2023 NFL Best Quarterback Room Part I: NFC North

First, please allow me to preface this post with a brief explanation of how it originally came into existence, and why it’s just showing up now. Back in March of this year I was already starting to “blog” without a blog to post blogs on (so basically, I was just writing for the sake of writing). It took me way longer than I had anticipated in researching and deciding on a domain, a site name, a wordpress creator, etc. In my downtime I started writing about each NFL teams’ QB room/situation and what they should do in the upcoming draft, and/or in free agency. That is the reason for the “UPDATES” that you’ll see as you’re reading. When there were transactions as it pertains to the Quarterback positions, “updates” were added to each respective team. Our journey begins on March 7^th. As always, I hope you enjoy…

Chicago Bears/Justin Fields

March 7th: We will start with the Bears because they currently have the number one draft pick this year. QB, Justin Fields is under contract through 2024 with a 5^th year option in 2025. He has a relatively low QB salary at $5M in ’23 and $6M in ’24. Considering some QBs want $35M-$45M/year the Bears should think of this as a bargain. They also have Trevor Siemian as their backup for $2.5M, and eight draft picks, with two in the 4^th round and two in the 5^th. The Bears will KEEP their current QB situation, AND TRADE BACK into the draft giving up their #1 overall pick, trading with a specific team that I will divulge later. They will very likely draft a QB between rounds 3-5 to (at the very least) have a backup in mind after this year when Siemian’s contract runs out.

UPDATE (April 5^th): The Bears did in fact trade the #1 Pick in the draft, however, it did NOT go to the Indianapolis Colts as I projected (you’ll read it later). It went to the Carolina Panthers. So, the Bears ARE rolling with Fields, but released Siemian. Instead, they picked up some dude named PJ Walker (who was a backup in Carolina the last three years), and Nathan Peterman, who was Chicago’s QB3 last year.

UPDATE II (April 30^th): The Bears did not draft a QB and will roll with Fields as predicted. They did, however, sign undrafted rookie QB Tyson Bagent from Shepherd (?). PJ Walker and Nathan Peterman are 28 and 29 years old respectively, and neither has made a name for themselves since being in the league. So, why not give Bagent a preseason shot?

Detroit Lions/Jared Goff

March 7th: The Lions are going to stick with Goff, and rightly so. Goff had a damn good year (29 TDs, 7 INTs and a Rating of 99.3); in fact, his best year since 2017 and 2018. He’s 29 years old, under contract for the next two seasons (at $31M each year…oof!), but also, Detroit has nobody else. The Lions have eight draft picks in the 2023 draft, but more importantly they have two 1^st round and two 2^nd round picks. What they SHOULD do is utilize this to trade back and pick up some more picks. What they WILL do is draft a QB as a viable backup (Maybe Levis from Kentucky?), and potential replacement for when Goff is out of contract in 2025 . Nate Sudfeld is the current backup, and after the Lions draft a QB in the early/middle round, Sudfeld will be QB3.

UPDATE (April 30^th): The Lions drafted Hendon Hooker with the 5^th Pick in the 3^rd Round. Considering that Hooker needed surgery and will be rehabilitating, he will not likely be playing this year, but will be ready to go in 2024. Hooker is the replacement for Goff after this year, or when Goff is done in 2025…so says my crystal ball. They also signed undrafted rookie Adrian Martinez from Kansas State. Soon to be 30-year-old Nate Sudfeld is currently thanking his lucky stars that Hooker probably won’t be able to play this season.

Green Bay Packers/Aaron Rodgers...?

March 7th: Are you tired of hearing about this one yet? This is what Aaron Rodgers is due under his current contract for the next four years: $31.6M, $40.7M, $59.3M, and $53.5M. Rodgers has completely fleeced the Packers, and in doing so, he also screwed himself by not allowing the Packers to provide him with any surrounding cast worth a damn. I hope that during his mystical, cave-dwelling, drug-trip he found some clarity to know that he is now a problem to the Packers organization. Granted he was coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, he took advantage and got paid, but then lost his best WR target, and missed the playoffs. Wake-up call? I’m going to say, “yes”.

I think Rodgers should “Pull a Favre” or a “Brady” and semi-retire and just go to another team. He should know that he can’t win under the current situation, and that at 39 years old, he’s running out of time. However, Rodgers and the Packers will work out a trade instead; I predict that you’ll see A-Rodg playing in TAMPA BAY next year. Rodgers goes “Full Brady” and restructures his contract to play in the sun, on a team that needs a QB and has a decent surrounding cast. Most importantly, he gets to play in a division that absolutely sucks.

Like I said before, Rodgers took advantage of a situation in GB by getting paid. Now he’ll take advantage of a situation in TB to get back to the playoffs. The Packers on the other hand will go with Love (under contract this year for $4M with an option in ’24 for $20M) to see what they have in this kid. They also have Danny Etling to back up Love, and eight draft picks (and get some much-needed Cap Space) to rebuild and give Love a chance. However, obtaining a cheap veteran like Joe Flacco or Andy Dalton wouldn’t hurt.

UPDATE (March 24^th): I was right about the trade: Rogers is sick of the Packers and vice versa. However, the Packers and Rodgers are trying to work out a deal with…the Jets? Ok, either way, the Pack is planning on rolling with Love.

UPDATE II (April 14^th): As of right now, there is still no deal between the Packers and the Jets, so the depth chart still reads: Rodgers, Love, Etling. To be continued….

UPDATE III (April 30^th): Two days before the draft the Jets solidified the deal with Rogers making Love and Etling the two remaining QBs in Green Bay. Instead of getting a veteran on the roster, the Packers decided to draft a QB in the 5^th Round; Sean Clifford from Penn State. I still believe that the Packers will invite a veteran QB like Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, or Carson Wentz to be a more solid backup if Love isn’t all they hyped him up to be.

UPDATE IV (July 10^th): The Packers still haven’t signed a fourth QB like most other teams, only solidifying my thought that they are waiting to see which veteran QBs will be there before training camp. Add Teddy Bridgewater to that list as well.

Minnesota Vikings/Kirk Cousins

March 7th: KirkO-Chains is in the last year of his contract and set to make $36.3M, with another $20M in Dead Money for Mineesota the next two years after. So the following seems like a “no-brainer”: Seeing as how Captain Kirk is 34 years old, and the time to win is (presumably) now with both the Bears and Packers in “rebuilding mode” the Vikings will re-sign Cousins to a three-year deal that includes this “dead money” and free up some much-needed Cap Space (before losing some very key players and needing to re-sign Jefferson). The Vikings need to quit kicking the can down the road, and they have no other QB option on the roster because they’ve done a terrible job of drafting QBs since I’ve been alive.

Here’s another kicker; the Vikings only have FIVE draft picks this year (one in the 1^st at #23, one in the 3^rd, 4^th, and two in the 5^th), so essentially, they’re screwed if they want a new QB. They could trade back, but then they likely won’t have a pick in the first round at all. They are going to need to trade some players for picks (one of which is going to have to be a QB), AND free up A LOT of Cap Space to sign some players. Their backup to Kirk is sixth year journeyman Nick Mullins, who returns for his second season.

UPDATE (April 5^th): The Vikings continue to be irrational; NOT extending Cousins, but instead restructuring his contract and DEFERRING his payments even further down the road, even though he will presumable not be playing for Minnesota after this season. Wow.

UPDATE II (April 30^th): The Vikings drafted a QB (as predicted) in the 5^th Round; Jeran Hall from BYU.

UPDATE III (July 10^th): The Vikings have done nothing in the QB Department since the draft; sticking with their three QBs. Are they really putting all their eggs in the Nick Mullens basket should something happen to Cousins? Maybe another veteran before the preseason starts? Only nine more Sundays until Opening Weekend…

Best Quarterback Room?

If we’re just talking about the 2023 Season, AND we’re not looking at any other QBs besides the starters, Cousins is better than any of his NFC North rivals. HOWEVER, this is about the QB ROOM, not just the starter. In this case, I’m going with the Lions, especially if Hooker is able to play. Goff is a close second to Cousins, and I’ll take Sudfeld and Hooker (who could potentially play this year) over the other #2 and #3 QBs in the other NFC North locker rooms. This is also why the Lions have a very good chance of winning the NFC North in 2023. Stay tuned for more QB Room breakdowns, and thanks for the “read”.