We all know that there is no position in the NFL more important than quarterback. As we saw last year with Josh Allen and the Bills, when your quarterback surpasses expectations, it can change the entire trajectory of your season. So who will be the quarterbacks who take a step forward in 2021, surpass preseason expectations, and take their team to another level? Obviously, only time will tell, but here are our five predictions of quarterbacks who will do a lot more than people expect in 2021.
Joe Burrow, Bengals
To be fair, it’d be wise to temper expectations for Burrow a little coming off a serious knee injury that ended his rookie season. That being said, the former first overall pick started to come on strong right before the injury. Plus, he’ll have a great contingent of wide receivers around him, including former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase.
If the Bengals can just give him a little more protection, Burrow will have a chance to put up some impressive numbers and maybe even keep Cincinnati from losing double-digit games this year.
Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos
We’ll never know what Bridgewater could have been if not for that devastating knee injury he suffered during practice with the Vikings. But assuming he beats out Drew Lock, he’ll have a chance to prove himself as Denver’s starter. It’s likely he’s never had a group of wide receivers as deep and talented as the group the Broncos have with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and others.
Also, left tackle Garrett Bolles is one of the best in the league at his position. He’ll help keep Bridgewater well protected, enabling him to have one of the best seasons in the career of the still just 28-year-old quarterback.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles
We didn’t see a lot of Hurts last year, which means there’s a lot of room for growth. As an athletic quarterback who can make plays with his legs, Hurts has a nice set of tools that will allow him to take a big step forward.
People forget that he was a Heisman finalist a couple of years ago, so the talent is there. If the Eagles can stay healthy this year and give Hurts a solid supporting cast, he has a chance to be much better than anyone anticipates.
Andy Dalton, Bears
We know that Dalton isn’t going to win a lot of playoff games for you. But far too many people have written him off as a backup. Dalton is still a viable starting quarterback, and he’ll prove that in 2021. Of course, the Bears will eventually hand things over to Justin Fields.
But look for Dalton to keep his job all season and keep the Bears in the playoff hunt to the end of the season, which is more than most people expect from him in 2021.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
There’s nothing like your team selecting a quarterback third overall to get you to play your best. Preseason expectations for Garoppolo are quite low, as most probably assume that he’ll lose his job to Trey Lance whether he gets hurt again or not. However, let’s remember that Garoppolo is just two years away from going 13-3 as a starter and leading the 49ers to the playoffs.
He can play in this league and he can win in this league. He just needs to stay healthy, and if that happens, Garoppolo will play well enough to keep Lance on the sidelines.