Why these 7 NFL QBs face the most pressure to succeed in 2025
2025-02-13
Category: sports

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, NFL teams are resetting for a new year. The free agency and draft period this spring brings hopes and expectations for 2025.&nbsp; [Related: Top 100 2025 NFL free agents: Tee Higgins, Sam Darnold lead the way] With that comes pressure. And quarterbacks, as the faces of their franchises, can feel that in the realist way. It’s faced by starters around the league to varying degrees.&nbsp; Here are the seven quarterbacks facing the most pressure entering 2025:&nbsp; 7. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts General manager Chris Ballard said in his end-of-season press conference that Indianapolis hasn’t given up on Richardson, but the GM was clear that the team plans to add competition for the 2023 No. 4 overall pick. Through two seasons, Richardson has not only been incredibly inconsistent as a passer (a 50.6% completion rate in 15 games), but he’s also missed 17 games due to injury.&nbsp;&nbsp; Next season is shaping up to be Richardson’s last chance to prove to the Colts that he can be their franchise quarterback.&nbsp; 6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars The onus is on Lawrence to start proving he’s worthy of the five-year, $275 million extension he signed with the Jaguars last June.&nbsp; Injuries derailed the end of his 2024 season, and he has a new playcaller and coach to build a rapport with in Liam Coen. But the reality is that Lawrence has never shown a high level of consistency on a week-in, week-out basis. His career hasn’t taken off as many expected it would after Jacksonville’s 2022 season, when the Jags won the AFC South and a playoff game. 5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins Tagovailoa, who in the past has mulled retirement due to concussions, is coming off a season in which he missed a career-high six games. In three seasons with Mike McDaniel, he has just one playoff appearance, including no postseason wins.&nbsp; Despite Tagovailoa’s health concerns, Miami awarded him a four-year, $212.4 million contract last summer. The Dolphins will want to start seeing a return on that investment in 2025.&nbsp; 4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys Pressure is synonymous with being the Cowboys' franchise quarterback, but Prescott is entering a pronounced spotlight. He missed nine games due to injury last season after signing his record $60 million-per-year extension. He has just a 2-5 playoff record, including no postseason wins since the 2022 season, and has never made an NFC Championship Game.&nbsp;  3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers It’s not just that Herbert is 0-2 in the postseason. It’s the way he became 0-2 in the postseason.&nbsp; He threw four interceptions in the Chargers’ wild-card round loss to the Texans last month, after throwing just three picks during the entire regular season. And in the 2022 wild-card round, Los Angeles squandered a 27-0 lead to fall to Jacksonville, one of the biggest collapses in NFL postseason history. Those results have fueled a growing belief that Herbert can’t deliver in the games that matter most, even with a playoff résumé so small.&nbsp; It’s paramount for him to have success in the postseason as soon as possible. 2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills&nbsp; The 2024 NFL MVP, Allen remains winless against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. Buffalo's AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs dropped Allen to 0-4 in the postseason against the three-time Super Bowl MVP. Allen is firmly a top-three quarterback in the world, but there will always be a monkey on his back until he can beat Mahomes in the playoffs and/or reach the Super Bowl.&nbsp;  1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens Like Allen, pressure is mounting on Jackson to make a Super Bowl in his prime. His inability to reach the big game — let alone win it — keeps him a tier below the greatest quarterbacks in history, even as he’s a two-time MVP and continues to stack historic regular seasons.&nbsp; Jackson is 70-24 in the regular season, but 3-5 in the playoffs.&nbsp; Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the&nbsp;Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the&nbsp;Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at&nbsp;@benyarthur. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox?&nbsp;Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!