NFL teams burn through $100 million in failed draft QBs as Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Justin Fields top discard list
All Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have to do is learn from the recent past. Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance have already been traded. Trey Lance has bounced around the NFL since being the No. 3 pick in 2021Getty Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder are trying to hold on to their wavering NFL careers. It’s been a brutal start for almost all of the quarterbacks selected in the 2021 and ’22 NFL Drafts — and even Trevor Lawrence has disappointed, despite being a former No. 1 overall pick. With the 2025 draft weeks away, QB prospects Ward and Sanders could both go in the top few picks. But recent drafts provide stunning proof that overreaching for a QB can result in a huge miss, while failing to have an ideal situation for player development can set a franchise back years. “This quarterback class is not a very good one,” NFL Draft expert Simon Clancy exclusively told talkSPORT. Lance has made $34 million, yet hasn’t come close to living up to the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. The San Francisco 49ers initially traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to acquire Lance, then moved him to the Dallas Cowboys. Lance is now a Los Angeles Chargers third-stringer, and is just 2-3 as a pro starter while mostly watching from the bench. Zach Wilson was a total bust for the New York Jets, with the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft losing his starting job multiple times and going 12-21 as a starter. Fields, the No. 11 selection in 2021, showed dual threat potential in Chicago. Zach Wilson went No. 2 overall but is now a back up in Miami Mac Jones was the No. 15 pick yet is now on his third NFL team But he went 10-28 as a starter, became Russell Wilson‘s backup in Pittsburgh, and now must prove he’s worth a $40 million contract with the New York Jets. Making Fields’ draft selection even worse is the fact that the Bears gave up two first-round picks and two other draft choices to acquire him. When the Bears finally moved on from and drafted Caleb Williams, all Chicago could get back for Fields was a conditional sixth-round pick. Tony Mandarich and JaMarcus Russell are among the biggest draft busts in NFL history. Malik Willis (No. 86 overall in 2022) barely touched the field for the Tennessee Titans, who could soon use their No. 1 overall pick on Ward. “He (Ward) certainly has the athletic ability,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller exclusively told talkSPORT. NFL's Greatest...... Ranking the top 10...... Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady? Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top? Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barrie Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmett Smith and more Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare? “He has the arm strength. I love the playmaker mentality. “But it has to get dialed in, has to get reined in a little bit.” Willis had fill-in success with Green Bay last year, but he’s now Jordan Love’s backup. The list of failed draft QBs goes on and on. Sam Howell, Bailey Zappe, Davis Mills, Kellen Mond, Ian Book, Sam Ehlinger and Matt Corral either disappointed or simply were not good enough to take the field in the pros. Lance and Wilson have combined to earn $70 million, while more than $100m has been burned on all those discarded names. The irony of it all is that the San Francisco 49ers‘ Brock Purdy has already become the best ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ pick in NFL history. Last year’s draft was again a reminder that the top pick (Williams) can immediately be outplayed by the second selection (Jayden Daniels). Tennessee, Cleveland and the New York Giants have big decisions to make at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft — especially if they take a QB. Stay up to date with the latest from across the NFL via our talkSPORT Facebook page, and subscribe to our Endzone YouTube channel for news, views and exclusive interviews as we build up to the NFL Draft.
All Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have to do is learn from the recent past.
Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance have already been traded.
Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder are trying to hold on to their wavering NFL careers.
It’s been a brutal start for almost all of the quarterbacks selected in the 2021 and ’22 NFL Drafts — and even Trevor Lawrence has disappointed, despite being a former No. 1 overall pick.
With the 2025 draft weeks away, QB prospects Ward and Sanders could both go in the top few picks.
But recent drafts provide stunning proof that overreaching for a QB can result in a huge miss, while failing to have an ideal situation for player development can set a franchise back years.
“This quarterback class is not a very good one,” NFL Draft expert Simon Clancy exclusively told talkSPORT.
Lance has made $34 million, yet hasn’t come close to living up to the No. 3 overall pick in 2021.
The San Francisco 49ers initially traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to acquire Lance, then moved him to the Dallas Cowboys.
Lance is now a Los Angeles Chargers third-stringer, and is just 2-3 as a pro starter while mostly watching from the bench.
Zach Wilson was a total bust for the New York Jets, with the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft losing his starting job multiple times and going 12-21 as a starter.
Fields, the No. 11 selection in 2021, showed dual threat potential in Chicago.
But he went 10-28 as a starter, became Russell Wilson‘s backup in Pittsburgh, and now must prove he’s worth a $40 million contract with the New York Jets.
Making Fields’ draft selection even worse is the fact that the Bears gave up two first-round picks and two other draft choices to acquire him.
When the Bears finally moved on from and drafted Caleb Williams, all Chicago could get back for Fields was a conditional sixth-round pick.
Tony Mandarich and JaMarcus Russell are among the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
Malik Willis (No. 86 overall in 2022) barely touched the field for the Tennessee Titans, who could soon use their No. 1 overall pick on Ward.
“He (Ward) certainly has the athletic ability,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller exclusively told talkSPORT.
NFL's Greatest......
Ranking the top 10......
Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?
Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?
Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barrie Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmett Smith and more
Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?
“He has the arm strength. I love the playmaker mentality.
“But it has to get dialed in, has to get reined in a little bit.”
Willis had fill-in success with Green Bay last year, but he’s now Jordan Love’s backup.
The list of failed draft QBs goes on and on.
Sam Howell, Bailey Zappe, Davis Mills, Kellen Mond, Ian Book, Sam Ehlinger and Matt Corral either disappointed or simply were not good enough to take the field in the pros.
Lance and Wilson have combined to earn $70 million, while more than $100m has been burned on all those discarded names.
The irony of it all is that the San Francisco 49ers‘ Brock Purdy has already become the best ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ pick in NFL history.
Last year’s draft was again a reminder that the top pick (Williams) can immediately be outplayed by the second selection (Jayden Daniels).
Tennessee, Cleveland and the New York Giants have big decisions to make at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft — especially if they take a QB.
Stay up to date with the latest from across the NFL via our talkSPORT Facebook page, and subscribe to our Endzone YouTube channel for news, views and exclusive interviews as we build up to the NFL Draft.
