5 NFL teams that regretted making a change at QB

The quarterback position in the NFL is of course the most important thing to get right for head coaches, general managers and owners across the league. They are game winners, and selecting the right one can lead your team to glory.

When you do get it right, Super Bowl rings can follow, but when it doesn’t go right, people lose their jobs. There are also plenty of teams who think they’re upgrading when they switch signal-callers, only to end up with egg on their face when the switch doesn’t work out.

Here are five NFL teams that regretted making a change at quarterback:

#5 - Brock Osweiler - Houston Texans

Houston Texans v Minnesota Vikings

Brock Osweiler was Peyton Manning’s backup when the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50. He even saw playing time when Manning struggled with injuries. He impressed the Houston Texans enough to take a punt on him, offering him a four-year $72 million contract, with $37 million guaranteed.

Osweiler flopped in Houston, only passing for 15 touchdowns against 16 interceptions in his sole season with the team. The Texans’ starter the year before, Brian Hoyer, but up much better numbers. He had 19 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

#4 - Nick Foles - Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers v Jacksonville Jaguars

Nick Foles was coming off an extremely successful stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he led the franchise to their first Super Bowl win, and in the process won the Super Bowl MVP.

However, the Jacksonville Jaguars splashing $88 million and $50 million guaranteed on him was poor judgement. Foles would only manage four games in his one season in Jacksonville as he struggled with injuries. He lost all four and was eventually benched for sixth-round draft pick Gardner Minshew.

#3 - JaMarcus Russell - Oakland Raiders

JaMarcus Russell at the NFL Players Rookie Premiere

Every team goes into the NFL Draft hoping their selection can improve their fortunes from the year before. This was especially true with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, as they selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell first-overall out of LSU. The Raiders had gone 2-14 the year before.

Their record did improve in 2007, but only to 4-12, as Russell quickly became an all-time draft bust. After holding out at training camp and being rumoured not to be studying the Raiders’ playbook, Russell was out of the league after three seasons. He ended his career with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, not the change in fortunes Oakland was looking for.

#2 - Steve Young - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Steve Young with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the most notorious errors in NFL history came when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to move on from quarterback Steve Young. They traded him to the San Francisco 49ers for just a second- and fourth-round draft pick.

In their defense, Young was terrible in Tampa Bay, going 3-16 as a starter, but lit up the league as Joe Montana’s replacement in San Francisco. Young ended his career with two NFL MVPs and three Super Bowls, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

#1 - Brett Favre - Atlanta Falcons

Brett Favre with the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons spent their 1991 second-round draft pick on quarterback Brett Favre. They cut ties with him after just one season, deciding he wasn’t the answer at quarterback. To be fair to Atlanta, Favre’s first ever pass was returned for a pick-six, and he only attempted four passes all year, two of which were intercepted.

The Green Bay Packers traded their first-round draft pick for Favre, and what an acquisition it proved to be. He was the NFL MVP for three years running from 1995 to 1997, won a Super Bowl, and became a Hall of Famer in 2016.