The anticipation for the upcoming NFL season can be felt by fans everywhere with the number of weeks until the season opener in the single digits. With team rosters now taking shape as franchises begin to nail down their 53-man squad, many of them are raring to go.
The Eagles exceeded many fan’s and pundits expectations last season. They had a tremendous regular season, making it all the way to the Super Bowl where they narrowly missed out on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in a 38-35 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Much of their fortunes were owed to the efforts of quarterback Jalen Hurts who had an MVP worthy year despite question marks over his position as a starter at the beginning of the season. He is one of a number of quarterbacks to look out for next season, let’s take a look at some others.
Patrick Mahomes
Maybe the easiest name to include on this list, the two-time MVP and Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes is inarguable the best in the league. He has carried the Chiefs on his back since his first season as a starter in 2018, leading them to three Super Bowl’s and winning two. He has already broken numerous records and has more set in his sights in 2023, where he could break the record for most wins by a quarterback in their first seven NFL seasons and most passing touchdowns by the same metric. His heroics in the playoffs on an injured ankle are still fresh in the minds of many and Mahomes is sure to set the league alight once again, with the NFL odds suggesting the Chiefs are favorites once again for the Super Bowl.
Bryce Young
Rookie QB Bryce Young comes a lot of promise. Drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers, he will immediately slot in as a starter. The Panthers have struggled to build a team around a franchise QB in recent years and Young will be under a lot of pressure to deliver results fast. He was an elite college player at Alabama, impressing with his arm strength and big-time plays. His 59 big-time throws over the past two seasons were the most in the FBS. What remains to be seen is how he will deal with the physicality of the league as he is thrust into the limelight as the focal point of the Panthers fortunes.
Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow is probably the best quarterback in the league whose name isn’t Patrick Mahomes. He came agonizingly close to reaching the Super Bowl last season, taking the Bengals to their second consecutive AFC Championship game. They lost to the Chiefs in the dying embers of the game following that unnecessary roughness penalty. However, he still has the elite wide receiver pairing of Tee Higgins and Jamarr Chase in front of him for 2023 and is well equipped to go one further. The Bengals have gone from strength to strength since overhauling their offensive line and Burrow now has the supporting cast to compliment his incredible ability in 2023.
Jalen Hurts
The award for season MVP essentially came down to which QB won the Super Bowl last season, though some still believe Hurts should have won regardless. This is a testament to just how big a year he had in Philadelphia, dazzling fans with his incredible dual threat ability. It was just his second season as a starting quarterback and after leading the Eagles to a 14-1 regular season record followed by a Super Bowl appearance, there is no more doubting his ability. His 13 rushing touchdowns ranked him fourth overall in the league and more than any other QB. He is without a doubt one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL and he will have his sights set on another Super Bowl appearance.
Anthony Richardson
Another rookie QB, Richardson was selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the draft and has bags of potential. What is still kind of up in the air is whether it will be him or Gardner Minshew starting. The difference in styles between both is night and day with Richardson athleticism far outweighing Minshew’s. In his final year at Florida, he rushed for 654 yards as well as passing for 2,549. He is still raw and inexperienced, but Colts coach Shane Steichen says the only way to improve is by giving him minutes. Steichen has spoken of the importance of allowing young quarterbacks like Richardson to play fast and process fast by not cluttering their minds with too much information. Instead, Steichen wants to get Richardson on the field and allow him to learn first-hand. He needs to work on his accuracy but at 21-years-old there is plenty of time to improve and Richardson could be destined for big, big things.