Ndamukong Suh announces retirement from NFL
Crediting his father as "my idol, my coach, and my anchor," the defensive lineman relayed what he said was the final piece of advice from his dad.
"It's time to let football go," he recalled his father saying. "You've done everything you set out to do. Now it's time for the next chapter."
"That conversation stayed with me," Suh posted in his statement on social media. "So today, one year later, I'm honoring that wish.
"I'm officially retiring from the NFL."
Suh, 38, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Lions. He spent five seasons in Detroit (2010-14), then played for the Miami Dolphins (2015-17), Los Angeles Rams (2018), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-21) and Philadelphia Eagles (2022).
He has been out of football the past two seasons. He won the Super Bowl with the 2020 Buccaneers.
Suh made his presence known as a rookie, posting a career high of 10 sacks and being named an All-Pro and AP Rookie of the Year. It was the first of his three All-Pro honors, and he also was named to the Hall of Fame All-2010s team.
He made 600 career tackles and 71.5 sacks, adding one interception, five forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries -- three returned for a touchdown. He appeared in 199 games, starting all but the eight he played with the Eagles in his final season.
"I left it all on the field, and now I'm stepping away with peace and gratitude," he said.
"Because I've been preparing for this moment for years. Football was my passion, but it was never my endgame."
He now hosts the "No Free Lunch" podcast, in which he strives to share what he's learned about "navigating life and money," he said.
--Field Level Media
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USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
NFL preseason winners and losers: Shedeur Sanders stands out, Joe Milton misfires
Anyone hoping to have their appetite for football whetted by the first week of NFL preseason games likely emerged from the action still experiencing some hunger pangs. Swaths of starters sat throughout the league in Week 1 of the exhibition slate, and many of the key figures who did take the field only stayed in for a drive or two before giving way to backups and long-shot roster hopefuls. But viewers who properly scaled back any expectations still could scavenge some meaningful morsels from young players. The week was not without its notable story lines, with top picks Cam Ward and Travis Hunter both making their unofficial professional debuts. Yet just as was the case in April, Shedeur Sanders seemingly eclipsed all of his peers when it came to commanding attention, and the passer delivered more than enough fodder for several days of discussion. Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 1 of the preseason: NFL preseason Week 1 winners The Cleveland Browns quarterback's performance should be accompanied by the proper caveats. Operating alongside other backups against the second-stringers for the NFL's worst scoring defense in 2024, Sanders still isn't a threat to burst from the back of the Browns' quarterback competition to the front as a potential Week 1 starter. But capitalizing on his most extensive action of the summer should be categorized as an unquestioned victory for the fifth-round signal-caller from Colorado, who flashed plenty of reminders of his accuracy, touch and overall command by leading three touchdown drives and completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Sanders gave himself a C+ for his outing afterward, acknowledging a continued need for improvement in the face of pressure by speeding up his process. But even though a starting spot any time early in the fall is likely out of reach, he has renewed relevance in the quarterback room and gave Cleveland strong incentive to keep giving him looks in both the rest of the summer and down the stretch of his rookie season. The Colorado coach's 58th birthday on Saturday had to be a joyful one given the performances of sons Shedeur and Shilo, the latter an undrafted safety who made his mark for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his preseason debut by drilling Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Brandon Allen to force an incompletion. But the victories didn't stop there. Among the Prime products who made waves were Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner who took his ironman act to the pros by playing 10 snaps at receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars before moving over to cornerback for eight snaps; LaJohntay Wester, a sixth-round rookie who solidified his standing with the Baltimore Ravens by reeling off a 87-yard punt return touchdown; and Xavier Weaver, who stuck with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and hauled in a 1-yard touchdown on Saturday. Regardless of how their careers pan out from here, for one moment, at least, the second-year Jaguars kicker managed to steal the spotlight from Hunter. Seconds before halftime in an eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Little delivered arguably the signature moment of the first week of the preseason with a 70-yard field goal. The kick might eventually be lost to history given it won't eclipse the regular-season mark set by Justin Tucker in 2021 with a 66-yarder, but it sent his teammates – and plenty of observers on social media – into a frenzy. A sixth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2024, Little converted 27 of his 29 field goal attempts as a rookie, making clear he's no flash in the pan. Now, he enters the fall as one of the few kickers with some serious cachet – and probably an inflated draft positioning in fantasy leagues now, too. Nothing little about Cam's leg 😮💨@cameronglittle | #PITvsJAX on NFL+ The preseason hype train tends to build up to peak speed for quarterbacks, and particularly ones who prove to be somewhat of a revelation. After McKee last week completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns while leading five overall scoring drives against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 2 option behind center might be outpacing the field in generating hoopla. Yet the story of the former sixth-round pick's steady ascension is one of a steady rise, with the 6-6, 230-pound signal-caller showing enough growth to move this offseason from developmental option to Jalen Hurts' primary backup. Any speculation that McKee could be ready for a starting gig elsewhere seems premature. Still, the 2023 sixth-round pick is trending toward becoming yet another evaluation success story for Howie Roseman, who saw past an uneven career at Stanford and mobility limitations to a rhythmic passer with promising tools. The New England Patriots need explosive plays in whatever form they can get them in order to turn down the difficulty level for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Henderson, a second-round pick out of Ohio State, was brought in to rip off long gains as both a runner and receiver. On Friday, however, his greatest display of his breakaway speed came on a 100-yard kick return touchdown. The 5-10, 202-pounder turned the corner for an 18-yard gain on his lone carry and logged three catches for 12 catches before exiting the game before any of other ball carrier, including presumed starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Henderson won't be featured the way that first-round backs Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton figure to be, but things continue to trend for him to have a substantial role from Day 1. TO. THE. HOUSE. @TreVeyonH4 💥#NEvsMIN 8/16 on WBZ Sometimes a streamlined approach just works for a player's introduction to the NFL. With Russell Wilson's place as the New York Giants' starting quarterback firmly established, Dart has enjoyed the luxury of reasonable expectations and a pared-down workload as the first-round pick prepares to begin his rookie season with clipboard in hand. And if Dart's preseason debut is any indication, that developmenal plan has put the Mississippi product on the right track. Coach Brian Daboll praised his new pupil for balancing efficiency with aggression in completing 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards with one touchdown against the Buffalo Bills, while general manager Joe Schoen said during the game broadcast that the stage "definitely didn't seem too big" for either Dart or fellow first-round pick Abdul Carter. There's still plenty that both the team and signal-caller have to build out in Dart's game given how much more challenging things will be once he's forced to read defenses intent on fooling him. But for a franchise seemingly desperate for hope behind center in any form, a sign of encouragement is welcome. The No. 1 pick didn't match the buzz of Sanders or Dart in his first start, but there was plenty to like from the initial impression. Ward threw for 87 yards on 5-of-8 passing on two drives against the Buccaneers, largely looking comfortable and composed outside of a near-interception by cornerback Josh Hayes. The signal-caller fostered a strong connection with top target Calvin Ridley, who notched three receptions for 50 yards while working with his new quarterback. Ward will have to walk a tightrope as a rookie as he calibrates his playmaking streak with a directive to avoid back-breaking mistakes, but he struck a nice balance in his first showing. The drumbeat is only growing louder for the fifth-round rookie to take on a key role in the Seattle Seahawks' passing game right away. After repeatedly turning heads in camp with his ability work downfield, Horton hauled in three catches for 31 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders, including a 10-yard score on a quick hit from Drew Lock. The 6-2, 196-pound target from Colorado State might not be ready just yet to leapfrog Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who was given the night off with a number of other veteran starters, to become the offense's No. 3 receiver and designated deep threat. But he's placed himself squarely in the mix as the regular season approaches, and it could be difficult to keep him sidelined for long. What is it about ex-Seattle sports stars becoming shutterbugs? Lynch followed in the footsteps of former Mariners legends Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. by toting a camera on the sideline for the meeting of two of his former teams in the Seahawks and Raiders. Still, the iconic running back might as well have been donning a jersey rather than the vest of a photographer, as Lynch protected his camera by putting his forearm into George Holani when the Seahawks running back came a little too close for comfort after a touchdown run. Even in retirement, Lynch's field awareness hasn't wavered. .