The 2024 NFL season is sure to bring some major twists and turns just like we see every year, but some of the most interesting storylines to follow will revolve around the quarterback position at various different spots in the league.
There are a handful of quarterbacks who could be poised to really shock a lot of people this season and perhaps exceed expectations from those who have written them off. And for some, the bar is not going to be overly difficult to clear.
Let's take a look at three quarterbacks around the NFL who have either been counted out by analysts and pundits or who aren't being considered to lead their team to a lot of wins this coming season.
3 potential surprise NFL quarterbacks for the 2024 season
1. Jacoby Brissett, Patriots
I'm not going to sit here and say Jacoby Brissett is going to emerge as the Patriots' long-term franchise quarterback, by any means, but I do believe there's a chance that he ends up playing a lot better this year than anyone really expects.
In small doses, Brissett has proven to be a pretty effective starting quarterback in the NFL. He's done it for the Colts and Browns, and he could be in line to do it for the Patriots this year. The Patriots could be eager to get Drake Maye on the field this season, so Brissett won't have the longest leash of any starter in the NFL, but the Patriots have done a good job upgrading their weapons this offseason.
They went and added Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft as well as Javon Baker in the fourth round, and both players appear poised to play big roles as rookies. The Patriots made an underrated free agent signing by bringing in former Vikings receiver KJ Osborn and the emergence of second-year player Demario Douglas could be huge for this team overall.
And what's a quarterback's best friend? A good defense. And the Patriots have that.
2. Justin Fields, Steelers
All offseason, we've been wondering whether or not Justin Fields would be an actual challenger to Russell Wilson for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh or if he would truly just be an upside play if Wilson was hurt or struggled.
All along, it felt like the Steelers were a great destination for Fields thanks to the presence of Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator. Smith was able to land a head coaching gig in Atlanta after his successful rehabilitation of Ryan Tannehill as a member of the Tennessee Titans and although the long-term results weren't there, Smith orchestrated productive offenses with players like Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and even Taylor Heinicke while with the Atlanta Falcons.
His offensive scheme is suited to work well for someone like Justin Fields, and reports out of Steelers training camp already seem to be very positive in favor of Fields. Russell Wilson allegedly woke up with a calf issue right at the beginning of camp, and that has caused Fields to close the gap, at the very least.
And it's possible that he not only has closed the gap but actually surpassed Wilson. Keep this in mind -- the Steelers are under no financial obligation with Wilson. They paid him the veteran minimum while the Denver Broncos are on the hook for nearly $38 million. If Fields can be a viable long-term option for the team, the Steelers owe it to themselves to hand him the starting gig and let him run with it.
And I have a feeling he could really excel this season.
3. Bo Nix, Broncos
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has never taken a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft since he's been a head coach in the NFL. That's not all that difficult to believe considering he had such a great run with Drew Brees and the Saints, but he's in uncharted waters at the quarterback position nonetheless.
The selection of Bo Nix was met with plenty of criticism by the media. There are a lot of people who believe that Nix is simply too old to have the upside of a typical first-round pick at the quarterback position (even though Joe Burrow was 24 in his rookie year for the Bengals as well). And it's true -- at 24 years of age, Nix would be the oldest first-round quarterback ever selected if it weren't for the complete outlier of Brandon Weeden.
But Nix has been everything Sean Payton hoped for and then some so far with the Broncos. Payton has been gushing about his accuracy, quick release, and understanding of the offense early on. Nix has been taking a majority of the 1st-team reps for the Broncos throughout the course of training camp and has been extremely impressive.
There's a chance the 6th quarterback taken out of six in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft could be one of the most pro-ready in the class. People were underwhelmed by Nix for a variety of reasons: Some didn't like his arm talent, some didn't like the offense he ran at Oregon, some feel he's reached his upside already.
Whatever the case, Nix appears to be a really good fit for Sean Payton's offense and could wind up being a lot better in the 2024 season than the general consensus expected when he was drafted.