For the second season in a row, there has been a massive quarterback movement in the NFL with the Seahawks, Colts, Commanders, Broncos, Browns, Falcons and Steelers all starting the 2022 season with new passersby.
They're not only just starting out mid-level, either, with Russell Wilson, Deshan Watson and Matt Ryan among the players taking a snap in new uniforms coming week one.
Iyer: NFL Mock Draft 2022: Tyreek Hill, Deshaun Watson, Davante Adams Trades Shake Up Round 1 to Chiefs, Packers and Texans
There are still a pair of passers-by who will likely find new homes before the 2022 NFL Draft, with Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo likely to move in as soon as possible.
Along with the moves, here's how NFL teams fared in their moves for passersby this off-season:
With the Matt Ryan era officially in Atlanta, the Falcons will be turning to the draft to locate their next long-term passer.
Mariota was briefly linked with Arthur Smith on the Titans, but sided with Ryan Tanhill, who took the Titans' offense and Smith's plan to the next level in 2019. Mariota, who is effectively a one-year-old on a proven-deal, will likely be a useful starter as long as he can stay healthy. It is not a given.
Still, Mariotta's signing with the Falcons serves a multifaceted purpose beyond being a stopgap: his familiarity with the offense means a short (or non-existent) learning curve, and he makes for a rookie QB picked in the draft. Can act as a mentor. There will be options, if they want to go that route.
It's pretty clear that the marriage between Mayfield and Brown went south... for reasons no one is still entirely sure why. Was it inconsistency? ineffectiveness? attitude? The tell-all book will be interesting when it comes out in 15 years.
The Browns took three picks in the first round to win the still-difficult division, noting that they still needed a lot of help on the offensive side of the ball. Hopefully, at least in the immediate, Watson will mitigate any lack of deep offensive talent, pairing with a much deeper receiving class.
Obviously, the mega-deal comes with some red flags: Brown claims that no matter how comfortable he is with Watson's character, he was still bound by some pretty nasty legal proceedings stemming from allegations of sexual assault and harassment. , and is not revealing how he will return after a year away from the game. There is also the question of how many games he will play in 2022, given the possibility that the NFL will hand the suspension over for violating the league's individual conduct policy.
Brown still gets points for going all in and guaranteeing Watson's deal — even though it still feels gross to write and talk about.
Denver Broncos: B+
2021 Week 1 Starter: Teddy Bridgewater
2022 Predicted Starter: Russell Wilson
The Broncos are a just-add-water Super Bowl contender, and good thing the water they picked up was fancy artesian fizzy stuff.
Russell Wilson, under the supervision of new head coach Nathaniel Hackett, threw bombs at Tim Patrick, Jerry Judy and Cortland Sutton, a look that Wilson has long drawn to match the perfect offensive philosophy. Avoiding the Seahawks' dull onslaught should pay immediate dividends for Wilson and the Broncos.
Indianapolis Colts: B
2021 Week 1 starter: Carson Wentz
2022 Predicted Starter: Matt Ryan
Coming soon to Lucas Oil Stadium: The Veterans QB Shuffle Tour of 2022.
The Colts have turned into four different Week 1 quarterbacks since the retirement of Andrew Luck: Jacobi Brissette, Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz and now Matt Ryan.
The trade to Ryan seems like a really good fit for both sides, even if it's just a one-year quick fix for the QB position. Ryan didn't show much in his final year with the Falcons, so whether or not Frank Reich can squeeze out football's final juice will be one of the more interesting QB stories to watch in 2022.
The AFC South isn't really a division that is breaking away from the Colts, and with the Titans potentially in a state of flux, perhaps Indianapolis has a better chance at a division crown with the Ryans than some.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
2021 Week 1 starter: Ben Roethlisberger
2022 Predicted Starter: Michelle Trubisky
The Steelers signed Trubisky in March to a low-risk, high-reward deal that was worth $14.3 million over two seasons. 2 overall pick is getting his next, best (and probably last) chance to prove that he can be a quality starter in the league, and it could be a good match to do so in Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin has made it clear that he didn't want to restart with a rookie quarterback, so signing Trubisky could give the Steelers the best of both worlds: Trubisky gets the opportunity to start over for now, while the draft I can give them a cheater. Moving on to the answer.
That said, he still has the worst QB position of any team in his division, which is probably the first time he has drafted Ben Roethlisberger. Michael Scott said it best: Well, well, well, how about turntables.
Seattle Seahawks: C-
2021 Week 1 starter: Russell Wilson
2022 Estimated Starter: Drew Locke
The Seahawks did well in the Russell Wilson trade in draft capital, but the overall plan may have been drawn in crayons on a restaurant napkin as well.
Seattle lost a lot of points for what went beyond the confusing team-building strategy entering the 2022 off-season: a 2020 Jamal Adams trade indicated the team was going all in, while Wilson's trade indicated some reset gives. The team is also prepared to offer a big-money contract to the wider DK Metcalf, so the Seahawks appear to be halfway between breaking it up and keeping it.
As it stands, Week 1 predictable starter is Drew Locke, who won't be confused for franchise quarterback no matter how much you squint and rub your eyes. With their options dwindling in the business market—be it Baker Mayfield or Bust—there's a chance the Seahawks will take a passer at some point in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Washington Commanders: C-
2021 Week 1 Starters: Ryan Fitzpatrick / Taylor Heinicke
2022 Predicted Starter: Carson Wentz
It seems that commanders are allergic to finding a legitimate quarterback substitute, which seems confusing, especially when they have the window open for contention.
Carson Wentz was neither good nor bad with the Colts in 2021, he was just kind of… there. And during the Ron Rivera era, Commanders excel at having quarterbacks that are just kind of… out there.
The two-thirds trade - one that could become the second - for Wentz after Eh returns he gave the Colts in 2021 is quite a gamble, even with Rivera's insistence on a veteran.
While there is a world in which Washington sees a quarterback in the second round this year that doesn't have many first-round people, the commander might stop a man who needs the job and spend a year on the bench before handing over the keys. .