@MoneyLynch unnecessary roughness ? The first-round tight end's value to the Indianapolis Colts' offense as a much-needed steadying presence has been readily evident since his arrival in the spring. Warren caught three passes for 40 yards after playing the first four drives of the Colts' Thursday loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Regardless of whether Indianapolis starts Anthony Richardson Sr. or Daniel Jones at quarterback, Warren should size up as a major factor in the passing attack as someone who can hold down the middle of the field and bail out a passer under any duress. The Denver Broncos' second-round rookie running back served up a strong reminder not to get too invested in August depth charts. Despite being listed fifth at his position, Harvey joined the rest of the starters against the San Francisco 49ers and was handed a fairly extensive workload of seven carries for 25 yards. Veteran J.K. Dobbins should remain in the picture, with his appearances Saturday on third downs reinforcing his value to Sean Payton as a proven pass protector. But any timeshare in the Broncos' backfield looks like it will afford Harvey plenty of opportunities. The protection problems that plagued the Kansas City Chiefs from Week 1 all the way to Super Bowl 59 won't be resolved by one person, and a single preseason game is hardly sufficient for evaluating the player freshly tasked with safeguarding Patrick Mahomes' blind side. But Andy Reid and Co. have every reason to be encouraged about Simmons, the left tackle who kept all defenders at bay in his 11 snaps against the Arizona Cardinals. The first-rounder's play throughout the summer has indicated a much more rapid arrival than initially anticipated from a blocker who tore his patellar tendon last October, and Simmons looked fully in control in his first action against another team. If Kansas City can find stability next to Simmons at left guard, Mahomes might finally have enough time to rediscover the downfield passing element that has gone missing in recent years. The New Orleans Saints' quarterback competition didn't seem to shift dramatically in the wake of Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, with Tyler Shough demonstrating more upside than Spencer Rattler while simultaneously showing on a pick-six how tumultuous his NFL acclimation period could be. Tipton, however, gave Shough his biggest highlight of the day by breaking free on a double move for an easy 54-yard touchdown bomb. The 2024 undrafted free agent from Yale has created a stir in the summer for the second consecutive year, but translating his explosive downfield speed to a game setting marked a nice win for the receiver, especially as he tries to prove himself to Kellen Moore and a new coaching staff. Given that the Saints' speedy tandem of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed combined to play just 14 games last season, Tipton could be setting himself up to be a valuable depth piece for a receiving corps with a murky outlook beyond its starters. Making special teams contributions is a natural way for backups to enhance their value. For running backs, that typically entails returning kicks rather than trying to boot the ball between the uprights. Nevertheless, Davis stepped to convert an extra-point attempt for the Bills in the second quarter against the Giants. Coach Sean McDermott acknowledged afterward that he the experiment was a one-off as prep for a potential emergency scenario. But it gave new meaning the title of all-purpose back. .@Ray_Davis07 had to update the resume. 😂#BillsMafia | #GoBills NFL preseason Week 1 losers Since his high school days, Milton's arm strength has sparked Paul Bunyan-esque tales rife with hyperbole. Brian Schottenheimer said last week that the only quarterback he has been around who could compare in the category is Brett Favre, yet he believed his new backup could still push the ball farther than the Hall of Famer. That singular raw ability might not amount to much, however, if Milton and the Dallas Cowboys don't figure out a way to harness it. A 17-of-29 performance for 143 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Los Angeles Rams – a team that holds back its key players and invests little in preseason results – left plenty of unease about Milton's positioning behind Dak Prescott, with wildly errant throws and ill-advised tight-window attempts all too commonplace. It's easy to see understand the 6-5, 246-pound passer caught Jerry Jones' eye as a developmental prospect behind center, but entrusting him with the No. 2 job based on his upside and his Week 18 performance with the Patriots last season might be as big of a misfire as any one of Milton's incompletions Saturday. The Detroit Lions exhibited an abundance of patience in their first two years with Hendon Hooker, with the third-round quarterback from Tennessee being granted the equivalent of a redshirt season as a rookie after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament late in his final college campaign. But after Hooker lost two fumbles in Friday's win against the Atlanta Falcons, time appears to be running out for the passer to make good on the investment Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes made in him in 2023. Journeyman Kyle Allen, who has been far from a world-beater through the summer so far, appears to have a decent lead in the competition for the No. 2 spot behind Jared Goff. If the 27-year-old Hooker can't lock down that responsibility heading into Year 3, how can Detroit reasonably expect any additional growth? Meanwhile, with Teddy Bridgewater off to Tampa Bay after rejoining Detroit last December to relegate Hooker to an emergency role, the Lions likely will have one of the shakier backup quarterback outlooks of any legitimate contender. At least the Colts quarterback's pinkie injury didn't sideline him for long, as Richardson returned to practice Saturday after the dislocation he suffered in the first quarter Thursday sidelined him for the rest of the contest. Still, the third-year signal-caller admitted he didn't properly account for the Ravens' pressure, allowing David Ojabo to barrel down on him unblocked off the edge for a hit that could have been even more devastating than it initially looked. In all, it was a disappointing lapse in judgment after a summer in which coach Shane Steichen has touted the volatile passer's play as being cleaner. As the battle with Daniel Jones continues, Richardson can't afford to continue leaving uncertainty about whether he can stay on the field after playing in just 15 games the first two years of his career. Lining up across from Ja'Marr Chase is an unenviable draw for any cornerback, and doubly so when there's little help afforded in the matchup. Still, at a time when he's pushing to secure the starting cornerback spot opposite second-year standout Quinyon Mitchell, Ringo had one of the more calamitous outings of the first week of action. The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Georgia found himself scrambling to catch up to Chase when the receiver broke open for an easy connection with Joe Burrow on an out route, and a poor pursuit angle by Ringo allowed the All-Pro to dash into the end zone for a 36-yard score. Ringo, who acknowledged after the game he "could have played a little better, for sure," also couldn't stick with Chase for a toe-tapping 23-yard connection on the sideline. Adoree' Jackson didn't fare well either, and Nick Sirianni said the team wouldn't let the performance obscure what Ringo has accomplished in practices. But with the team trading for Jakorian Bennett last week, the heat is on for a player yet to make proper use of his immense physical tools. The easiest way to win in the preseason is not to play. Lamb had the night off as expected Saturday – the Cowboys and the four-time Pro Bowl receiver have about 136 million reasons to keep him under wraps – but not even the inactive label could keep him safe, apparently. Celebrating with his back to the play, Lamb got a little too close to the action on the sideline and was mowed down by side judge Anthony Jeffries. Both parties appeared to emerge unscathed, but Lamb earned a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Hardest hit that Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb took tonight was on the sidelines …. and from an official. Dave Canales spent much of the offseason explaining that his confidence in Legette hadn't wavered, even though the receiver largely struggled throughout his rookie campaign and the Panthers selected Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick in April. But after trying to set a new tone entering Year 2, the No. 32 overall pick in 2024 lost his composure when he and Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins exchanged punches after becoming entangled during a first-quarter run play, with both players being ejected for the fracas. Said Canales afterward, "We want to see better from X, for sure."
