The quarterback position in the NFL is one of the most difficult in all of sports. First, they have to memorize endless plays to guide their teams to victory. Then quarterbacks have to maintain their arms and bodies in peak condition. But inevitably every player declines. However, some do so faster than others.
Some quarterbacks, like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, manage to last into their forties at a high level. Then seemingly overnight their bodies deteriorate. Others suffer awful injuries and just can’t get back to their previous standard. Finally, you have the QBs who end their careers with another team. The combination of aging and a new playbook leaves them lost. Today we’re going to look at 40 quarterbacks who suffered a rapid decline. Check out the list below via Fox Sports.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
40. Sam Darnold
Who better to kick off this list with than current New York Jets Darnold? The rise and fall of this young man directly correlate with Adam Gase’s time as head coach of the franchise. In 2018, the Jets chose the USC product with the third overall pick. He had a decent rookie season as the Jets’ youngest ever starting quarterback but it all went downhill from there. Nobody imagined the severity of his decline.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
First and foremost, Darnold suffered from lousy coaching. All of the talent in the world means nothing unless the right guidance is available. Furthermore, the Jets have been a mess over the past number of seasons. Darnold lacked the weapons and protection to make a consistent impact in his second and third seasons. At least he has youth on his side, so that’s something.