Brady tops list of NFL quarterbacks under the most pressure

What quarterback isn’t under pressure, right?

The spotlight is on all of them in the NFL, but for our purposes we'll focus on five signal callers who are facing the most pressure going into next season.

Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some serious playmakers for Brady to choose from in the passing game, including tight end Rob Gronkowski, whom they acquired in a recent trade with New England. 

When you add a six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback to your offense, expectations understandably go sky-high.

The Buccaneers haven’t made the playoffs since 2007, but they now have the fifth best Super Bowl odds at +1400 at BetAmerica. 

Delivering a championship is a tall order for every team. If Brady, who turns 43 in August, declines in 2020 and fails to help the Buccaneers into the playoffs, it will be a massive disappointment. A mediocre season could also impact his legacy as the greatest quarterback of all time. 

Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)

The fallout from the NFL Draft continues for the Green Bay Packers. 

This year’s draft was loaded with talented wide receivers, with six going in the first round. The Packers, like many teams, had a need to add a receiver. 

However, not only did Green Bay move up in the first round to draft a quarterback in Jordan Love, but they also went the entire draft without selecting a wide receiver. Their questionable decision-making set off a swell of controversy.

After losing in the NFC Championship game last season, the Packers have Super Bowl odds of +1800 at BetAmerica. 

At 36, Rodgers has won only one Super Bowl title, and his time in Green Bay could soon be nearing an end. An underwhelming start for the Packers in 2020 would only worsen the controversy. 

Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles)

The Philadelphia Eagles endured injury after injury to their receiving corps last season, and still Carson Wentz threw for a career best 4,039 yards with an interception rate of only 1.2%. And yet the Eagles made a curious move at the NFL Draft by selecting Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round. The move has forced general manager Howie Roseman into damage control mode. 

The Eagles have made moves this offseason to address the wide receiver position, at the very least adding more depth after being so depleted last year. That should help Wentz, but using a second round pick on a quarterback reinforces the perception that his job security could be in jeopardy.

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

The Saints have dominated the NFC South over the last three years, with a 37-11 record since 2017. However, New Orleans hasn’t made it out of the conference playoff bracket and their window could be closing given Brees' advanced age (41) and the potential rise of the Buccaneers. 

Despite all of their regular season success, and the individual success of Brees throughout his career, he has only one championship to his name. Time is ticking to get another one. 

Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)

It's only natural that expectations rise when you get the nod for most valuable player.

Lamar Jackson can do it all. He led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and ran for more than 1,200 yards, too. It really was a remarkable 2019 campaign, especially considering he was the fifth QB taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. 

Jackson and the Ravens finished the regular season with a 14-2 record, but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. The expectation for next season will be, at the very least, a berth in the AFC championship game. At most, a Super Bowl. 

The Ravens have the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, currently +700 at BetAmerica. Jackson has the second-best odds to win Offensive Player of the Year. 

Jackson is a dynamic player. That adds pressure on him to replicate, or come close to replicating the success both he and the Ravens had last season. 

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