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
NFL QB Tiers 2025: Lamar Jackson cracks Tier 1, Jayden Daniels sets rookie record
This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. Quarterback Tiers results are in for 2025, with 50 NFL coaches and executives coronating two first-time Tier 1 QBs — including, finally, Lamar Jackson. Advertisement The panel combined to confer 46 top-tier votes on Jackson. That was twice his total from 2024, an indication the two-time MVP has proven his ability as a passer, including in the playoffs, at least to an extent. Anthony Richardson Eagles Among the other highlights, Joe Burrow is a unanimous Tier 1 choice for the first time, Matthew Stafford makes his Tier 1 debut and Jayden Daniels sets a QB Tiers record for highest debut by a second-year QB. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers plummets to Tier 3, Caleb Williams checks in fourth among 2024 first-round QBs and Russell Wilson falls to Tier 4. The 2025 QB Tiers results are complete with commentary from the panel of 50 voters, who were granted anonymity to share candid evaluations. The panel comprised six general managers, six assistant GMs, six former GMs, five other executives, eight head coaches and 19 other coaches, including 15 coordinators. Each voter placed 34 veteran quarterbacks into five tiers, from best (Tier 1) to worst (Tier 5). Quarterbacks were then ranked by average vote and placed into tiers based on vote distribution. The survey excludes rookies because voters have not seen them play in the NFL. Voters still consider Mahomes the best even though others have surpassed him statistically. "I think Mahomes is the best quarterback to ever live," an offensive coordinator said, "but the gap is smaller than it was a year ago." This is Mahomes' fifth season as a unanimous Tier 1 selection. Only Aaron Rodgers, with six, has more unanimous selections since QB Tiers debuted in 2014. "Mahomes is the best quarterback in the world," a GM said. "Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson had better individual seasons. In fairness, the infrastructure around Patrick has eroded." Mahomes led the league last season in game-winning drives (seven) and fourth-quarter comeback victories (five), per Pro Football Reference. Both were single-season career highs as Kansas City went 11-0 in games decided by eight or fewer points. "Mahomes has the Brady seat now, until someone proves otherwise," an offensive coach said. "Last year, I saw a headline saying something to the effect of, 'Mahomes' worst year to date, and the Chiefs are undefeated.' This is when this guy is too good for his own good." The Chiefs' shrinking victory margins correlate with the shrinking gap between Mahomes, Burrow, Allen and Jackson. "It would probably be Mahomes first just because he can beat you so many different ways," a defensive coordinator said. "He ain't fast, but he runs on you. He throws it from all over the place. I hate facing Lamar now that they have Derrick Henry. I hate to see Josh Allen, and then Joe (Burrow) has great targets, but you can get after him." Mahomes ranked 10th in EPA per pass play, 17th in passer rating (93.5) and 26th in yards per attempt (6.8) last season. "Patrick is obviously still a 1, but he is winning out of need at the end of games," a head coach said. "That is what it's about, but Burrow, Lamar and Josh played better than him in quarters one through four." No voters came close to placing Mahomes in any other tier. "Criticizing him is like walking into the Sistine Chapel and saying, 'I like Michelangelo's drawings, but his sense of color is off,'" a defensive coach with AFC West experience said. This is Burrow's fourth consecutive season in Tier 1 and his first as a unanimous top-tier selection. Rodgers (six), Mahomes (five), Tom Brady (four) and Russell Wilson (one) are the only other unanimous Tier 1 selections in the survey's history. "He is the closest thing to Joe Montana that I have seen," a head coach said. "That is about as big a compliment I can give you as a quarterback." One difference: Montana's San Francisco 49ers led the NFL in fewest points allowed during the 1980s, while Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals ranked 25th last season. "To me, it's Mahomes and then Burrow if I had to rank them," a veteran offensive coach said. "Burrow could be a 1 with a red cross on him. They don't protect him, and he gets the s--- knocked out of him constantly." Burrow played all 17 games last season, leading the NFL in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. "He's a stud, particularly with those freaks he has out there at receiver," a defensive coach said. "I respect the arm talent, don't get me wrong, but you have to be able to fool him presnap, and you have to be able to rush with four and get there." Allen ranks a tick below Mahomes and Burrow even though some consider him the most challenging to defend. That's because a few voters valued pure passing over running strongly enough to place a line after Mahomes and Burrow. "Josh Allen presents some issues that Mahomes doesn't present, just how strong he is and how good of a runner he is," one voter said. "I watched him single-handedly beat us. It's just, God, you can't tackle him. And he's got a cannon." Allen set career bests in 2024 for EPA per pass play, sack rate and rate of pass plays gaining more than 15 yards. "Josh Allen reminds me of (Brett) Favre when he was younger," an offensive coach said. "He is like a bull in a china shop, trying to score 70 every week. Burrow does it like a surgeon." The Favre comp seems less relevant after Allen suffered only eight turnovers last season. That was down from 22 in 2023, and a career low by far. "Josh Allen is the toughest quarterback to defend," a defensive coordinator said. "He is a combination of Lamar and Burrow. Lamar is the better runner. Burrow is the better pure passer. Josh is right in the middle. He can sling the ball around for 400 yards. If you have that covered, he can run for 100 yards, too. "The only thing that has been an issue for him is turnovers playing hero ball, and that was better last year." Jackson has finally ascended into the top tier after two seasons of good health and great production in an offense showcasing his passing. He did so with 46 top-tier votes, twice his total from 2024 QB Tiers. "Lamar has really done a great job, and I do not think it has been him that has let them down (in the playoffs)," a defensive coordinator said. "It has been other parts of their team. He has taken leaps and bounds in the last couple years." Jackson set career bests last season for passing yards (4,172), yards per attempt (8.8), touchdown passes (41), interceptions (four), passer rating (119.6), sack rate (4.6 percent) and rate of passes gaining 15-plus yards (21.3 percent). "There is a maturity of how he plays the game and when he turns on his magic," another voter said. "We played them, and s---, he was almost perfect that day. He is definitely a 1." Most voters thought Jackson should have won MVP last season. "It would have been his third," an offensive coordinator said. "You can't win three MVPs, still be in your prime and not be a 1." Only Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield made bigger year-over-year gains in average tier vote, remarkable considering Jackson already ranked in the top five a year ago. "There was doubt before because it was off-schedule, it was running, it's not sustainable, they have a great defense, they have this, they have that," another voter said. "The offense has put the ball in his hands more, to sling the ball around." Voters also thought the Ravens' improved skill players were a factor. "I'm a firm 1 on Lamar now," another defensive coordinator said. "Even last year's game in the playoffs, he brought them back. (Mark) Andrews drops the ball at the end. Lamar is the total package, a very unique player." Stafford is making his Tier 1 debut at age 37 after 11 consecutive seasons in Tier 2. His ability to work through a back injury that has sidelined him in camp will be key. "I always had a high admiration for him as a competitor, arm talent and playmaker, but always thought he was a gunslinger," one voter said. "He still has that in him, but his mind, his ability to process, think and communicate stand out." Stafford's ability to process and play from the pocket has long endeared him to offensive coaches who prefer to play that way. "I guarantee all your 1s for Stafford came from offensive coaches," a defensive coordinator said. "Offensive coaches kiss this guy's ass all the time, especially guys from that system. He's really good, though. I would take him over (Justin) Herbert because he is a better passer, with better timing." It wasn't just offensive coaches pushing Stafford into Tier 1. Far from it. Three GMs, one assistant GM, three former GMs, four other personnel execs and seven defensive coordinators accounted for the bulk of Stafford's 26 top-tier votes. "That dude is something," a defensive coordinator said. "Every time I watch him, I go, 'Whoa!' He is a high 2." This coordinator reconsidered when asked what was keeping Stafford from Tier 1. "There is really nothing," the coordinator replied. "He's a 1. He's that good. They are a play away from (the NFC Championship Game) last year. He worries the s--- out of you." No second-year QB has made a higher Tiers debut than Daniels. His 1.71 average and 17 top-tier votes break the records C.J. Stroud set last year. Stroud had eclipsed 2021 Justin Herbert. "What I respect most is it never seems too big for him," a defensive coordinator said of Daniels. "He would stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. Once we saw him running around, it was, 'OK, he is going to be a problem.'" Daniels became the only rookie starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era to reach a conference championship game without a top defense (Washington ranked 24th in defensive EPA per play, per TruMedia). "He's a 2 with the arrow up," another defensive coordinator said. "He can run, he can throw with accuracy and he's really calm — the s--- ain't too big for him, and it's easy to see when you are playing him. He doesn't get flustered." Daniels' 891 yards rushing last season ranked second to Jackson among quarterbacks. He is among 10 QBs in league history to average at least 50 yards rushing per game in 14-plus starts. The others: Jackson, Justin Fields, Bobby Douglass, Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray. Daniels might already be a better passer than most of those. "He is probably the best passer in our division," a voter from one of Washington's NFC East rivals said. "He is really good." Daniels commanded 13 more Tier 1 votes than the rest of the NFC East combined (Hurts got three, while Dak Prescott got one). "This dude has got arm, legs and processing," another defensive coordinator said of Daniels. "He just took his team to the championship game with a