40 NFL Quarterbacks Who Suffered Rapid Declines

Darren - September 30, 2020

40 NFL Quarterbacks Who Suffered Rapid Declines

Darren - September 30, 2020

6. Josh Freeman

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought that Freeman was their franchise quarterback and the early signs were good. However, his decline was swift. For two seasons he was solid, but then it all went downhill very quickly. In 2013, he completed less than 50% of his total pass attempts in three straight losses.

Then the Buccaneers traded him to the Vikings and things didn’t get better. His single start for Minnesota saw him complete just 20 out of 53 passes. It was horrendous. Freeman only played one more game in the NFL.

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5. Jameis Winston

When Winston entered the NFL, it looked like he had it all. After an excellent first season, he even made it to the Pro Bowl after Tom Brady withdrew from the showpiece event. Ironically, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would replace Winston with Brady just a few seasons later.

There is no doubt that Winston has the potential to turn things around. However, he throws far too many interceptions and has the most pick-sixes in an NFL season. His decline is stark and Winston now sits on the bench behind Drew Brees in New Orleans.

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4. Matt Cassel

There’s no doubt that Cassel had a bizarre career. He served for years as Tom Brady’s backup before finally taking over the position in 2008 while Brady recovered from injury. This convinced the Kansas City Chiefs that he was worth bringing to Missouri, and it all started so well.

Cassel had the season of his life as he helped the Chiefs to the playoffs and even made the Pro Bowl. However, it was all downhill from there as he went into severe decline. He served as a back-up at every other franchise he played for and never lived up to his full potential again.

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3. Michael Vick

One of the most notorious figures in NFL history, Vick initially rebounded successfully from his time in jail. He helped the Eagles to an NFC East title. In sum, it looked like two years of warming a jail cell hadn’t damaged his abilities. But it wasn’t the case.

Michael Vick, Virginia Tech — Mandatory Credit: ESPN

The following year, his turnover rate doubled. Just like that, he lost his place as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. From there he went on to become the Steelers’ back-up and floated around the NFL until the end of his career. Nobody wanted him as he sat as a free agent for his final year.

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2. Robert Griffin III

Poor Griffin. His career is ongoing but there’s no doubt that it has never recovered from the traumatic ending to his rookie year. A revelation with the Washington Redskins, he won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award to cap a brilliant season. But then the record-breaker tore ligaments in his knee.

In sum, the decline was immediate. Despite significant rehabilitation, Griffin was a ghost of his former self. Instead of becoming a franchise quarterback as the Redskins expected, he has drifted around the league as a back-up quarterback. Finally, he serves as a warning to all young quarterbacks how quickly things can change.

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1. Colin Kaepernick

It’s very easy to forget that Kaepernick wasn’t good in his final season with the San Francisco 49ers. For all of his social justice work outside of football, his on-field contribution was in severe decline. Of course, people don’t like to mention that when they condemn NFL teams for not signing him.

If Kaepernick was elite like Patrick Mahomes, then they would be after him in a flash. But the reality is that he couldn’t nail down the starting QB slot ahead of Blaine Gabbert in his last two years in San Francisco. From 2015 on, he was never the same player as before.

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