Ranking AFC East teams by quarterback situation after Cam Newton signing
By Lucas Schuh
Tom Brady changed the AFC East quarterback conversation once, Cam Newton does it again.
For two-plus decades, the New England Patriots have run the AFC East. Tom Brady and company ruled, winning 17 division titles since his first full season as a starter in 2001. But now, with Brady out of New England, it’s time for a quarterback not residing in Foxborough to take over the AFC East — or so everybody thought.
Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft worked their magic once again and managed to sign former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton for the 2020 NFL season. Newton was the last QB chip to fall on the free-agent market, but somehow, the Patriots managed to sign Newton for a team-friendly deal.
Newton joining the AFC East makes him the elder statesman in the division. Coming into the 2020 NFL season now, every other team has a young quarterback aiming to prove themself. Newton has plenty to prove himself but he’s also a former NFL MVP.
With the New York Jets, you have third-year quarterback Sam Darnold, who has not lived up to the hype of where he was drafted. Up in Buffalo with the Bills, you have Josh Allen, who has struggled but looks to take a leap forward with the addition of Stefon Diggs. Finally, in Miami, you have rookie Tua Tagoviloa, who will likely not start for the Dolphins right out of the gates but is certainly the future in Miami.
With Allen and Darnold taking possible steps forward and both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Newton both being extremely dynamic player, the AFC East is shaping up to be one of the most interesting divisions in the NFL. But how does each team stack up against one another in terms of the quarterback situation? Let’s find out as we rank them from worst to first.