Hey, I Know That Guy! Assessing the Veteran QB Resurgence in the NFL

In a quarterback-driven league, there is nothing like the excitement of watching a franchise quarterback make his mark with a team. Even if the familiar faces are in new places.

In Week 1, we witnessed a throwback of sorts as seven veteran quarterbacks started for new squads as part of a wave of offensive makeovers. Though one game does not make a season, the first impressions certainly set the tone for the rest of the year.

After reviewing and reflecting on the performances of these veteran quarterbacks in new spots, here are some thoughts of a former NFL player and scout on how these new marriages could turn out in 2025:

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Debut: Completed 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards with four TDs in the Steelers’ 34-32 win over the Jets.

Scheme Fit: The marriage between offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Rodgers looks like a flawed fit on paper, but the four-time MVP possesses the experience and expertise to fix the Steelers’ play calls through clever pre-snap adjustments or flawless execution. As a result, the Steelers enter 2025 with a “checks and balances” system that ensures greater efficiency from a unit with bona fide playmakers on the perimeter. As Rodgers accentuates the Steelers’ play-action passing game with stellar drop-back play, opponents must prepare to defend a ball-control offense that peppers opponents with short and intermediate passes thrown with great precision.

Crystal Ball: With the Steelers in “Super Bowl or bust” mode, Rodgers must quickly adapt to an offense that would prefer to feature him primarily as a manager for most of the season. Though head coach Mike Tomlin would love for Rodgers to occasionally put on his superhero cape to save the Steelers in big games, the veteran’s confidence, poise, and pedigree could be the difference in a “one-and-done” stint or extended playoff run.

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Debut: Completed 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards with a TD and an interception in the Raiders’ 20-13 victory over the Patriots.

Scheme Fit: The former Pro Bowler has reconnected with Pete Carroll in the desert to jump-start the Raiders’ rebuilding project. As a pure pocket passer with outstanding touch, anticipation and timing, Smith enables Chip offensive coordinator Kelly to utilize a multi-faceted aerial attack to tax opponents with a barrage of throws to Brock Bowers, Jakobi Myers and others on the perimeter. With a mix of traditional drop-back passes and clever play-action plays on the menu, the Raiders have designed a passing game with enough versatility to evolve over a 17-game season.

Crystal Ball: The Silver and Black could emerge as a playoff contender behind Smith’s effort as an efficient game manager and playmaker. As a dart thrower from the pocket with limitless range and pinpoint accuracy, the veteran not only provides Carroll and Kelly with a polished passer but also an experienced leader with a track record for helping underdogs find their way into the postseason tournament.

Justin Fields, New York Jets

Debut: Completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a TD. Added 48 rushing yards and two TDs on 12 carries in 34-32 loss to the Steelers.

Scheme Fit: Credit Aaron Glenn for handpicking Fields to be the Jets’ QB1 after the fifth-year pro torched his defenses as a division rival. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has carefully crafted a scheme that accentuates his dual-threat playmaking talents on the perimeter. From the designed quarterback runs and option plays to the movement-based passes that utilize run fakes and bootlegs, the Jets put their opponents in a bind with a quarterback who attacks the perimeter as a run-pass threat.

Crystal Ball: The Jets’ potent running game creates chaos for opponents with a dual-threat quarterback who pushes the envelope with athleticism, speed and arm talent. Although the Jets do not want to overuse their multi-faceted QB1 as a runner, the potential to unleash a 1,000-yard rusher with proficient passing skills that could force opponents to defend the entire field from sideline to sideline and end line to end line. Given the challenges Fields presents as a dual-threat in an offense tailored to his skills, the Jets’ offense could create headaches for defensive coordinators around the league.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Debut: Completed 22 of 29 passes for 272 yards and a TD. Added 26 rushing yards on seven carries with a pair of rushing scores in 33-8 win over the Dolphins.

