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Which NFL quarterback has the most to prove this season?
Every year there’s one quarterback who enters the season with more pressure than everyone else.
Maybe it’s a former No. 1 pick trying to prove he’s the franchise guy. Maybe it’s a veteran with a new team. Maybe it’s a star who has the stats but still needs playoff success. Or maybe it’s a young QB looking to silence the doubters once and for all.
Who do you think has the most to prove this year, and why?
I’m not talking about who’s the best quarterback I’m talking about who has the most riding on this season.
Whether it’s because of expectations, a contract, injuries, a coaching change, or legacy, make your case. I’m interested to see where everyone stands.
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91 Replies
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drake maybe,and jaxson dart have to live to thehype hut as a cowboys fan dak has to have a huge comeup since his fiance did not want to sign the prenup
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ehh with the cowboys hes got more to prove and the whole team needs to do there part to back them.. i remember when the cowboys where strong and they have just barely hung on the last decade it seems. i know they are the one team everyone seems to bash and look at as the laughing stock of nfl
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Whats wild is everyone hates dak prescott and hes actually a good person and people dont hate the cowboys they hate the fans lol
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Hahaha ehh i dont hate the fans.. and i cant say i hate the cowboys.. i just know they could do way better overall and there failing at that but there not the only team doing that.
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Yeah every team can improve on things people just dog on the cowboys cause the media loves them and the chiefs
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yeah i dont know why dogging on the cowboys started.. its like everyone dogging on nickleback haha. which they have some good songs.
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dal is really layed back
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no really everyone be hateing
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This is actually a solid thread because everyone’s kinda right in their own way.
Dak is in that weird spot where he’s good—like clearly good—but the expectations for the Cowboys are always Super Bowl or bust, so anything short of that gets labeled a failure. That’s where the “most to prove” pressure comes from.
And yeah, the Cowboys hate is real, but it’s mostly because of the spotlight. When you’re talked about 24/7, people either ride with you or root hard against you. Same reason the Chiefs catch heat now.
I do think this is a big year though. If Dak has a healthy group around him and they still fall short, the conversation probably shifts from “team issue” to “is he the guy to get them over the top?”
Also the Nickelback comparison might be the most accurate thing in this whole thread 😂
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i feel like jerry is the one to blame lol
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Honestly Dak with a healthy Ceedee and Pickens who havent played together a full season yet will be nasty work and fun to watch. Of course thats bias since I’m a Cowboys fan lol
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boo cowboys hahah.. i know i know the cowboys get the most crap.. the overall team needs to pull there weight and step things up.. they where a great team once upon a time.
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They still show moments of greatness its just they havent had a good offense and defense in the same year. Closest they got was the whole dez caught it thing which he did catch it game was just played away from dallas
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fair.. ive seen them with some great plays and such and your right they need both offense and defense good at the same time. Sadly that all falls on the coaches who i dont know what the owners really need to do
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As bad as this is gonna make me sound Jerry Jones need to just retire or die lol cause he causes some of the Cowboys hate
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mannnn we been saying that but supposly based of what the media says a huge trade will be incooming for dallas from his words
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A big trade has been coming in for the last few years and not much has happened so we will see
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This is the Cowboys cycle in real time 😂
I think you nailed it earlier though—when Dak has weapons and everything clicks, they look dangerous. CeeDee + Pickens could be a real problem if they actually get a full season together.
But that’s been the story for years… flashes of greatness, then something’s just off. Either the defense drops off, the offense stalls, or the timing just isn’t there when it matters most.
The “Dez caught it” era is honestly the last time it felt like everything was aligned and they had real momentum.
As for the big trade talk… I’ll believe it when I see it. Feels like that rumor gets recycled every offseason. If they do pull something big off though, that might be the move that finally balances the roster.
At the end of the day, this might be one of the more important seasons for Dak and the Cowboys as a whole. If it all comes together, people stop joking. If not… the noise gets louder again.
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Yeah the cowboys do a fantastic job of making their fans relate to hawkeye/ronin saying dont do that dont give me hope in endgame lol
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This might be the most accurate description of being a Cowboys fan I’ve ever seen 😂
Every year it’s like:
“Alright this might be the year…”
…and then something happens that pulls you right back into reality.But that’s also why the highs hit so hard. When they do look good, it feels like they could beat anyone. That’s the dangerous part—they give just enough hope to keep you locked in.
