If money talks, then the league's biggest contracts confirm it: This position is easily the most integral in every team's hunt for a championship. The truth is a bit more complex: Every signal-caller is often only as good as his setup and situation, though a select few register as transcendent talents.

One NFL executive believes that teams do more to damage talented quarterbacks' prospects than the players themselves.

The similarities are obvious. Daniel Jones, Mayfield, Darnold and Mac Jones were high- or mid-first-rounders, while Smith was an early second-rounder. League executives agreed each player has always possessed the physical skills to start in the NFL, which was indicative of their draft stock.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is a logical trade candidate. The 14-year NFL veteran lost his job to Michael Penix Jr. late in the 2024 season, and despite returning for a spot start in Week 8, Cousins remains No. 2 on the team's depth chart.

Hurts’ betting odds to win MVP are +2000 on FanDuel. That’s tied for the eighth-best odds in the NFL, behind Patrick Mahomes (+150), Josh Allen (+450), Drake Maye (+550), Matthew Stafford (+1000), Jordan Love (+1000), Jonathan Taylor (+1400) and Jared Goff (+1600).

The Carolina Panthers needed a quarterback badly between 2018 and 2023. Those were some dark times under center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The cycle of Teddy

As Tyler Shough prepares to make his first career start for the Saints, here's a look back at how other rookie quarterbacks have fared for New Orleans