Odds to Lead the League in Interceptions Thrown in 2020 NFL Season – Darnold Favored, Mayfield Close Behind

• Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is the slight favorite (+1000) to lead the league in interceptions for the 2020 NFL season
• A trio of QBs – Daniel Jones, Baker Mayfield and Philip Rivers – trail close behind at +1100
• See odds for each starting pivot to lead the league in picks within the story below

With Jets running back Le’Veon Bell in decline and the possibility of playing from behind, there’s a sentiment that Sam Darnold and New York could throw the ball more in 2020. The third-year quarterback has had turnover issues through his first two seasons, tossing 15 interceptions in 2018 and 13 picks last season.

Both of those ignominious efforts came over the course of 13 games each season. As such, the former first-round pick is the +1000 favorite to lead the league in interceptions this year.

With Jameis Winston safely holding a clipboard In New Orleans (last year’s league leader is the Saints’ third-string quarterback behind future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and Swiss Army knife backup Taysom Hill), Darnold is among an intriguing group to hold the dubious honor.

Odds to Throw Most Interceptions in 2020 NFL Season

Odds taken Sept. 8th

Jameis Out of the Running

If you were a savvy bettor and saw this same interception prediction piece last year, we won you some money! 2019 preseason favorite Jameis Winston – who was going off at +750 – not only became the first quarterback to throw 30 picks since fellow Buc Vinny Testaverde turned the trick in 1988, but Winston became the first player to throw for at least 30 touchdowns (he had 33) and 30 interceptions in the same season in NFL history.

Free Agent QB Jameis Winston led the NFL with 30 interceptions.

He had 21 more interceptions dropped: pic.twitter.com/LEAhrBHljj

— QB Data Mine (@QBDataMine) March 16, 2020

The key here: which quarterback has the longest leash? Winston was able to throw that many picks (he actually had 21 more dropped!) because he also threw those 33 touchdowns and 5,109 yards for the season.

Which signal-caller takes the title this year? Let’s investigate and make a prediction.

Ghosting the Favorite

I’m fading Darnold as chalk here. While his interception percentage rates (3.6 in 2018 and 2.9 in 2019) are comparable to Winston’s career percentages prior to last year (ranging from 2.8 in 2015 to 3.7 in 2018), Adam Gase isn’t Bruce Arians.

Near the end of last night’s game, Sam Darnold and Adam Gase exchanged some words on the sideline. Not sure what was said, but backup QB David Fales’ reaction says a lot. pic.twitter.com/m0cdCBOcxF

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) December 13, 2019

Simply put, Gase won’t put the former USC Trojan in a position to be as bad as Winston was in 2019. While I do think the Jets may pass the ball more this season, they won’t do it anywhere near the clip Tampa Bay aired it out last season.

Rivers Flowing

New Colts QB Philip Rivers is in the exact opposite boat than Darnold. He’s a veteran teamed with a head coach who wants to throw. In Frank Reich’s first year in Indianapolis (and Andrew Luck’s last), the Colts threw the second-most passes in the NFL at 644.

While Rivers is coming in as the wily vet, he also tossed 20 picks last year – and led the league in throws to the other team in 2014 (18) and 2016 (21).

2019 NFL Most Interceptions Thrown

With Winston and Allen non-factors in 2020, this is a two-man race.

Baker’s Dozen … And Then Some

As far as I’m concerned, you can flip a coin between Rivers and Baker Mayfield to be the 2020 interception leader. Mayfield threw 14 picks his rookie campaign and 21 last year. The 21 would have either led or tied for the league lead in seven of the last nine seasons.

All 11 of Baker Mayfield’s interceptions this season pic.twitter.com/YA0oXbDCyT

— Everything Cleveland (@everythingcle_) October 16, 2019

Mayfield has the gunslinger’s mentality (like a Winston or Brett Favre) to win this bet.  At +1100, Rivers and Mayfield may not be longshots, but they’re worth a shot for this embarrassing title in 2020.