Why NFL Teams Consistently Fail Their Young Quarterbacks
The Systemic Failures of NFL Teams
In the NFL, young quarterbacks are expected to be saviors—especially when they are picked at the top of the draft. But more often than not, these young signal-callers struggle, and it’s far too simplistic to lay the blame solely on the players themselves. The truth is, teams with poor management and broken systems often set these quarterbacks up for failure. We’ll dive into why young QBs face an uphill battle and how NFL teams continually get it wrong.
The Curse of the #1 Overall Pick
One of the most glaring reasons young quarterbacks struggle is because they are often drafted by terrible organizations—historically bad ones at that. The team’s record is the reason they are picking at the top normally, and being thrust into a dysfunctional franchise is an immediate handicap. It’s not the quarterback’s fault that they were picked first overall, but the expectations placed upon them are almost unfair.
Take Baker Mayfield, for example. Coming out of Oklahoma, Mayfield was the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, chosen by the Cleveland Browns, a team with a long history of failure. Despite being the best QB in his draft class and arguably performing well by any reasonable standard, Mayfield was deemed a disappointment by many because the Browns thought they could “do better.” They traded him away for a quarterback (Deshaun Watson) who had off-the-field issues and hadn't played in two years. How’d that work out for them?
Mayfield, meanwhile, went on to the Panthers, Rams, showed promise, and now with the Buccaneers, he looks like a borderline top-10 quarterback. Mayfield isn’t a failure by any stretch—he’s thriving in a system that works for him, but because the Browns are, well, the Browns, they couldn’t see the value in him.
Stop Overhyping and Stop Underestimating
The NFL media machine has a nasty habit of overhyping some quarterbacks while underestimating others. Look at guys like Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson. For years, we’ve been told that Lawrence is the next big thing, but he continues to miss easy throws and has yet to take that leap into elite status. Meanwhile, Richardson, despite being frequently injured and wildly inconsistent when he’s on the field, is somehow still being praised.
Lawrence gets more excuses than anyone should, and Richardson? Well, I still don’t know what people see in him. He misses more throws than I can count, and that’s saying something considering he’s hurt—again. Injuries and inconsistency are not a recipe for success, yet teams and pundits alike continue to give these guys the benefit of the doubt.
Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall a few years back, is in a similar situation with the Carolina Panthers. Is Young a bust? It’s hard to say. He does play for the Panthers, after all, one of the worst organizations in the NFL. Carolina hasn’t produced a star quarterback since Cam Newton’s lone MVP season, and Young is being asked to lift an entire franchise by himself.
Why Don’t Teams Acknowledge the Reality and Build Around a Bridge QB?
Here’s a question: Why can’t NFL teams just admit when their young quarterback isn’t ready or, frankly, isn’t that good, or that the guy that’s at #1 may not actually be it? Why is there this obsessive rush to label every high draft pick as the “franchise guy” before they’ve even had a chance to prove themselves? Teams often seem allergic to the idea of patience and building a complete roster around a legitimate bridge quarterback—someone who can hold the fort while they continue to build the team the right way.
When I say bridge QB, I’m not talking about the usual suspects like Jacoby Brissett, the classic placeholder with a low ceiling. I mean taking a flyer on someone with real potential—like a Sam Darnold, who is still relatively young, talented, and might just need the right situation to shine. Why can’t a team like the Vikings bring in a guy like Darnold for a year or two, develop their pick, and use that time to build a stronger roster? It’s not like Darnold will command a big salary even if he plays exceptionally well. Baker got a 3-year $100m contract with the Bucs. Darnold, for all his ups and downs, could be a solid option for a year while a real team gears up for a better long-term plan at quarterback.
Caleb Williams is another example of a young QB who’s had enormous hype.
Let me be clear—I’m not calling him a bust. He’s certainly better than Bryce Young already because he can literally see the field and make the necessary throws. But based on the expectations set for him before the season, Williams isn’t quite living up to the hype. He’s looked much better in recent weeks, but if the initial expectations were sky-high, even an upward trend might not be enough to meet them.
It’s entirely possible Williams could end up on the same level as Mayfield, who was underrated, overlooked, and still performing better than many expected. But here’s the problem: the NFL world loves to build guys like Caleb Williams up, and if he ends up being “just as good as Baker Mayfield,” many will unfairly view that as a disappointment to me.
The Organization Sets the Tone
It’s not just about the quarterbacks—these players are often failed by the organizations that draft them. Anthony Richardson may be talented, but the Colts haven’t built a system around him that allows him to thrive. I mean, after all, they supposedly had a roster good enough to win a Super Bowl for like 4 years now, dating back to Carson Wentz and Rivers and Matt Ryan.
Meanwhile, guys like Baker Mayfield or even Jared Goff find new life in better systems with teams that understand how to utilize their skill sets. If Richardson had been drafted by a sensible organization with a strong offensive scheme, would we be having the same conversation about his inconsistency? There’s a world where maybe not.
Bryce Young: Victim of Circumstance?
Bryce Young might have been the top pick in the draft, but he walked into a situation doomed from the start. The Panthers are historically bad, and unless they make major changes in how they develop talent, it’s hard to see a path to success for Young. If he doesn’t succeed, will it be because he was a bad pick? Or will it be because Carolina is bad at developing quarterbacks? Young may not get the benefit of the doubt because the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league, but if he ends up on another team, I’d be interested to see what he can do in a more stable environment.
A Trend of Failures
This brings us back to Caleb Williams. Sure, he’s better than Bryce Young at this point, but he’s not immune to the pressures of expectations. The NFL builds up these young quarterbacks, only to tear them down when they don’t meet impossible standards. Williams could end up being “as good as Baker Mayfield,” which, by the way, isn’t bad at all. But because of the hype machine, anything less than immediate greatness will be seen as a failure.
Think about this: Williams might go 9-8, lead the Bears to the playoffs, only to lose on the road to Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. Was it worth all the hype? Is he a bust? Of course not. It's far too early to tell, clearly. And that’s the problem with the way we treat young quarterbacks in the NFL.
A number of guys have had successful 2nd chances after pretty lousy starts with their former teams. Ryan Tannehill had 2-3 really solid years with the Tennessee Titans. He was never a top 10 QB, but he had a top 10 year or two with a team that was in far better shape with a far better coach.
And on the flip side, look at a guy like Aaron Rodgers who many want to throw into the G.O.A.T. debate, and he's just not. Not even close. But, he throws a pretty ball, and was usually pretty accurate, never turned it over, and people loved him. But he left the Packers as he got worse, and the team got 'worse'. Fast forward just a few years and the Packers have made the playoffs, and all signs point to them making it again this year. And the Jets got 4 total plays out of Rodgers last year, and have gotten about 4 total good plays.
It's Not Always the QB
Young quarterbacks don’t fail on their own—more often than not, they’re failed by the teams that draft them. The expectations placed on these players, combined with poor organizational structure and coaching, set them up for disappointment. It’s time we stop labeling every young quarterback who doesn’t immediately shine as a bust and start holding teams accountable for the environments they create.
Whether it's Bryce Young struggling in Carolina, Caleb Williams facing the weight of expectations, or Baker Mayfield finding redemption after being cast aside, the story remains the same: a quarterback can only be as good as the system around him. It’s time for NFL teams to stop getting it wrong.