It really is that Endgame moment over and over again… and Cowboys fans keep showing up anyway.
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Lol its either the endgame quote or the scene from the office that goes I’m ready to be hurt again lol really two scenes that describe being a Cowboy fan. Or the Godfathers “Just when I thought I was out they pulled me back in.” Lol
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I don’t even think that’s a biased take. If Dak stays healthy, having CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the field together gives the Cowboys one of the more intriguing receiver duos in the league. The talent is definitely there.
The biggest question for me isn’t Dak—it’s whether the offense can put it all together consistently when the games matter most. If they do, Dallas could be a lot of fun to watch this season.
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My biggest question is how the defense is going to do with a new defensive coordinator
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That’s honestly the real swing factor.
Everyone’s gonna focus on Dak and the weapons—and yeah, Lamb + Pickens is legit scary on paper—but if the defense takes a step back with a new coordinator, it could put a ton of pressure on the offense to be perfect every week.
New DC usually means new scheme, new communication, and sometimes a slow start while guys adjust. If they figure it out early, Dallas could be really balanced. If not, you might end up in a lot of shootouts.
And we’ve seen how that story goes… looks great in September, gets stressful real fast in January.
If the defense holds steady though? That’s when this team actually becomes dangerous, not just entertaining.
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Yeah hoping the defense can figure it out in the preseason and be ready for the regular season. Super excited to see how Caleb Downs does as well
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Yeah that’s the ideal scenario—use preseason as the “figure it out” phase so you’re not ironing things out in Week 3 when it actually counts.
Caleb Downs is a really interesting piece too. If he pops early, that can speed up the whole transition for the defense. Having a smart, rangy guy on the back end helps clean up a lot of those early miscommunications that usually come with a new system.
If he’s flying around making plays, suddenly the defense doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be opportunistic.
That’s kind of the key with new coordinators… you don’t need dominance right away, you just need guys making enough plays to keep things steady while everything else clicks.
If that happens? This team gets dangerous fast.
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Oh for sure. If it happens I’ll be stoked. If not I’ll just be like new year same team lol
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This reply was modified 3 weeks, 1 day ago by quackcab69.
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This reply was modified 3 weeks, 1 day ago by
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Bo Nix as well since he will have to prove last year was not a fluke. Same with Maye. Jaxson Dart just needs to hope those around him dont get hurt
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dont forget abt cam ward he deffently has to step up for him to go rd1 pick 1 compared to last years performance
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That’s a great add—Cam Ward absolutely belongs in this conversation.
When you go 1.01, it’s not just about playing well, it’s about proving you were the right choice over everyone else. Fair or not, he’s going to be compared to every other QB in that class right away.
I think your original point still holds across the board though: Nix has to prove it wasn’t a one-year flash, Maye has to show growth and consistency, Dart needs stability around him, Ward has to live up to the draft position
Different types of pressure, same spotlight. That’s what makes this QB class so fun to watch this year.
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For me i think its the older qbs who are still playing that have the most to prove. Rodgers doing at least another season and such. and Trevor Lawrence also i feel is up there and got more in him still. Honestly with each season every qb has to go into things as if they have to do some proving. Put in the hard work and do the job.. But if the qb doesnt have the right line and players around him he wont do much.
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i feel like aron rodgers would prolly retire mid season honestly
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that would be interesting.. i hope he has a good last season though.
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I actually like that angle a lot—everyone keeps jumping to the young QBs, but the older guys might have even more pressure, just in a different way.
With Rodgers, it really does feel like this is legacy territory now. At this point it’s less about “is he good” and more about “how does this chapter end?” If things go sideways, I could honestly see the mid-season retirement take being on the table. If it goes well, it’s a completely different story.
Trevor Lawrence is a sneaky good pick too. He’s not old, but he’s past the “potential” phase. Now it’s about results. People want to see that jump into that top tier, not just flashes.
And your last point is probably the most real thing in this whole thread QBs get all the credit and all the blame, but if the line breaks down or the weapons aren’t there, it doesn’t matter who you are. Even the elite guys struggle without support.
