The only question about Tom Brady as quarterback in New England is when Father Time finally wins before the five-time Super Bowl champ decides he's done with the NFL.
Same for Drew Brees in New Orleans or Philip Rivers with the Chargers.
Aaron Rodgers is expected back at his usual level returning from injury for Green Bay DeShone Kizer Jersey , and Deshaun Watson tantalized before his own injury cut short a very promising rookie season. Even though it's been a while since Andrew Luck threw a pass in an NFL game, his resume gives him plenty of cushion as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Not every quarterback has the same grip on a starting job as Brady, Brees or Rodgers, and a poor game or sloppy start can lead to a spot on the bench. Add a promising rookie into the mix, the leash can be even shorter.
Here's a look at some quarterbacks who need to play well to remain starters as training camps open around the league:
JAMEIS WINSTON, BUCCANEERS
Yes, Marcus Mariota must prove he can play all 16 games in a season, but the Tennessee Titans already have picked up Mariota's fifth-year option for 2019. Same for Tampa Bay for Jameis Winston, the quarterback taken a spot ahead of Mariota in 2015. Both are due $20.9 million in 2019 at what could be a bargain the way the market is booming for quarterbacks.
On the other hand, Winston will miss the first three games this season with the quarterback suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after a league investigation of an accusation that the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner groped a female Uber driver during a ride in Arizona in March 2016. That's not a great combination when Bucs coach Dirk Koetter's job security already is at risk after a 5-11 record last season. Tampa Bay brought back veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who started three games in Winston's place last season, for an experienced backup.
JIMMY GAROPPOLO, 49ERS
Jimmy G could do no wrong for the 49ers last season Authentic Allen Robinson Jersey , winning five straight games after finally moving into the starting lineup. San Francisco wasted little time signing the young quarterback to a five-year contract worth $137.5 million at an average of $27.5 million per season. The 49ers also re-signed receiver Marquise Goodwin to keep a top target around.
As good as Garoppolo looked, there's now plenty of game tape of him running coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. Defensive coordinators, especially those in the NFC West, have had all offseason to figure out how to slow down Garoppolo.
TYROD TAYLOR, BROWNS
Helping the Bills stop a seemingly endless playoff drought wasn't enough to keep Taylor on the job in Buffalo. The Cleveland Browns traded for Taylor on the eve of free agency, and that's normally a sure sign a team is heavily invested in a player. Then the Browns went quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, selecting Baker Mayfield. Keeping Mayfield on the bench depends mostly on how long Taylor plays well.
JOE FLACCO, RAVENS
The 10-year veteran has missed a mere six games since being drafted by Baltimore in 2008, all in 2015, and led the Ravens to a Super Bowl in 2012. But the Ravens last reached the playoffs in 2014, and general manager Ozzie Newsome made sure to give himself options in his final year in charge. Not Robert Griffin III, who last started a game in 2016 with Cleveland.
Newsome traded to get the final pick of the first round in April to select Lamar Jackson . Yes, the Ravens insist they want to develop Jackson and be patient. If Flacco struggles Mikael Granlund Jersey , Jackson, who threw 57 touchdown passes over the past two seasons in college at Louisville and won a Heisman Trophy, could start looking really good much sooner.
CASE KEENUM, BRONCOS
Coming off the bench and leading Minnesota to the NFC championship game is one thing. Playing quarterback under the watchful eye of Hall of Famer John Elway in Denver is quite a different challenge. Keenum comes in as the starter after the best season of his career . He'll need to pick up where he left off to stop the Broncos' quarterback carousel , with backup Paxton Lynch, the 26th pick overall in 2016, sitting on the bench and, thus far, showing little when he has played.
PATRICK MAHOMES II
With Alex Smith traded to Washington , all the pressure now is on Mahomes in Kansas City after he was the target of all those longing looks to the bench by fans during his rookie season. He looked good winning his first NFL start in last year's regular-season finale . That won't help with expectations remaining high for the Chiefs, who won the AFC West before blowing a wild-card game to the Titans at Arrowhead Stadium in the playoffs.
