Financial Breakdowns for Teams who Drafted a QB

Michael Ginnitti
Michael Ginnitti, Managing Editor & NFL/MLB ExpertMay 01, 2022
© USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 NFL draft saw nine QBs selected from pick #20 to the very last #262 slot. We breakdown the finances for each selection, and the surrounding QB situation for each of their respective teams.

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Kenny Pickett unsurprisingly joins Pittsburgh at #20 overall and will get every opportunity to win the starting role out of the gate. He projects to sign a fully guaranteed 4 year, $14M contract in the coming weeks.

Pittsburgh signed Mitchell Trubisky to a 2 year, $14.285M this past March, and for all intents, he’s projected to be the Week 1 starter. The contract suggests a slightly overpaid backup QB however, with $6.285M of cash this year, and $8M non-guaranteed for 2023.

Mason Rudolph has been with the Steelers since 2018, and enters 2022 on a non-guaranteed $3M salary. There’s a chance Pittsburgh moves on here, freeing up that $3M of cap and cash.

Pittsburgh added Chris Oladokun with pick 241, a slot that comes with a projected 4 year, $3.7M contract, only $90,000 of which is guaranteed. He’s a camp body with a chance to make the practice squad.

 

Atlanta Falcons

Desmond Ridder was the second QB selected, going to Atlanta at #74 overall. The slot comes with a projected 4 year $5.3M deal with a $1.1M guarantee. Ridder will likely hold a clipboard for 2022, learning the ropes and the offensive system from Atlanta’s other new QB1, Marcus Mariota.

Atlanta signed Marcus Mariota away from Las Vegas this past March, to the tune of a 2 year, $18.75M contract. The deal includes $6.75M guaranteed, all in 2022, putting him on a 1 year showcase - with his likely replacement Ridder, now positioned behind him.

Felipe Franks was an undrafted signing last May, and should find himself on the practice squad for the 2022 campaign.

 

Tennessee Titans

If you had Malik Willis dropping deep into the 3rd round to the Titans on your board, you made a lucky guess. Most evaluators say Willis has the highest ceiling of this new QB group, and he’ll have all of 2022 to dig into Tennessee’s system, and work alongside Ryan Tannehill. The #86 slot comes with a projected 4 year, $5.1M contract, including $921,000 guaranteed.

Ryan Tannehill may be the next big name to leave Tennessee, following the release of WR Julio Jones, and trade of WR A.J. Brown in the past few weeks. Barring a trade, he’ll get the 2022 campaign to further his future case, but his 2 year, $56M contract offers no guarantees after this season, and Tennessee can free up $17.8M of cap to move on next March.

Logan Woodside latched on with Tennessee back in 2019, and has served in the backup role ever since. The selection of Willis puts his roster spot in jeopardy, though it’s perfectly possible that the Titans roster 3 QBs, or try to shelve Woodside on the practice squad. His 1 year, $895,000 contract is non-guaranteed.

 

Carolina Panthers

It wasn’t Malik Willis at #6. It wasn’t Baker Mayfield via trade. It wasn’t anything we expected. It was Matt Corral at the back end of the 3rd round. The #94 slot comes with a projected 4 year, $5M contract, $875,000 guaranteed, offering a pile of value if he can find his way onto the field for the Panthers.

Sam Darnold still projected to be the Week 1 starter for Carolina, as his fully guaranteed $18.8M (and the draft compensation the Panthers gave up to acquire him) make him a difficult player to move on from. Barring a resurgent season, Darnold is now on a 1-and-done pattern.

Phillip Walker joined the Panthers back in 2020, and has 9 games under his belt, including 2 starts. Though his 1 year, $895,000 contract is non-guaranteed, Carolina may be poised to keep all three of these QBs as their future with this position remains unsettled.

