5 most underwhelming QBs of the 2021 NFL season

The 2021 NFL season featured a wide spectrum of quarterbacks. There were some incredible performances while others were extremely disappointing. Based on their poor overall output, as well as their general expectations from prior to the season, here are the five most underwhelming quarterbacks this year.

Most disappointing QBs of the 2021 NFL season

#5 - Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill

Head coach Sean Payton has insisted for a couple of years now that Taysom Hill is a quarterback, not just a utility player. Payton claimed that Hill would eventually be their starting quarterback. Jameis Winston won the job prior to the 2021 NFL season, but after a season-ending injury and another injury to Trevor Siemian, Hill was named the starting quarterback for the final five games.

His play in the passing game was uninspiring, to say the least. He finished the season with a poor stat line, completing just 58 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions. In two of his starts, he completed less than 50 percent of his passes. He also went without a touchdown pass in two of his five games.

#4 - Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield put together a solid 2020 season. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He appeared to have turned a corner while leading the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs and earning his first postseason victory.

Unfortunately, the 2021 NFL season was a different story for Baker Mayfield and the Browns. He regressed in just about every passing category. He completed just 61 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Browns finished the year with just a 8-9 record and missed out on the 2021 NFL Playoffs.

QBs who underwhelmed the most in the 2021 NFL season

Here are five quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL season who were the most unimpressive.

#3 - Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevow Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence entered the 2021 NFL Draft as one of the highest rated quarterback prospects of all time. He dominated high school and college football, and is believed to possess all of the necessary tools to succeed in the NFL. There were many outside negative factors that played into it, such as coaching, but his rookie season didn't go as planned.

Lawrence struggled on his way to a disappointing stat line in the 2021 NFL season. He completed less than 60 percent of his passes while throwing 12 touchdowns and a whopping 17 interceptions. He threw multiple interceptions in five different games and played eight separate games without throwing a touchdown pass. The Jaguars finished the season with an abysmal 3-14 record.

#2 - Daniel Jones, New York Giants

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones

During is 2019 rookie season, Daniel Jones showed a ton of potential. Across 13 games, he threw for 3,027 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It looked like he was going to have a bright future as the Giants quarterback, but the past two seasons he has heavily regressed.

Over the next two years, Daniel Jones has thrown for a combined total of 21 touchdown passes while failing to reach 3,000 yards in either of the last two seasons. He has never quite regained the form that made him a promising rookie. The Giants as a team have gone backwards as well. They won six games in the 2020 season but accumulated just four wins in the 2021 campaign.

#1 - Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold struggled through his first three years with the New York Jets. Many believed he could be a good quarterback but was in too bad of a situation there to succeed. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers prior to the 2021 NFL season, where he would have better coaching and more offensive weapons. It was an excellent opportunity for him to let his talent shine.

Despite being in a much more favorable environment, Sam Darnold was unable to elevate his play. He completed less than 60 percent of his passes this year while throwing just nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Across 50 total games played in his career, he has now thrown 52 interceptions, averaging more than one per game, while totaling just 54 touchdown passes.