Different QBs, different situations… but yeah, everyone’s proving something every season whether we realize it or not.
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another one i would add if he was given another season or wanted to was philip rivers who came back to finish a season for the colts with 3 games didnt do to bad.
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That would actually be a wild storyline if that ever happened again.
Rivers is one of those guys where even coming back late, you know exactly what you’re getting—smart, quick decision making, and someone who can still run an offense. It wouldn’t be about “proving he’s elite” at that point, it’d be more about showing he can still step in and steady a team.
I think the bigger thing though is how rare that kind of situation is. Most teams would rather roll with a younger QB and see what they have, unless they’re in a win-now spot and just need someone reliable.
Still… a late-season veteran comeback always makes for a great story. Feels like something straight out of a movie if it actually works.
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yeah i found it very interesting and one in a lifetime chance. they sought him out. crazy scenario
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Yeah that’s what makes it so crazy—it wasn’t even like he was hanging around waiting for a call. They went and got him mid-stream like “hey, we need a guy who can just walk in and not panic.”
That’s such a rare tier of trust. You’re basically saying: no warmup, no chemistry built, just show up and run the offense like you never left. Most QBs—even talented ones—aren’t wired for that.
And honestly, it says a lot about Rivers. He might not have been flashy late, but mentally? Dude was basically a walking playbook.
You’re right too, it really was kind of a one-time, lightning-in-a-bottle scenario. Nowadays teams would almost always rather see what the young guy has… unless the season is on the line and they need a steady hand over upside.
Still though… if that ever did happen again and actually worked? Instant “30 for 30” material 😂
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Nope he has been coaching high school football i believe and went right back to doing that.
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Trevor Lawrence is still a relatively young qb whos good he just happens to play for Jacksonville
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Fair. I wasnt sure when he came into the game.. And jax have there moments
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hes young but still 5years and have mot built a good oline around him is crazy
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yeah that seems to be the problem with many teams they want this great qb but if you dont got a solid offense for them then whats the point of a great qb.
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verryy true
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Yeah this is kind of the Trevor Lawrence dilemma in a nutshell.
He’s young and clearly talented, but at some point the “he plays for Jacksonville” excuse starts to run out and it shifts to “can he elevate what’s around him?” Fair or not, that’s how people start judging franchise QBs after a few years.
That said, I agree with you guys—the O-line situation hasn’t exactly helped him. It’s hard to take that next step when you’re constantly under pressure or the offense isn’t built consistently year to year.
I think this is a big season for him because if the protection improves even a little and he still looks inconsistent, the narrative changes fast. But if things finally click, he’s right back in that upper-tier conversation.
He’s one of those QBs where the talent is obvious… now it’s just about putting it all together.
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NFC South is QB expectation heavy. Think Bryce Young will have pressure to build on last year, might be Tuas last chance, Shough going to be expected to step up as a starter this year, and honestly I don’t think Baker can have another year like last year.
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i feel like this year games are going to be crazy so much talent has gathered up and everyone has evolved due to the pressure fans are applying now
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NFC South is gonna be a sleeper division to watch in my opinion. Wouldnt be shocked if one of the final NFC teams comes out of there
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NFC South being “QB expectation heavy” is actually a great way to put it.
Bryce Young probably has the most pressure in that group. Year 2/3 is when people expect that jump, not just flashes but real consistency. Tua I agree too—it really does feel like “prove it or questions get loud” territory.
Shough is interesting because it’s a different kind of pressure. Not legacy, not contract… it’s more “are you the guy or just filling the spot?”
And Baker… that’s the tricky one. When you have a big year, the next season isn’t about proving you’re good—it’s about proving it wasn’t a peak. That’s a different kind of pressure most people don’t talk about.
Also I’m with you—this division feels like a sleeper. Not necessarily dominant, but unpredictable. Wouldn’t shock me at all if a team gets hot late and makes a real run.
This might be one of those divisions where the QB who handles the pressure best ends up deciding everything.
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Man, the Falcons are currently running a rookie DII QB. He’s good, I watched him play at MSUM, but they gotta get Penix or Tua on the field or it’s gonna get messy.
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Yeah that’s a tough spot to be in.
