability to make back-foot throws will help reduce the Titans’ sack totals. Tennessee has scored 29 goals this season, fifth-most in the NFL. – Turron Davenport, Titans reporter
Has Sam Howell shown enough to prove he can be the Commanders quarterback of the future?
It really depends because at this point we don’t know who will be coaching the Commanders or making personnel decisions after this season. Will they mobilize for the postseason, and if so, will owner Josh Harris keep coach Ron Rivera’s team? If that happens, yes, commanders will definitely continue to build up around Howell, especially along the line of attack.
But what if there was a new regime, a top-10 pick and a chance to draft a new quarterback? Howell, like any QB, has his weaknesses, but he has thrown for 5 more yards than any other passer since Week 5 (1,510). This season, he ranks second in passing yards (2,471) and seventh in touchdown passes (14). Howell is Washington’s most productive quarterback since Kirk Cousins left him after the 2017 season and deserves a longer look. – John Keim, Commanders reporter