The 2023 NFL season is approaching, and several clubs are still undecided about who will be their starting quarterback next season.
The quarterback is considered by many as the most critical position on a football team, and finding the right one is a daunting task.
For every Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, there are far more Rick Mirer and Steve Walsh-like signal callers littered throughout the league.
Speaking of Brady, his Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of a new signal caller to fill his shoes and keep the Bucs in the driver's seat in the NFC South. This task has become so complex, eerily similar to the days before Brady set foot in the organization and led them to a Lombardi Trophy.
Tampa Bay is not alone; others are going through their periods of trying to determine who will take first-team reps. The question is, will any of those teams come out with a solution not just for this year but for the long haul as well?
An honorable mention goes to the Washington Commanders. Whether or not Sam Howell will remain the starter or former Super Bowl champion Jacoby Brissett will take over remains to be seen, but we need to include Washington, if for no other reason but to congratulate them on being free of Daniel Snyder.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's take a look at some of those clubs with signal caller questions.
NFL quarterback battle No. 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hmm. No Tom Brady, huh? Well, that Super Bowl LV victory sure seems far away now. No. 12's departure now has Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield competing for the same job. Don't let Shannon Sharpe's overdramatic criticism of Mayfield cloud your vision. The former No. 1 overall pick can still play football; see what he did to the Raiders and Sharpe's former team, the Broncos, last season. Mayfield can play.
The lack of Sean McVay's playcalling may hinder Mayfield, but Trask, a former Heisman finalist from the Florida Gators, hasn't distinguished himself since coming into the league. Still, for any quarterback to replace the GOAT's shoes is a tall order. Ask New England how they are faring with trying to replace No. 12. It has not worked, despite Mac Jones' (or Bailey Zappe's) best efforts.
Head Coach Todd Bowles will have his hands full. Thankfully, the one who does win the job will have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to work with, and the NFC South is still up for grabs. Time will tell who takes over.
NFL quarterback battle No. 2: Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill did lead this team to an AFC Championship a couple of years ago. Will Levis is a second-round draft pick, and Malik Willis' future is still up for grabs. Long story short, the Music City has a new track called "QB Carousel".
Unfortunately, it's not a very pleasant tune, and the Titans have plenty of work left to do, including finding a viable receiving option to replace AJ Brown, who just helped the Eagles get to the Super Bowl. Treylon Burks has done what he can, but replacing Brown is a tall order. Derrick Henry, as great as he is, can't always do it all by himself.
Defensively, the Titans have been at the mercy of struggling QB play, notably last season against Jacksonville as Tennessee watched Josh Dobbs struggle against Trevor Lawrence and the Jags with the division title on the line. Tennessee will need a signal caller to step up, or else they may find themselves in the Caleb Williams-Drake Maye sweepstakes come next April.
NFL quarterback battle No. 1: San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy's injury has been front and center in the Bay Area, as has the status of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. In other words, outside of the signal-caller, the team looks to be a Super Bowl contender, having proven that status by making the NFC Championship Game last season. The question is, what do they do from here? After all, the franchise is sort of teetering on this move.
Purdy, a former Mr. Irrelevant (not anymore), had a magical run last season, highlighted by not just the playoffs but notably his performance against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Had he not gotten injured against Philadelphia, this debate might not occur. But he is on track to recover and make a statement. Meanwhile, for Lance, his injury, albeit serious, isn't as threatening as Purdy's was.
Having said that, given the price that general manager John Lynch paid to move up to draft the former North Dakota State product, the pressure is immense, almost as large as the brain capacity one must have to understand the Kyle Shanahan offense. The Bay Area QB situation certainly bears monitoring.