Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler broke down the 12 worst quarterback situations in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints found themselves in the bottom-10 and were joined on the list by divisional foes Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.
The reason each team made the list and the tone around their quarterback situation is drastically different.
For New Orleans, there was no belief in Derek Carr. Unlike Bryce Young, who we’ll get to later, Carr doesn’t have youth and inexperience on his side to earn him the slightest benefit of the doubt.
Carr’s the sixth-oldest starter in the NFL, and Fowler was skeptical Carr could turn back the clock. That is the biggest reason the Saints are 10th on this list. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler represent a younger option for the future. As mid-round picks, the expected time to develop is longer. Neither is looked at as 2024 answers.
The Falcons come in at NNo. 12. Fowler seemingly placed them here because of the decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. right after signing Kirk Cousins. There wasn’t much criticism of either player’s game from Fowler. That would lead you to believe it was just that decision that put the Falcons at 12th.
Carolina came in as the lowest-ranked NFC South team, and the third-worst quarterback situation in the league. Young’s rookie season didn’t go as the Panthers planned, but they invested in more talent around him. That plus the fact he’s only a second-year player keeps a cautious optimism around Young heading into his sophomore campaign.