I’m always excited for the return of the NFL and at this point, we’re only a few weeks out from training camp starting back up in earnest. I’m no different from any other writer – I like to start with the quarterbacks. It’s the nucleus of damn near any successful NFL run. So today, I’m looking around at the shaky situations in the NFL…the ones that aren’t settled just yet. These are the quarterback battles I’ll be tuning into this summer.
NFL: Quarterback Battles to Watch this Summer
Arizona Cardinals – Do the Cardinals have the worst quarterback room in the NFL? It’s hard to argue that. If you’re clinging on to the idea that Jacoby Brissett is the franchise stabilizer in 2026, that situation is dire. Brissett’s main competition is Gardner Minshew, who may be the better option anyway. Rookie Carson Beck makes this thing interesting – I’m sure they’ll want to see what he’s got at some point this season. But, I don’t have the highest of hopes for the former Miami Hurricane. I have no idea who will be starting for this team in October – this feels as wide open a situation as we’ll find in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons – Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t been what the Falcons drafted him to be just yet. For me, not all guys are going to step in and do what Jayden Daniels did right away. For some guys, it still takes time. Still, the Falcons can’t really afford to wait around right now. That’s a good roster that should be far more competitive than it has been in recent years. Enter Tua Tagovailoa. Has he been what Miami drafted him to be in 2020? No, but he’s still a proven commodity. If Penix can’t win that job, the Falcons have a guy behind him (or maybe in front of him is the right way to phrase that) that can still get somewhere with this roster. I do believe that once Penix gets healthy, this will be a true competition.
Cleveland Browns – The Cleveland situation is odd to me. Publicly, Todd Monken has been noncommittal to naming a starting quarterback for the 2026 season. Yet, his options are a second year player coming off a rookie season that saw him play like a deer in headlights under constant fire behind a porous offensive line and a guy whose best years were what? Five years ago? I get it – Shedeur Sanders didn’t exactly inspire hope that the turnaround was imminent for the Browns. But, when was the last time Deshaun Watson actually played? Scratch that – when was the last time Deshaun Watson played well? Personally, I’d ride it out with Sanders to get a thorough eval on him with the idea in mind that this 2027 draft class should be a fun one to shop for a quarterback in. Of all the situations on this list, this one kind of feels the most like roadkill. Disgusting, but I guess you just can’t look away.
Las Vegas Raiders – I don’t know that I’m necessarily buying that this one is going to be a real competition. I’m more or less including it here because the question is how quickly Fernando Mendoza can win the job. Kirk Cousins is a hell of an insurance policy for the Raiders, but we all know they’re going to want Mendoza to get the reps as soon as he can. I won’t be surprised if Cousins starts the season, but at what point do they go to Mendoza? Or, does he do enough this summer to take the starting job from the jump? That’s what will make this race interesting to watch.
Miami Dolphins – I do believe that Malik Willis is going to get a bona fide chance to be the guy in Miami this season, and maybe this is his shot to prove he’s a viable starter in the NFL. But, I don’t know – call it a gut feeling. I would not be surprised if things were tighter between Quinn Ewers and him.
Minnesota Vikings – I’ve never been the biggest Kyler Murray fan, but I am highly intrigued to see what he can do for the next stage of his career with that situation in Minnesota – Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson, a good defense. If he doesn’t take the next step (which we’ve been waiting on for seven seasons now, soooo….), that might be it as far as his shot at being the face of a franchise. So, while all of the talk about ‘pressure’ seems to be centered around JJ McCarthy winning this job, I think the pressure is more on Murray to deliver on expectations he hasn’t lived up to yet. McCarthy still has a bit of time. I’m not sure Murray does. That’s why I think this is actually the most desperate quarterback race on this list.
New York Jets – I don’t think the Jets will have a real competition, but I wanted to mention them in this conversation because I do find the fact that they drafted Cade Klubnik interesting. Once thought to be a first rounder, he slid pretty far in this year’s draft. Geno Smith was undoubtedly brought in to hold down the fort until 2027 when the Jets could get their quarterback of the future. The Jets coaching staff isn’t dumb – they know they need to be competitive or else they won’t be around for the rebuild. Smith gives them the best chance to do that, but I do think at some point in the season, they’re going to want to see what they have in Klubnik and I’m intrigued to see what he shows. Could he make that situation even more interesting?
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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