QBs with weakest hold on starting QB job: Kirk Cousins, Will Levis | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

From Will Levis in Tennessee to Kirk Cousins in Atlanta, Mike Florio and Charean Williams reveal which QBs they believe are loosely holding onto their role as the starter. #NBCSports #ProFootballTalk #NFL
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QBs with weakest hold on starting QB job: Kirk Cousins, Will Levis | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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all right popup draft time on this topic League wide quarterbacks with the most tenuous grip on their starting jobs entering the season we know we’ve said several months before the season starts but let’s fast forward we get to week one who is in the most precarious position Shireen you get the first selection I’m GNA go with Will Levis you know they Titans have had a good off seon but it still comes down to the quarterback they had several injuries uh last he had several injuries last season couldn’t stay on the field right foot quad injury high ankle sprain same thing we were talking about Anthony Richardson figuring out how to protect yourself and stay on the field he went three and six as a starter he has to learn a new system all those things Mason Rudolph looks serviceable I mean I think we know what Mason Rudolph is and there’s a reason that the Steelers didn’t resign him I get all that but he played as good as has played in his career last year he went three and 0 just three touchdowns but no interceptions he’s serviceable you can win with Mason Rudolph with I think the team that they have built around will Levis so will Levis is gonna get a shot but it’s just like we were talking about with Daniel Jones he’s he’s not gonna get a ton of time if they start out one and three one and four they’re going to pull the plug and probably put Mason Rudolph in there so what you’re saying is Mason Rudolph should be on the lookout for will Levis potentially hitting him over the head with his own helmet is that what you’re saying yeah maybe that’s not really all that dated of a reference that wasn’t that long ago okay since you didn’t take Daniel Jones I mean I’ll take Daniel Jones we didn’t declare this to be the Daniel Jones Memorial draft but I think he does have the most tenuous hold for the reasons we just discussed because Drew lock has that oneyear deal that pays 5 million with up to $3 million in incentives they will pivot to him if they to because here’s the thing if the season is going to Kaka for the New York Giants Brian Deo has to start thinking about his job and if Jones didn’t get it done we got to get somebody out there who can because I ain’t going to be here when they pick the quarterback for next year I’m going to be gone yep and I think a lot of these teams are like that Mike if if the quarterback doesn’t come through and play like he should then a lot of these coaches are going to be gone I know one coach who’s going to be there who but it’s still going to go down to how the quarterback plays and that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike tomlin’s goingon to be the coach there in 2025 this team hasn’t had a losing season since 2003 but it’s been a long time Mike since they’ve been contenders they have Rustin Wilson they have Justin fields are we sure are we positive at this point in their careers that Russell Wilson is better than Justin Fields I don’t know I know that we know what Russell Wilson’s ceiling is and I think he’s reached that I don’t know that we’ve seen that from Justin Fields last three years Russell Wilson’s 17 and 27 with two different teams 220 yards a game he’s 35 he has hit his ceiling I think there’s a chance that Justin Fields could end up being the quarterback of that team at some point this season and when they when they made the trade for Justin fields we all oh he is going to have competition for Russell Wilson on Ste no no no no there’s no competition Russell Wilson’s starter they made that clear but look Justin Fields has started games he hasn’t won a lot of games but he has started a lot of games and they have him there and they obviously traded for him for a reason so I think there’s a chance that Russell Wilson won’t hang on to that starting job Mike Mike Tomlin said in late that Russell Wilson has the pole position and I don’t know a whole lot about auto racing but I know enough to realize the pole position doesn’t mean Jack squat when it’s time to go run the race Justin Fields had shown flashes of being number one the most dangerous running quarterback in football and number two having a ceiling that the Bears for whatever reason were unable to get him to Sims and I were talking about this earlier in the week those fans in Pittsburgh will be clamoring for Justin Fields if they get a taste of what he can do in the preseason and Russell Wilson struggles at all at all in the regular season week one at Atlanta Arthur Smith former Falcon coach going home as the guy in charge of the Pittsburgh offense if Russell Wilson struggles and they get those fans cranked up yeah they are going to want Justin fields and and Justin Fields specifically handpicked Pittsburgh knowing that he would be competing with Russell Wilson it’s not just for this year it’s for who wins the contract for next year it’s like George castan and Lloyd Brun in competition to see who could sell the most computers the winner gets the water pick the loser gets fired the water pick in Pittsburgh you’re not giving away our water pick the water pick in Pittsburgh is a contract Beyond this year that’s what the two guys are competing for and I agree with you it’s tenuous for Russell Wilson assuming he even is the starter week one I think he will be but that doesn’t mean he’s going to hold