Cool story for the DII guy, but that’s a big jump to rely on right away. Feels more like a “hold it down” situation than a long-term answer.
If Penix or Tua are healthy, it probably gets sorted quick… otherwise yeah, that could get messy fast.
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Think Justin Herbert needs to figure it out just a little better this year if I am being honest. I know he was playing through an injury a lot but I see him as one of the better QBs in the league. Same with Burrow. Burrow is the best passer in the league but the team around him is awful.
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Burrow is one of the best passers he just doesnt have a good o-line so he stays fighting for his life
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I think you’re spot on grouping those two together, but for slightly different reasons.
Herbert feels like he’s right on the edge of that elite tier, but people are waiting for that “signature season” where everything clicks and the results match the talent. The injuries give him some leeway, but at some point people want to see wins stack up, not just stats.
Burrow is almost the opposite. I don’t think many people question his ability at all—like you said, pure passer he’s right at the top. It’s more about whether the situation around him can hold up long enough for him to make a run. That O-line has been the story every year.
And that’s kind of the theme of this whole thread… some QBs are proving they’re the guy, and others are proving whether their team can actually support them.
If either Herbert or Burrow get even average protection for a full season, that’s when things could get scary.
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I totally agree. I am such a big burrow fan and how to see the path hes on with that team. Its sad to see some of these elite guys getting tucked away and never being able to leave lol
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As a Raiders fan, I’m totally fine with Herbert staying meh. He’s always seemed like he had a ton of potential, but never really made anything of it. But they keep paying him. Maybe Harbaugh will get that figured out. But, again, I’m OK if he doesn’t.
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Haha fair enough—that’s the rivalry talking 😂
I wouldn’t call Herbert meh, but I get the frustration. He’s been more “flashes” than full takeover seasons.
Harbaugh’s kind of the X-factor though. If it clicks, that’s when he gets scary… if not, yeah, I get why you’re cool with it staying that way 😅
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I think the easy answer to this is JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray. One of them has to (maybe?) emerge as the starter this year, but if they both fail to perform, it is likely going to cost them. Minnesota still has Wentz and Brosmer on the roster at the moment, but I’d say at least one of them is gone by the 2nd or 3rd week of the preseason. I live in Viking country, so it’ll be interesting to hear all the whining if McCarthy and Murray lay a couple of duds this year.
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I like this take, especially with how messy that situation could get if neither guy separates early.
McCarthy feels like the obvious “most to prove” there just because of the expectations. When you’re a young QB stepping into that kind of spotlight, people aren’t patient—they want to see flashes and results right away.
Kyler is interesting to me though, and I’m a bit higher on him than most. When he’s right, he’s one of the more dynamic QBs in the league. I think his pressure isn’t about talent—it’s about consistency and staying healthy long enough to remind people what he can do.
And you’re 100% right about the environment… if that QB room struggles early, the noise is going to get LOUD real fast, especially in a market like Minnesota.
This feels like one of those situations where whoever grabs control early could run with it, and whoever doesn’t might not get many more chances.
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Minnesota’s fan base is weird about that too. It’s been so long since they had a really good QB for more than a year or two and held on to them. JJ really didn’t get a rookie season, so last year was that for him. We’ll see what he does with this second year. Certainly gonna have some competition though.
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That’s a good point—and honestly you can compare that situation to Cleveland too.
Minnesota feels like they’re still trying to find their guy, especially with JJ basically getting a delayed rookie year and now having to prove it in what’s really his first full shot. The expectations are there, but there’s still some runway since it’s not fully settled yet.
Cleveland’s a little different. That situation feels more like they’re trying to prove they already have their guy, which brings a different kind of pressure. There’s less patience there if things don’t look right early.
Both fan bases can get loud quick, but for different reasons. Minnesota’s is more “please let this be the one,” while Cleveland’s is more “this has to work.”
Either way, not an easy spot for a QB if things start slow.
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I truly think kyler can perform great on the right team and i think if this is the right team then he will do good and people will be happy. I think JJ needs to sit and learn from him a little bit. I personally am not that high on JJ besides his throwing power i dont know if i see him being that smart as a NFL QB
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I’m with you on Kyler—if he’s healthy and consistent, people will flip on him quick.
