173 million dollars! This team has a huge problem

NFL Week 1 Insights: Where Have the Passing Quarterbacks Gone?

Before the Monday Night Game, there were only two quarterbacks in 15 Week 1 games who had cracked the 300 passing yards mark: Tua Tagovailoa with the Dolphins (338) and Matthew Stafford with the Rams (317).

Conversely, the following QBs (almost) played through and stayed under 200 yards gained through the air: Justin Fields (Steelers), Kirk Cousins ​​​​(Falcons), Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Will Levis (Titans), Caleb Williams (Bears), Jacoby Brissett (Patriots), Joe Burrow (Bengals), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Bryce Young (Panthers), Daniel Jones (Giants), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Bo Nix (Broncos), Geno Smith (Seahawks), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Deshaun Watson (Browns), Jayden Daniels (Commanders).

That makes 16 quarterbacks, also over 50 percent. What’s going on? The average so far is 202.6 yards per team. The last time there were fewer on a game day was in 2007.

As I said, it’s Week 1, so be careful with hasty judgments. What can be said for sure is that the number of passing yards has already decreased in recent years. From 2011 to 2021, there was only one time when the number of passing yards was less than 228 yards per team per game, and in 2022 and 2023 it was just over 218 yards each – 25 less than in the record year of 2015. Why? Teams are defending deep passes better, starting QBs are getting younger on average and also more athletic: the more they run, the less they pass.

The question is… is the QB play just not particularly good at the moment? And that’s despite the fact that the rules are constantly being adjusted for each offense. As a reminder: Peyton Manning’s record for most passing yards dates back to the 2013 season (5,477 yards). Although there is now one more game in the season, this number seems more certain than ever. The salaries of quarterbacks have increased astronomically: in 2018, Matt Ryan broke the $30 million annual salary mark for the first time, and the following year Dak Prescott earned double that.

It is worth at least keeping an eye on this development. Because the league will also be watching very closely…