End of Regular Season Awards: Quarterback

Jacob Frank Posted On December 13, 2020

The regular season is over for most dynasty leagues, so it’s time to dish out some year-end awards! This series will give honors at each position for the player of the year, bust of the year, and the best buy and sell for the off-season.

Without further ado, let the awards ceremony for 2020 quarterbacks commence!

Quarterback of the Year: Kyler Murray, QB ARI

Murray’s spectacular season carried many teams to the playoffs. Through 13 weeks, Murray has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only ten interceptions. His completion percentage increased from 64.5% in his rookie year to an impressive 67% in his sophomore year. He’s currently on pace to throw for 3,982 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. After this year, there is no doubt Murray is a top-flight passer.

Murray’s passing ability is often overshadowed by his incredible rushing ability. It’s not far-fetched to say he is the best rusher in the league – regardless of position. Mobile quarterbacks often carry higher injury risk, but that is not necessarily the case with #1.

With a background in baseball, Murray has mastered the art of sliding and getting to the ground quickly. By doing so, he avoids contact and protects his body. Additionally, his rushing intelligence has been on full display. His athleticism and vision allow him to make quick cuts and change direction on a dime, making him extremely elusive with the ball in his hands.

These elite traits have allowed Murray to rack up 665 rushing yards and ten touchdowns through week 13. He’s on pace for 887 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. That is incredible.

A 4,000 passing yard, 1,000 rushing yard, 45-total-TD season is well within reach. But his current pace of 3,950+ passing yards and 850+ rushing yards is nothing short of spectacular. For context, Lamar Jackson, in his MVP year, passed for 3,127 yards, rushed for 1,206 and tallied 43 total TDs.

If Murray continues his torrid pace he will have approximately 500 more total yards than Jackson, while tallying the same number of touchdowns.

QB Bust of the Year: Carson Wentz, QB PHI

Wentz has been atrocious. Granted, he has had to deal with one of the worst offensive lines and injuries to his receivers, but that does not excuse his play.

Wentz has led the league in interceptions. His completion percentage has dropped to a very unimpressive 57% and he was on pace to throw for far less than 4,000 yards. He has struggled reading defenses and has lacked any semblance of pocket awareness.

While his offensive line carries the blame for many of the sacks, Wentz has not done himself many favors. He’s often seemed gun-shy, scared to take a hit, leading to an endless stream of overthrown and underthrown balls. For the entire year, he has not been on the same page as his receivers.

Due to his poor play, Wentz has been benched. Jalen Hurts will start for the Eagles in week 14, while Wentz’s gigantic contract rots on the bench. There has been no bigger fall from grace in football in 2020 than that of Carson Wentz – the quarterback bust of the year.

QB Buy of the Off-season: Daniel Jones, QB NYG

The argument to buy Jones can’t be done with numbers. He’s still not throwing for many yards, and he’s still not throwing for many touchdowns. But do not let those statistical shortcomings deceive you – Jones has grown tremendously in his sophomore year.

As a rookie, he had 18 fumbles. 18! That’s more than one per week! He only threw 12 interceptions as a rookie, but 30 turnovers by your quarterback is simply unacceptable. After his rookie year, it was clear that for Jones to become the franchise quarterback of the Giants, he would need to do a better job at protecting the football. He has.

This year, Jones has cut his fumbles in half. He’s much more aware in the pocket, and when he feels pressure, he often covers the ball up with both arms and finds a way to get down. While he still forces some throws, as most young quarterbacks do, he has done a much better job this year at throwing the ball away if there is nothing there.

Jones did not get the nickname “Danny Dimes” for no reason. He has consistently flashed high-end ball placement and timing. He has the arm strength and accuracy to succeed, and he’s surprisingly mobile. This year, he’s played without his best weapon, Saquon Barkley, and has had to cope with a young, underperforming offensive line.

Next year, that key weapon will be back, and the Giants’ inexperienced young linemen will have a legitimate off-season to develop. Moreover, the Giants will likely look to bolster the line to provide more lanes for Barkley and to better protect Jones. It’s their most glaring need, and I’d be shocked if it wasn’t addressed this coming off-season.

The Giants invested significantly in Jones, drafting him sixth overall in 2019. Between his performance, the Giant’s recent improved play, and the team’s investment in Jones, it’s unlikely that the team moves on. In Jones, I see a young quarterback on a young, improving team. He has the weapons and physical tools to succeed. He’s shown the work ethic and improvement necessary to believe in an upward career trajectory. For those reasons, Jones is my quarterback “buy” of the off-season.

QB Sell of the Off-season: Matt Ryan, QB ATL

Ryan has been a fantasy staple for the last decade. The Ryan – Julio Jones connection has been one of the most lethal in NFL history. While Ryan is still a top quarterback, he’s already 35 and his wide receivers have shown reasons to worry.

Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley – worry? As crazy as it seems, there are legitimate reasons for concern. Jones has not been the same player this year. At 31, he seems to have lost a step. He’s still a huge threat, but he’s at that point in his career where a downward trajectory is to be expected.

Ridley, on the other hand, is swiftly becoming one of the best receivers in the league. However, year after year, Ridley battles injuries. I believe his ankles do not handle NFL contact very well, and in my opinion given his stature, I don’t think they ever will. He’ll give Ryan a real #1 WR when he plays, but I believe he will miss several games every year.

Ryan’s numbers this year have been on par with his extraordinary career norms. But at 35, his market value will only continue to decrease. Currently, the question marks at receiver are not very apparent. However, as Ryan ages, his decline will likely be compounded by those question marks. You don’t want to wait until his decline or until the receiver question marks become apparent to sell. Instead, I recommend looking to sell now while he still holds significant value.