While a new generation of NFL quarterbacks take center stage and attempt to steal the spotlight, some of the league’s veteran signal-callers don’t seem quite as good as they used to be. A few quarterbacks that seemed like the cream of the crop just a year or two ago may no longer be among the top tier of quarterbacks. Admittedly, we might be overreacting a little, but here are our picks for the five most overrated quarterbacks heading into the 2020 NFL season.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans
Yes, Tannehill deserves some of the credit for Tennessee reaching the AFC Championship Game last year. Let’s face it, they were going nowhere with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. To his credit, Tannehill completed 70% of his passes while averaging 9.6 yards per attempt last year. But is he the long-term answer and worthy of a $118 million contract?
He’s a game manager at best and benefited from teams focusing on Derrick Henry, who did most of the heavy lifting. The Titans might be able to win with Tannehill in 2020, but that doesn’t mean they’ll win because of him, making him overrated based on his salary.
Sam Darnold, Jets
A lot of Jets fans genuinely think Darnold is the second coming of Joe Namath for Gang Green. But we need to pump the brakes on the former USC quarterback. While he has plenty of talent and promise, Darnold is far from a sure thing. He’s started 26 NFL games and thrown 28 interceptions.
Needless to say, that’s a serious problem. His 59.9% career completion percentage is also a little worrying. Considering people think that he’s already the savior of the franchise, Darnold is a tad overrated.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Does Prescott really think he’s worth $30-$40 million per season? Exactly what has he accomplished in his first four seasons in the league? He’s only taken the Cowboys to the playoffs twice in what has been the weakest division in the NFL.
Even when he fell less than 100 yards short of 5,000 passing yards, Prescott had plenty of bad games and failed to make Dallas better than 8-8. When Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas offensive line play well, Prescott looks good. But the rest of the time, he’s a middling quarterback and a decent athlete who can’t win games with his arm.
Philip Rivers, Colts
The days of Rivers being among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL are officially over. That much was clear during a disastrous season with the Chargers last year, leading to a change of scenery.
For what it’s worth, he’s probably an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett for the Colts. But he’s not going to dramatically change the team’s fortunes in 2020. Rivers in his current state is a shadow of the quarterback he used to be.
Jared Goff, Rams
The 25-year-old Goff still has ample opportunity to prove us wrong. But if anybody thinks Goff is among the elite quarterbacks in the NFC, he is vastly overrated. When he was at his best in 2017 and 2018, he had the luxury of Todd Gurley at the peak of his career and an outstanding group of receivers.
When some of those pieces went away last year, Goff’s performance dropped like a rock. Right now, he looks more like a system quarterback who can only play as well as the talent around him, not an elite quarterback who can elevate the play of those around him.