3 NFL quarterbacks who should be benched after Week 9

No position in the NFL is more important than the quarterback. They have the biggest impact on whether a team wins or loses. A great quarterback can carry any team to being competitive while a bad one can ruin even the best of rosters and coaching staff. Here are three quarterbacks that should be benched after Week 9 of the 2021 NFL season.

Quarterbacks who need to be benched immediately

#1 - Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have now lost five of their last six games and their season is quickly slipping away from them. They entered the year with hopes of making the playoffs, but that's not going to happen if things don't turn around fast.

Jimmy Garoppolo is part of the problem in San Francisco. He is an average quarterback at best and does not elevate the talent around him. He has just three touchdown passes in his last three games while throwing three interceptions and being sacked seven times. He was outdueld by back-up quarterback Colt McCoy in Week 9 while the Arizona Cardinals were missing their top two wide receivers.

The 49ers traded away a ton of assets this offseason to move up to the second overall pick in the NFL Draft and select Trey Lance. With their season on the line, now is the time to turn it over to the rookie. He is a far superior athlete to Garoppolo and adds another dimension to the offense with his legs. If nothing else, it's time to start seeing what they really have with Lance.

#2 - Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans

It doesn't make much sense why Tyrod Taylor was given back his starting quarterback job in the first place. The Houston Texans are in a full rebuild right now and should just be looking to the future. Rookie Davis Mills has played decent while Taylor was injured and he's at least gaining valuable experience.

Taylor's start for the Texans really does nothing for their long-term plan. They need to fully evaluate Davis Mills and decide whether or not they are going to use their high draft pick this offseason on a new starting quarterback. Mills is on a rookie deal and should be in Houston for at least several years, either as a starter or a back up. They should let him continue playing.

#3 - Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers opened the season with three straight victories before losing five of their last six games. The regression of Sam Darnold is a big reason why. He has completed barely 50 percent of his passes over his last five games with just two touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He has zero touchdown passes in four of his nine games.

The Panthers acquired Darnold in the offseason with hopes that he would be their franchise quarterback. It hasn't exactly worked out for them. The Panthers have a talented team, but the quarterback is holding them back from success. They don't really have a capable back up on the roster but it can't get much worse than it is right now for them at quarterback.

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