The Toxic Conversation Around Each NFL Quarterback

Everyone will tell you that maybe the two most important people on a sports team that constitute success or failure are likely a goalie in hockey or a quarterback in football.

That doesn’t mean the situations around them—offensive line, coaching staff, receiving threats, game plan, or defense—aren’t also factors in wins and losses, but the blame and the spoils, worthy or not, will be directed toward the man under center.

In the era of takes, everyone has their guy they’ll die on the hill for, creating a culture where if you build one guy up, you have to bring another down.

There’s AT LEAST one toxic conversation surrounding every single quarterback. They could go 17-0 and say nothing of consequence, and someone would have a take.

Let’s analyze what every single one of these is for each quarterback in the league so we get it out of the way.

The elephant in the room has to be addressed, and by undressing it, we’ll provide the rebuttal argument so you can decide which side you ultimately side with.

Jacoby Brissett // “You’re just a fill-in.”

The rebuttal: What if Jacoby improves the rest of the Cardinals roster by winning before his replacement gets here?

Michael Penix Jr. // “Do it for a full season and stay healthy!”

The rebuttal: Penix has already come back from two ACLs and has looked spectacular each time. There’s no reason to give up now.

Lamar Jackson // “He’s just a running quarterback who hasn’t done it in the postseason.”

The rebuttal: His running shouldn’t take away from his arm strength; he’s never had a true #1 receiver, and he’s run into either a powerhouse defense, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen each time in the playoffs in his prime.”

Josh Allen // “Make a Super Bowl and beat Mahomes when it matters.”

The rebuttal: He has so much on his shoulders all season that burnout is expected. The year he has enough support, he’ll finally get one.

Bryce Young // “He beats up on the consolation prize NFC South and can’t be the guy at that size.”

The rebuttal: We would see a lot more quarterbacks his size if it was easy. He’s doing enough with a team in a dire situation, and success isn’t linear.

Caleb Williams // “He paints his fingernails and has a controlling dad who took him to USC, and he milked that injury.”

The rebuttal: You can, in fact, be Gen Z and be successful. And sometimes, things feel worse in the moment.

Don’t act like you didn’t think your world was going to end when you stepped on a LEGO.

Joe Burrow // “Fashion boy had one Super Bowl season and has been injured and might just want to leave Cincinnati eventually.”

The rebuttal: He loves Ja’Marr and Tee Higgins; he has a defense now that won’t force him to fight for his life throwing the ball 60 times a game, and a man is allowed to have hobbies!

Deshaun Watson // “Not a good human, the worst trade in history, and should be benched.”

The rebuttal: Dabo Swinney once compared him to Michael Jordan.

Dak Prescott // “Make a Super Bowl if you’re America’s Team!”

The rebuttal: Dak plays with the pressure of being everyone’s favorite quarterback to dunk on on Mondays, and he’s also had to deal with Jerry Jones’s financial mismanagement his whole career.

Bo Nix // “He had to be revived in college and has Sean Payton and maybe the best support system. This can’t be real.”

The rebuttal: He gets better as the game goes on and figures it out as a learner.

Jordan Love // “He’s the nerd fan’s quarterback.”

The rebuttal: He’s never had a true #1 option and has all of the arm talent in the world, but is behind the worst offensive line in recent history.

Jared Goff // “If Sean McVay didn’t want this guy, there’s no way he’s actually good.”

The rebuttal: Sure, Matthew Stafford won a Super Bowl with McVay, but it was short-sighted to give up on Goff, who has proven that he can maximize the offensive talent in Detroit.

CJ Stroud // “Any time the Texans lose, with that defense, it’s obviously his fault.”

The rebuttal: He’s never had healthy receivers or an offensive scheme that maximizes his strengths, as we saw at Ohio State.

Daniel Jones // “He’s overpaid based on one and a half good seasons.”

The rebuttal: His wheels, when healthy, and his decision-making make life basic (complementary) and easy for the rest of the offense.

Trevor Lawrence // “We saw him fail all those times with three other coaches, so he’s just benefitting from Liam Coen.”

The rebuttal: Because of Liam Coen, we’re now seeing the athleticism we saw in college at the pro level in real time.

Patrick Mahomes // “State Farm boy has the refs on his side. You’re not Brady just yet, State Farm boy!”

The rebuttal: His play style and poise will set him up for championships, arguably just as long as Tom in the era of parity.