Richard Sherman has been cleared to practice for the San Francisco 49ers at the start of training camp.
Sherman joined San Francisco after getting released by rival Seattle following season-ending surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. He was unable to participate in the offseason program but pronounced himself 100 percent when he reported to camp Wednesday and will take part in the team’s first practice Thursday.
Sherman earned a $2 million bonus for passing his physical under a contract he negotiated himself following the injury that ended his season last November. Sherman consulted with former Lakers great Kobe Bryant on what it takes to come back from that kind of injury and always believed he would be ready for the start of camp.
”It was a grind,” he said. ”But I think it was more like one of those things that you can look at optimistically or pessimistically. You can look at it as, `Woe is me Cory Schneider Jersey , why did this happen to me? Why do I have to go through this?’ Or you could look at it as, `I needed another great challenge and I needed another mountain to climb.’ That’s how I treated it.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the initial plan for Sherman will be to practice the first two days, take a day off Saturday and then return to the field Sunday. The 49ers will take Monday off and the team will see how Sherman has responded to figure out what’s next.
”We trust what he thinks and how he works,” Shanahan said. ”A lot of it is up to Richard. If he’s being too aggressive, it’s our job to pull him back. It’s a matter of time when he gets back and we want to be smart with that.”
Six players will open camp on injured lists, although most are expected back relatively soon. Guard Jonathan Cooper (knee), receiver Trent Taylor (back) and linebacker Dekoda Watson (calf) are on the physically unable to perform list.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith had a lower leg injury while working out on his own recently and will begin camp on the non-football injury list, along with rookies Marcell Harris and Kentavius Street, who were hurt when they were drafted.
But having a healthy Sherman to start camp is a big boost for a team full of optimism after winning the final five games last season under quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to finish 6-10.
The midseason acquisition of Garoppolo from New England turned around a struggling franchise that had lost 24 of 27 games before he took over as starter late last season.
”I don’t think anybody is thinking about last year,” Sherman said. ”It was a 6-10 team that didn’t make the playoffs. The few positives that come from last year, you can appreciate them, but it’s still a 6-10 team that was picking in the top 10 in the draft. There’s not a lot to celebrate. That’s the way to approach it. Guys are hungry, they’re excited to go out there and prove this is a great team that can win ballgames.”
Sherman talking up the 49ers is an odd change following his years tormenting the franchise when he played for Seattle. He made the deflection that led to an NFC title-clinching interception in January 2014 before trash-talking Michael Crabtree and then memorably celebrated a Thanksgiving night win over the 49ers the following season by eating a turkey leg at midfield at Levi’s Stadium.
Now he’s mentoring young cornerbacks such as Ahkello Witherspoon Anders Bjork Jersey , trading tips with Garoppolo, and quickly turning into a locker room leader.
”He’s been pretty much the exact opposite of what I thought,” veteran left tackle Joe Staley said. ”I thought he was going to be annoying like he was annoying to me when he was in a Seahawks uniform but he’s been nothing but great.”
The 49ers are also hoping Sherman can get back close to his level of play during his prime in Seattle when he was perhaps the game’s top shutdown cornerback. He was a first-team All-Pro for three straight seasons starting in 2012, leading the league with eight interceptions in 2013.
Sherman still was one of the better cornerbacks the past three seasons, ranking second in the NFL by allowing just 49.2 percent of passes against him to be caught, according to Pro Football Focus.
He said he feels re-energized after the injury.
”I’m not saying you get complacent, but you get bored,” he said. ”It’s a routine. You go out there and play 16 games, play at a high level and do your best and you enjoy it, but sometimes when you throw a wrench in the plans kind of helps you. It wakes you up. It reignites the fire. It takes you back to where you need to be.”
NOTES: Second-round WR Dante Pettis signed his rookie deal late Wednesday afternoon. … The 49ers signed OL JP Flynn to a two-year deal and DLs Will Sutton and Cedric Thornton to one-year contracts. DB Don Jones, OL Jamar McGloster and DL Blaine Woodson were waived to make room on the roster.
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