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Which NFL quarterbacks should retire after the 2024 season? John Johnson looks at five NFL players who could (and should) hang it up in the upcoming 2024-25 offseason.
We're almost at the end of the 2024 NFL season. While there are plenty of veteran quarterbacks who have made the playoffs and continue to have productive NFL careers, Father Time comes for everyone. And there are plenty of signal-callers who should call it quits after the 2024 season.
Even some of the best to ever do it simply can't play forever. And if their play declines massively, they can end up being more of a liability to their team than an asset. Other players are spending time as backups, and they'll probably never be able to elevate a team again.
So, let's break down five such quarterbacks from this season.
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Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
While it may have previously been hard to see him retiring yet, in part due to his arrogance and in part because he likely wants to continue collecting big paychecks, Rodgers admitted that his Week 18 game against the Miami Dolphins could be the last of his illustrious career.
The Jets watched Aaron Rodgers throw these passes and said "yeah Saleh gotta go" pic.twitter.com/gxyO3N1WT7
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) October 8, 2024
It's not hard to see why his play declined so much this season from previous years. He dealt with a multitude of injuries, as do most quarterbacks above the age of 35. He's also 41 years old, and it's unlikely his body can handle much more. He also tried his best to play like his old self, often refusing to take wide-open checkdowns to running back Breece Hall in favor of longer downfield throws to mixed results.
BREECE HALL.
Aaron Rodgers starting to beat up! pic.twitter.com/WpZ4w7OVIt
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) September 15, 2024
While there were some dimes from ARod this season to be sure, they were fewer and further between than previous years. And the reality is that most great NFL players keep going until the wheels fall off. The money they can make is ridiculous, especially for QBs. It's naturally hard to walk away from that.
The most likely reality here is that Rodgers has a battered body that can't take NFL hits anymore. And he should respect that and hang 'em up.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams
Garoppolo will start in Week 18 for his team in relief of QB1 Matthew Stafford, sure, but he's 33 years old now, and after 2023, it became abundantly clear that he'd never have what it takes to be a good starter. He was carried by great talent and excellent coaching on the San Francisco 49ers earlier in his career, but he has too many glaring deficiencies in his game and is only getting older.
Jimmy Garropolo in the rain: https://t.co/9SNZHmFNND pic.twitter.com/JtWMbZQqCK
— Azanimal (@HoodieZane) September 12, 2022
The state of quarterbacking in the NFL is not great right now. One of the biggest problems is that the revolutionization of defensive play has made QB production decline from previous years. The other is that backup QBs who are remotely serviceable are extremely scarce. It's a remarkably tough position to play.
The third-string QB for the Rams, Stetson Bennett, is the emergency QB for the team. And it's unlikely Los Angeles will ever want to send him out again. But unless "Jimmy G" puts on a great performance in Week 18, and we doubt that he will, the Rams could draft a signal-caller in this year's draft to replace him.
Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys
Lance had an all-time terrible performance in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers this year. He threw just one passing score to five interceptions, many of them on absolutely horrible throws. He showed zero ability to be a good passer, and that seems unlikely to change.
An ugly interception in the red zone from Trey Lance.
Tony Jefferson is having himself quite the game. pic.twitter.com/akvdtvgcow
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) August 24, 2024
His habit of throwing the ball straight to defenders isn't one that's easily fixed. He lacks any kind of vision, ability to process defenses pre- and post-snap, and decision-making ability on a consistent basis. He is a good athlete, though.
Of course, Cowboys owner and president Jerry Jones isn't likely to admit to his mistakes anytime soon. But he should just cut Lance and find a better third-string QB. The former San Francisco 49ers bust of a draft pick might not win a single regular-season game as the starter if any team is unfortunate enough to have to trot him out.
Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens
The ultimate journeyman of journeymen, Johnson has spent time with 14 different teams, which is an NFL record. He's now on his second stint with the Baltimore Ravens. A career backup, he's completed just 208 passes in his 10-year career. He's never been a player a team wants to make a starter, and he's nearing 40 years old.
Josh Johnson has had more stops than any player in NFL history.
The @Ravens QB sat down with us to detail his incredible journey and what still lies ahead. pic.twitter.com/n23KmrkyvS
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 25, 2024
His story is incredibly interesting, so we're linking it above instead of a play that makes him look bad. He'll never get a starting job except in the case of injuries, and this year's draft class should provide plenty of young, fresh QB prospects who can serve as backups and push out the oldest crop of second- and third-string throwers of the football.
Brandon Allen, San Francisco 49ers
Allen has spent his career as a backup so far and didn't play at all in 2023 before he was called up to start due to injuries to starting quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow).
#BrockPurdy
Hit in "funny bone" by facemask
Ulnar nerve issue, not UCL
Unrelated to elbow surgery
Transient numbness/tingling
Hard to grip ball
Expect MRI to be fine
Playing Week 18 possible
Won't affect long term contract pic.twitter.com/a8MiEHuo2z— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) December 31, 2024
You can see the video of the play above. Allen has completed 17 of 30 passes for 199 yards, one passing TD, and two interceptions and rushed three times for four yards. It seems like a massive uphill battle for San Fran to win any of the games he starts in, and he's 32 years old.
The 49ers should draft a replacement for him in 2025.
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