5 Quarterbacks Who Should Make More than Brock Osweiler
Brock Osweiler signed a big deal this offseason, but these five quarterbacks should be making more than him.
One of my many (lame) jokes this season in my 2016 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings piece has been the fact that current Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler is a defending Super Bowl champion.
In 2015, the Denver Broncos had the best defense in the entire NFL, but their starting quarterback and future Hall of Fame inductee Peyton Manning was terrible. Through the first nine games, Manning threw 17 interceptions and only nine touchdown passes. In Manning’s defense, he was playing with a pretty significant foot injury, but tried to push through it. He ultimately couldn’t, which allowed Osweiler to take over in Week 10.
Osweiler started seven games, going 5-2 while throwing for 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, after the seven games, Manning was ready to return and the Broncos had a decision to make. That decision went in the favor of Manning, which turned out to be the right one because the Broncos won the Super Bowl. Osweiler got a ring and played a key role in their team making it there. But it obviously hurt to not be the starter when they won.
He was a free agent after the season and getting benched after going 5-2 played a role in him deciding to not re-sign with the Broncos. Well, it was probably a small role because the four-year, $72 million contract (with $37 million guaranteed) that the Texans offered him was obviously the deciding factor.
The contract that Osweiler took with the Texans gave him an average yearly salary of $18 million. Many fans were blown away by the numbers because, through his four year career, Osweiler had only thrown 11 touchdown passes and started just those seven games. The sample size was small, but the Texans took a leap with Osweiler.
That leap isn’t looking too good right now because Osweiler has once again started seven games in a season, but his numbers are bad. He has only thrown for 1,533 yards and eight touchdowns, while throwing eight interceptions and fumbling five times. All of the numbers in his first seven starts with Houston are worse than his seven starts in Denver, including his 4-3 record.
$18 million a year for a currently below average quarterback isn’t ideal, especially when some quarterbacks are making less, but are playing better. Here are five quarterbacks who deserve that money more than Osweiler.
Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) pumps his fist during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
5. Matthew Stafford
When I was looking up current starting NFL quarterbacks contract numbers compared to Osweiler, I was shocked to see that Detroit Lions’ star Matthew Stafford made less. There is no doubt in my mind that Stafford will get paid in the near future and there is also no doubt that definitely deserves more money than Osweiler.
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In 14 career starts, Osweiler has four game-winning drives. Those are actually impressive numbers, but when you look at Stafford’s, you will understand my point. In just seven games this season, Stafford has four game-winning drives. He has played 100 career games and he has 20 game-winning drives (a fifth of his games!!!).
Stafford has been a stud in the NFL for a long time, but having Calvin Johnson as his wide receiver has actually hurt him in the top quarterback argument. People knocked him because Johnson was an amazing talent, but 2016 is the first year he is without him. The people that argued against Stafford because of Johnson have looked silly so far the season. He has thrown for 1,914 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He is on pace for his sixth season in a row throwing over 4,000 yards (4,375) and 34 touchdown passes.
The Detroit Lions need to pay this man because he is great and Osweiler is making more money than him.
Oct 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) take the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
4. Jimmy Garoppolo
When the New England Patriots and their fans found out that Tom Brady had been suspended the first four games in 2016, all eyes went to their backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo, who was drafted 64th-overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, had never started a game in his career. Obviously he was behind Brady, so that is an easy reason to never start a game. However, many questioned if he has the talent to start in the NFL.
It was Garoppolo for the Patriots in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, a tough defense right off the bat. Well, Garoppolo showed everyone that he may sit behind Brady, but he has some skill of his own. He ended the night with 264 yards and a touchdown, but more important, the Patriots were 1-0 without Brady.
Some people still did not believe in Garoppolo, but he shut them up in Week 2 against the Dolphins. After he threw for 232 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, people understood he is the real deal. The only problem was that he inured his shoulder in that game, which forced him out of the last two games he could’ve started in 2016.
In his two starts, Garoppolo threw four touchdowns and no picks while going 2-0. It may have been a two-game sample size, but he was on pace for 3,968 yards and 32 touchdown passes. Who knows if he would have been able to keep that pace or if he could’ve done even better than that, but I do know he has skill and should make more that Osweiler.
