NFL Predictions 2010: Which Quarterbacks Will Lose Their Jobs?

Just getting to the NFL as a quarterback is hard enough. You can have a great college career, just ask Matt Leinart what a great college career does for you.

Even if you make it to the NFL and start some games at quarterback you should always be on your toes about getting replaced. Quarterbacks have very short leashes nowadays and getting yanked isn’t that uncommon.

In my opinion there are only a handful of quarterbacks who are not in constant danger of being replaced. These are the established very good players and the ones that have no viable option behind them.

This year has a lot of teams influx and we could see a lot of quarterbacks getting shuffled around.

Some of this players were first round picks while others were afterthoughts that found their niche and then fell from grace.

So with that we will look at the quarterbacks who will take the snap on opening day and take the headset by the last game.

Vince Young

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NASHVILLE, TN - AUGUST 23: Quarterbacks Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans and Matt Leinart #7 of the Arizona Cardinals talk after a preseason game at LP Field on August 23, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Arizona, 24-10. (Photo by

Chances: 20 percent

2009 stats: 1,879 yards passing, 10 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 82.8 rating

As you can see I don’t think this one is likely but you never know with Vince Young. Much like Leinart he had a great college career but has yet to put it all together.

Young is a great talent and it seems that he is on the verge of putting it all together but with him you can never know. Every year it appears he is ready to break out and then he falls flat on his face.

We have already seen him get benched in favor of the veteran backup Kerry Collins and there is no reason to think this cant happen again. Collins is a proven veteran who is getting towards the end but can still play.

It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Young on the bench this year with Collins leading the Titans yet again.

Matt Hasselbeck

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SEATTLE - AUGUST 21: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks passes during the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Qwest Field on August 21, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Chances: 30 percent

2009 stats: 3,029 yards passing, 17 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 75.1 rating

Hasselbeck didn’t have a bad year last year and played on an absolutely terrible team but this may be a benching because a change is needed.

The Seahawks traded for Charlie Whitehurst this off-season and that usually isn’t a good sign for the incumbent starter. Whitehurst is no world beater but when you trade anything for a quarterback you intend to do something with him.

Hasselbeck has been at the helm for Seattle since the 2001-2002 season and has had some success but recently has been a bit of a dud. Injuries and sub par play have plagued him the last few years.

With a new coaching staff the benching of Hasselbeck seems more likely. Pete Carroll needs to win now and if he has to make a quarterback change it wouldn’t shock me at all.

Jason Campbell

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ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 12: Jason Campbell #8 of the Oakland Raiders looks to pass in the preseason game againsts the Dallas Cowboys at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on August 12, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Chances: 30 percent

2009 stats: 3,618 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 86.4 rating (with Washington Redskins)

The only reason Campbell is on the list is because Al Davis is nuts. He will yank any player from their starting role at anytime.

For all the crap Campbell takes he had a very good year last year and seems to be improving every year. With a bad Oakland team he is going to be leaned on heavily and if he doesn’t get the job done David will yank him.

They have a backup in Bruce Gradkowski who proved himself last year on the Raiders with a very good run at the end of the year. I don’t think Campbell will get pulled and he should play well but never factor out Davis and how crazy he can be.

This would be the one benching that would shock me the most if it happened.

Alex Smith

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SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 22: Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49er passes against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFL pre-season game at Candlestick Park on August 22, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Chances: 35 percent

2009 stats: 2,350 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 81.5 rating

Smith had his best year last year but only played in 11 games after sitting on the bench for the first seven weeks of the season.

He lost the starting job to Shaun Hill before the season started and that usually isn’t a good sign as Hill has been nothing but a journeymen quarterback so far.

Smith has the offensive weapons in Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn Jr., and Frank Gore to produce a good year. They also beefed up the offensive line to give him more time in the pocket.

With all these weapons Smith will need to prove his worth fast to head coach Mike Singletary. This will also be the first year he is with the same offensive coordinator again.

If Smith wants to hold off veteran David Carr he will need to cut down his interceptions drastically. Carr is a reliable backup who can be a stop gap if Smith fails again this year.

Matt Moore

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CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 21: Quarterback Matt Moore #3 of the Carolina Panthers throws during a preseason game against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Getty Images)

Chances: 50 percent

2009 stats: 1,053 yards passing, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, 98.5 rating

Moore in my book at least was nothing more than a stop gap for the next starting quarterback for the Panthers. He had a nice eight game stretch but to convert that into a whole season is a totally different task.

With the drafting of Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike it would appear that Moore needs to have a great year to fend off one of the two young guns.

Officially Hunter Cantwell is listed as the number two behind Moore but Clausen will be the one seeing action if Moore is riding the pine.

I would say Moore will play this year until Clausen shows that he is ready and once Clausen is put in he will not be taken out.

Trent Edwards

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TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 19: Trent Edwards #5 of the Buffalo Bills drops back to pass during game action against the Indianapolis Colts on August 19, 2010 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Brad White/Getty Images)

Chances: 55 percent

2009 stats: 1,169 yards passing, six touchdowns, seven interceptions, 73.8 rating

Edwards just doesn’t look like a starting NFL quarterback and if the Bills had a better backup the chances would be much higher.

Edwards was a third round pick of the Bills and was looked at as the quarterback of the future. Well the future has come and gone and Edwards has still yet to produce a good NFL season.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick coming back the chances of Edwards starting the whole season looks slim. He was already benched in favor of Fitzpatrick last year so why not again this year?

Fitzpatrick played decent in his 10 starts amassing 1,422 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Not mind blowing numbers and very similar to Edwards but just a little bit better.

Rookie Levi Brown is also a quarterback to watch on the Bills roster as he had a great college career at Troy.

The only thing that may save him is the stacked backfield the Bills have. They shouldn't need the pass to much and that should help Edwards.

This is a make or break year for Edwards and if I had money on it I would be going with break.

Matt Leinart

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NASHVILLE, TN - AUGUST 23: Matt Leinart #7 of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on August 23, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Arizona, 24-10. (Photo by Gran

Chances: 70 percent

2009 stats: 435 yards passing, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, 64.6 rating

If you notice the chances of Leinart being benched are significantly higher then any other quarterback on this list. He just hasn’t cut it in the NFL and there is no reason to think that will change this year.

He already choked away the job to an aging Kurt Warner who everyone thought was done. The Cardinals also have a very good backup in Derek Anderson.

Anderson has more experience and has had much more success at the NFL level. He quarterbacked a very good Cleveland Browns team three years ago and I believe has the right tools to work in the Cardinals system.

Also lurking in the background is underrated rookies John Skelton and Max Hall. It may very well be one of these two are the quarterback of the future and not Leinart.

If Leinart uses the weapons around him and focuses 100 percent on football he may avoid becoming just another first round Heisman winning quarterback bust. I wouldn’t bet on that though.