NFL Analysis
11/24/24
6 min read
NFL Panic Meter: Is It Time to Worry About NFL's Young Quarterbacks?
It's still early, but some of the NFL's youngest quarterbacks are starting to make their respective fanbases nervous.
While quarterbacks like Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and even Bo Nix are finding their footing at the NFL level, other first- and second-year QBs are struggling to do enough to lead their teams to win.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who looked like an ascending superstar as a rookie, has come back down to earth in Year 2. Meanwhile, Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams keeps flashing but is struggling to get back into the win column.
A handful of young quarterbacks are teetering right now, so let's put them on the panic meter on a 1-to-10 scale based on how worried their teams should be with a long-term outlook.
Young QB Panic Meter
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears 
Panic Meter: 1/10
It may have been a loss on Sunday, but Caleb Williams continues to show why he was the No. 1 overall pick, even when the stats don't show it.
That being said, the stats absolutely showed a strong performance from Williams in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He completed 32-of-47 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 33 yards on just six attempts.
Williams' passing chart shows his willingness to spread the ball around the field without trying to force it deep.
The Bears offense looks significantly better without Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. Interim OC Thomas Brown is doing a good job of leaning into his rookie quarterback's strengths, and the result is a competent offense that has moved the ball down the field.
It will take time for the Bears to build everything else around Williams, but it's clear that he isn't the problem.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Panic Meter: 3/10
Even though the Carolina Panthers lost on Sunday, they should hold their heads high after taking the Kansas City Chiefs down to the wire.
After being benched earlier this season, Bryce Young has returned to the starting lineup and looked like a competent NFL starter. He completed 21-of-35 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions on Sunday. He even led the Panthers down the field on a game-tying drive before the Chiefs countered with a game-winning drive as time expired.
The stats don't give Young enough love for some of the throws he made, particularly when throwing under duress. Per PFF, Young posted a 91.5 passer rating when throwing under pressure, completing 54.5 percent of those passes with 10.5 yards per attempt.
Dropped it in the bucket
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 24, 2024
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/jOPlgDYYpt
There's still some concern about Young's long-term upside as such a small quarterback. However, he's done enough during the last few weeks to make the Panthers a competitive football team, and that might be enough to give him another year as the starter in 2025.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Panic Meter: 5/10
After an impressive return to the field last week, Anthony Richardson looked mortal again on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
The Colts couldn't find the end zone in a 24-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. Richardson looked impressive on the team's opening drive but couldn't capitalize on a handful of opportunities to extend drives. Accuracy was an issue again, completing 11-of-28 passes for 172 yards, adding another 61 yards on the ground on 10 rushing attempts.
Richardson's play style isn't going to result in a lot of games with high completion percentages, especially with an average depth of target of 14.1 yards downfield. Still, it's hard to blame Richardson for those struggles, especially when he should have had at least one passing touchdown if it weren't from an ugly drop from tight end Andrew Ogletree in the red zone.
Tree drops a walk in TD... man...#Colts#ForTheShoe#Lions#OnePride#DETvsIND pic.twitter.com/dEYtMH3keX
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 24, 2024
On top of that dropped touchdown, Richardson had three completions of 20-plus yards nullified by penalties. It's clear that he still has some work to do to become a more polished quarterback, but the Colts also need to completely revamp their offense this offseason to help lean into his strengths.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Panic Meter: 6/10
At this point, the Tennessee Titans know who Will Levis is. The question is whether they're willing to tolerate his flaws and let him continue developing during the next couple of seasons.
Levis led the Titans to an upset win against the Houston Texans on Sunday. He wasn't afraid to air it out, throwing for 278 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception for a 123.3 passer rating.
However, Levis also nearly lost the Titans the game on his interception, which went the other way for a Texans touchdown that gave them a lead despite Tennessee controlling almost the entire game.
HIMMIE TO THE HOUSE ‼️
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 24, 2024
📺 : @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/v1zJa1EJuF
Levis continues to air it out, including last week on a 98-yard touchdown to Nick Westbrook-Ikinhe. However, the turnover-worthy plays have been crippling for the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus, he's had at least one turnover-worthy play in every single game this season. He also struggles to handle pressure, leading the NFL with a 34.3 percent pressure-to-sack ratio.
That decision-making can kill teams, but the arm talent is so appealing that you'd imagine the Titans give him at least another season to see what he's made of.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Panic Meter: 8/10
It's time to start worrying about C.J. Stroud.
Heading into Sunday, Stroud ranked near the bottom of the league in some key advanced stats. According to NFELO, out of 46 qualified quarterbacks, Stroud ranked 29th in success rate, 24th in EPA per dropback, and 22nd in adjusted net yards per pass attempt.
It wasn't much better for Stroud on Sunday. He posted a 78.7 passer rating with 247 yards, two touchdowns, and two costly interceptions. According to RBSDM, Stroud produced a disappointing -0.17 EPA per dropback.
Not all of this is Stroud's fault. The offensive line, in particular, has been brutal for Houston. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil has been the most penalized player in the NFL this season by a wide margin. Meanwhile, the OL as a unit ranked 27th in pass-block win rate before this week's games.
Still, even from a clean pocket, there are times when Stroud tries to dance around the pocket or delivers an inaccurate pass due to messy footwork.
Nico Collins' return hasn't been enough to turn Stroud back into the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans should still have no issue winning the AFC South, but the bigger question is whether or not they'll be able to actually compete with the rest of the AFC once the playoffs begin.