non-championship-caliber roster." Can Daniels sustain it? Stroud regressed after a stellar rookie season. Also, opponents seemed to figure out Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury when he was in Arizona, where another dual-threat QB, Murray, failed to sustain early promise. "I think he is tremendous," a head coach said of Daniels. "I don't want to '1' him because I want to see another year. Get me halfway through that second year and I'll have a good feel. The defensive coordinators will have all had their shot." The downward trend for Herbert among Tiers voters is clear. After peaking with 36 top-tier votes in 2022, the number has fallen to 29, 19 and now 13. "A lot of people have him as an automatic 1," an offensive coordinator said. "I want him to take it. It seems like he is almost there, but he hasn't really done it." The talent is obvious. "He is just a little bit robotic," a defensive coordinator said. "You can tell, the way he processes everything, it is a click slower than some of the elites, but he is a stud — he is really good." Shifting to a more run-oriented offense under coach Jim Harbaugh is another factor. "He is probably like Joe Burrow lite," another voter said. "Good player, can make all the throws, can decipher and operate. If they had more around him and he kept maturing, maybe there is some more there." This voter thought the Chargers needed to add weaponry. "They have like 18 running backs out there now," he said. "They were so dependent on one receiver (Ladd McConkey) that we felt good matching up against everyone else." Voters wanted to see more from Herbert in critical moments. "He's very smart and very competitive, but he lets little things distract him," an offensive coach said. "He needs to forget about the little things. Jim (Harbaugh) will point that out to him and get it right. This will be a big year for him." Goff's standing in Tiers improved for a third consecutive year, resulting in career bests in ranking (eighth) and average vote (2.06). "Goff and Burrow are probably the two best anticipation throwers that I have seen lately, so you have to put him at a 1," a head coach said. "You might put him at a 2 from a pure quarterback standpoint — he struggles to extend plays — but the guy has played at a 1 level for three years." Goff has a league-high 96 touchdown passes over the past three seasons. "You will see this year if it is the coordinator or the quarterback, but I think it has been more the quarterback than advertised," an exec said, noting that the Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. "Goff and Mayfield are legit guys who can get in a rhythm and dice you up. They are not as good as the top guys in Tier 1, but they deserve to be up there." Eight voters placed Goff in Tier 3. "He's a 3 because he needs the run game, he needs a defense, he needs all those things," one of these voters said. Goff's five top-tier votes this year are two more than he has commanded in eight previous QB Tiers appearances combined. "He has definitely grown over the last couple years," a defensive coordinator said. "Early in his career, if you got him to be just a dropback quarterback, he would make a lot more mistakes. He is better in that area as far as protecting the football. He has a good run game, they have a good team. I'm not going to hold that against him too much." Stroud remained solidly within Tier 2 despite suffering the fifth-largest year-over-year fall in average vote. "He got rattled because of his offensive line, and you saw that in his play," one defensive coordinator said. "When I watched them, I felt like he felt the rush. Because of that, I still think the talent is in there." Stroud got one Tier 1 vote, down from 12 last year. "Everybody wants to downgrade C.J.," another defensive coordinator said. "His No. 1 receiver was out, the line did not play great, the run game wasn't there like it should have been." This voter saw Stroud as a low 2. "I read an article, they said it's time for him to take the next step," an offensive coach said. "What is the next step? It's time for his team to take the next step. He's pretty damn productive." Two voters compared Stroud to the Packers' Love. "Very similar to Love in that some of the disguises, he'll hold the ball quite a bit, take some sacks, throw it into coverage at times," one of these voters said. "The decision-making can be average." The defensive coordinator who faced Stroud did raise concerns over the quarterback's 86-yard game against the Packers. "He can carry the team," this coordinator said. "He is special in my eyes because he can throw from the pocket, he can throw off-schedule, he has been really good with the game on the line. The one thing that would sway me to go to a 3 was his performance at Green Bay. I wasn't crazy about the play calls at the end, but if he had won that game, he would be a solid 2. He is a 2-3 to me." Hurts' standing in Tiers barely changed after his Eagles won the Super Bowl with a run-oriented offense, a stacked roster and high-level production from Hurts on the biggest stage. "Jalen does everything the right way for how they have been built," an offensive coordinator said. "I see him as a really good player on a team with a bunch of really good players." This is Hurts' third consecutive season in Tier 2. "He has improved from the pocket, but when you play him, you still want him to beat you from there — that is the whole plan," a head coach said. "If he can get out of the pocket in two-minute, he is effective as hell, and he has done it. But he has to do it with his legs in crunch time. The guys you want can do it with the arm and legs in crunch time." Hurts has the lowest average tier vote for any quarterback coming off a Super Bowl victory since Eagles alum Nick Foles won as a backup after the 2017 season. This speaks to the Eagles' ability to assemble top-notch rosters around their quarterbacks. Hurts also might be underrated. "This is going to sound like I don't like him, but I do," a GM said. "Just by the definition, I feel he is more of a 3. Am I on an island with that?" Nope: Eleven other voters also placed Hurts in Tier 3. "Hurts is always a tough one for me," a former GM said. "I think he is a 3. They are very talented around him, and he is not as consistent as a passer. They have a strong defense, great playmakers, great offensive line. He is able to function that way. But I don't know that he is the one that elevates them. That is not a slight. "He is a good player. But putting him in that 2 category, I don't see that." Hurts attempted 30 or more passes in each of the Eagles' first four games last season, but only once thereafter as Philadelphia leaned into its run game. "They tried to throw it more early in the year," a defensive coordinator said. "He could not do that, so they said, 'Screw it, run the ball 40 times a game.' I still gave Hurts a 2. He is a winner, and he can do it sometimes." Another strong season in Tampa pushed Mayfield to career bests in ranking (11th) and average tier vote (2.30). "He went from being a wild man to being a contained wild man now," an offensive coach said. "He is still going to turn the ball over here and there, but he can elevate everyone around him through his style of play." Mayfield's 33 votes in Tier 2 were one fewer than he commanded over the past five years combined. "He has matured," a defensive coach said. "Think of this: Same guy who was wearing a bath robe in a commercial when he played for the Browns?" Mayfield has gone from Dave Canales to Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard as his offensive coordinator in three years with the Buccaneers. "To his credit, he has different coordinators the last few years, and he is getting progressively better," an exec said. "His ability and playmaking has helped him get back to the place where he was drafted, first overall." Canales and Coen had never been primary play callers in the NFL. Both became head coaches after one season with Mayfield. "You look at his path, s---, talk about playing your best ball with your back against the wall," a head coach said. "Gotta give him a 2." Does Mayfield's status as a No. 1 pick give him the benefit of the doubt over, say, Brock Purdy, who entered the NFL as Mr. Irrelevant? "Baker has more playmaking ability — he can carry it a little bit more," one voter said. Purdy has benefited from playing in the same system. "Purdy is a better, quicker decision-maker, and he sees it, and he has a little more touch on the passes, whereas Baker throws that b---- hard," another defensive coach said. "He lacks some touch and may not get it out of there as quickly as the other guy." Mayfield's ability to transcend systems works in his favor. "You can see their design," a defensive coordinator said of the Bucs. "You can see the play selection. More of the throws are going outside. I think they are opening his line of vision because he is a smaller guy. That is where I feel like Liam did a good job fitting the system around him." Prescott slipped lower in Tiers than at any point since 2019 after missing nine games to injury last season. He still remained solidly within Tier 2. "I'm not necessarily worried about anything when I play him, but he's just solid," a defensive coordinator said. "He will put the ball where it needs to be, he can scramble a little bit. If he has to carry it and throw it 50 times, you'll get him a few times. I think he is still good. I started to 2 slash 3 him, but I think he is a 2." Entering his 10th year, Prescott has as many seasons leading the league in average annual salary as he has playoff wins (two). Does any long-established QB need a deep postseason run more? "He has proven when it comes to the big games, he can't win," another defensive coach said. "I've had him as a 2 before, but over the years, it is the same thing over and over again." The Cowboys infamously have not played in an NFC title game since the 1995 season, the longest drought in the conference. With six starts this season, Prescott will pass Tony Romo for the most by a Dallas quarterback during the drought. "That place is so funny — it just teeters with disaster," an offensive coach said. "They put the expectations so high, they can never reach them. Dak has been fantastic for what he is. He plays past his draft status all the time. He plays past his physical abilities most of the time. And then it catches up to him when it really matters the most." Love leveled off after his promising 2024 season, rising one spot in the rankings while his average tier vote improved by only four-hundredths of a point. Knee and groin injuries limited him at times last season. "I do like his accuracy, his athleticism and his arm strength," one exec said. "The vision and processing holds me back a little bit." Opinions surrounding Love were varied and fascinating. "When we faced him last year, I felt like if you could get to him, you could rattle him," a defensive coach said. "He distributes the ball, and