2024 NFL Odds: Steelers, Broncos, Patriots QB1 jobs up for grabs
No decision is bigger than deciding a starting quarterback and there’s some intriguing battles for the QB1 spot around the league, particularly in Pittsburgh, Denver and New England.
Let’s take a look at the quarterback battles for the Steelers, Broncos and Patriots.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson
Justin Fields was brought to Pittsburgh as a reclamation project to learn from Russell Wilson, but the script has flipped through training camp and the pre-season as Fields has looked far more dynamic than Wilson. In two pre-season games, Fields has thrown for 159 yards on 16-of-23 passing (69.6 per cent).
Wilson only played last week’s game and the Steelers went three-and-out three times, punted four times, gained just 49 total yards and didn’t score. He passed for 47 yards and was sacked three times. In the same game, Fields threw for 92 yards and ran for 42.
This is the tightest QB1 battle and there’s a good chance Pittsburgh’s pre-season finale in Detroit will determine who starts Week 1 of the regular season.
Denver Broncos
Bo Nix vs. Jarrett Stidham vs. Zach Wilson
Technically the Broncos starting quarterback job is a three-way race between Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, but Wilson is a long shot. Nix went surprisingly high at No. 12 overall in this year’s draft and he appears to have the edge. The former Oregon Duck pivot has thrown for 205 yards with two touchdowns and no picks on 23-of-30 passing (76.7 per cent) in the pre-season.
Stidham’s main advantage is that he was with Denver last season, so he has a better handle on the playbook, but he’s struggled in the pre-season, throwing for two interceptions and no touchdowns. Wilson has seen the least amount of reps between the three signal callers, although he’s been serviceable with a touchdown pass and no picks. Still, this seems like Nix’s job to lose.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye vs. Jacoby Brissett
The top two picks in the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, have already been named their teams’ starting quarterback, while No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye is looking to follow suit. Throughout the off-season, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said he was leaning toward Brissett as the Week 1 starter, but the fact it hasn’t been made official means Maye is still legitimately in the running.
The 31-year-old Brissett saw very limited action with Washington last season, throwing only 23 passes over three games, but he had a solid season in 11 starts with Cleveland in 2022. Brissett has the edge because he is an experienced pro who has moved around a lot and proven he can adapt to new situations and playbooks.
The argument for Maye would be his superior athleticism which gives New England more playbook options. What makes the most sense, however, would be to start Brissett to begin the year and eventually transition to Maye. The Patriots have a difficult schedule to open the season with road games against the Bengals, Jets and 49ers in three of the first four weeks. That’s a tough ask from a rookie quarterback.