I could see him getting traded this offseason and signing a mega-deal because of the promise he showed. He currently makes $870,975 per season on his rookie contract, which is a steal if he started for someone. Let’s just hope he pans out and I am not writing “5 Players Who Should Make More than Jimmy Gaoppolo” somewhere down the line.
Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after a touchdown in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Oakland Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
3. Derek Carr
This one is obvious, but it is worth noting because the of the way the Oakland Raiders acquired their quarterback Derek Carr. In today’s NFL, you better be ready to give up a boatload of picks if you want one of the top quarterbacks and you don’t have the first two picks. Look no further than this year’s NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles gave up a ton of picks so that they could get their franchise quarterbacks.
Getting a quarterback in the first round is the norm if you want to find the right guy. There isn’t the next Tom Brady in every single draft, even if people want to think there is. Dak Prescott is killing it this year, but again, it is rare to get a later round guy and have him pan out like that.
However, that is exactly what the Raiders did. The second round isn’t necessarily a “late round,” but they sat still and did not get overly aggressive to find their future. Blake Bortles went No. 3, Johnny Manziel went No. 22, and Teddy Bridgewater went No. 32 in the 2014 NFL Draft. Carr went No. 36 and was the fourth quarterback taken, but he is the best out of the four listed. Carr isn’t just the best out of those four, he is one of the best out of all 32 starers in the league.
This season has been a breakout one for him and Carr is cementing himself as a star in the NFL. He is still on his rookie deal, but he will be able to sign a new contract after 2016. When he signs his new deal, it better be for more money than Osweiler.
2. Shane Falco
To be honest, I am not sure what former Washington Sentinels quarterback Shane Falco is currently doing. However, if I had to guess, he is probably cleaning plankton off of a boat while drinking a beer and thinking about his upset win over Dallas.
The former Ohio State gun-slinger, who famously received the nickname Shane “Footsteps” Falco when he went 18-of-42 with five interceptions in the Buckeyes 45-point Sugar Bowl loss, is one of the most resilient quarterbacks I have watched play the game.
Sure, no one wanted him on their team at one point. But when the Sentinels players decided to strike, Falco was just the guy for the job. Heck, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner was bagging groceries at one point before he blossomed, so cleaning boats while waiting for your moment sounds pretty cool to me—especially if there is beer.
Falco will always be remembered for his epic final play as the signal-caller in Washington, “DC Left Y-Motion 88 Warrior.” Before the play, Falco showed the leadership and grit that elite quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have.
He calms his team down after a big penalty that could have cost them the game, gives his offensive lineman (the one who committed the penalty) some confidence, and then later breaks the huddle saying, “Gentleman, it’s be an honor to share the field of battle with you.”
With ice in his veins, Falco sends his tight end, Brian Murphy, in motion, noticing that Dallas is in man coverage. He takes the snap and rolls to his right. The play design was perfect, with Murphy runner a backside corner route, so Falco stops his rollout, flips his hips, sets his feet, and let’s it rip.
The lefty signal-caller throws an absolute dime, which Murphy catches in stride while falling down in the end zone with the clock on 00:00. Washington won the game 20-17.
Wait; you’re telling that Falco is a fictional quarterback from The Replacements played by Keanu Reeves? Whatever. Shane Falco still definitely deserves more money than Brock Osweiler, and it’s not even a debate in my eyes.
Oct 23, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) signals his team during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
1. Alex Smith
I’m not trying to plug my NFL Quarterback Power Rankings piece for a second time, however if you read this weeks edition, I had this to say about Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith:
“Smith is a game-manager and one of the best, if not the best in then entire NFL. If you looked up the definition of game-manager, Alex Smith should be the only two words. People used to knock him for it, but he has embraced it and just became so good at managing the game.”
I used to be one of the people that knocked Smith for being a game-manager, but when you understand how important his game management is, you understand why he is 53-23-1 in his last 77 games.
The 53 victories isn’t even the most impressive aspect of those 77 games. Instead, it’s the fact that Smith has thrown 98 touchdown passes to only 32 interceptions over that span. It is for that exact reason that Smith has been able to be a starter for 11 years in the NFL.
He is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league and I can guarantee that if the Texans could have Smith for $17 million per year over Osweiler’s $18 million per, they’d take Smith. He isn’t an elite quarterback, but he is an elite winning quarterback. You could argue that Osweiler has more raw talent. But at the end of the day, Smith gets it done on a regular basis. He definitely deserves more money that Osweiler.