These NFL quarterbacks likely played their final games in Week 17 with their current teams.
The 2020 NFL season has come to an end and with that, so have these quarterbacks’ tenures with their teams. That’s not guaranteed, of course, but the way things have been trending could mean these three quarterbacks are not starting for the same team they started for in Week 17.
This list won’t include guys like Mike Glennon or Andy Dalton, as they weren’t the starters when the season began. Instead, this will include quarterbacks who entered the season as the starters and who the franchise had high hopes for. It also won’t include playoff quarterbacks, so Mitchell Trubisky, Philip Rivers, and Drew Brees won’t be making appearances.
With that, let’s get into three starting NFL quarterbacks that are likely done with the teams they started for in Week 17.
3. Sam Darnold, New York Jets
A few weeks ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Jets would be moving on from Sam Darnold this offseason. A large part of why, however, was that the Jets were winless and looked to be on their way to the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which would have landed them Trevor Lawrence.
After two straight wins late in the season, however, the Jets slid back into the No. 2 spot and missed out on the rights to draft Lawrence. Now they’ll have a decision to make this offseason regarding Darnold and if they think he’s still worth keeping as their quarterback.
Darnold did play well in those two wins, but he threw two interceptions in a 28-14 loss to the Patriots in Week 17, which brought his season total to nine touchdowns and 11 picks. The Jets will have their pick of any player who isn’t Lawrence when the draft rolls around so they’ll have to decide between now and April if Darnold is better than Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, or whoever else is on their draft board.
If that was Darnold’s final game as a Jet, it was an underwhelming performance, but a team will certainly be interested in bringing him in as their potential successor to their aging quarterback.