28. Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen & Anthony Richardson
Shane Steichen is carrying this ranking significantly, and that’s saying something. The Colts have such an impressive collection of offensive talent that it would be shocking for any quarterback to fail, especially with the QB whisperer that is Steichen. Anthony Richardson has barely been able to stay on the field through his first two NFL seasons, for a variety of reasons. He’s gotten hurt, he’s played bad, and he’s gotten fatigued. He’s got to figure it out or he won’t beat Daniel Jones coming out of camp.
27. New York Giants: Brian Daboll & Russell Wilson
Brian Daboll helped the Giants reach the playoffs in 2022 and Russell Wilson helped the Steelers reach the playoffs just last year. That counts for something, but not for much at this point. Both of these guys feel like they are on the cusp of being fired (in Daboll’s case) and done starting (in Wilson’s case). I don’t like this duo for any reason except desperation. You never know when that’s going to bring out the best in someone.
26. Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales & Bryce Young
Dave Canales was part of reviving Geno Smith’s career before he was part of reviving Baker Mayfield’s career. If what we saw down the stretch last year was any indication, he might have helped revive Bryce Young’s career, at least to a degree. While Young was not definitively a bust like it seemed Smith and Mayfield were, he was looking like he was on a fast track to journeyman status. These two might have something cooking in 2025.
25. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald & Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold was one of the NFL’s biggest success stories last year and Mike Macdonald decided to clean house on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. Everyone is interested to see if Darnold can keep things going without being tethered to Kevin O’Connell, especially because he sort of came crashing back to earth as the season progressed in 2024. And he won’t have Justin Jefferson anymore, either.