Bold 2012 Predictions for 50 NFL QBs

It's always interesting to see which names show up on the stat sheet at the quarterback position at the conclusion of the season, with some names unexpectedly high and some unexpectedly low.

Many quarterbacks finish near their projected positions, but others become head-scratchers—like Ryan Fitzpatrick finishing 11th in 2011 passing yards while Sam Bradford finished 27th.

Regardless, the projections for 2012 are coming fast and in an effort to spin the clock forward here are the projections for 50 active NFL quarterbacks, based on yards passing in the 2011 season.

Each player will have their 2012 stats projected as well as (in some cases) where that player will be playing next season.

The list is broken down into what rosters players were on in 2011, so if you are looking for where Matt Flynn will end up for instance, simply flip forward to the Green Bay Packers slide.

For more in-depth analysis of the NFL's QBs, check out Lead Writer Matt Miller's exclusive, new ranking of the top 50, kicking off the B/R NFL 1,000 series.

Arizona Cardinals

Kevin Kolb

2012 Team: Arizona Cardinals

2012 Stats: 3,772 Yards 20 TD 16 INT

John Skelton 

2012 Team: Arizona Cardinals

2012 Stats: Backup

The Arizona Cardinals are certainly hot on the trail of Peyton Manning should he be cut loose by the Colts, but that seems like a long shot considering the 49ers seem to have a strong hold on this division, and it doesn't offer Manning the playoff potential that he is looking for.

There is still a lot of money wrapped up in Kevin Kolb and provided that he stays healthy, he will get every chance to lead Arizona.

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan 

2012 Team: Atlanta Falcons

2012 Stats: 4,631 Yards, 33 TD 15 INT

The Atlanta Falcons are the first of the "no-brainer situations" on the list.

Obviously, Matt Ryan is the future and the present for the Falcons, and barring injury, that will not change.

An experienced Julio Jones entering next season will help Ryan take off statistically, but will it be enough to push Atlanta to the Super Bowl?

Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco 

2012 Team: Baltimore Ravens

2012 Stats: 3,562 Yards, 19 TD, 14 INT

The Baltimore Ravens are in an interesting spot with Flacco.

He has shown signs of being a truly elite quarterback in the NFL, but the next week comes out and looks like a truly inept NFL quarterback. He wasn't the reason that the Ravens lost their chance to go to the Super Bowl, but he also didn't take the team on his back and lead them there either.

Flacco's stats might decline as the Ravens try to cement a reputation of grinding with Ray Rice, which is what critics have been begging for them to do for some time.

Buffalo Bills

Ryan Fitzpatrick 

2012 Team: Buffalo Bills

2012 Stats: 4,124 Yards, 28 TD, 18 TD

The Buffalo Bills might have tasted too much success too fast in 2011, and so, Bills fans are hoping that they will be better prepared to handle it this season.

A true offseason of practice with Chan Gailey should help Fitzpatrick grow next season, and his stats will reflect that.

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton 

2012 Team: Carolina Panthers

2012 Stats: 3,874 Yards, 24 TD, 20 INT

Not only will Newton be the QB in Carolina next year, but likely for the next 10 years plus.

He quickly became a fantasy darling, and that will continue in 2012, but as he matures into the leader of an improving team, his need to come from behind will disappear. 

Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler 

2012 Team: Chicago Bears

2012 Stats: 4,202 Yards, 26 TD, 19 INT

Caleb Hanie 

2012 Team : Houston Texans

2012 Stats: Practice Squad

Josh McCown 

2012 Team: Free Agent

Reuniting Jeremy Bates with Jay Cutler in Chicago should mean a return to over 4,000 yards passing for the QB.

If Cutler can stay healthy, he's more than capable of putting up the stats, but that doesn't always translate to wins in Chicago, and time is ticking on Cutler's opportunity to finish his career as a Bear.

Hanie's ties to Colorado State University (with Gary Kubiak's son) will give him a chance on the Texans' practice squad considering he didn't do much to prove he is capable of being a solid backup in his time on the field in 2011.

Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton 

2012 Team: Cincinnati Bengals

2012 Stats: 3,872 Yards, 25 TD, 19 INT

Only one year removed from replacing former franchise quarterback Carson Palmer, and the Bengals already have their man of the future in Dalton.

