Ranking 8 NFL Teams That Need the Hardest Reset
We've officially reached the point on the annual NFL calendar in which some teams are becoming irrelevant.
Fun!
Here are eight who fit that bill and are in need of resets to various extents, ranked in terms of just how much they need to bang that reset button.
8. New York Jets (2-5)
How they got here
They over-invested in a quarterback who hasn't been elite since 2021 and is currently the NFL's ninth-lowest-rated passer. Their offense has now been held to 20 or fewer points in four consecutive losses as they tumble out of contention. It also doesn't help that they obviously made a bad call in hiring now-fired head coach Robert Saleh back in 2021.
How they can fix it
Move on from a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers this offseason and invest heavily in a younger passer who can help them compete while their window is open thanks to a stellar defense. Maybe that's a top prospect like Shedeur Sanders, but it could also be a second stint with Sam Darnold.
In a nutshell
They don't need a major roster overhaul, but anytime you're looking for a new coach and quarterback, it's gotta be considered a reset.
7. New York Giants (2-5)
How they got here
They over-invested (twice) in a quarterback who hasn't thrown more than 15 touchdown passes in a season since he was a rookie in 2019, and then they lost Saquon Barkley to a division rival. Now, one of the league's worst offenses has scored a combined 10 points in back-to-back losses as they drift toward the football abyss yet again.
How they can fix it
Admit Daniel Jones isn't the answer, tank the rest of the year and find your next quarterback so that you don't waste prime years for Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence.
In a nutshell
Head coach Brian Daboll hasn't worked out great, either. That might be stale, too. Thus, they're sort of in a similar situation to the Jets, except with less non-quarterback talent on both sides of the ball.
6. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
How they got here
They gambled on two quarterbacks who were never likely to succeed, and it hasn't panned out. As a result, they've already bailed on Davante Adams, while their dysfunctional offense continues to make life hard on a defense that has plenty of talent. They've scored 18 or fewer points in three consecutive losses.
How they can fix it
Again, the D has a lot to offer if properly supported. New-ish head coach Antonio Pierce has shown promise, too. Throw in that rookie tight end Brock Bowers looks awesome and that the offensive line has plenty of skilled starters, and the key is just to find a solution at quarterback. Oh, and find a new No. 1 receiver to replace Adams.
In a nutshell
Shedeur Sanders? Sam Darnold? Another potential first-rounder under center? All that matters right now is how the Raiders navigate their quest for a quarterback beyond this lost season. Nothing else needs to be reset.
5. Carolina Panthers (1-6)
How they got here
They over-invested in a quarterback who has already been benched early in his second season despite being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft. Now, with the league's worst scoring defense offering little help, they've lost six of their first seven games by double-digit margins and are on track to put together one of the worst seasons in modern NFL history.
How they can fix it
Tank (as if there's a choice) and finally start compiling significant draft capital for a long-term rebuild. But because you've got time and Bryce Young is just 23 while Dave Canales is fresh in the head coaching role, give both some rope into 2025.
In a nutshell
They're already sort of beginning to reset, and I'm not convinced they have to bail on Young or Canales yet, but the rest of the roster is an utter joke.
4. Los Angeles Rams (2-4)
How they got here
They went all-in several years in a row, which is a big reason why they won Super Bowl LVI in 2021, but they're now old and consistently banged up. As a result of the financial burdens stemming from those glory days, the roster is quite thin. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is clearly beyond his prime at age 36, and it appears Aaron Donald's retirement represented the end of an era for this team. They currently rank in the bottom 10 on both sides of the ball.
How they can fix it
Move on from Stafford, throw in the towel on a season that almost certainly has a limited ceiling, and start building around Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Jared Verse.
In a nutshell
They've managed to avoid a complete crash but will likely require a new quarterback and some additional tweaks on both sides of the ball before they can again be viewed as a legit contender. That's not a minor retooling.
3. Tennessee Titans (1-5)
How they got here
After consistently competing during the Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry era, they've found themselves without strong replacements for either, or superior talent at other positions. Or an identity, for that matter. This year, they've been held to 17 or fewer points in all but one game.
How they can fix it
Move on from veterans, collect as much draft capital as possible and keep building methodically. Target a potential franchise quarterback like Sanders, Cam Ward, Quinn Ewers or Carson Beck in next year's draft. Don't waste much more time on Will Levis, who has an abysmal 75.2 passer rating and a 7-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last 10 starts.
In a nutshell
The reset is already underway, but a strange commitment to a wide array of veterans is holding that up to an extent. They need to be willing to hit rock bottom soon. Perhaps the DeAndre Hopkins trade is a sign of what's coming next?
2. New Orleans Saints (2-5)
How they got here
For years, well beyond the end of the Drew Brees era, they've clung to the fading hope that they might still have enough talent elsewhere to compete. Now, quarterback Derek Carr is hardly more of an asset than a liability when healthy, and he's neither an asset nor healthy right now. Meanwhile, their once-vaunted defense has fallen apart across a brutal five-game losing streak.
How they can fix it
Dump Carr, Marshon Lattimore, Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Ryan Ramczyk and Tyrann Mathieu and start fresh at practically every position. Not sure anyone is worth building around, except maybe Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave.
In a nutshell
I'll bet that when the Saints are competitive again, almost none of the current players and coaches are still employed by the team. The teardown is necessary and ideally nigh.
1. Cleveland Browns (1-6)
How they got here
In what is sure to become the subject of a documentary or two one day, they handed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to a quarterback who hasn't been reliable since 2020. Now, Deshaun Watson looks unfixable (and just suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday), the rest of the offense has consistently failed to compensate for that, and a once-awesome defense has come crashing back to earth for a team that hasn't scored more than 18 points in a single game this season.
How they can fix it
Start by admitting you messed up on Watson. Cut your losses there, tank the rest of 2024, draft or sign a high-potential quarterback in the 2025 offseason and slowly build the rest of it up for 2026 and beyond. The money and draft capital is there if needed, believe it or not.
In a nutshell
This coaching staff has done a decent job despite some huge challenges beyond their control, so an overhaul there might not be necessary. But it's pretty clear the roster itself needs to undergo a painful restoration pretty much across the board. Beyond several star defenders and stalwart offensive linemen, few are worthy of being spared.