JJ I think is too early to judge. He just hasn’t been asked to do enough yet to know what he really is.
Letting him sit and learn behind a guy like Kyler might actually be the best thing for him.
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Not that I’m as knowledgable as the other commenters on this post but JJ comes to mind immediately. And I also wonder whether Drake Maye can have another season like the last one.
I got this fun card when it would get me a discount on other cards I wanted on eBay—mainly because when my sister was visiting every time I’d mention Drake Baldwin she’d say “DRAKE MAYE!” She lives in New England and is a Pats fan. You know how they are 😂
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still a nice card. i think i have one somewhere..
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I think the Pats success revolves around how well they blocked out all the off season drama
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We’ll see eh? I was a BIG Vrabel fan but now wonder what kind of guy he really is. If anyone can pull the team together in the middle of this stuff it’s him though.
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Yeah its kind of nuts when everything broke out cause same thing. Do think its funny that his first preseason press conference he came out holding a puppy
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Did he?? I missed that but will look it up. I guess it’s worth a try 😆
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Yeah it made me laugh cause its like their pr team said who hates puppies lol so they tried to make him likeable again
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Yeah that whole situation feels like it’s less about talent and more about how the team handles the noise.
If they keep things steady, Maye should be fine. But if it gets messy early, that’s tough for any young QB to deal with.
And yeah… the puppy move definitely felt like a PR play 😂 but hey, if it works, it works
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The puppy move is so obvious I find it more irritating than anything positive. Team performance will tell the whole story as far as the impact of Vrabel’s mess. We’ll see!
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Yeah it was obvious and hilarious. And the internet ran with it too
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Be honest here and for everyone else commenting.. i am not a maye hater by any means, but his schedule was the easiest schedule any team had within the past like 25 years. If you actually look at him play any good team, he did not do well at all. I think he has potential but he, in my opinion, is not a top 10 quarterback in the league. I know that wasnt the question but a lot of people make that claim. I guess we can say he has a lot to prove 😂 thats just my opinion
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His Super Bowl performance supported what you’re saying.
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Yeah the puppy thing felt a little too on the nose 😂
At the end of the day none of that matters if they don’t win. If the team looks good, people forget real quick. If not, it just becomes another thing fans point at.
And on Maye—I don’t think that’s a bad take at all. Schedule helped, no doubt. Now it’s about doing it against better teams.
Feels like both situations come down to the same thing… prove it when it actually counts.
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And prove-it time is just about here!
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I couldnt agree more. Seattle had him looking like he never played QB before 😂
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Yeah the thing about it is that Seattle was hands down the best defense he had seen all of last year lol Seattle won the super bowl on the back of their defense for sure
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nicee i have a dak one
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I think they’re a fun set
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I think Jayden Daniels had the most to prove after a hyped up rookie year th a sophomore slump I’m expecting a bounce back
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I think he needs to worry less about suing lsu and more about having a good year this year. Hes making himself out to be a joke
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I get what you mean. The timing is what makes it look bad to me. He absolutely has the right to protect his NIL and his relationship with LSU, but with the Commanders season about to start, I’d rather see the headlines be about him proving he’s the franchise QB. He had an incredible rookie year, then injuries and a rough second season put a lot of the hype on pause. Now he has a chance to reset the narrative.
The LSU situation could probably have been handled quietly, too. Even Daniels said he wanted it resolved privately
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Something resolved quietly in the big ‘26? Cmon now shouldve known it was gonna get blown way out of hand
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Yeah, I’m with you on Daniels. The rookie season set the bar ridiculously high, and then Year 2 got derailed by injuries as much as anything. He only played seven games in 2025, so I’m not ready to write him off at all. If he stays healthy in 2026, I think this is a really interesting bounce-back opportunity. The talent we saw as a rookie didn’t just disappear. Could be an interesting time to be buying some Daniels cards too
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The jokes people are making are giving me a good chuckle though.
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Oh they really have been its just nuts to me like i get you were good in college but cmon man its just a number
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Exactly 😂. I understand the sentimental attachment to a college number, especially if you had a great career there, but at some point you have to say, “Dude… it’s a jersey number.”
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😂 Yeah, once the internet gets ahold of a situation like that, it’s basically game over.
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