His poise and calm were a huge catalyst in sparking the Bengals run to the playoffs in 2011, and the future seems bright. A growing relationship between AJ Green and Dalton will be a big part of the quarterback's growth in 2012.

If Cincy can add another reliable running back then his need to force the ball down the field should decrease and have a positive impact on his turnover ratio.

Cleveland Browns

Colt McCoy 

2012 Team: Cleveland Browns

2012 Stats: 1,272 Yards, 9 TD, 12 INT

Seneca Wallace 

2012 Team: Cleveland Browns

2012 Stats: Back Up

For those wondering why McCoy's stats are so low, it is because there's a high probability that he will not remain the Browns starter for long, if he even starts the season that way.

It could be Robert Griffin III or Matt Flynn who takes the job, but suffice it to say that the McCoy experiment may be over soon in Cleveland. 

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo 

2012 Team: Dallas Cowboys

2012 Stats: 4,465 Yards, 34 TD, 10 INT

There is talk that Jerry Jones might be interested in cutting bait with Tony Romo and hitching his wagon to Peyton Manning, but if Peyton gets to choose his destination, then it will not be a place where a maniacal owner is breathing down his back.

Romo has at least this coming season to try and right the ship with Dallas and get the Cowboys back into the postseason. A completely healthy season should help lift his stats above their already lofty heights.

Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow 

2012 Team: Denver Broncos

2012 Stats: 2,880 Yards, 21 TD, 12 INT

The lack of quarterbacks in the draft is going to help keep the "Tim Tebow Train" rolling along in Denver without anything to derail it.

Brady Quinn will likely be gone, but there is a lack of quality starters on the market to come in and steal the spot from Tebow.

Tebow may still average less than 200 yards per game, but he has shown that he can go plus-300 yards just a week after going sub-100 yards.

Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford 

2012 Team: Detroit Lions

2012 Stats: 5,129 Yards, 45 TD, 19 INT

With the accolades that were handed out to the leagues top-flight quarterbacks this year, it was lost in the shuffle that the Lions had a 5,000-yard passer in Matthew Stafford.

Coming back in 2012 with something to prove, Stafford and the Lions will take to the air again in an attempt to knock the Packers off their perch in the NFC North.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers 

2012 Team: Green Bay Packers

2012 Stats: 4,843 Yards, 42 TD, 8 INT

Matt Flynn 

2012 Team: Miami Dolphins

2012 Stats: 4, 214 Yards, 29 TD, 15 INT

Aaron Rodgers will undoubtedly be in the conversation for repeating as the NFL's MVP, and that shouldn't be news to anyone.

The interesting story leaving Green Bay is whether or not Matt Flynn will be reunited with new head coach Joe Philbin in Miami.

The odds are heavily in favor of yes, and that level of comfort, along with Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall should make Flynn a great addition to Miami's continued rebuilding process.

Houston Texans

Matt Schaub 

2012 Team: Houston Texans

2012 Stats: 3,952 Yards, 28 TD, 16 INT

TJ Yates 

2012 Team: Houston Texans

2012 Stats: Backup

Despite his impressive and gutsy performance in relief of two quarterbacks, TJ Yates will be back on the sideline with a healthy Matt Schaub calling the plays in Houston.

The success of the Houston defense and running game means that Schaub will never need to throw for big yards in order to win, except for rare occasions when the team finds themselves in a shootout.

Indianapolis Colts

Curtis Painter 

2012 Team: Indianapolis Colts

2012 Stats: Backup

Dan Orlovsky 

2012 Team: Free Agent

Without Peyton Manning, the Colts slide is the most irrelevant of all, considering it also doesn't include Andrew Luck based on the parameters of the piece.

Manning is this offseason's biggest wild card, and since he didn't register any statistics in 2011, he earns a slide all to himself at the end.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert 

2012 Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

2012 Stats: 3,214 Yards, 19 TD, 19 INT

It is hard to see much growth coming from Gabbert in Jacksonville based on the weapons that he has around him besides MJD.

