2008 NFL QB's That Must Have a Breakout Season

The 2008 season is on its way. With training camp a few weeks away many players are going to be battling for starting jobs and the respect of not only their teams, but the national media. Which players must have a break out year before they find themselves on the wrong side of the field?

Matt Leinart QB - Cardinals - Kevin Whisenhunt has been pressured by management to make Leinart the opening day starter, even though Whisenhunt is much more fond of veteran Kurt Warner.

Last season Leinart battled injuries and Warner took his job, performing quite well. While Leinart could not get it right at all last year. Some of that could have been due to his and Warner platooning the QB position the last two years.

Leinart will have no excuses this season. If he does not produce early Whisenhunt will put him on the bench and play Warner.

All the pieces are around Leinart, which makes me believe he will begin to fulfill his first-round potential. Expect the Cardinals to finally get over the hump and make the playoffs.

Rex Grossman/Kyle Orton - Bears - The Bears did not bring in any quarterbacks in the off season, so the competition is between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. If neither of these guys turn out they will be out of a job.

So far Orton is leading the QB race. Putting a even more pressure on former Super Bowl QB Grossman.

The whole organization believes either of the QB's can help them return to form and if they fail the whole team would just tear everything up and begin to rebuild.

Sort of like the Oakland Raiders after they lost in the Super Bowl. Believe me the Bears would not want to go through that process.

In comparing the two QBs Orton just knows how to win. It looks like they will go with him and if they do, he will prove he can be a solid player. Grossman, on the other hand, had his chance and he is not an NFL caliber QB.

A big problem is really both QB's do not have any receivers to throw the ball to and the organization is going to have to rely on an unproven running back in rookie Matt Forte.

Unless one of the two QB's has a Tom Brady type of season I see them being out of a job in 2009 and a first round pick will be brought in to be the new face of the franchise. Maybe a Tim Tebow?

Tony Romo QB Cowboys - He took a very talented team to the best record in the NFC, but failed in the playoffs. His production declined as the season went along.

He has been getting too caught up with the glamour and his performance speaks for itself.

The team is too talented to not win a Super Bowl next season. The whole team relies on Romo's success. At times he seems like a Brett Favre caliber QB and at others he looks like Ryan Leaf.

He needs to have that Favre year consistently or another QB will be brought in. Jerry Jones is impatient and he knows this must be the year.

Aaron Rodgers QB - Packers - It looks like Rodgers will be the teams answer at QB this year. After being a step away from the Super Bowl, the Pack will have high expectations this season.

Rodgers will always have to hear "I bet Favre could have done that." The organization is behind him, but if he does not produce the city will not support him.

Behind him also is rookie Brian Brohm. Rodgers has the pressure to do as much or even more than Favre, which is unfair, but the truth.

I always have liked Rodgers, especially over 2005 #1 overall pick Alex Smith, and I expect him to have a good year. He showed a lot against the Cowboys last season when Favre went down with an injury. If he wins even just one Super Bowl the people in Green Bay may put Favre behind them.

Tarvaris Jackson QB - Vikings - No one has more pressure on them than Jackson. He has a Super Bowl caliber team. They are a quarterback away from contending.

He had some moments where he looked very good, but others where he looked like a first-year starting quarterback, which he was. He had an injury on top of that, which took him out a couple of games.

If people just stay patient with him I think he can be a Donovan McNabb type of QB. In college I thought he could be a first round pick talent and when the Vikings got him thought it was a steal.

He has a lot of pressure on him because the fans and even some of the players are not sold on him. If he has a good year he will shut every one up, but if he can not turn the corner expect Gus Frerotte, or fifth-round pick John David Booty to take over the starters position.

Another pressure that is surfacing right now is the potential of a Favre return. He may go to the Vikings. Jackson should just ignore these rumors and continue to develop.