It’s been a busy week for quarterbacks in the NFC South. The New Orleans Saints got a leg up on everyone else by signing Derek Carr once he became a free agent (ahead of the legal tampering period, fortunately enough) but it didn’t take very long for the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to find new quarterbacks on the open market.
Some of them will start games in 2023. Others will hope to never see the field. If things go as planned for their teams, they won’t be expected to. But for the Saints to have a starting-quality passer in Jameis Winston on the roster behind Carr, well: that’s depth few teams can afford. Here’s how each quarterback situation is shaping up around the division after the first few days of free agency:
Atlanta Falcons
- Taylor Heinicke
- Desmond Ridder
- Logan Woodside
Heinicke agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal that gives him the opportunity to compete for the starting job with Ridder (a third-round pick last season out of Cincinnati). Neither of them inspire a tremendous amount of confidence, but that’s probably an upgrade over how badly Marcus Mariota performed last year.
Carolina Panthers
- Andy Dalton
- Jacob Eason
- Matt Corral
The Panthers jettisoned Sam Darnold (to the San Francisco 49ers) and P.J. Walker (to the Chicago Bears), and they’re actively working to trade Corral to another team while weighing their options at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Dalton is expected to be a veteran resource for this year’s top pick, likely C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) or Bryce Young (Alabama).
New Orleans Saints
- Derek Carr
- Jameis Winston
- Jake Luton
Carr is the unquestioned starter, and that will be the case for 17 games (and more, hopefully) this season. Winston is an overqualified backup but there’s a lot to be said for investing in a nice Carr insurance plan. Luton was brought back from the 2022 practice squad and he’ll probably hope to land on its 2023 iteration.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Baker Mayfield
- Kyle Trask
Why not bring Blaine Gabbert back, too? Life after Tom Brady is looking rough in Tampa Bay, and this is probably Mayfield’s last opportunity to prove he can cut it in the NFL. The Buccaneers are looking like one of the worst teams in the league, though, so he has his work cut out for him. If he bottoms out they’ll be drafting his replacement this time next year. Will Trask ever throw a pass in this league?