However, Mike Mularkey is an offensive-minded coach but a lot will be found out about who had more to do with the Falcons offense—Matt Ryan or Mularkey—when Gabbert takes the field after an offseason of work with the new coach.

Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Cassel 

2012 Team: Kansas City Chiefs

2012 Stats: 3,212 Yards, 19 TD, 14 INT

Tyler Palko 

2012 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

2012 Stats: Training Camp Roster

Kyle Orton 

2012 Team: New York Jets

2012 Stats: 2,026 Yards, 13 TD, 6 INT

Romero Crennel is going to try and keep this team that he had going in a good direction at the end of the season on that path, but he will turn back to the incumbent starter and give the reigns to a healthy Matt Cassel instead of Kyle Orton.

Orton will have a tough choice to make, but in the end, the Jets know they need a backup who will can really push Mark Sanchez and will pay Orton better to be that man, and whether by injury or replacement, Orton will get his chance on Broadway.

Miami Dolphins

Matt Moore 

2012 Team: Miami Dolphins

2012 Stats: Back Up

Chad Henne 

2012 Team: Seattle Seahawks

2012 Stats: 1,300 Yards, 11 TD, 6 INT

With all signals pointing to Matt Flynn heading to South Beach, that means there is no room for either Matt Moore to start or Chad Henne to remain a Dolphin.

Henne will head to the opposite coast and probably end up splitting time with Tavaris Jackson in an attempt to see who will be the last man standing in Seattle.

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Ponder 

2012 Team: Minnesota Vikings

2012 Stats: 3,675 Yards, 26 TD, 16 INT

Donovan McNabb 

2012 Team: Chicago Bears

2012 Stats: Back Up

The Vikings are pleased with the progress that their impressive rookie Christian Ponder showed last season, and they will be excited to see what he and Adrian Peterson can do together in an entire season.

Donovan McNabb on the other hand will be given his last chance in his hometown of Chicago as they look for a more veteran presence to back up Jay Cutler.

New England Patriots

aTom Brady 

2012 Team: New England Patriots

2012 Stats: 4,946 Yards, 41 TD, 12 INT

No question here that Tom Brady is going to come back with a vengeance in 2012, and perhaps, help Rob Gronkowski challenge his own record in consecutive seasons.

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees

2012 Team: New Orleans Saints

2012 Stats: 5,234 Yards, 48 TD, 10 INT

Brees will take a run at breaking his own record, but it could prove to be more untouchable than even Dan Marino's.

However, that doesn't mean that he won't go above 5,000 yards for a second year in a row and possibly take home an NFL MVP award that he arguably could have won last season as well.

New York Giants

Eli Manning 

2012 Team: New York Giants

2012 Stats: 4,765 Yards, 35 TD, 19 INT

The toast of the NFL will try to keep from swooning and suffering a Super Bowl hangover, but having another season like 2011 will be tough.

His clutch performances masked a rather low TD output, but when the win column is full, the fans are happy, and the chances are good that Cruz and Nicks will find the end zone a little more next season.

New York Jets

Mark Sanchez 

2012 Team: New York Jets

2012 Stats: 1,876 Yards, 11 TD, 15 INT

The trials and tribulations of Sanchez and the Jets offense will continue, and in an effort to save his job, Rex Ryan may look elsewhere to help back up his guarantees.

Pete Carroll may get the last laugh after all in this situation, but it also may pave the way for Sanchez to have a second chance potentially in Seattle.

Oakland Raiders

Carson Palmer 

2012 Team: Oakland Raiders

2012 Stats: 4,213 Yards, 24 TD, 18 INT

Jason Campbell 

2012 Team: Denver Broncos 

2012 Stats: Back Up

Palmer will benefit from the return of Darren McFadden, but he still has a lot of work to do in order to justify the trade with Cincinnati.

Luckily for Dennis Allen and the new front office, they're not as tied to Palmer as the previous regime, however, he is the best option at QB for the team.

Campbell is just unspectacular enough to not challenge the Tebow Mania in Denver, but a steady hand that could hold the fort in case of injury.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick 

2012 Team: Philadelphia Eagles

2012 Stats: 4,398 Yards, 27 TD, 19 INT

Vince Young 

2012 Team: Philadelphia Eagles

2012 Stats: Backup

Despite the disastrous season for the Eagles, they might be well to keep the same two quarterbacks on the roster, considering that Young acquitted himself rather well in relief of Vick.

