Fantasy Football QB Busts: 6 NFL Quarterbacks Who Could Lose Their Starting Job in 2025

June 30, 2025

Aidin Ebrahimi's list of NFL quarterbacks who could lose their starting jobs and be benched in 2025. His potential fantasy football quarterback busts and draft avoids.

The quarterback position is widely regarded as "the most important position in all of sports" for good reason. A world-class striker in soccer can't do much without strong playmakers around them, and even an elite basketball point guard will struggle to win consistently if surrounded by subpar teammates. But a star QB can single-handedly keep an NFL team competitive.

That's why teams are constantly scrambling to find their franchise quarterback, who can carry the team and potentially lead them to Super Bowl glory. But it's rarely that simple. There just aren't enough elite QBs to go around for all 32 teams, leaving several teams stuck with average starters they may be eager to move on from as soon as the opportunity arises.

Without further ado, let's look at some projected NFL starting quarterbacks who could lose their starting jobs in 2025. The quarterbacks of the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints won't be included, as both teams' QB situations are currently a complete mess.

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Smith has had a roller coaster of a career so far. He had consecutive 4,000-yard seasons at West Virginia, got drafted by the Jets, flamed out as a starter, tore his ACL, bounced around as a backup, and then suddenly became the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2022.

YEAR 13
Thank You Lord 🙏 pic.twitter.com/iBRlxsLsJj

— Geno (@GenoSmith3) June 12, 2025

That fairytale 2022 season landed him a huge three-year, $75 million extension with the Seahawks, but the team has stagnated in the following seasons. Smith has thrown for 7,944 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions with a 92.7 passer rating while going 18–14 as a starter during that span.

Those numbers would have been really good in the 90s and mid-2000s, but his efficiency stats are scarily similar to the league average. In 2024, he had a touchdown percentage of 3.6% (league average: 4.5%), a 2.6% interception rate (average: 2.2%), 6.3 net yards per attempt (average: 6.2), and a passer rating of 93.2 (league average: 92.3).

These numbers make sense, after all, when NFL Throwback (YouTube) used the NFL's research data to find the "most average" QB of this era, Smith was one of the QBs on their final shortlist. Despite being a two-time Pro Bowler capable of making some incredible throws, he's entering the 2025 season as a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback who's...well, average.

In the offseason, Smith reunited with Pete Carroll on the Raiders and is projected to be their starter. The Raiders don't have any outstanding QBs, but Aidan O'Connell isn't too far off Smith's standard and is eight years younger.

This will likely be a run-heavy team with Ashton Jeanty, so if Smith struggles early on, he could be replaced by O'Connell. And don't let Smith's new contract fool you either. Jimmy Garoppolo signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Raiders in 2023, but was benched for O'Connell in Week 9. It won't be surprising if something similar happened to Smith.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold shocked the world in 2024 when he led the Vikings to an unexpected 14-3 season, which led to his first Pro Bowl appearance. 2024 was Darnold's seventh season in the NFL, and the list of signal callers who made their first Pro Bowl in their seventh season is quite a strange one.

On that list, only a handful went on to become MVP-caliber players (Steve Young and Rich Gannon), and a few others had solid second acts (such as Alex Smith, Ryan Tannehill, Trent Green, and Vinny Testaverde).

But most of the players on that list were one-season wonders who almost immediately fell off after their Pro Bowl breakout (Jake Plummer, Steve Beuerlein, Elvis Grbac, Kordell Stewart, Steve Bono, and many others). As you can see, the odds are not in Darnold's favor.

The USC product now finds himself in Seattle, and while they have a solid roster, making the playoffs in the loaded NFC will be a challenge. Former Seahawks backup Drew Lock is back with the team, and the team is looking to develop rookie Jalen Milroe, whom they drafted using a pick acquired in the Geno Smith trade.

If the team is sitting around .500 with no chance at making the playoffs near the end of the season, Milroe could get some starts and establish himself as the Seahawks' QB of the future.

Russell Wilson, New York Giants

Giants country, let's...try? Wilson went 6-1 in his first seven games with the Steelers last year and had a 103.9 passer rating, but it all fell off a cliff after that, as they lost each of their next five games, ending their season with an unremarkable playoff exit once again.

Mr & Mrs Wilson at the Fanatics Fest 🖤. pic.twitter.com/aXKiIYvr24

— TheWilsonFamily (@CiaraRussellFan) June 22, 2025

Despite the disappointing finish, Wilson still earned a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Giants and is expected to be their starter. This will be a crucial year for Giants HC Brian Daboll, as he'll need to get something out of this team to keep his job.

Fortunately (or perhaps ominously), he'll have no shortage of alternative options if Wilson struggles. Tommy DeVito is a fan favorite who knows the team well, Jameis Winston is erratic but fun to watch, and the rookie Jaxson Dart is the ultimate wildcard. In the last three seasons, Wilson has gone 17-24 with a 92.2 passer rating.

Wilson is a future Hall of Famer, but those numbers are very average, and being average isn't a good thing in today's NFL. All three options could help the team achieve a higher pick in the draft, and the team will almost certainly start the tank engine once Wilson proves to be nothing more than a stopgap.

Justin Fields, New York Jets

Speaking of Wilson, his former backup in Pittsburgh followed in his footsteps by signing a deal with a New York team in the offseason. Much like Wilson, this will likely be Fields' final chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Fields is an incredible rusher, but his poor passing ability and career 14-30 record are what's holding him back from true greatness. He'll now be reunited with his former OSU wideout Garrett Wilson, but this isn't a very good team.

Fields' only real competition is the almost 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor, but rumors have been floating around about a potential Kirk Cousins trade before the trade deadline.

Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Richardson and Fields share many similarities. Both are incredible rushers who, despite having great arm strength, have struggled as passers. Unlike Fields, Richardson has been extremely injury-prone, as he has only played in 15 total games for the Colts.

Daniel Jones practice highlights have become the NFL equivalent of Ben Simmons workout videos https://t.co/Vf7d5Y1HF0

— . (@J0nesToChina) June 13, 2025

The team brought in former Giants QB Jones, who went 3-13 in his last 16 games with the Giants. It seems like Jones is currently the leader in the QB battle, but it's hard to imagine either player holding onto the job for long.

This could easily become a hot potato situation, with both players getting benched for each other multiple times throughout the season. The Colts are a confusing team; they're right on the brink of playoff contention, but don't have the QB to get them there.

They also have new owners (Jim Irsay's daughters) who have a hands-on approach and could make multiple QB changes before the season comes to a close.

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