The 2024 Quarterback Tiers voting by 50 NFL coaches and executives highlighted one thing loud and clear – Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars are not quite in the elite tier of quarterbacks in the league. They were ranked 15th and 16th, respectively, among 30 veterans at the position, placing them in Tier 3 as quarterbacks you can win with, but not necessarily because of them. They are good, promising players, but not yet proven difference makers on the field.
The debate rages on as to how to properly value quarterbacks like Tagovailoa and Lawrence. While they may not have the resume of future Hall of Famers, the recent trend in quarterback contracts is something that cannot be ignored.
In the past, Tier 3 quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins were able to command hefty contracts by hitting free agency and leveraging multiple offers. However, in recent years, teams have been more willing to lock up quarterbacks like Lawrence and Tagovailoa to long-term, high-value contracts. The New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins all took the plunge, despite the risks involved.
Daniel Jones of the Giants had a tough week with a costly interception leading to a defeat, prompting questions about the wisdom of investing in mid-tier quarterbacks when there are young, talented signal-callers entering the league on cost-controlled contracts.
The landscape of quarterback contracts is changing, with more Tier 3 quarterbacks like Stafford, Lawrence, and Tagovailoa getting paid as if they were top-tier players. It’s a shift that has not gone unnoticed by NFL coaches and executives.
As one team executive put it, “Quarterbacks used to get paid for winning Super Bowls, not for having good regular-season stats. It was the likes of Young, Marino, Elway, Brady, and Manning. But now, it’s a ‘next man up’ mentality that seems to be driving the market.” The days of waiting for quarterbacks to prove themselves before handing out big contracts may be a thing of the past in the ever-evolving landscape of the NFL.
