Quarterback is the most important position in football—maybe in all of sports. And yet, somehow, every single offseason, a huge chunk of the NFL finds itself caught in some kind of quarterback drama.
In some cities, it’s a full-blown battle between a veteran and the young gun drafted to replace him. In others, it’s an unproven prospect trying to hold off a journeyman… or a high-priced disappointment being backed into a corner by his own locker room.
How about we take a look around the NFL landscape at 8 of the biggest, budding controversies under center heading into the 2025 season?
Which quarterback dilemmas are going to arise in the 2025 NFL season?
New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough vs. Spencer Rattler
There are quarterback battles… and then there’s whatever the New Orleans Saints have going on with Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler as they try to piece together some sort of competence under center.
This isn’t your typical veteran vs. rookie NFL quarterback dynamic. It’s not a transitional bridge scenario or a clear tank given their salary cap situation and draft assets… What the Saints have is a full-blown quarterback carnival that could go any which way.
Let’s start with the presumed leader… Tyler Shough. He was drafted in the second round in 2025 and is to his credit, in many ways the prototype passer—6’5″, cannon arm, and the traditional pocket build.
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That said, he does have just enough mobility to avoid being labeled a statue, but his college career was patchy at best, bouncing between programs and battling injuries, not to mention he is quite long in the tooth for a rookie as he’ll turn 26 at the beginning of the season.
There is reason to believe that he could be QB1 in the right system, but the floor is Brandon Weeden-esque, and he could end up just another guy you randomly remember from the preseason in three years.
Then there’s Spencer Rattler. If Shough is the quiet riser, Rattler is the redemption arc waiting to happen. Once billed as the next superstar up before losing his job in college, Rattler has spent the last couple of years rebuilding his brand, one throw at a time. He’s got juice in the arm, a good bit of athleticism, and a gunslinger’s mentality… But having seen him start actual NFL games over the past couple of years, there is reason to be skeptical.
The only certain thing at this point is that someone in this quarterback room is going to get a shot to take the wheel—but who is anyone’s guess.
Las Vegas Raiders: Geno Smith vs. Aidan O’Connell
There’s something faintly poetic about Geno Smith’s NFL journey. Written off in New York, resurrected in the Pacific Northwest, and now reinserted into the spotlight—this time, in Las Vegas, with Pete Carroll, the very man who saved his career, endorsement echoing across the desert.
In a shocking turn of events, the Raiders appear to be looking at Geno Smith as the steady hand that can stabilize the franchise while they try to right the ship.
It is a nice idea to think that he could be the guy who won’t get rattled, but he’s also 34, coming off a streaky campaign in Seattle, and entering a new locker room with a roster that’s still figuring out what it wants to be.
On the other side of the ring is Aidan O’Connell. The Purdue product who has quietly earned the respect of this NFL organization over the last couple of years with his poise despite spending most of his time as the Raiders quarterback under immense pressure.
He’s not flashy—no highlight-reel athleticism, no cannon arm—but he’s methodical and smarter than he gets credit for. And while no one’s expecting him to win the job outright in July, his ceiling may be closer to “functional long-term starter” than people think.
Expect his one to be a battle—regardless of whether the media is talking about it now or not… The gap between Geno and Aidan O’Connell isn’t as big as you… Or Pete Carroll might think at the moment.
This will be one to watch all season because the AFC West demands a high-powered offense to keep up in shootouts just to stay relevant. The leash on whoever wins the job will be short.
Cleveland Browns: Joe Flacco vs. Kenny Pickett
With Deshaun Watson out with that torn Achilles, Cleveland is finally able to turn the page on that horrific acquisition, albeit just about as ungracefully as it all started…
In any case, there is now quite a quarterback controversy that has sparked up in Ohio, where Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are going to be duking it out for the high honor of being the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns—and the next name added to that infamous jersey!
Only in Cleveland could a quarterback room headlined by two backups become one of the most quietly compelling stories of the offseason.
Flacco—to his credit, has managed to stay relevant in the NFL somehow, still slinging it with just enough juice to flirt with starting viability. Now in his 40s, Flacco is frankly more meme than miracle, but Browns fans know they have a guy who wasn’t afraid to take shots, understands situational football with the best of them, and who, most importantly, stabilized a team that was otherwise spiraling.
On the other end of the spectrum is Pickett, the former first-rounder who flamed out in Pittsburgh and now gets a second lease on life across state lines. The Pickett experiment was supposed to be the answer for the Steelers… and while it wasn’t, perhaps Kevin Stefanski will be able to make some magic with him.