they have big skill (players who are) tough to bring down. That is how he makes his hay. I do not watch him and think, 'Oh, he is f---ing people up.'" Another coach saw it the other way around, contending the Packers could do more for Love. "Jordan does a great job," this coach said. "He has a mastery of their offense, he handles multiple cadences and tempos well, and if anything, I think his growth is stifled a little by playing the coach's offense as opposed to doing more of what Jordan would excel doing." A defensive coach also found the Packers' offense interesting. "When we played them, I was like, 'Man, this ball is going downfield — he don't give a s---,'" this coach said. "You don't see a lot of quarterbacks play like that these days. It's almost like they build it into their offense and see the benefits of making you defend the whole field and hitting a couple in exchange for a pick or two. "It was interesting playing him. I came away thinking there is something different about this kid." Love led the NFL with 35 passes traveling 30 or more yards downfield. His 11 interceptions included throws traveling 34, 21, 14, 13, 13, 13 and 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. "He is like what you wish Geno Smith was," an offensive coach said. "He is a little bit of a gunslinger, and at times it gets him in trouble, but he is more consistently good than bad, where Geno is more toward the middle or back of that. Jordan has the physical talent to get away with it better." Purdy slid slightly, with seven fewer Tier 2 votes than in 2024, but opinions of him have not shifted fundamentally. "He does more on tape than I think a lot of guys can do in terms of the anticipation and accuracy," an opposing coach said. "Yes, it faltered at times. I also got the sense he was playing through some things. But when he is healthy and on, I don't think there are a lot of guys who are at the level he is at." Purdy leads the NFL in EPA per pass play over the past three seasons. He was fifth in 2024. Tua Tagovailoa also ranks among the top five. Some voters compared the two players as beneficiaries of their environments. "When you play San Fran, you are thinking about (Christian) McCaffrey, you are thinking about (George) Kittle, you are thinking about (Brandon) Aiyuk," a defensive coordinator said. "You know Purdy will get it to them, but you are not necessarily thinking about Purdy. You are facing their defense, all these skill guys, Kyle Shanahan." The 49ers' defense fell off last season, and the offense wasn't the same without McCaffrey (Aiyuk also missed 10 games). Purdy could not save them from finishing 6-11. "He's a facilitator for them," the defensive coordinator added. One exec said Purdy possesses a conglomeration of winning skills and traits, with nothing special beyond his makeup. "Purdy doesn't get enough credit," a head coach said. "The draft is over, OK? The guy has played his ass off. Recognize that! He is not the last pick in the draft anymore. The guy is one win away from being a 1 for some people, if he won a Super Bowl." Murray has stood almost frozen in Tiers balloting since 2023. This year, Baker Mayfield passed him. Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence slipped below him. Is treading water good for a highly paid quarterback stuck atop Tier 3? "I've played him too much, and I still think he's a 3," a defensive coach said. "I don't think he wins it for you in the two-minute drill. If you want to be in the top half of this league, you have to win in the two-minute drill and control it. He does not do that." Another defensive coach who faced Murray saw things similarly. "Creates the mismatch with his legs, not his arm," this coach said. "He's Tier 3 with a good-looking baseball slide after his fourth scramble in a two-minute drill." Murray could use more help. He is one of 32 quarterbacks with at least 25 starts over the past three seasons. None of the 32 has gotten worse support from his defense/special teams on a per-start basis than Murray over that span. "Kyler to me is a tough one," an offensive coach said. "He is probably in that 3 category. You have to have a strong defense. He has not shown an ability to win it on his own." Arizona owes its 14-22 record in Murray's last 36 starts to its defense (-110.4 EPA), not its offense (+41.6 EPA) or its special teams (+0.8 EPA, which is near average). "I think he grew a lot last year," a defensive coordinator said. "He was a problem for sure when we played him. He cut down turnovers, used his legs a lot more, came into his own after the injury." Murray's efficiency fell off after Week 10. "I still don't trust him," a GM said. "He has 2 talent but is still a 3 to me. Is he committed to it? He always tends to tail off as the season goes on." Rodgers' average tier vote plummeted a full point from last year, a drop more than twice as large as for any other player (Daniel Jones fell by nearly one-half tier). It's strange seeing him way down here. "You are hoping for Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings, but they had Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and a bunch of dudes," one exec said. The Steelers acquired receiver DK Metcalf. "Aaron has had good route runners around him when he was at his best," a defensive coach said. "I don't know who the route runner is on that team. Metcalf is like a bully, jump-ball, kill-you-in-the-red-zone guy. Truthfully, I have no idea how that works there." Rodgers' age (41), late arrival to the team (June), lack of history with Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator (Arthur Smith) and recent injury history (torn Achilles in September 2023) are among the factors working against success in Pittsburgh. "Too slow to consistently win with his legs, yet his mind and hard count will have your disguise broken and your D-line in the neutral zone multiple times a game," another defensive coach said. Initial reports suggest it'll take time for Rodgers and the offense to jell. "They all have to be going into this with eyes wide open," an offensive coach said. "Aaron obviously feels comfortable with Mike (Tomlin) and Arthur. He doesn't need to be No. 1 in the league in passing anymore. He needs to protect the football and throw touchdowns. He can still do that." There's a good chance Rodgers will be healthier this year than last, when he was still working his way back from the Achilles injury. "He can still see, and he can still fit balls in there," a former head coach said. "He can't be dynamic like he was — scrambling, avoiding the rush and throwing it 60 yards down the field — but I still think he can play." The Dolphins' offense averaged 24.1 points per game in 11 games with Tagovailoa in 2024, compared to 13.3 in six games without him. "They literally cannot operate the offense when he is not out there, and then they are a top-10 offense when he is out there," an offensive coach said. "I don't even like watching him play, but at this point, dude, I can't say you are not that guy." That voter was among a dozen placing Tagovailoa in Tier 2, half as many as in 2024. "He is probably a 2 on the production, but if the game is on the line, I'd be scared to death if he were my quarterback," an exec said. Another voter called Tagovailoa "damn near the most accurate quarterback" in the NFL. "It is the off-script plays that he doesn't have," a defensive coach said. "And if it is not paired with the run game to draw the under coverage, then you don't get full utilization of his accuracy on the second and third level." The result is a quarterback who can look really good or really bad, depending on the situation. "He does a really good job of hitting these play-action windows and putting it on guys where it's catch-and-run and has good anticipation for it and can get it out of his hands," another defensive coach said. "I have yet to see him carry his team when they are not clicking in other phases. Has Miami ever won where their run game is getting killed, they can't hit play-action stuff and it's just time for Tua to sling the ball?" Lawrence peaked in Tier 2 entering the 2023 season. He's fallen each of the past two years, with only flickering hope among voters that he'll ever challenge for Tier 1. "I thought he would be better," a head coach said, "but he just isn't naturally accurate." Injuries were a big factor last season. "I always thought Lawrence was a unique talent from a body-type standpoint — so athletic for a guy that tall — and the way he played at Clemson was outstanding," another head coach said. "But when I watched him this year (2024), the instinct wasn't as high there. He looked hesitant. He had some ugly tape." The Jaguars are betting that improved health and new coach Liam Coen can help Lawrence get back to where he stood entering 2023, when he ranked eighth in Tiers voting and commanded 36 votes in the top two tiers. A coach impressed by Lawrence two years ago questioned how well the QB was seeing coverages after the snap in 2024. "He hasn't proved that he can take the team up a level or make the team play better than they are," a former GM said. "I definitely think Liam Coen can help him if he is able to be helped." A defensive coach who has faced Lawrence multiple times, including in 2024, didn't see anything special. "He has missed a bunch of schemed-up shots (downfield)," this coach said. "There is nothing that scares you about the kid. How is he beating you unless he happens to hit on some of those deep ones? I don't know how much of that is scheme versus what he does and cannot do. There is nothing elite about him from a big-picture standpoint." Smith, making his third consecutive appearance in Tier 3, inched up to a career-best 2.90 average. But this was more a case of Smith receiving fewer votes in Tier 4 than it was about him commanding more votes in Tier 2. "Geno is pretty good at everything, but nothing stands out as an elite trait," a defensive coordinator said. "There is not one X-Man power where you are like f---, this guy." For a player whose average grade is in the middle, there's considerable variance in opinions on Smith. "He has as good of arm talent as anyone, he is accurate and he has won games where he was the reason in some of those fourth-quarter victories and shootouts," an offensive coordinator said. "He has had some struggles, too. What prevents him from being in that elite level? In the games that are really, really hard, he has not overcome those, although they did beat San Francisco this past year." Another coordinator polled his staff, reporting that the room was split on whether Smith belonged in Tier 2 or 3. One person whose confidence in Smith has never wavered: Pete Carroll, the coach who revived Smith's career in Seattle and brought him to Las Vegas. "I think he's a 2 because when the game is on the line, he can make the throws to win," a head coach said. "He stands in there. Guys that can stand in there, take hits when the game is on the line, whether it's third