Scheme Fit: Shane Steichen is proving that one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure with his clever utilization of Jones’ skills as a mobile playmaker. The Colts’ offensive play caller mixed quick-rhythm throws with “RPOs” (run-pass options) and movement passes to efficiently move the offense up and down the field in Week 1. With Steichen poised to add more plays to the call sheet to complement the base plays that befuddled defenders in the season opener, Jones could re-emerge as a playoff quarterback behind an offensive mastermind who understands how to maximize athletic quarterbacks in his scheme.

Crystal Ball: The Colts’ loaded offensive lineup could explode with Jones under center. The seventh-year pro is a high-IQ distributor with the arm talent, athleticism, and playmaking skills to unlock the playmaking talents of a collection of pass catchers with elite athletic traits on the perimeter. Though Jones has not consistently performed at a high level throughout his career, the Colts’ combination of playmakers and plays could take his game to another level.

Russell Wilson, New York Giants

Debut: Completed 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards. Added 44 rushing yards on eight attempts, but took a pair of sacks and failed to score a touchdown with his arm or legs in the Giants’ 21-6 loss to the Commanders.

Scheme Fit: After evaluating Wilson throughout the offseason, the Giants attempted to put together a play-action heavy scheme that put the veteran deep in the pocket and on the move following a run-action fake. While the scheme is perfect for an athletic quarterback with a spectacular deep ball, Wilson’s deteriorating game makes it hard for the Giants to sustain drives with the veteran struggling to string together completions as a playmaker inside or outside of the pocket.

Crystal Ball: The Giants would ideally want to wait until their bye week in Week 14 to insert Jaxson Dart into the lineup, but the veteran’s disappointing play could prompt head coach Brian Daboll to hand the ball to the rookie before the calendar flips to October. Although the embattled head coach would like to utilize a “win now” approach with a Super Bowl champion at the helm, the potential to save his job with a promising rookie sparking the offense will make it hard for the Giants to stay the course if the losses continue to pile up against a rugged early-season schedule. Given the growing frustration within the team (SEE: Malik Nabers) and fan base, do not expect Wilson to hold onto the job beyond Week 5.

Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns

Debut: Completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards with one TD and a pair of interceptions in a 17-16 loss to the Bengals.

Scheme Fit: After winning the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, directing the Browns to a surprising playoff berth, Flacco returns to help Kevin Stefanski rediscover his play-calling prowess with the Browns desperately needing more pop and explosiveness from the unit. With the veteran in the fold, the Browns will incorporate more deep shots to complement a rhythm passing game that utilizes quick tosses with play-action throws.

Crystal Ball: It is hard to imagine a 40-year-old sustaining stellar production without a consistent running game to support him. The cumulative effect of throwing against a loaded zone with two-high safeties parked 20 yards down the field will eventually lead to a spate of turnovers that squash the Browns’ playoff hopes and force Stefanski to play the rookie quarterbacks (Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders), to see if there is a potential franchise quarterback on the roster.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Debut: Completed 16 of 23 passes for 150 yards in a 17-13 loss to the 49ers.

Scheme Fit: After enjoying a breakout campaign under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, Darnold is hoping to extend his good fortune playing under Klint Kubiak, a former Vikings assistant on O’Connell’s original staff in 2022. Given his familiarity with KOC’s system, he can build game plans around the concepts that helped Darnold play like the franchise quarterback many envisioned when he was selected third overall in the 2018 draft. By utilizing a selective mix of quick-rhythm throws, deep shots, and intermediate “dimes,” Kubiak can help Darnold replicate the 2024 campaign that encouraged the Seahawks to make the USC standout their new QB1.

Crystal Ball: It might be hard for Kubiak to recreate the same environment that led to Darnold’s breakout season. Despite Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s emergence as WR1, the third-year pro is not at Justin Jefferson’s level, and his supporting cast does not match the speed, explosiveness or big-play potential of Darnold’s former playmates (Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones) in Minneapolis. Until the Seahawks surround their new quarterback with comparable talent, the team’s creative schemes will continue to produce the pedestrian numbers that led to a Week 1 loss.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

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