10 YOUNG NFL QUARTERBACKS UNDER PRESSURE IN 2019

These days, there isn’t a lot of patience from NFL teams toward young quarterbacks, putting a ton of pressure on QBs to succeed early in their careers.

It’s a break from the way past. For instance, Peyton Manning was a veritable turnover machine his first five years in the league — throwing 100 interceptions during that initial stretch of his career. 

Obviously he turned out all right.

Things are different now. A guy like Jameis Winston is seen as entering a do-or-die campaign after throwing 58 interceptions in his first four seasons. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some young NFL quarterbacks under intense pressure to succeed in 2019.

JOSH ROSEN, ARIZONA CARDINALS

Rosen is the first of three second-year quarterbacks included on this list. He’s on here for one reason only: Cardinals general manager Steve Keim indicated last week that Rosen is in no way locked in as the team’s long-term answer at quarterback.

Coming off a brutal rookie season, Rosen’s 2019 campaign will play out one of three ways. Either he’ll be the starter in Arizona, the backup to Kyler Murray in Arizona, or be traded to another team when the Cardinals select Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. Regardless, Rosen is facing a mountain of pressure this year.

LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS

The Ravens made a 180-degree turn midway through last season. Longtime starter Joe Flacco was injured, allowing Jackson the chance to excel. Once Flacco was healthy enough to start, he never got the chance. Then, this offseason, Baltimore shipped Flacco to Denver, fully throwing its support behind the second-year former Heisman winner.

On top of that, the Ravens are completely revamping the offense this spring to best suit Jackson’s dynamic skill-set. This bold move will either backfire spectacularly or be a huge success. It all hinges on whether Jackson can live up to the incredible hype that has surrounded him since 2016.

MITCH TRUBISKY, CHICAGO BEARS

The Bears are facing intense pressure to take the next step in 2019, after surprising many with an outstanding campaign this past season. If the Bears are going to take that next step, it’s absolutely critical Trubisky evolves as an NFL quarterback and takes a big step of his own.

This isn’t to say Trubisky didn’t make positive strides during his sophomore season. He did. In every statistical category, he showed improvement under first-year head coach Matt Nagy. But it’s Year 3 for the young passer, and he needs to continue to improve to help the Bears reach their full potential.

BAKER MAYFIELD, CLEVELAND BROWNS

Mayfield is coming off one of the most impressive rookie seasons of any quarterback in NFL history. He lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick last season, and turned the Browns into a team capable of winning.

Mayfield has made the Browns respectable again for the first time in years. Now the team is moving forward with a rookie head coach and high expectations. That comes with some big-time pressure. Thankfully for Mayfield and the Browns, pressure is something he has thrived on throughout his young career.

DAK PRESCOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS

The Cowboys are preparing to give Prescott a huge contract extension. The team is convinced he’s worthy of being its franchise QB. Many analysts don’t see him as that guy. If Dallas is going to emerge from the mire of mediocrity, Prescott has to become that guy.

He’s coming off a statistically strong season in which he completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 3,885 yards with 22 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

Yet it’s no secret the Cowboys' offense revolves around running back Ezekiel Elliott. When he’s not running well, the entire thing falls apart. If Prescott is going to be the man to turn the Cowboys into a championship contender again, that has to change.

JARED GOFF, LOS ANGELES RAMS

It seems a bit unfair to include a quarterback who just took his team to the Super Bowl. After Goff’s horrible game against the New England Patriots, there’s no doubt the former Cal Berkeley star still has plenty of doubters. National reporters such as Mike Florio are openly wondering if Coach Sean McVay would rather have Kirk Cousins long term than Goff.

For what it’s worth, I think that’s silly. Goff will rebound with another improved showing in 2019. Remember, this young man has improved in each of his first three seasons as a pro and was the fourth-leading passer in the NFL last year. However, there is no doubt Goff is facing a huge amount of pressure after almost reaching the top of the mountain in 2018.

CARSON WENTZ, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

There are a few reasons Wentz is under pressure next season. First, he reportedly has rubbed some teammates the wrong way and has to find a way to become a more successful leader in the locker room.

There is also a perception that the Eagles might have been better off with Nick Foles as the starter. The offense seemed to flow better with Foles under center last season. And, of course, Foles won a Super Bowl the year before. Finally, this is a young quarterback who has some questionable durability and has missed significant time the past two years. Needless to say, there are plenty of questions Wentz has to answer this coming season.

JIMMY GAROPPOLO, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Is Garoppolo truly the quarterback the 49ers can build around long term? After more than a year, we still don’t have the answer.

Garoppolo has shown promise guiding the 49ers in his nine games since being traded from New England. Yet his torn ACL last year, just three games into the season, really put a damper on everything the 49ers were trying to do.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Garoppolo and tight end Greg Kittle develop, because Kittle took off in a major way when Nick Mullens took over as QB midway through the season. The 49ers will look to add talent at receiver to give Garoppolo the best chance to succeed.

JAMEIS WINSTON, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Last season was a low point in Winston’s young career. Twice he was benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick after committing too many turnovers, and he finished the season with 14 interceptions and seven fumbles in just 11 games. In 56 games as a pro, the former No. 1 overall pick has thrown 58 interceptions and fumbled 38 times.

The Bucs are rolling with Winston again in 2019 — the final year of his rookie deal. New head coach Bruce Arians has a long history of helping quarterbacks with big arms cut down on turnovers and thrive with an attacking downfield approach. But if Winston cannot cut down on his mistakes, Arians will be forced to look elsewhere in 2020 and beyond.

MARCUS MARIOTA, TENNESSEE TITANS

Like Winston, Mariota is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Both fifth-year quarterbacks are set to make just under $21 million. And it’s highly debatable if Mariota is worth that kind of cash.

The former Oregon star has been injury prone in his first four years as a professional. He has yet to play all 16 games in any season. Even more troubling, Mariota has taken a step backward in his development the past couple of years. After throwing 45 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in his first two campaigns, he threw just 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions from 2017-18.