A New Class of Elite QBs May Be Just What NFL Needs to Shake Its Blues

Take a look around the NFL. What do you see? It's right in front of your face. And it could save the league from all of its troubles.

It's a quarterback renaissance. 

This isn't to say their importance is any greater than it was last year, five years before that or at any point since great quarterback play has been the target for every championship contender to chase.

But with an influx of so many young, talented and potentially great quarterbacks, the league could see many of its problems fade quickly.

Television ratings might stop declining. The on-field product may reclaim precedence over the talking points. And if these players work out in some of the sport's biggest markets, as they appear poised to do, the NFL might have its equivalent of a power generator, boosting interest throughout the league.

Last year, Deshaun Watson threw five touchdown passes against the Kansas City Chiefs, tying the single-game NFL record for rookie quarterbacks. If the 22-year-old has no long-term side effects from his ACL tear, he may be a dominant force for years to come in Houston.

At the age of 23, Jared Goff took the Rams to the playoffs last season. Well, actually, the Rams defense and Todd Gurley did, but Goff showed remarkable poise and skill as well.

Carson Wentz, 25, is back in Eagles camp after he tore his ACL and LCL in December. Before going down with that injury, he was mentioned as a legitimate MVP candidate.

And there's more. Dak Prescott is 25. Marcus Mariota is 24. Jimmy Garoppolo is 26. Mitchell Trubisky is 23.

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

If those players work out in those cities—a huge if, but still possible at this point—that makes for undeniable star power in gigantic markets: Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville (1.9 million people), San Francisco and Chicago.

"I agree with that, and time will tell," Joe Banner, a former executive for the Eagles and Browns and a consultant for the Falcons, told B/R. "But you may be able to add guys like [Patrick] Mahomes, [Sam] Darnold, [Baker] Mayfield, [Derek] Carr and [Josh] Rosen."

All 12 of those potential starters are 27 or younger. There's virtually no chance that all of them work out long term, but even if half of them do, that'd be a remarkable number.

"In spite of everything else, [the quarterbacks] have a chance to keep the NFL as popular and exciting as it has been," Banner said. "Great play on the field can make other things stay in the backseat..."

"I think the most interesting element is that they are not all the same," he added. "Some are pocket guys, some are mobile, most can succeed in multiple different types of offenses. These are [also] virtually all high-character, smart and driven young players. They are players anyone would love to have as the face of their organization. Good quarterback play can bring up the quality of everyone around them and the entire game."

The potential model here is the NBA. That league has rallied around an expanding collection of young stars from coast to coast while still embracing its inner LeBron.

In the NFL version, these young quarterbacks will produce excitement and playoff appearances while Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger are still major stars.

It's still early, and we don't know how all of these young throwers will work out. However, most of them have demonstrated remarkable potential thus far.

Mayfield has stunned coaches on the Browns with his studiousness and skill. He hasn't played a meaningful snap yet, and we've seen Browns quarterbacks look good and then disintegrate into a tub of goo, but he has impressed in the early going.

David Dermer/Associated Press

"Baker Mayfield has been everything I thought a quarterback should be for our organization thus far," Browns head coach Hue Jackson recently told reporters. "He's doing the things that we want him to do the way we want him to do it, and he's exceeding those things. Because he's putting in the time. He doesn't have a pride or (arrogance) any kind of way.

"His thing is, 'You guys tell me what you want me to do, and I'm going to do it.' That's what he's done since he's walked in the building. To me that's exciting. That's a player that's eager to learn, and grow."

While Jackson is often effusive with praise of his players—he praised them a lot last year and the team went 0-16—Browns players have echoed his comments about Mayfield.

Again, Mayfield hasn't even played a real down yet. Other young quarterbacks have, and they've been impressive.

These players aren't just about a promising future. In some ways, they could save the NFL.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.