And while the Browns didn’t trade for him expecting fireworks, they might end up getting one last spark if Pickett embraces the desperation of the moment.
Flacco vs. Pickett isn’t going to lead First Take, but in the rough-and-tumble AFC North, this might end up being one of the most consequential low-wattage NFL quarterback competitions of the year.
Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones
Three seasons ago, Anthony Richardson was the raw, but electric, can’t-miss upside pick the Colts bet their future on. Now, he enters year three in the NFL not as the savior, but as a quarterback still being auditioned—again.
His collection of injuries, continued inconsistency, and far too infrequent flashes have not quite come together into the sustained brilliance the Colts were hoping would define his early NFL tenure… But the physical tools are still impressive
Heading into the pivotal third season of his career, Richardson will now have to win a quarterback battle if he wants to get back on track.
Enter Daniel Jones.
The former Giants starter was a walking paradox in New York: occasionally competent, occasionally explosive, and occasionally a disaster.
He’s been brought in to push Richardson—or possibly replace him. The Colts signed Jones not to be a savior, but a catalyst. If he wins the job outright, it could very well say more about Richardson than it does about Jones… A potentially painful message, but one the Colts will need to hear eventually.
Richardson doesn’t have to be an MVP candidate out of the gate, but he has to own the huddle, the job, and the offense. Otherwise, the Colts will start looking again.
Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward vs. Will Levis
Since he got to Tennessee, Will Levis has shown some flashes, but not quite enough… at least—not enough to keep the front office from taking Cam Ward number one overall this year.
Ward has essentially been dubbed the quarterback of the future—meaning Levis’s days in town are numbers… BUT the future is not now—and there are still major question marks if Ward will be the starter heading into Week 1.
To Levis’s credit, he has handled a challenging situation with grace and professionalism thus far, but that doesn’t mean he is going to bow out of this fight because while he likely can’t save his future with the Titans—he can earn the right to start the season and put out some tape that could entice other NFL teams that think he was just another victim of the quarterback woodchipper that is the Titans organization.
New York Giants: Russell Wilson vs. Jameis Winston vs. Jaxon Dart
In the Big Apple, the Giants have decided to turn their quarterback room into a bit of a grab bag. They made two high-profile free agent acquisitions, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and took a quarterback at the end of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft in Jaxon Dart.
Russell Wilson arrives with the body language of a man who knows he could be on his final NFL contract. His fall in Denver was sharp and often painful to watch, but with how he played in stretches during his time in Pittsburgh, there’s still a belief he can win—you just have to squint hard enough.
Winston, on the other hand, is in many ways an enigma. Brilliant throws followed by baffling decisions, but in the right system, with the right coaching, maybe something finally clicks and he can find some decision-making to go with all that creativity and explosive playmaking.
And then there’s Jaxson Dart. A rookie with moxie, mobility, and a strong arm.
Heading into the season, Dart is not expected to start Week 1, but with Winston’s volatility and Wilson’s recent nosedive in consistency, there’s a very real chance he’s in the conversation… if not during camp… at some point this year.
Coach Brian Daboll has said all three will get reps, which, let’s be honest, is coach-speak for “we have no idea what this looks like yet.”
Either way, this should be an intriguing one to follow along with for fans across the league.
Cleveland Browns: Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur Sanders
Cleveland is a rare case where a team actually has two controversies—both for the starting gig and two rookies, high-profile ones at that, duking it out for third-string duties and a regular roster spot.
Because… as if one quarterback duel wasn’t enough, this NFL team decided to run it back with a second—a kind of developmental showdown that could prove to be genius or just more noise in the machine.
Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders arrive in Cleveland from interestingly different backgrounds.
Gabriel, the Oklahoma standout with a quick release and known for his accuracy, enters the league with a high floor and a body of work that screams competent backup with just enough upside to trick yourself into being excited. Sanders, on the other hand, carries the weight of both promise, pressure, and the fear of a massive bust!
He’s talented—no question—and flashed big-time traits at Colorado. But he’s also a lightning rod, partly due to pedigree, partly due to persona.
Both rookies are effectively battling for QB3 status and a roster spot—meaning it is more high stakes for the two individuals than the team or any of the fans, but still—given Sander’s notoriety it is going to be a storyline worth following.
And for Cleveland, it’s a smart hedge. The room may be crowded, but if the Browns have learned anything over the past decade, it’s that you can never have too many quarterbacks, especially when none of them are a guarantee.