on to it next one for me and I’m trying to not go with the guys who will start until they’re supplanted by yeah right the rookie like like jacobe brassette in New England I I’m not going that way but I’m going to go with whoever wins the competition in Las Vegas and this is the classic quarterback competition what you win is the right to be the first guy bench that’s what it feels like it’s going to be for the Raiders this year so if Aiden oconnell wins it’s tenuous because here’s Gardner mchu and the minute that things get a little shaky we’re going to see what Gardner mshu can do if it’s minu okay there’s Aiden noono and if things get a little shaky Aiden’s going to come to the rescue that’s where the Raiders kind of fall this year when you consider that they’re in a in the division with the Chiefs and I think the charge are going to be better and the Raiders were the team that was kind of left holding the bag when they were giving out first round quarterbacks this year they were the 13th team in a draft where six went in the first 12 picks so I think whoever wins that job is going to have not a very firm grip on it I this one may be a little bit of a surprise Mike I would have Tak the same thing I would have taken the Raiders for my third pick if you hadn’t but I’m gonna go with Kirk Cousins and again I like what the Falcons have done in the off season they’ve got a ton of weapons there Michael penx to me is the quarterback who is most prepared to come into the NFL and play now he’s 24 years old he started every year in his career since 2019 he started a lot of college games he played a lot of big games he knows how to win big games if this team doesn’t start out like they should I think there’s a chance that we could see Michael pennick and again it’s gonna be Falcons fans clamoring to see Michael penck sitting there on his b on the bench with Kirk Cousins looking over his shoulder and Kirk Cousins wasn’t as happy as as as what Daniel Jones was when they drafted a quarterback Daniel Jones they didn’t draft a quarterback so I I think there’s a chance if if they get off to a really slow start that because they’re you look we saw the Super Bowl odds right Falcons are ahead of the Buccaneers people expect big things from them even though we haven’t seen it in the past however many years people expect them to win that division even though we haven’t seen it in however many years so Kirk Cousins has got to come out of the gate fast or I think there’s a chance Michael penx could be the quarterback of that team I was in initially wrestling with a couple of guys who wear number four do you know who I’m thinking of two guys that wear number four as my third pick I’m putting you on the spot here no Derek Carr and Deshawn Watson were the two that I thinking of but but I’m GNA stick with Gino Smith because I remember very vividly what John Schneider had to say when they got Sam Howell Sam Howell younger than Michael Pennock no younger than bone Nicks same age as Michael Pennock played wire to wire last year for the Washington commanders showed a lot of toughness showed a lot of grit showed a lot of ability and you know Gino Smith is on this year-to-year arrangement with the Seahawks Mike McDonald was non-committal at one point about Gino being the starter and then he changed his tune cuz I think they recognized you don’t need that turmoil but I think the doors open if Gino struggles the doors open for Sam how because they think they might have something they could build around so if the Seahawks and you know the time to make the transition if you have a guy you want to really check out and you got two years under contract with Sam how once you feel like as a practical matter it’s over for your postseason prospects that’s when you see what the other guy can do because maybe that’s the guy that becomes your guy going forward so Gino Smith needs to keep performing like he did in 2022 he dipped a little bit last year but not enough to get the Seahawks to move on his contract is very favorable to them as second or third or fourth or fifth as the case may be but as veteran quarterback contracts go it’s very favorable they can get out of it after this year I think they like Sam how and that’s what makes it tenuous for Gino but I would keep kind of an eye on the Saints kind of an eye on the Browns this is it for Deshaun Watson I don’t know that they pulled a plug on him during the year but if he doesn’t get it done this I don’t know I just you know this is the problem with doing a five-year fully guaranteed contract Shireen what do you do three years in if the guy’s not getting it done you’re still on the hook for $92 million combined over the course of the final two seasons yeah we’re gonna talk about desan later in the show too but I agree with you I thought about him on this list and I also considered Derek Carr and I’m kind of surprised that we didn’t pick Derek Carr because I do think he’s on the hot seat this year as is that coaching staff with Dennis Allen they’ve got to win now and they’ve got to do it quickly and you you start losing games Mike that’s when if you’re on the hot seat as a coach as a GM you start pulling the P plug pretty quickly if they don’t if the quarterback doesn’t show results right right away well I thought it would be disrespectful to Derek Carr to put him on the list and we know that being respectful to Derek Carr is very important Aiden okono actually gave up number four because he decided on his own without any word coming from Derek Carr or anyone connected to him I’m sure this was all Aid no Connell with Derek Carr having no opinion on the matter whatsoever Aid no Connell decided it was disrespectful to Derek Carr so he no longer wears number four with the Las Vegas Raiders hi it’s Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk