Passing The Baton 2021-22 Season Preview
Passing the Baton - the only digital museum for Black quarterbacks - is back for Season 2 covering the 2021-22 NFL season. I’ll admit, while I am still upset about Eric Bieniemy’s status, there are even more Black starting or prominent backup QBs to cover.
This is exciting news! Because covering 17 weeks is a doozy, here’s the schedule for PTB posts: Week 1, Week 5, Week 9, Week 13, and Week 17 for the regular season, and each round of the playoffs we have a QB still in the running. As fantasy football gets started back up and preseason winds down, let’s take a look at our returners, the new crop, and what to expect from this upcoming season.
DeShaun Watson - Houston Texans
DeShaun has had quite the offseason being met with allegations of sexual assault by a number of masseuses that worked with the Texans QB. As a quarterback that has an active trade request on the books, it further gives interested teams pause to know that the FBI is now involved with Watson’s case. On the field, it is understandable by the three-time Pro-Bowler wants out.
Watson is coming off a career year: most yards thrown for (4823) - which also led the NFL in 2020-21, most completions (382), most passing touchdowns (33), and fewest interceptions (7). There was not much help for Deshaun and in addition to other rants about effort, JJ Watt - who joined DeAndre Hopkins as former Texans turned Cardinals - had this to say about his star QB
All of this is to say, stay tuned about Deshaun. Doesn’t look like there will be much of him on the field until his case is resolved especially if he is adamant about getting out of Houston.
Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
There’s not much to say about the $500 million man. Yes, his Chiefs fell apart in the Super Bowl but it feels like barring injury they’ll be right back on that stage this season. The Chiefs have re-tooled their offensive line which got eaten alive by the Buccaneers defense and Mahomes just seems to get better year in and year out. Look for more excellence from #15 in 2021.
Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks
Russ flirted with leaving and it appeared the Bears were on the 1-yard line - sorry Seattle - of FINALLY getting a franchise QB. Thankfully for the Seahawks that did not happen and all seems well again on the Russell Wilson front, for now. Seattle has reached the point that the Packers did with Aaron Rodgers, where the star QB’s excellence masks many issues the team has and when the team loses in the playoffs people then start to question them.
In fact, Russ was an early MVP favorite last season, starting the year off with 26 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and a 6-1 record through 8 weeks. Back-to-back losses to the Bills and Rams with 2 touchdowns 4 interceptions quieted those talks. Finishing the season with only one 3+ touchdown performance allowed for more competition to flood the MVP talk conversation. It feels like more of the same for Seattle coming into 2021-22 but the NFC West figures to be a lot more competitive with the Rams upgrading at QB, another year of seasoning for Kyler and company, and a potentially healthy Niners defense. PTB will be cheering for both Black QBs in the NFC West to make it to the playoffs.
Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
There’s always been too much scrutiny to Lamar Jackson’s game, with questions of, “Can he throw?” becoming the new, “Is Joe Flacco elite?” Sure his passing numbers from his breakout sophomore, MVP season went down, but there exist many concerns about what Lamar has to work with in the receiving game. Mark Andrews is a formidable TE piece and Hollywood Brown is at best a great slot option. But it is greatly expected at this point that either as the division champ or an AFC Wild Card that Baltimore will be in the postseason and ultimately that’s all the public is judging Action Jackson on. The Ravens offseason has included the additions of KC’s Sammy Watkins and first-round draft pick Rashod Bateman so only time will tell if this is the injection Baltimore needs to get to the next step in their progression.
Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals
That was the best way to describe Kyler and the Arizona Cardinals in 2020. After starting 6-3, the Desert Birds would lose five of their last seven games and miss out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with Chicago for the final NFC Wild Card spot. Kyler was electric nonetheless, finishing just shy of the 4,000-yard mark for passing yards (3971), finishing second to Lamar for rushing yards for a QB (819), and tying for fourth place amongst all rushers with 11 touchdowns on the ground. With a crazy offseason that has brought in AJ Green, JJ Watt, Malcolm Butler, and James Conner the packed NFC West may end up with three teams in next season’s playoffs.
Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
Dak’s injury was truly a blessing in disguise. The most entertaining governor in sports, Jerry Jones, was trying his damnedest not to back the Brinks up for his starting QB. Some revisionist history mumbo-jumbo about Tony Romo yada-yada-yada. Anywho, his quarterback got hurt and he saw ol’ Zeke Elliott was not going to save this team by himself. A 6-10 finish that featured Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert all starting under center made Jerry change his tone with Dak. And now he’s back, which means the Cowboys can go back to their usual 8-8 ways. Except, now there are 17 games on the slate so huge curveball for Dallas as to if they’ll be a game above or below .500. In all seriousness, PTB hopes that Dak balls out.