It's a huge "if" in terms of whether Vick can play the whole season, but if he does then the position of backup will be a lonely one anyway.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger 

2012 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

2012 Stats: 4,126 Yards, 24 TD, 13 INT

The steady Roethlisberger will deliver another great season for the Steelers.

He delivers as regularly as the postal service through rain, shine, injury or anything else that is thrown at him.

San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers 

2012 Team: San Diego Chargers

2012 Stats: 4,876 Yards, 35 TD, 16 INT

After a completely uncharacteristically bad season by Rivers that cost his team a shot at the playoffs, the Chargers leader will try to help make the retention of Norv Turner look like the correct decision.

Rivers will be eager to reclaim his spot amongst the leagues most talked about "elite" QB's and try desperately to keep pace with his draft mate Eli Manning.

San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith 

2012 Team: San Francisco 49ers

2012 Stats: 3,534 Yards, 20 TD, 10 INT

To say that Alex Smith is going to double his interception output sounds bad, but keep in mind that he only threw five last season, and all of the sudden, it seems like an increased reliance on the pass game is going to inevitably cause some collateral damage.

The Niners seem confident enough in Smith to give him another chance next year, and based on last season results, how can you blame them?

Seattle Seahawks

Tavaris Jackson

2012 Team: Seattle Seahawks

2012 Stats: 1,675 Yards, 12 TD, 12 INT

Jackson seemed to just be the lesser of two evils in Seattle, and despite an exciting performance from Marshawn Lynch down the stretch, Pete Carroll is still looking for a leader of his offense.

Jackson will likely fall victim to whoever the Seahawks bring in to challenge him for the starting role.

St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford 

2012 Team: St. Louis Rams

2012 Stats: 4,234 Yards, 28 TD, 17 INT

AJ Feeley 

2012 Team: St. Louis Rams

2012 Stats: Back Up

Kellen Clemens 

2012 Team: Free Agent

A healthy Sam Bradford, under the guidance of a new coach will reclaim the glory that he found in his rookie season.

Tools will be added to the arsenal in order to help accomplish that goal, and many believe that it will be Justin Blackmon catching touchdowns from Bradford.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman 

2012 Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2012 Stats: 3,498 Yards, 24 TD, 15 INT

Greg Schiano will not be looking to light things up through the air, and he will most likely look to limit what he asks his quarterback to do which should cut down on Freeman's turnovers.

An increased reliance on Legarette Blount (who hopefully responds to the challenge) will ease the demands on Freeman and allow him to operate in a style more to his liking.

Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck 

2012 Team: Tennessee Titans

2012 Stats: 3,987 Yards, 21 TD, 13 INT

Jake Locker 

2012 Team: Tennessee Titans

2012 Stats: Backup

The Titans will look to take one more run at the playoffs under the steady hand of Matt Hasselbeck before turning the keys to the kingdom over to Jake Locker.

Hasselbeck could have still have plenty more in the take, but the Titans may not be able to wait much longer to see what they have in Locker on a full-time basis.

Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman 

2012 Team: Minnesota Vikings

2012 Stats: Backup

John Beck 

2012 Team: Washington Redskins

2012 Stats: Backup

The starting quarterback of the Redskins is not currently on the roster.

Grossman proved that he is really nothing more than a spot duty backup who will fill the void left by Donovan McNabb in Minnesota, and John Beck is under contract, and for that reason alone, gets to stay in Washington.

Look for Robert Griffin III or Matt Flynn to be calling signals in Washington next season.

Peyton Manning

Where will the most buzzed about player in the 2012 offseason end up?

Until we hear otherwise, it seems logical to assume that he will stay right at home in Indianapolis. If he truly has the go ahead to play again, and he can still throw the ball the Colts have to be interested in restructuring so that he can be a part of the transition between himself and Andrew Luck as the starting quarterback.

The speculation and rumor mill is incredibly fun and interesting, but there is still too many unknowns to project exactly what will happen.