 

New England Patriots

The Patriots raised a few eyebrows with a 4th round selection of Bailey Zappe, one year after taking Mac Jones to be their next QB1 of the future. But all of the analysis leans to Zappe being a perfect complement to Jones for the next few years, with similar pocket presence, patience, and touch in the passing game. He’s likely been drafted to be the QB2 of their future, with Brian Hoyer on a short deal, and Stidham likely falling off of the roster. Zappe’s #137 slot comes with a projected 4 year, $4.3M contract, $650,000 guaranteed.

Mac Jones enters year 2 of a fully guaranteed $15.5M contract, with a 5th year option that keeps him under team control through 2025. His play leveled off a bit as the 2021 year progressed, but he appears to be the right player to develop in the Bill Belichick system.

Brian Hoyer was signed back to New England on a 2 year, $4M contract that includes $1.4M fully guaranteed in 2023. The 36-year-old’s roster spot will be as much about leading the QB room as it will be about acting as a potential veteran presence on the field as needed.

The Jarrett Stidham project appears to be nearing the finish line. The Patriots can free up $965,000 of cash/cap space by moving on from the final year of his rookie contract.

 

Washington Commanders

Washington brought in Sam Howell with the #144 overall selection this weekend, and will soon lock him into an estimated 4 year, $4M contract, $360,000 guaranteed. It’s a low-risk financial move, giving the Commanders an outside chance of grooming Howell into an NFL-ready product come 2023 or so.

Carson Wentz and his $28M+ salary were acquired from Indy this March, putting him in line to start for his 3rd team in 3 years. With no other viable starting options currently on the roster, it appears that Washington will be giving Wentz a chance to win this job for the long term. His contract carries 3 years, $81.705M remaining, and $9M of his 2023 compensation locks in on the 3rd league day of 2023.

Taylor Heinicke was bumped back to QB2 per the acquisition of Wentz, and his 1 year, $3.1M contract aligns with that role. There’s a good chance he’s competing for a starting job elsewhere in 2023.

 

Miami Dolphins

Skylar Thompson joins Miami at the #247 pick, a slot that carries a projected 4 year, $3.7M contract, $82,000 guaranteed. Thompson overachieved at Kansas State, and shows a lot of NFL-ready ability, but he’s almost certainly a practice squad candidate on this beefed up Miami roster.

Tua Tagovailoa enters the all-important year three of a rookie contract that now includes 2 years, $8M + a 5th year option remaining on it. With plenty of new toys and an upgraded offensive line, it’s a no-excuse situation for the 24 year old, especially as the Dolphins added Teddy Bridgewater to compete this summer.

Teddy Bridgewater signed a 1 year, $6.5M contract to join Miami this past March, and while all signs point to Tua keeping the QB1 reins out of the gate, it stands to reason that the Dolphins can keep him on a short leash this season, with Bridgewater certainly capable of stepping into a starting role at a moment’s notice.

Chris Streveler spent 2021 on the Ravens’ practice squad, and his $895,000 salary for 2022 is non-guaranteed in Miami. He’s a camp body until he’s not.

 

San Francisco 49ers

Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, projects to a 4 year, $3.7M contract, including $86,000 guaranteed. He joins a complicated QB situation (at least on the surface), with Trey Lance supposedly poised to take over the reins, and Jimmy Garoppolo too injured to trade currently.

Trey Lance enters year two of a rookie contract that now has 3 years, $11.28M fully guaranteed, plus a 5th-year option remaining on it. For all intents and purposes, he’s the QB1 entering camp, though Jimmy Garoppolo’s future, and Lance’s ability to settle into the role, all appear to be question marks as of now.

Jimmy Garoppolo enters the final year of his contract, with a chance to add $25.6M to his career earnings. An injury to his throwing shoulder kicked in a $7.5M guarantee on his 2022 salary, putting his ability to be moved on hold, either via trade or outright release. With Nate Sudfeld and now Brock Purdy on the roster, it appears as though the Niners’ plan is still to move on from Jimmy once he’s healthy, but stranger things have happened.

Nate Sudfeld signed a 1 year, $2M fully guaranteed contract to join San Francisco back in March, and projects to be the QB2 once Jimmy Garoppolo is moved on from.


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