Cam Newton - New England Patriots
Sigh. It was tough sledding for anyone rooting for Cam’s Pats stint. Sure, part of why Brady left was due to the lack of weapons in Foxborough. Belichick even admitted as much regarding how New England went all out to maximize their Super Bowl window. But, whew, Cam’s performance was difficult to stomach. Hopefully, most of it can be chalked up to Cam contracting COVID but he’ll have first-round pick Mac Jones hot on his tail coming off reports the former Crimson Tide QB has impressed thus far.
Teddy Bridgewater - Denver Broncos
Only in the NFL can the mighty fall so fast. It wasn’t that long ago that Teddy was doing his thang as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. A crazy injury, some time to rehab, and a cushy backup job in New Orleans under Brees and Sean Payton found him back in the running to be a starter again. Teddy Two Gloves chose Carolina and while there were some great moments, ultimately the Panthers felt like they could do better. Word on the street is Carolina would love to get in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, returning the QB to his old college stomping grounds.
Clearly, Watson’s offseason and maybe even Houston’s unwillingness to trade has put a hold on that and Carolina pulled the trigger on former Jet Sam Darnold. This made Teddy expendable and he was shipped off to Denver for a 6th round pick in the 2021 draft back in April. Teddy was brought in to compete with Drew Lock and whether or not he gets a chance to start remains to be seen. Honestly, even if he does it’ll most likely be as a stopgap until Denver can get a crack at Aaron Rodgers or get in place to draft a new face of the franchise.
Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen got a shot at the tail end of last season once Philadelphia was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and the former Sooner showed enough promise to convince the Eagles to move on from Carson Wentz. In a weird twist, Doug Pederson’s antics in their final game all but sealed his fate and now there’s a new coaching staff in the City of Brotherly Love.
Allegedly, reports claim that the Eagles aren’t sold on Hurts yet only have Joe Flacco and Nick Mullens as backups. The new coach is a relative unknown - cough Eric Bieniemy should’ve been hired here cough - so PTB will be praying for Hurts and his development as a pro.
Jameis Winston - New Orleans Saints
The Jameis Winston-Taysom Hill QB battle has delivered many opportunities for the former to entertain the masses in ways that only Famous Jameis seem capable of:
Considering the long look the Saints and public got at Taysom Hill with the injury to now-retired Drew Brees, it is safe to say it’s time to take a look at what’s behind door number two. Taysom can be a great gimmick option as a danger to run, catch and threaten to throw. But it’s been proven time and time again this only lasts but so long. Add in that Taysom has to come off when it’s time to actually throw the ball downfield and the answer is obvious as to which QB should be Brees’ successor. Fresh off LASIK last offseason and a year to sit and learn, the Saints are hoping to squeeze some value out of the 27-year-old 2015 top pick.
Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers
The Packers had success in nabbing Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 draft while Brett Favre was still producing at a high level. And with Jordan Love falling in the 2020 draft, the Packers went right back to the well. All Aaron Rodgers did was go on to be crowned the MVP last season and lead the Packers to an NFC Championship Game appearance. Between Love reportedly not being quite ready to start and Rodgers’ play, it’ll be a hot sec before the former Utah State Aggie is QB1 for Green Bay.
Justin Fields - Chicago Bears
Justin Fields started the end of the college football season as the penciled-in second overall pick. Narratives ended up dropping him, as he would be the fourth signal-caller taken behind Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and the next gentleman on this list Trey Lance.
There’s a delicate dance in this day and age between starting a QB right away and the old method of sitting a QB a year. Yet with Matt Nagy already on the hot seat, he may not have the liberty to sit Fields as long as he would like to.
Trey Lance - San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have swung for the fences in drafting project Trey Lance to be the heir apparent in the Bay. Jimmy G, even when healthy, has proven that he can only take the John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan led squad so far. No one can forget Garoppolo only throwing the ball eight times in the NFC Championship Game in the 2020-21 season.
Changes obviously had to be made, and Lance’s big arm and mobility may be what the doctor ordered. Because of his rawness, Garoppolo most likely will be under center for this season before San Francisco either trades the former Patriot or eat the dead money with one season left on his deal.
Best of luck in your fantasy football drafts, be sure to let us know which Passing the Baton QBs are on your squad. PTB will return after Week 1 to see which guys are beginning the year as starters, how they fared in their 2021 opener and what’s to come for the rest.
