The rush to write off young QBs has never looked more ridiculous

We've all done it, right?

Top quarterback prospects are billed as franchise-changing figures. The moment that things aren't trending in that direction in the NFL, panic sets in. Before long, everything that made them such highly touted players is forgotten. Fans, talking heads, and even teams have never been more eager to throw another name into the "bust" category and move on.

But if ever there was a moment to rewire our brains, this is it.

The early stages of the 2025 season offer an important reminder that, as badly as we may want a young quarterback to single-handedly save a franchise, it's not a reasonable ask. At least not right away. Even more importantly, that quarterback has to be put in a position to succeed. If one team is incapable of creating that environment, that hardly means another team can't.

This year's top quarterback performers, according to TruMedia's EPA/dropback metric, include a number of the superstar talents you'd expect to be there. Three notable former castoffs are playing as well (or better) than those mainstays.

Daniel Jones is easily the most fascinating of the bunch because - as I'll happily admit - I didn't think this was possible after he got run out of New York. Sure, the Giants were bad, but it was difficult to point to anything in Jones' game that suggested any sort of untapped potential. The 2019 No. 6 overall pick hadn't thrown more than 15 touchdowns in a single season since his rookie year.

A five-game sample is probably a little small for any sweeping conclusions, but it sure seems like he's found a home in Indianapolis. The Colts, unlike the Giants, provide an excellent ecosystem for a quarterback. A consistent running game has the offense working on schedule, and Jones has better pass protection than ever. Indy also has a wealth of weapons for him to utilize in the passing game, and Shane Steichen's system makes it easy for Jones to get the ball out of his hands on time. The result: a league-best 2.6% sack rate. For reference, he was sacked at a 8.5% clip across his six seasons in New York, 44th among all quarterbacks with at least 750 dropbacks.

Sam Darnold, selected No. 3 overall by the Jets in 2018, started his redemption arc last year with the Vikings. There was some skepticism about his ability to sustain that production outside the friendly confines of Kevin O'Connell's system, though, and a rocky stint in Carolina was still fresh in the minds of many. The Seahawks capitalized by scooping him up on a surprisingly affordable three-year, $100.5-million contract, and they're seeing an immediate return on their investment.

The 28-year-old is proving his belated 2024 breakout was only the beginning. Darnold leads a Seahawks offense that ranks fifth in scoring, ninth in yards, and eighth in EPA/play. Crucially, his ability to push the ball downfield has Seattle atop the league in explosive pass play percentage. Darnold's Week 3 performance in a blowout win over the Saints is the single best game from any quarterback this year by EPA/dropback. A 341-yard, four-touchdown effort last week against the Bucs is good for fourth on that list, and it would have been higher were it not for a bad-luck deflection on his last attempt of the game.

And then there's Baker Mayfield. The Bucs quarterback differs from Jones and Darnold in that he actually had some encouraging moments with Cleveland after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2018. But a playoff run in 2020 wasn't enough to keep the Browns from jumping into the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes a year later (oops!). After a challenging 2022 season split between the Panthers and Rams - the latter of which required him to pick up Sean McVay's offense on the fly - he became something of an afterthought.

The Bucs were happy to take a swing on his pedigree while trying to pick up the pieces after Tom Brady's retirement, and they were rewarded in a big way. Mayfield has consistently elevated his game since landing in Tampa Bay in 2022. Last year's 41-touchdown effort demonstrated the upside of combining his gunslinger style with a strong supporting cast. Injuries have kept that group from operating at full strength so far this year, but Mayfield hasn't missed a beat. He's thrown 10 touchdowns to just one interception, he's consistently making plays with his legs, and nobody is doing it better in crunch time. Each of the Bucs' four wins required a late, game-winning drive where Mayfield delivered points with less than a minute to play.

This conversation could even be expanded to include Mac Jones. The 49ers backup has now started three games in place of an injured Brock Purdy and ranks 12th in EPA/dropback. Kyle Shanahan's system has a reputation for getting the most out of quarterbacks - but that's kind of the point. How different would Jones' career look if, as was rumored at the time, the 49ers drafted him in 2021 instead of the Patriots? The No. 15 pick was the runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that season, but everything fell apart when Bill Belichick turned the offense over to a career defensive coordinator. Shocking.

Are there highly drafted quarterbacks who probably would have failed no matter their circumstances? Of course, and there will be plenty more. But that list isn't nearly as long as today's QB discourse would have you believe.

Daniel Jones, Mayfield, and Darnold breaking through in better environments is an excellent example of how frequently talented players are wasted by incompetent organizations. There's a reason Adam Gase, Joe Judge, and Matt Rhule - the Panthers' head coach during the bizarre Darnold-Mayfield season in Carolina - aren't in the NFL anymore.

So before you rush to write off another young quarterback, consider whether his employer shares any responsibility for his early failures. Maybe the real busts are the teams that so consistently find themselves selecting at the top of the draft.

Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.