QB Landscape as of February 2023

There are few positions in team sports that are as important as the quarterback. And recently, the position has been more and more competitive. In previous years, it feels like the starter behind centre has been the staple of their teams. However, that is not the case for many teams. This article hopes to give you an idea of the QB landscape as of February 2023.

Thinking about team QBs, isn’t only important for figuring out whom to roster at the QB position. It’s also important to think about this for other skill positions on your roster. Wide receiver performance is heavily dependent on the quarterback. Running backs can also be affected, especially if the quarterback significantly improves or worsens the offence.

I am going to go through all 32 teams, and list who I would say was their starting quarterback to end off the 2022 season and who I think will be their quarterback going forward. For some teams, it was clear they were just plugging in quarterbacks to make it through the season. In that case, I won’t call a starting quarterback. Furthermore, if a team has a quarterback that should start in September but doesn’t even have the job security to play out the year, I’ll make a note of that as well. If I don’t think there will be a change, I will just list the player as the team’s QB.

The Teams

Arizona Cardinals:

Starting QB: Kyler Murray
Future QB: Kyler Murray is still at the top of their depth chart but someone else will be starting for much of the season due to his injury

Atlanta Falcons:

Starting QB: Desmond Ridder
Future QB: Ridder does not have much job security and many have rumoured that Lamar Jackson could go here if the Ravens can’t keep him

Baltimore Ravens:

Starting QB: Lamar Jackson, who is a free agent
Future QB: It may be Lamar Jackson if they can figure something out, but it looks like they’re also very willing to trade him away for the right price

Buffalo Bills:

QB: Josh Allen

Carolina Panthers:

Starting QB: Nobody
Future QB: They will probably start a rookie using their 9th overall pick

Chicago Bears:

Starting QB: Justin Fields
Future QB: It could be Justin Fields, but they also have a chance at the top QB in the 2023 class so they could reset at the position and trade Fields away

Detroit Lions:

Starting QB: Jared Goff
Future QB: I do think Jared Goff starts for the 2023 season, but there is a chance that they could draft a QB to replace him in the future. They have the 6th overall pick

Green Bay Packers:

Starting QB: Aaron Rodgers
Future QB: There is a decent chance that Aaron Rodgers does not return, either because he retires or because he demands a trade. If that’s the case, it is looking like Jordan Love would be their QB

Houston Texans:

Starting QB: Nobody
Future QB: They will probably start a rookie using their 2nd overall pick

Indianapolis Colts:

Starting QB: Nobody
Future QB: They will probably start a rookie using their 4th overall pick

Jacksonville Jaguars:

QB: Trevor Lawrence

Kansas City Chiefs:

QB: Patrick Mahomes

Las Vegas Raiders:

QB: Derek Carr, who was just released
QB: I am guessing they will try to add a veteran free agent

Los Angeles Chargers:

QB: Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Rams:

QB: Matthew Stafford

Miami Dolphins:

QB: Tua Tagovailoa

Minnesota Vikings:

QB: Kirk Cousins

New England Patriots:

Starting QB: Mac Jones
Future QB: It’s likely Mac Jones, but based on the fact that Mac Jones got benched this past season, I would not be surprised if that happens again in 2023

New Orleans Saints:

Starting QB: Andy Dalton, who is now a free agent
Future QB: Jameis Winston was not starting for them at the end of the year, but he is the top QB on their roster now. However, there are many rumours that Derek Carr will sign with them, now that he has been released from the Raiders

New York Giants:

Starting QB: Daniel Jones, who is a free agent
Future QB: Like with Lamar, it might be Daniel Jones but it will depend on if they can get something figured out. It’s also possible he could be tagged

New York Jets:

Starting QB: Nobody
Future QB: It’s likely they try to bring in a veteran QB to help with their talented team

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Jalen Hurts

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Starting QB: Kenny Pickett
Future QB: It’s probably Kenny Pickett. It doesn’t look like he has much competition, but Pickett hasn’t proven he’s not easily replaceable

San Francisco 49ers:

Starting QB: There are a few that have started due to injuries
Future QB: It looks like there will be a QB battle between Trey Lance and Brock Purdy. Jimmy Garopollo is a free agent but there is a small chance he could return an be a part of the competition as well. I still think the 49ers will give their expensive 1st rounder a shot first, but if they do, he would be on a short leash

Seattle Seahawks:

Starting QB: Geno Smith, who is a free agent
Future QB: It looks like they will try to get an extension figured out with Smith, but this isn’t a guarantee. There is a chance they try to bring in someone else. They also have the 5th overall pick so they could bring in someone raw and have Geno play the role of a bridge quarterback

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Starting QB: Tom Brady, who is now retired
Future QB: This is probably the biggest mystery in the NFL. Their top two in Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert are gone so Kyle Trask is the next player up. However, I don’t think he’s a starting caliber QB so they may try to bring someone else in. That could be through trade, free agency, or maybe even the draft

Tenessee Titans:

Starting QB: Ryan Tannehill
Future QB: This would probably be the second biggest mystery. They are in a better situation than Tampa as they have a decent starter in Ryan Tannehill and some disappointing depth in Malik Willis. The Titans have the 11th overall pick so they could try to draft a new quarterback. They could also try to bring in a vet

Washington Commanders:

Starting QB: Sam Howell
Future QB: They say Sam Howell is the starter and he did do quite well in the one game he started. But I would say it could be anyone. They have a few candidates on their roster who can start, but I think they could all be replaceable as well. They are definitely looking to bring in a better veteran if possible

Wrap-Up

As you can see, there is not much stability at the position this year. I only listed 12 teams as having strong consistency at the position for this upcoming year. This is partly why many would value talent over situation. Situation is the more variable of the two factors. And with how messy the QB landscape is looking, don’t count on situations staying the same for most skill position players.

So how does this affect fantasy, especially for dynasty players? For one thing, this should raise the value of those QBs with job security in Superflex or 2QB leagues. It should also make you cautious with QBs that don’t have job security. You can also look at the pass-catchers on the teams with possible QB changes and consider whether they will likely get an upgrade or a downgrade.

If you found this article helpful, check out other Belly Up Fantasy Sports articles at Belly Up Fantasy and you can follow me on Twitter.