NFL Exec Says Teams 'Do More' to 'Screw Up' QB Development Compared to Players

One NFL executive believes that teams do more to damage talented quarterbacks' prospects than the players themselves.

"We do more as teams to screw up these guys than anything (the quarterbacks) do," an executive told Jeff Howe of The Athletic, who went in-depth on signal-callers thriving in new homes after struggling to start their careers.

Some of the league's top quarterbacks this year struggled at their first (or multiple) stops before finding great success at their current home. The three that stand out the most this year are Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold.

Mayfield was selected first overall in the 2018 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, who have largely struggled since returning to the league in 1999 and have a penchant for playing quarterback roulette every season. The Browns won just one game in two seasons before Mayfield's arrival, but the team was respectable under his watch, going 29-30 in four seasons and even winning a playoff game in 2020.

Mayfield did struggle at times, but injuries were a culprit, and he gamely played through them (namely a torn labrum in his left shoulder in 2021). However, the Browns decided to part ways with him in favor of Deshaun Watson, a move that has dramatically backfired.

After a brief stops in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers (which also ended poorly following a benching) and then the Los Angeles Rams (which showcased his talents at the end of the campaign), Mayfield latched on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's been sensational ever since, accounting for 82 touchdowns and 10,463 yards in 42 starts. The Bucs won the NFC South each of the past two years and look destined to do it again in 2025.

Daniel Jones is leading the NFL's top team, the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, who are averaging a league-high 33.8 points per game. He just spent his first six seasons with the New York Giants, where he largely struggled outside some flashes in his 2019 rookie season and a 2022 campaign where he led Big Blue to the postseason.

Jones dealt with a host of coaching changes, including the firing of two head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge). That certainly didn't help. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired in the middle of the 2021 season after a year-and-a-half in charge. Head coach Brian Daboll also took playcalling duties away from Mike Kafka last year.

In addition, Jones also struggled behind a leaky, sometimes injury-shortened offensive line that didn't give him enough time to operate.

Jones, of course, had his own issues, and he hit rock bottom in town in 2023 and 2024 (10 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 3-13 record). Jones also suffered a season-ending torn ACL in 2023.

However, he's thriving in Indianapolis behind a great coaching staff led by former NFC-winning offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Jones also has a great offensive line propelled by guard Quenton Nelson and a host of talented skill-position players, including superstar running back Jonathan Taylor.

Sam Darnold notoriously lasted just three years as a New York Jet after Gang Green selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. The Jets, of course, haven't exactly been a haven for quarterbacks to find long-lasting success over the years. The team also hasn't made the playoffs since 2010.

Darnold struggled on the Carolina Panthers for two years before serving as a backup in 2023 for the San Francisco 49ers. However, he got an opportunity to start in Minnesota for the Vikings in 2024 and thrived, accounting for 35 touchdowns and 4,319 yards while leading his team to a 14-win season.

He parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, who are 5-2 under the watch of Darnold (12 touchdowns, 1,754 yards).

Ultimately, all three serve as notice that a quarterback's story shouldn't be written after their first stop. All they might need is a change of scenery and a stable support system in place to fulfill great potential.