Jimmy Garoppolo – San Francisco 49ers
Surprise, surprise, Cowherd goes with Jimmy Garoppolo over Mayfield on this one. This is the first one I truly disagree with. One, Garoppolo is always hurt (Cowherd does mention this), and two, in his only good year he had one of the best defenses the league has seen in 10 years.
In 2019 when the San Francisco 49ers made the Super Bowl, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 picks. Last season Mayfield had 400 fewer passing yards, one less touchdown, and five fewer interceptions. Plus, Mayfield had a defense that was as tough as a wet paper bag.
I’m not saying Garoppolo isn’t a good quarterback, the guy can play and has a great coach to utilize him. But come on, give Mayfield some credit and stop looking at the stat lines and wins/losses.
Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
Another decision that I strongly question, taking Matt Ryan over Mayfield. Especially when you consider that Ryan is 35 years old. Even if he has another good season or two, Mayfield will just be entering his prime when people are questioning why Ryan hasn’t retired yet.
I will continue to beat this horse as well; Ryan has won 18 games in the last three seasons and still gets all the credit in the world for winning the MVP in 2016. Ryan has two of the best receivers in the game and still managed to win 4 games in 2020? I know the team had injuries but between his age and lack of performance the last three seasons, I’m not sure how you can justify he is a better option for five more years than Mayfield.