National Football League

Tagovailoa, Jones, Hurts facing make-or-break seasons

Updated Apr. 10, 2022 5:43 p.m. ET

The 2022-23 NFL season isn't quite upon us, but a few quarterbacks are feeling the heat.

FOX NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks broke down which three young QBs are under the most pressure this fall and are facing what could prove to be a make-or-break season.

Let's see who makes the list.

3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The outlook: Hurts — the No. 53 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — sat for 12 games behind Carson Wentz in his rookie season before taking over the starting role in 2021. In his sophomore season, Hurts completed 61.3% of his passes for 3,144 yards 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran the ball 139 times for 784 yards and another 10 scores. The Eagles finished second in the NFC East (8-9) last season and made it to the wild-card round of the playoffs. Hurts is 9-10 all-time in 19 career starts for the Eagles.

Brooks' thoughts: "He led his team to the postseason, but yet there [are] still some questions about whether Jalen Hurts will be the long-term answer at the position for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have two first-round picks in next year's draft, so now what they're saying to us [is], ‘We’ll give Jalen Hurts another year to see if he can be the starter, but we don't know. If he doesn't play well, we can look to the 2023 quarterback class and maybe there's a long-term solution.' I think this is a little tricky because Jalen Hurts has played really well for the Eagles. We saw what he's been able to do with his legs, but maybe, just maybe, the Eagles want a little more."

2. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

The outlook: The Giants missed out on the playoffs again last season after finishing last in the NFC East with an abysmal 4-13 record. Jones — the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft — has never had a winning season with the Giants and is 12-25 all-time as their starter. The 24-year-old has thrown for 8,398 yards, 45 TDs and 29 INTs, and rushed 172 times for 1,000 yards and five scores in three seasons. He has also fumbled 36 times over that same time span. Jones missed the final six games of the 2021-22 season with a neck injury, which he and the organization recently stated is a non-issue moving forward. Meanwhile, the Giants recently acquired QB Tyrod Taylor this offseason.

Brooks' thoughts: "It's not really his fault, but Daniel Jones has been thrust in a bad situation with the New York Giants. Coaching changes, you had a change in management … and because [general manager] Joe Schoen and [head coach] Brian Daboll are not married to Daniel Jones, [he] has to show this year that he's a franchise quarterback and worthy of a heavy extension. … He has shown flashes of being a special player. We've seen the arm talent, we've seen the athleticism, but we've also seen the turnover woes. If he doesn't correct the turnovers, somebody else could be the quarterback for the Giants next season."

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

The outlook: The Dolphins are looking for a spark after finishing third in the AFC East last season at 9-8 and missing out on the postseason. Tagovailoa — the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft — is 13-8 all-time as the Dolphins' starter. He has thrown for 4,467 yards, 27 TDs and 15 INTs in two seasons. He's also picked up 237 yards and 10 TDs on the ground over that time. The Dolphins have made a slew of aggressive moves this offseason, including trading for Tyreek Hill and bringing in running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, among others. Miami has also retained star cornerback Xavien Howard and brought QB Teddy Bridgewater into the fold as a backup option.

Brooks' thoughts: "There [are] some doubts about whether Tua is really everything that they thought he was going to be. This offseason, the Dolphins have spared no expense to surround Tua with talent. We have Tyreek Hill coming over to join Jaylen Waddle. You have Terron Armstead playing on the edge. You have Mike Gesicki at tight end. … All the weapons are in place, and I can't even forget about Mike McDaniel coming over to direct this offense. If Tua Tagovailoa can't get it done this year, the Miami Dolphins are going to go hunting for another quarterback, so the pressure is on. The Dolphins want Tua to be the guy. He has to show them that he's worthy. If not, somebody else will be anchoring the Dolphins' offense."