8. Can a couple of veteran quarterbacks make the playoffs?
We are going to discuss two of the eldest quarterbacks outside of Tom Brady. In the spotlight are Arizona Cardinals Carson Palmer (37) and New Orleans Saints Drew Brees (38). Both won’t play forever and are surely hoping for a last chance at a playoff run.
Starting with Palmer, he has seen better days than what 2016 provided. He and his team fell short of the playoffs despite finishing second in the NFC West. Unfortunately, the 7-8-1 record was nowhere near to their 13-3 2015 finish. The veteran quarterback’s passing yards and touchdowns decreased while his turnovers increased. There was enough ugly left on the field to wonder if Palmer might call it quits. But he confirmed he will be back for 2017 (more on that here.)
Health and ball security on his end are key if he wants to make it to the postseason. Palmer is equipped with an amazing offense and a defense that ranked No. 2 on the season, which makes him the weak link.
Quite the opposite is true for Brees, who would certainly savor one more Super Bowl romp before he throws in the towel. The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback just passed for league-high 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns. It marked the fifth time in his 16-year career he surpassed 5,000 passing yards. He also completed 70 percent of his passes. It is simply ridiculous that Brees and his top-ranked Saints’ offense keep spinning their wheels.
Meanwhile, the team’s defense is crushing its quarterback’s efforts. The Saints scored an average of 29.3 points per contest and only won seven games. Unless this changes, Brees will retire as a one-time Super Bowl champion.