Perhaps the only thing more worthless than the practice of creating a preseason depth chart is naming a Week 1 starter at quarterback. If it was ever in doubt, enough so to continue a somewhat-open competition throughout the entirety of training camp, chances are it will be open again when the “starter” begins to falter.
Russell Wilson is not Baker Mayfield from a year ago, and believing so is ignoring the mountain of evidence and the hoard of Denver Broncos wide receivers doing jumping jacks while begging for the football over the past two seasons. Mayfield, who bested Kyle Trask last summer, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs and signed a long-term contract extension this offseason, still has the tools at his disposal that made him a great quarterback in the first place. Wilson is in the middle of an arduous transition from expert play extender with a handful of good pitches in his arsenal to hopeful veteran field general without the ability to pick apart a defense through a Rolodex of experiences—the main advantage of starting a quarterback in his mid-to-late-30s, which can often outweigh a decline in mobility.