Kirk Cousins // “He gets paid massive deals to be a mercenary until he has to play in primetime.”

The rebuttal: He’s worth the money and is a veteran presence you can win with.

Justin Herbert // “Do it in the playoffs; enough of the arm strength talk. We’re tired of making excuses.”

The rebuttal: The Chargers have been cursed with no pass-catchers, an offensive line, or a competent coaching staff all at once, and while he may also be partially at fault, he is in the Bermuda Triangle where nothing has ever had a fatal flaw around him. Also, Madison Beer is innocent.

Matthew Stafford // “He’s old. No chance he doesn’t break down by the postseason.”

The rebuttal: He was old last year and still won the MVP. During his time in Detroit, wasn’t he doing all of this with a broken back and no one but Calvin Johnson?

Malik Willis // “Glad you got the chance to play after being a backup, but we’re trying to tank here.”

The rebuttal: When he filled in for Green Bay while Love was out in a winning situation, he seemed very capable.

Unfortunately, in Miami, where they’re trying to lose, he’s set up for failure in a spot with only so many starting jobs.

Kyler Murray // “He just wants to play video games. Oh, and you’re undersized.”

The rebuttal: His dynamism as a dual threat, despite his size, is an asset, as we saw him dominate Texas High School football and in college in spots where everyone was on the same mission to win. He didn’t have that in Arizona.

Drake Maye // “It’s not actually the line’s fault.”

The rebuttal: He’s facing the pressure coming off of the Super Bowl appearance to do it all by himself.

Tyler Shough // “He’s old and was a second-round draft pick. Did the SAINTS even believe in him?”

The rebuttal: Sometimes it takes time to work out. He battled injuries in college, and even though he wasn’t a highly-touted prospect, the Saints may have struck gold for his value, and he deserves his shot after his budding chemistry with Chris Olave.

Jaxson Dart // “He can’t stay out of the blue tent. Also, his teammates might not exactly agree with his politics.”

The rebuttal: When he’s not trying to be a warrior and makes more mature decisions, the running and arm strength outside the pocket is phenomenal in the games we’ve seen when all is right. John Harbaugh will have to teach him to know his own strength. And the locker room is big enough to have disagreements!

Geno Smith // “We wrote him off a while back for a reason.”

The rebuttal: But what if he DID actually get his swagger back in Seattle and last year in Vegas was just a product of bad coaching?

Jalen Hurts // “He’s got no aura and is a tush push merchant behind a roster Howie Roseman constructed.”

The rebuttal: He’s a winner. He’s taking advantage of the offensive line that was built to support him with his strength; he makes the right decisions to keep plays alive, which is a skill that can’t be taught, and even though AJ Brown didn’t like playing with him because he’s not exactly a gunslinger, he never will say the wrong thing and has mental clarity even though people think that’s boring.

Aaron Rodgers // “He’s past his prime and cares more about being on the Pat McAfee Show than playing football.”

The rebuttal: When you have the chance to reunite a future Hall of Famer and brilliant mind with his coach, you take it!

Brock Purdy // “How well would he do outside of Kyle Shanahan’s system?”

The rebuttal: No one has ever run the Shanahan system better than he has. He has the poise that would be successful even outside of it if given the opportunity elsewhere, but we just haven’t had the chance to see it.

With all of the 49ers‘ injuries, it’s a miracle he does what he does in general.

Sam Darnold // “He saw ghosts on the Jets and couldn’t do it in Carolina. He’s lucky the Seahawks defense saved his career.”

The rebuttal: A Super Bowl-winning season should speak for itself, especially after some newfound success in Minnesota. The highlights show he’s a warrior behind that offensive line and now has the confidence of a top QB.

Baker Mayfield // “He can only play when all is lost, and he has a chip on his shoulder.”

The rebuttal: You’re always in a game or in a season when Baker is counted out. You’d prefer a quarterback who prefers the pressure to one who folds in the midst of it.

Cam Ward // “We keep giving him excuses because he’s a number 1 pick who had a fired coach and a losing situation. Maybe he’s also the problem?”

The rebuttal: He’s still young, and for his talent coming out of college, he deserves to have a nurturing system that will maximize that in the NFL, and he hasn’t been given that in Tennessee just yet.

Jayden Daniels // “You can’t win with a guy his frame.”

The rebuttal: His highs when healthy are too valuable to pass up.

He needs an infrastructure of protection and play calls that minimizes his chances of taking the heat.