NFC South Quarterbacks Currently On Rosters Make For Barren Wasteland With Need For Overhaul Across The Board
The NFC South is a barren wasteland of quarterbacks. Although all four teams appear to have a plan moving forward, their rosters are not a spoil of riches by any stretch of the imagination.
NFC South quarterbacks (Photos by Grant Halverson/Alex Slitz/Scott Taetsch/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Let's take a look at the quarterbacks that are under contract for 2023 in the NFC South!
Atlanta Falcons:
As much of a fan favorite that Woodside may be, he is not the answer in the A. The question is whether he will backup Ridder, or serve as the third string.
Ridder, a second-year quarterback out of Cincinnati, was the Falcons' third-round pick in 2022. He went 2-2 in four starts as a rookie, and proved that he can win with the Bearcats, but may not be ready to assume the starting role full-time.
Whether Atlanta moves forward with Ridder or brings in a veteran is the question. The guess is that free agency will serve as a chance to acquire a quarterback with more experience, but crazier things have happened and Ridder showed potential!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
After Tom Brady's retirement, the Bucs have some reevaluating to do. Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert is set to become a free agent and only Trask is under contract for next season.
It sounds as if the team considers the former Florida Gators signal-caller to be a viable option for the future, but their search will not end there and one player in particular feels like a strong fit.
Carolina Panthers:
Sam Darnold and the Panthers are set to move on, and Baker Mayfield was let go near the end of last season. That leaves a wide range of possibilities for the future in Carolina.
Although Walker is an XFL legend, and has proved to be a viable backup, he hasn't shown that he can lead a team to the Super Bowl as a franchise quarterback. The organization will likely keep him in the building as the second-string, but won't move forward with him as the starter.
Corral is the most intriguing name on the list. The former Ole Miss quarterback is a gamer, and a proven winner. However, he is still young, raw in his development, and continues to come back from a lisfranc injury that kept him out all of his rookie season. It would be a surprise if the Panthers gave him the keys to the offense, but Corral could easily earn the job down the road.
Eason, a former five-star recruit, hasn't quite had it click on the next level. That said, he is very talented as a gun-slinger and can move better than expected for 6-foot-6, 235 pounds! Carolina may choose to keep him around in hopes that his development will take a big step forward in 2023.
New Orleans Saints:
There are rumors that Winston may want to move on from The Big Easy after 2022. Although those rumors are unconfirmed, there is a chance that the Saints could trade or release him in coming weeks.
If not Winston, Andy Dalton could return as an unrestricted free agent. Hill will also be on the roster, but making him the full-time quarterback seems like a nightmare scenario.
Otherwise, it's free agency, NFL Draft or bust!
Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr and Lamar Jackson are out there. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and Hendon Hooker will all be available in April.
As things currently stand, all four NFC South teams need to figure out their future at quarterback. The division could look completely different from top to bottom come the start of OTAs!