5 NFL Quarterbacks Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)
Quarterbacks are the heart and soul of the NFL, but who gets better and who falls off in 2017?
The NFL in 2017 is a pass-happy league, and as a result, no position is more vital than quarterback. A good quarterback can turn a so-so team into a threat and a bad quarterback, or often a string of bad quarterbacks, can doom a team to years, or even decades, of misery.
Just ask the Cleveland Browns or Buffalo Bills. There's a reason a quarterback is almost always MVP: no matter how good a wide receiver or a running back is, without a decent signal caller, the chances of a team fielding a dangerous, game-winning offense are slim-to-none.
Right now, the QB situation in the NFL is slightly more optimistic than usual. Many good, young signal callers have emerged in recent years, dragging long suffering teams like the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of perpetual, embarrassing failure, and many long standing superstars look to continue their weekly practices of tearing up opposing defenses.
As ever, 2017 will be an eventful year in the NFL, but for the league's quarterbacks especially, it's going to be a ver interesting campaign. Some will reach new heights, while others will fall off due to time, injuries, or their team's incompetence.
10. Down - Alex Smith
For the past four years, Alex Smith has been the gold standard for what a "game manager" QB should be. He isn't a particularly flashy or prolific passer, but he keeps the ball out of the hands of opposing defenses while the Chiefs' rushing attack and their powerhouse defense carry much of the scoring load.
At most, he makes safe passes that carefully moves his team up the field. During his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, he has never thrown more than twenty touchdowns in a season, but he has also yet to throw more than eight interceptions. At the very least, he's efficient.
However, 2017 will be the most challenging season Smith has faced in Kansas City yet. His primary receiver, Jeremy Maclin, left in free agency this summer, further depleting the Chiefs' already meager receiving corps.
They're also working with a committee of running backs, as neither Spencer Ware or Charcandrick West have proven themselves as a main option and rookie Kareem Hunt is unproven. With the odds are stacked against him, Smith won't fall apart, but he will struggle to score the points his team desperately needs.