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Predicting each NFL team’s starting quarterback for Week 1 of 2021 season

By Cody Williams

Oct 29, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) embraces Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) after a game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks won 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) embraces Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) after a game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks won 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /
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NFL starting quarterback predictions
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

With two NFL quarterback trades and perhaps many more to come, there is going to be unprecedented movement. So who will be the Week 1 starter for each team?

The 2021 NFL offseason is looking unlike anything we’ve ever seen before as it pertains to the quarterback position. Already we’ve seen Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz and Jared Goff traded this offseason. A Deshaun Watson trade is still expected and now a Russell Wilson trade appears to be in the cards as well.

Whenever the dust settles from this offseason — especially when there is also an incredibly enticing draft class of quarterbacks — we could be looking at an unprecedented situation in terms of teams that have a new starting quarterback. But the big question is where all the dominoes will fall.

That’s the goal for today. Going division-by-division, we’re going to predict the starting quarterback for all 32 NFL teams in Week 1 of the 2021 season. We start in the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen

Few could have predicted the meteoric rise of Josh Allen in the 2020 season. For a player who had struggled with his accuracy and, frankly, was more dangerous as a runner than passer, the arrival of Stefon Diggs and his own improvement vaulted him into the MVP conversation.

You do have to wonder if Allen can maintain this level of play moving forward but, regardless of those questions, he’s clearly the guy for the Bills for the foreseeable future.

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa

Coming off of his hip injury at Alabama and with no true offseason to work in with the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa had a lot working against him as a rookie. Thus, his struggles should’ve been expected. They aren’t, however, a reason to move on from him as many are calling for. Miami is in too good of an overall position to mortgage all of their draft capital for a player like Deshaun Watson, especially when the road for Tua to improve is so obvious.

New England Patriots: Marcus Mariota

After losing Tom Brady in free agency last year, the Patriots made the move for Cam Newton in hopes that they could recapture some magic from the former league MVP. That, of course, did not work out.

But given their position in the 2021 NFL Draft and overall, it’s hard to see New England being able to make a big splash. Instead, they’re going to take a gamble on Marcus Mariota in a trade with the Raiders, hoping again to mine something from a former high draft pick that has fallen out of favor overall.

New York Jets: Justin Fields

While the New York Jets aren’t necessarily in a great spot as a franchise when you look at their overall roster, they have plenty of options this offseason, particularly when it comes to the quarterback spot.

However, the best option and the one I predict they’ll take is the simplest one. With the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they’ll select Justin Fields out of Ohio State, subsequently trading Sam Darnold (or doing so before) and hitting reset on the offense.

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