down or two-minute, those guys are legit." This coach placed Smith among the NFL's top 10 or 15 in two-minute proficiency, lauding him for his play over the years in shootouts against Detroit and Dallas. Others see Smith as a quarterback whose team will always be looking to upgrade, with one defensive coordinator suggesting Smith doesn't solve post-snap coverage rotations quickly enough, leading to turnovers and negative plays. "He is a game manager who is going to turn the ball over and can't carry it," a coach with multiple games against Smith said. "Even when the team is good, you are always going to feel like we don't quite have the guy." Nix, the sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 draft, ranks second among them to Washington's Daniels heading into the group's second season. "He looks pretty sharp, he knows where to go with the ball, he runs better than you think, he throws better than you think," a defensive coordinator said. "He looks like he is a good competitor who makes people around him better. That is what your quarterback has to do." One GM whose team was not in the market to draft a quarterback said Nix was much better than he anticipated. He thought Nix would be a "dink-and-dunk" quarterback. "I think the biggest strength is he is very mobile and can keep his eyes down the field when he's moving," an offensive coach said. "He made big plays on the move. That being said, I'm being generous with the 2. Now you have people with tape on him. The one thing I know about Sean (Payton), he is no fool. He is going to get players in there. They should not have a shortage of playmakers." The fit in Denver appears excellent. "He was fortunate having a strong system and a strong defense," a former GM said. "If he has a chance to be more, it is because that system really fits him well." Another former GM said there's nothing surprising about Nix's early success. "He's got processing, he's got vision and he's got accuracy," this ex-GM said. "He is definitely going to win. He has a chance to elevate." One coach predicted the hierarchy of the 2024 quarterback draft class would change over the next couple of years, like some other classes have recently. Could Nix overtake Daniels? "What we are going to see is Sean Payton's ability to develop a quarterback relative to Kliff Kingsbury's ability to do that," this coach said. "Both players appear to be dialed into the profession of quarterbacking — taking care of the body, coming in early, leaving late, being all about ball. I'm interested in seeing who is able to grow the most this coming year. I actually think Bo Nix is going to win out in that." The Seahawks swapped out Geno Smith for the younger, less expensive Darnold. Did they upgrade? "I think Geno operates at a higher level, especially in critical moments," an offensive coach said. "Sam's two-minute stuff versus Geno's two-minute stuff, that is where Geno separates himself." Darnold outdueled Smith in Seattle last season, tossing three touchdown passes, including the game-winner in the final four minutes, as Minnesota beat the Seahawks. Darnold had no interceptions. Smith had two. "Sam, when you put the pieces around him, has as higher ceiling," another voter said. "This is wild to say, but Geno is maybe better if your team is bad. Sam is better if your team is good." Smith could be the higher-variance player, by this way of thinking. "Geno can look great, and you can win a game you should not win, but you are also going to lose two or three against teams that are the same as you because he throws a pick in the end zone, plays blind, doesn't see it," the voter added. "Sam, when the team is bad, you are going to feel like, f---, this guy is limited, and we cannot overcome it. But when your team is good, you are going to operate really well." Others think Darnold is well-suited to play in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, partly because of his familiarity with it. But there is no consensus yet that Seattle has found a long-term successor to Smith. "I think Sam starts one year, and they go with the young kid," an exec said, referring to 2025 third-round pick Jalen Milroe. Darnold's poor finish with the Vikings lingered in the minds of voters. "I like Darnold, but the end of the season killed me," one said. Maye, the third quarterback drafted in the 2024 class, checks in third among the group here, behind Daniels and Nix. "Daniels and Nix went into a helluva lot better situations than Drake did," an offensive coach said. "(Maye) is a big athlete that has good vision, can push the ball up the field, he can run, I think he's coachable. Josh (McDaniels) does a good job of eliminating negative plays with a quarterback, so I think that will help him." Maye took 32 sacks and suffered 10 interceptions in 12 starts. He barely played in two of the three starts that New England won, exiting one with an injury (the Patriots rested him after one series in Week 18). "Drake turned the ball over a lot, he got injured and had a concussion," another coach said. "But it was tough what they were doing offensively under Jerod Mayo." A defensive coach whose team faced Maye pushed back against some of the early excitement. "I remember coming out of our game, and people were like, 'Oh, we saw the future,' and I'm like, 'I don't know about that; he made about three throws,'" this coach said. "Let's not Winston Wolf it yet." The situation around Maye led some to punt on firm evaluations. "His team was so bad," an offensive coordinator said. "Vince Lombardi couldn't have gotten that team any more wins than they got. Maye has promise. There is talent. There is ability. I think he looked very natural at the position." A head coach said he thought Maye's physical stature made him a good fit for the weather in New England. Voters generally thought Maye could become a 2. "The person and the leadership and the ability to run made him good as a rookie," another offensive coordinator said. "He can ascend pretty quick if he can start to hit progressions." Williams entered the 2024 draft as the consensus No. 1 quarterback. He enters his second season facing questions about his ability to process and play quickly after taking 68 sacks, third-most in NFL history. "I think that will come in time," a GM said. "Maybe it is a little bit like Josh (Allen) early in his career, where he has so much good other stuff that you will live with some negative plays, and as he gets more snaps under his belt, that part will come." Most evaluations reflected some skepticism. "He's got the talent to go up, but in terms of processing ability and getting the ball out of his hands, it was the worst we played against," a defensive coordinator said. "He just holds the ball forever. I'm thinking, 'The ball should go right there! Throw it! Throw it!' And he did not throw it." Voter after voter raised the same concerns. "He is definitely a 1 talent," a head coach said. "I just think it's going to take him longer than Jayden Daniels. He is not playing fast right now. There is something there. His processing to me was alarming watching the tape." Some thought new coach Ben Johnson would have to adjust expectations accordingly. "You saw signs and ability, and I also think you saw signs and ability that scare you," another coach said. "Nervousness in the pocket, inability to see and play on time. But I do not know yet if that was him or coaching. Parts of me wondered if you could get it done with this guy, but it's good enough to make you think you have a chance." Voters aren't necessarily betting against Williams, but they aren't betting on him, either. "He's very talented," another defensive coordinator said. "Ben is more under center. Caleb is more of a gun quarterback. That dynamic is going to be interesting to me. I would not be shocked if the kid plays well. Ben is good. He can adjust. I'm sure they will find a happy medium somewhere." The Panthers ranked 14th in offensive points per game in the 10-game stretch after Young returned to the lineup in Week 8. They were 32nd across his 10 previous starts. There was clearly improvement. What does it mean? "Don't get fooled by the final games of a season when you are out of it and the teams you are playing are out of it," a veteran coach said. "That is where his production came from. Everyone is excited about it. Now, you start the season over again, you are playing teams that are game-planning seriously, that have a lot to play for, and it's different." An executive from an AFC team cast the lone Tier 2 vote for Young. "I think he has taken that step," this exec said. "He has learned to play at his size in the National Football League. He was a drop away from beating Philly. If he comes back in with that same type of play, which I think he will with the same coach and coordinator, you will see better, more consistent play." Most voters questioned how much better Young could get, suggesting the top of Tier 3 could be his ceiling. "I was watching him in pregame, and I'm like, 'The ball does not jump off his hand very well, and he's small,'" a defensive coordinator said. "I just don't know if there's enough talent to really become a 2, to be honest." Some thought Carolina could get Tier 2 production from Young with a better supporting cast. "The environment around him was better when he got reinserted to the starting lineup, which was huge, and then (Dave) Canales stopped calling the game with handcuffs," a GM said. "He was super conservative, and then Bryce has to be in third-and-long the whole game. He's a great kid, so I want him to be successful. I'm optimistic. I would put him in 3, and then we'll see how far he can go from there." Cousins is included in QB Tiers in case he lands elsewhere as the Falcons transition to Michael Penix Jr. as their starter. "I look at Rodgers and Kirk Cousins similarly, as older players coming off the Achilles," an offensive coach said. "If Cousins were starting in Atlanta, I would say Kirk would have a bounce-back year. I think Aaron will bounce back. Both will be healthier, and if that's the case, we will see the arm talent more." Voters suspected Falcons ownership was reluctant to trade Cousins after the team invested so much in him. "He is probably in that 4 category right now, because where is he at physically?" an offensive coach said. "Is he starting to deteriorate so much? He should be a 2 if healthy. I just do not know if that is where he is at right now." Voters found Cousins' immobility striking last season. "The things they did to keep him clean in the past, he could not do," a defensive coordinator said, referring to formations and plays putting the quarterback on the move. Cousins peaked in QB Tiers last year with 31 Tier 2 votes and a 2.38 average, both career bests. He set career lows in 2025. "His arm strength was not great and has fallen off a little more," a former GM said. "I think that affected his confidence. Is that the injury, or is that him declining?" Wilson, now on his third team in three seasons, has fallen in the Tiers rankings from tied for first (2020) to fourth (2021), eighth (2022), 16th (2023), 22nd (2024) and 26th (2025). "If you are a quarterback who has to create time — instead of one who knows where everything is, hits his back foot and throws it — then this is what happens to you," a defensive coach said. Giants coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly said Wilson is the starter entering the season. The fact that Daboll needs to make such declarations reflects Wilson's tenuous status. "He has pelts on the wall for two-minute offense, and you have to give him credit for that," a head coach said. "I think he is a legitimate starter. I wish he would play better, but he's been in three offenses in the last three years. You know how that goes." Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin all decided to move on from Wilson in recent years. "What he had that was magical about him — the ability to create plays on the move — is gone," a defensive coordinator said. Wilson's time as a full-season starter might be ending. "He can still do some things, but I think he is just declining. Some of the throws he was good at are not there for him anymore," another defensive coordinator said. "I did not feel like he was ripping throws. Even his deep throws were like airball stuff, hoping George Pickens makes a play." Fields peaked among Tiers voters as a low 3 entering 2023. His average tier vote entering 2025 (3.74) is about what it was after his 2021 rookie season (3.72). The difference is that Fields has played enough to make it tougher for voters to envision meaningful growth. "(The Jets) know who he is, what he is, and they are going to try to structure things for him," an offensive coach said. "The problem is, the hardest thing to fix with a quarterback is keeping their eyes up the field, seeing the field and not being affected by the rush. And those are three of the worst things that he does." The Steelers started 4-2 with Fields in the lineup last season. They ranked 20th in offensive EPA per play to that point in the season, while ranking fifth in combined EPA on defense and special teams. That formula could work for the Jets. "This is another guy who, in the pure-pass world, you say probably not," a head coach said, "but you put him in Tier 3 because he is the run game, probably, and then on top of that, the Jets are hopefully going to play good defense. If they put together an RPO play-action system, this guy could easily be a really positive thing for them." Fields' ability to run and his limitations as a passer lock in the Jets for one style of play. "At the end of the third quarter, you will be down 8-10 points," another offensive coach said. "Great, you kept it close. Now, what?" Penix started three games late in his rookie season. It wasn't much to go on. "I would make him a 3 because, small sample size, but I thought the guy played really well in that two-minute drill against Washington," an offensive coach said. "How you play in two-minute is the X-factor for quarterbacks in the NFL. For a young guy, he went in there, and he was slinging it. I think you can win with him and a healthy run game." Getting the first-team reps this offseason should help. "His poise, his arm strength made a difference," an exec said. "He can make a lot more throws than Kirk (Cousins) could make (last season). His decision-making was really good. His accuracy was spotty at times, but outside of that, he finished strong. He gives you hope." A former GM thought Penix needed better vertical weapons. "If he had that, and if he were playing for Bruce Arians, it would be awesome," this former GM said. McCarthy drew all Tier 4 votes because he has yet to play in an NFL game, not because voters are necessarily down on him. "I would have hope for him with that coach and that system if he can stay healthy," a former GM said. "He has that slight build. He looked pretty good in the (2024) preseason, in a short period of time. I believe in the head coach and the system. He has the arm strength, he is athletic, he is smart, he has all those things." Playing indoors could be another plus, a head coach said. "I just hope he is not an (injury-prone) guy," this coach said. There's a perception among some voters that Minnesota had reservations about McCarthy this offseason. "I don't just hear slam dunk stuff out of there," the head coach said. McCarthy was back on the field for Saturday's preseason opener after recovering from the torn meniscus he suffered in his right knee last preseason. He had surgery to repair the meniscus in August 2024 and another procedure in November to reduce swelling in the knee. "How healthy is he going to be?" another coach said. "They are only doing one joint camp, with New England. He plays on Monday night at Chicago to open the season. I'm pretty interested to see what that looks like." Voters overwhelmingly thought Jones would win the starting job in Indy. That said much about his primary competition, Anthony Richardson, who ranked ahead of only Spencer Rattler and Kenny Pickett in Tiers voting this year and then dislocated his pinkie finger in the preseason opener. "I get nervous with Jones," an offensive coach said. "I understand if you are not very good on offense and cannot protect, there will plays when you look bad, but there are too many times where he has a guy wide open and he throws it in the dirt or 10 feet over his head. I just don't think he is naturally accurate, and I did not think he was in college." Jones had 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions over the past two seasons with the Giants. Richardson has 11 and 13 for Indy over the same span. "A couple years ago, Jones was probably worthy of being a 3," a defensive coordinator said. "He still might be that. He has to show it." An offensive coach with NFC East experience thought Jones, who carried the ball on designed runs a career-high 10 percent of the time last season, has been miscast. "Why keep running this guy?" the coach asked. "He can do it, but he's f---ing 6-5. He takes hits. He doesn't have that slither at the end of those runs." A defensive coordinator said he thought Jones could be like the 2024 version of Darnold with a defense, running game and the right coordinator. But concerns over Jones' ability to process linger. Flacco is making his first QB Tiers appearance since 2021. Voters are slightly higher on him now, at age 40, than they were back then, at 36. "He's still playing?" a defensive coordinator asked. Flacco is the favorite to start in Week 1, with Kenny Pickett limited by a hamstring injury and the two rookie draft choices, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, working in the background. "I respect him, particularly in that scheme," another defensive coordinator said of Flacco. "He pairs well with what (Kevin) Stefanski wants to do." Little-known fact: Flacco has a higher completion rate, yards per attempt and passer rating over the past two seasons than he had in his career previously. "Flacco has no regard for ball security, so you don't know when he is going to throw into a crowd," an offensive coach said. "He's going to make some throws because of that, but he's also going to have bad plays and turnovers." Flacco's two pick sixes for Cleveland in the playoffs after the 2023 season come to mind as examples. "I think Joe is a good backup," a third defensive coordinator said. An overwhelming majority of voters expected Daniel Jones to beat out Richardson for the job, well before Richardson dislocated his right pinkie finger on a sack in the preseason opener. Faith in Richardson's long-term development has cratered, with 11 voters placing him in Tier 5, reserved for players who should not start at all. "I think it is a pipe dream right now, based on what I have seen, to say he is a starter in the NFL," an exec said. "The accuracy is not there. If you want to do college football RPO-type stuff, that is your guy. But some of the stuff last year was not starter quality." Voters remain mystified by Richardson's decision to briefly exit a Week 8 game at Houston because he was too "tired" to stay on the field. "That is a tough one to overcome," a head coach said. "If you can, more power to ya." The decision showed zero feel for the quarterback's leadership role on a team. "He's a freaky athlete for his size, but he's been hurt every year because of it," a defensive coordinator said. "Unless he is rearing back and throwing the ball as far as he can and somebody runs underneath it, he's not accurate and can't make any of those throws." Richardson has completed 50.6 percent of his career passes. He has completed more than 10 passes in a game seven times in 15 starts. "They are not ready to say that they f---ed up, but they are hedging," a defensive coach said. The manner in which Richardson injured his finger — turning to throw left when he had an unblocked rusher coming from the right — was telling for some. "The Anthony Richardson experiment is over," one voter said. Rattler, who started six games as a fifth-round rookie in 2024, appears in Tiers this year in case New Orleans does not go with second-round rookie Tyler Shough. (Jake Haener has also rotated in with the Saints' first-teamers but is not considered a serious contender to start.) "You watch Rattler play against Tampa Bay in his first game, then watch him play against Tampa Bay in his last game, I mean, there was a lot to love there," the lone voter placing Rattler in Tier 3 said. "He improved. I thought Rattler definitely had a chance to be a starter." The Saints went 0-6 and averaged 10.8 points per game on offense with Rattler in the lineup last season. They were 5-5 with a 24.8-point average when Derek Carr started. "I saw Rattler — he's up and down," a defensive coordinator said. "Not real high on him." Pickett and Ben Roethlisberger combined to start 38 games for the Steelers when Matt Canada was the team's offensive coordinator. The offense averaged slightly more yards per play (4.9 to 4.8) and EPA per play (-0.05 to -0.06) in the 22 games Pickett started than in the 16 games Roethlisberger started. "Sometimes, guys just get into bad situations, so you really don't know what they are," a defensive coordinator said. "That is why sometimes you see guys go somewhere else and you say, 'Hey, the guy can play a little bit.' They can all play if they are drafted in the first round. Do they get in the right system?" Pickett has made 22 of his 25 career starts so far with Canada as his offensive coordinator. Canada's only NFL job was with the Steelers from 2020 to '23. He has not coached since. "I liked Pickett coming out of college, but he really collapses in the pocket, he doesn't like to get people around him," an offensive coach said. Pickett has been limited in camp and missed the preseason opener as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He's competing with Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job in a Browns offense that ranked last in EPA per play over the past two seasons. "I was never a big Pickett guy," another defensive coordinator said. "When they had success against us, it was because of their run game and defense." The Rankings and Tiers series is sponsored by E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. About this story: Editing: David DeChant Development: David Haye, Thomas Oide Design: Skye Gould, John Bradford, Dan Goldfarb, Ryan Best Additional support: Junghye Kim, Drew Jordan Photos: Getty Images, Associated Press Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Quinn Harris, David Eulitt, Christian Petersen / Getty Images Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
