Thirty-two quarterbacks have either won or maintained the starting job for their teams ahead of the upcoming NFL season, but that doesn't mean they've all proven they are the future of their franchise.
There are a number of signal-callers across the NFL who have long established themselves as the franchise quarterback—including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow—and several others who aren't the longterm answer for their teams, but have already had successful careers, like Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Beyond these players who either are the franchise guy or in the twilight of their careers, there are a handful of quarterbacks that are former top-10 draft picks and starters, but have yet to show they can consistently lead a franchise to contention. For some, this might mean they lose the job without a strong year. For others, it signifies they have yet to live up to their potential as well as the reasons they were drafted so highly.
Here's a look at the five quarterbacks with the most to prove this season.
Daniel Jones, Colts
Daniel Jones beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job, and though Colts coach Shane Steichen said that Jones will not have a "quick leash" as the starter, he still has much to prove this season.
Jones spent six seasons with the Giants, where he was unable to become the long-term franchise quarterback. Jones had flashes of success—particularly in 2022, the lone season he made the playoffs—but was unable to sustain that level of play and consistently stay healthy.
With the Colts, Jones joins a team that has the support around him to succeed like a good offensive line, strong running game led by Jonathan Taylor and a solid receiving core featuring Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie tight end Tyler Warren. Jones wasn't always surrounded with exceptional talent in New York, but if Jones can't succeed in this situation, he might run out of chances to be a starter.
Sam Darnold, Seahawks
Sam Darnold was the Cinderella story of the 2024 season. After failed stints with the Jets and Panthers and a season backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco, he finally saw success during his lone season with the Vikings. He led Minnesota to a 14–3 record and postseason appearance and made his first Pro Bowl.
Though a successful campaign, he left more to be desired in the final two games of the season. He will need to build off last season after signing with Seattle to prove he was not just a one year wonder. After all, he will no longer be under the guidance of head coach Kevin O'Connell, or throwing to one of the best receiving duos in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The Seahawks' supporting cast has question marks, and isn't as strong as what the Vikings offered.
If Darnold disappoints, Seattle has the opportunity to turn to Jalen Milroe, their exciting third-round rookie. The team already plans to have a package of plays for Milroe, and have the option to turn to him to spark the offense if need be. Even if Darnold remains the starter for the whole season as planned, they are not financially tied to him longterm, which gives them the option to pursue another quarterback if they desire next offseason.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Outside of leading the Jaguars to a postseason win in 2022, he has yet to be the consistent star quarterback he was expected to be. There are some reasons for this—his rookie season was marred by Urban Meyer's tumultuous tenure as Jacksonville coach and he has dealt with injuries the past two seasons—but he still hasn't lived up to the hype of a generational player.
Unlike Jones and Darnold, Lawrence's job has much greater security. However, the Jaguars have brought in Liam Coen as coach so Lawrence can fulfill his potential. Coen helped Baker Mayfield throw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, and Lawrence will be expected to take strides under Coen. If Lawrence can't show improvement with Coen and lead the Jaguars to better results, he likely will come under greater scrutiny as the season goes on.
Caleb Williams, Bears
Like Lawrence, Williams is not on the hot seat this season. Unlike Lawrence, Williams plays for a big market franchise in Chicago that has caused him to already face great criticism in his young career. Williams also arguably has the highest ceiling of any quarterback on this list, which adds to the expectations placed on him.
Williams went through a difficult rookie season that was made especially challenging by instability within the coaching staff. The Bears have corrected course by hiring Ben Johnson, who has become one of the most renowned offensive minds in the game for his work as Lions offensive coordinator.
There could be natural growing pains for Williams, but the pressure is on for him to begin reaching his potential under Johnson. Concerns and perhaps overreactions have already been expressed about Williams through training camp, and those will only be magnified if he is still making crucial errors with Johnson at the helm. After Jared Goff saw great success with Johnson as his offensive coordinator, it's Williams's turn to display growth and results this season.
Bryce Young, Panthers
The trajectory of Bryce Young's career was not looking great nearly a year ago when Young was benched after a terrible start to the 2024 season. Young struggled greatly through his rookie season and the start of last year, but his benching seemed to serve him well. Once Young got another chance to start, he showed great improvement that helped the Panthers feel confident about him going into this season.
Young earned the opportunity to lead Carolina this season, but he still has more to show before he is absolutely locked in as the team's long-term quarterback. He only has a limited sample size of good play—primarily the final three games of last season—and needs to prove he can maintain that over the course of a season before he is deemed the future of the franchise.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Quarterbacks That Have Most to Prove During 2025 NFL Season.
