Reports have emerged that Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has become the next quarterback to turn down the offer of being a premiere quarterback on season two of Netflix Original series 'Quarterback'. Prescott joins the list of many across the league who were approached at some point in time about the opportunity, including Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa, Sam Howell, and Mathew Stafford.
Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota starred in season one of the series, so we can count them out as well. With the football season just around the corner, here is my target list of quarterbacks to follow for season two.
Top Tier Ring Contender
1) Joe Burrow
2) Josh Allen
Don't overthink this. No other eligible quarterbacks can bring what these two can. These guys are the leaders of the two teams who have the shortest odds to win the 2024 Super Bowl (outside of Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes was on season one, and Eagles - Jalen Hurts turned offer down down), and either of them leading their squad over the Chiefs in the playoffs would make for an incredible season.
Above Average Skill with Potential Team Upside
1) Justin Herbert
2) Lamar Jackson
3) Trevor Lawrence
Justin Herbert just got his bag of 5-years $262.5 million after putting up the best statistical three season start of any quarterback of all time. Herbert may be on his way to being one of the most skilled quarterback in the game. He has one of the strongest arms in the league, an ability to scramble, and overall good decision making skills. If Herbert and the Chargers can stay healthy, they could give the AFC and the Chiefs a run for their money.
Lamar Jackson has had an interesting start to his young NFL career. Despite winning the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2019 and numerous first place finishes in the AFC North, the Ravens have not been able to get out of the Divisional Round under Lamar. Coming off of an injury that kept him out of the playoffs, I think people have forgotten just how good Lamar Jackson is. Here's a chance to make sure they never forget again.
Trevor Lawrence is entering his third season after being selected with the No. 1 pick back in 2021. After a rocky first season with numerous coaching staff interferences, Lawrence and the Jags won a playoff game last season under new head coach Doug Pederson. This defense is solid, and Trevor Lawrence has a new receiver to throw to in Calvin Ridley. The Jags should run away with the AFC South.
Don't Call It A Comeback
1) Lamar Jackson
2) Ryan Tannehill
3) Baker Mayfield
Lamar would be the choice here, but Tannehill also fits the mold. Tannehill only played in 12 games last season, many of which it appears he was most likely playing on a bad ankle. His stat line was overall underwhelming, but this should be a much more united Titans team this season. Derrick Henry is back after rushing for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Plus, Tennessee landed Free Agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to add some spice to the offense and Mike Vrabel is one of the more entertaining coaches in the league in my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I am fully aware this series is called Quarterback and not Hard Knocks, but having these elements don't hurt when following a QB.
I snuck Baker on the list but I'm not crazy about it. I could see him being the Marcus Mariota replacement as the guy on the show that everyone takes naps through. However, there is enough potential with the Bucs based on the weapons around Mayfield to make the list over guys like Jimmy G.
Young Buck
1) Kenny Pickett
2) Bryce Young
3) CJ Stroud
4) Anthony Richardson
Go ahead and pick any of these guys. A ton of upside and they all appear to be the clear cut starter in Week 1. Obviously one of these is not quite like the other with Pickett. Although not a rookie, I still think he's young enough that we can see exponential growth in this second year QB, just as we would see from the rookies. Plus, I could see difficulty getting a true rookie to commit to this much added weight in their first season in the NFL.
As I mentioned, if Netflix can fill three of these four categories, I'll be pretty happy. Brandon and I are set to discuss our top targets for the show today during T-Time on In The Zone. Tune in to 96.9 The Game from 3-6 p.m. to check it out, and as always feel free to let us know your thoughts on our text line: 50857