A Seahawks Super Bowl disaster and the unraveling of a would-be dynasty: ‘They took a dream'
The following excerpt from The Franchise: Seattle Seahawks: A Curated History of the Legion of Boom Era by Michael-Shawn Dugar is reprinted with the permission of Triumph Books. It has been lightly edited in spots for context and clarity. You can find more information and order a copy here. Marshawn Lynch imagined this moment countless times as a kid growing up in North Oakland: 'It's the end of the game … one more play … the quarterback hand the ball off to Marshawn … he jump in the end zone — touchdown! The Oakland Raiders win the Super Bowl!' Advertisement The final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots nearly played out that way. With Seattle on the New England 5-yard line, trailing 28-24 with 1:06 remaining, NBC's Cris Collinsworth said, 'Now you have to stop Marshawn Lynch.' Then Wilson put the ball in Lynch's hands. 'Here he goes,' play-by-play man Al Michaels said as the running back plowed forward. 'Beast Mode! To the half-yard line!' Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell recalled that the Seahawks had failed on a pair of short-yardage runs earlier in the game: Vince Wilfork blew up a third-and-2 shotgun run for no gain in the first quarter, and linebacker Rob Ninkovich did the same on a third-and-1 carry in the third quarter. With those plays in mind, Bevell didn't think Lynch would just walk into the end zone if he called another run play on second down. Even though Lynch was also successful on a three-yard touchdown run on third-and-2 in the second quarter and produced a first down on a second-and-1 run in the third, Bevell believed he made the right decision based on the situation. Obviously, Lynch could have scored the game-winning touchdown, but when Bevell hears that he made the worst call of all time, 'I would not agree with that' is his retort. As for the specifics of the play he chose, Bevell felt good about giving Russell Wilson options: he could go to Doug Baldwin if the Patriots were in zone coverage, Ricardo Lockette if they were in man-to-man. 'The process was solid,' Bevell said. 'And I think the play call gave us a great opportunity to be very successful.' Choosing to throw on second down may have made sense to the coaching staff, but not to the dreamer from North Oakland. 'Not only did they take a ring, a moment — they took a dream,' Lynch said. 'That's a once-in-a-lifetime situation.' There wasn't any debate or discussion of audibling when Russell Wilson said the call. Sure, players I've spoken with had their objections, but they didn't feel it was their place to express it in that moment. Wilson was among the most powerful players in the huddle, and he fully believed in Bevell's call. So that left only Baldwin, Lynch, and possibly veteran center Max Unger as the guys with the cache to overrule the decision, although that would likely have required burning the team's final timeout. So onward they went. Advertisement Because receiver Chris Matthews had torched the Patriots earlier in the game, Brandon Browner replaced Logan Ryan as Matthews' primary defender. This substitution thrust backup cornerback Malcolm Butler into the game. On this final play, Browner lined up directly over Jermaine Kearse. Butler was several yards deep into the end zone, aligned over Lockette. Kearse figured there were two ways to play it: either Browner would take Lockette, or they'd 'lock' it, meaning the defenders follow who's in front of them. Butler and Browner chose the latter because they knew what was coming. Kearse thought it'd be an easy touchdown if he could disrupt Browner. But the bigger and stronger Browner overpowered Kearse, and Butler predicted a slant pattern by Lockette based on the receiver keeping his head forward then immediately turning to Wilson after jabbing outside with his right foot. Seattle's longtime play-by-play announcer Steve Raible described what followed: 'Lynch in the backfield … Russell looks, throws inside … OH MY GOD, IT'S PICKED OFF … AT THE GOAL LINE … IT'S PICKED OFF BY BUTLER … INTENDED FOR LOCKETTE AT THE GOAL LINE!' The atmosphere inside Seattle's locker room was one of tragedy. One year earlier, Lynch made sure Philthy Rich's 'Ready 2 Ride' blasted throughout the room in celebration of their triumph. This time, Lynch was fully dressed, headphones on, beelining for the exits by the time his teammates even arrived to a locker room soundtracked by silence. Heartbreak, despair, disgust, frustration, disbelief, and confusion filled the air. Tears flowed from the faces of coaches, executives, and players. Some players were inconsolable. Others were enraged, yelling and screaming at one another, and even some coaches. A backup defensive lineman punched a wall and injured his hand. Everyone I've ever spoken with described a dark, ominous room, like life had just been zapped from them, and they were all living the same nightmare. Advertisement 'It's like a death,' longtime vice president of player engagement Mo Kelly said. 'It's hard to ever get over that.' Getting over it was harder for some than others. The first step was hearing why they decided to throw the ball in that situation. Pete Carroll doubled down on his thought process: to get four bites at the apple with only one timeout, they had to throw ball at some point. It was sound logic schematically — but logic his locker room wasn't interesting in hearing, largely because they believed anything other than trusting Lynch to get across that line was flawed thinking. Throwing the ball was largely viewed as such a ludicrous notion that it birthed the conspiracy theory that Carroll and Bevell called that play to try and ensure Wilson won the MVP over Lynch, who at the time was feuding with the front office and making headlines for his rebellious stance against the press. Lynch publicly wondered if the coaches had plotted against him in that way. Carroll and Bevell are adamant that such a notion is ridiculous. Carroll isn't one to hold grudges, but he was upset his players were foolish enough to think he gave a damn about the MVP. When Carroll addressed the team at their meeting back in Seattle, he tripled down on the thought process and went as far as to say he'd throw the ball again if presented the same scenario. The room fell silent. Then the culture really started to fall apart. 'You already punched me in my stomach once,' one player told me of his reaction to Carroll's explanation, 'and he just took a knife this time and put it through my soul.' The Super Bowl loss and Carroll's reasoning behind the final play did irreparable damage to the Seahawks and their culture. For years, the players had essentially been programmed to believe they were a family. They internalized that idea and lived by it. This was especially true for the players whose only NFL experience was in Seattle. Losing the Super Bowl in that manner led them to poke holes in the message and the philosophy, like children growing up and bucking back at parents who they learned have been deceiving them. Their identity was to run the ball, but they felt they unnecessarily abandoned it when it mattered most. The Seahawks had been built around a collection of players who shared a familial bond. The bond was broken and shattered after the Super Bowl. The trust they once had was replaced by finger-pointing and skepticism. There wasn't a single dramatic blowup that made people feel this way, it was more a slow, drawn out feeling of division. But Carroll's explanation in the team meeting didn't help, neither did offensive line coach Tom Cable redirecting the blame, saying that if the defense hadn't blown a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter there'd be nothing to talk about. Cable's comment infuriated members of the defense. Any hope that the players wouldn't leave for the off-season with lingering bad feelings was gone. 'We didn't trust each other,' K.J. Wright said, describing the aftermath. 'We didn't connect with each other. It was a dark, gray cloud hovering over us. For it to get addressed the way it got addressed and for us to not talk about it — we needed therapy. If it was me, we'd have had therapy to let it out.' Wilson organized a trip to Hawaii for his teammates, with over 30 attendees. He wanted them to hang out and air their grievances in a safe space. It worked for some of the guys. They let it all out on the island and were able to leave the past where it belonged. It didn't work for everyone, though. And Wilson didn't make the situation any better by echoing Carroll's sentiment that he'd run the same play again if given the opportunity. Wilson had every right to share his truth but that's not a truth anyone wanted to hear, especially if their truth was that doing anything other than handing the ball to Lynch was idiotic and unforgivable. The Hawaii trip was a decent idea, but it was mostly a flop. Advertisement The Seahawks had become the spouse who stayed with their partner after being cheated on. The relationship remained intact, but the connection wasn't as strong. They forgave but didn't forget, and the feeling never faded. A text message here, a dinner conversation there. Venting to Kelly and longtime equipment director Erik Kennedy. A meeting before losing to the Packers in Week 2 of the 2015 season. Richard Sherman calling out the offensive coaches on the sideline on national television over a failed goal-line pass in 2016. An ESPN The Magazine article in 2017 explaining why Sherman won't let it go. A Sports Illustrated article in 2018 about other teammates basically feeling the same way. New coaches that joined the staff in 2018 could feel that players couldn't get over the fact they were only one-time champions. 'It lingered,' Baldwin said in 2022. 'We did our best to try and come out of it but … you got guys who are legitimately killing themselves. Every time you step out on that field and you get hit, you're taking days off your life. You have guys who are legitimately killing themselves to get to that moment. We were on the 1-yard line. There's nothing that's going to stop Marshawn and that offensive line from getting in the end zone.' (Photo of Marshawn Lynch: Christian Petersen / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
