Updated Odds to Be Starting QB for Saints, Broncos, Bears, Patriots, and 49ers Ahead of Week 2 of NFL Preseason

• Several NFL teams have intriguing QB battles ongoing heading into Week 2 of the NFL preseason
• The New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers all have real or perceived competition going on for the starting spot under center
• Assessment of where each team’s QB situation is at entering this week’s games is below

Following the deepest NFL Draft for quarterbacks in nearly four decades, it figures that some teams would be facing battles in training camps for the starting spot under center. In point of fact, that’s exactly the case.

Entering Week 2 of the NFL preseason, there are an abundance of QB competitions and even a couple of QB conundrums. Are the San Francisco 49ers, a year removed from going to the Super Bowl, really ready to hand their reins to rookie Trey Lance?

Will the New Orleans Saints go with jack of all trades Taysom Hill or former NFL starter Jameis Winston? Is the battle in Denver between Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, or are the rumors going to come true that the Broncos are the next home for troubled Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson?

Let’s look at the list of ongoing NFL QB competitions and assess how they might turn out: Denver Broncos | New Orleans Saints | Chicago Bears | New England Patriots | San Francisco 49ers

Broncos In Market For Watson?

A lot of football people are of the belief that the Broncos can match up with any NFL team at just about every position but one – quarterback. It’s one reason why the Watson to Denver rumors aren’t going away, no matter how loudly the Broncos front office is denying it.

Odds to Be Broncos’ Starting Quarterback in 2021 NFL Season

All odds as of August 17th at FOX Bet

In the meantime, the current QB battle continues between veteran journeyman Teddy Bridgewater and the erratic but talented Drew Lock.

Lock started Denver’s preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Bridgewater gets the starting nod this week against the Seattle Seahawks. Broncos coach Vic Fangio is offering indications that he might name his starter after this week’s game.

Drew Lock is GUNNING for QB1 🚀pic.twitter.com/mV0BeHXXG8

— PFF (@PFF) August 14, 2021

At the same time, he’s admitting that the scenario is 50-50 at the moment. He’s right. Of all the QB battles, this one’s the toughest call – with Watson looming as a wild card.

• Pick: Drew Lock (-162).

Saints QB Showdown Still Ongoing

When it comes to the showdown for the #1 QB position in New Orleans, the two competitors are complete opposites in terms of what they bring to both the huddle and the line of scrimmage. There’s Taysom Hill, who has performed like a Swiss Army Knife for the Saints in the past. He’s filled plenty of different roles.

Given the chance to be the man under center for New Orleans last season after an injury to starter Drew Brees, Hill’s numbers were underwhelming. However, he still found a way to get the job done.

Odds to Be Saints’ Starting Quarterback in 2021 NFL Season

It’s that combination of versatility and ability to find ways to win that seems to keep Saints coach Sean Payton enamored with the possibilities that Hill brings to the line of scrimmage. He’s an improvisational artist at QB. It’s not always pretty to watch but for the most part, it seems to be effective.

Winston, once the first player chosen in the NFL Draft, offers more of a traditional feel at QB. He’s also got five NFL seasons as a starting QB under his belt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

https://twitter.com/MichaelBalkoJr/status/1426641463492943880?s=20

Winston has definitely got game. In his last season as a first stringer with the Bucs, he led the NFL in passing yardage (5,109) and yards per game (319.3). At the same time, Winston also tossed an NFL-high 30 interceptions. In 2017, he coughed up a league-leading 15 fumbles.

Coaches don’t tend to like to roll with high-risk, high-return options. That’s what it makes sense that Payton would be leaning toward going with Hill.

• Pick: Taysom Hill (+162)

Bears’ Dalton Says His Time Is Now

Speaking to the media earlier this week, veteran Bears QB Andy Dalton praised the skill and ability of first-round draft pick Justin Fields. Then he advised the rookie to grab some bench.

Dalton said it’s his time now, but is it really? Fields is turning heads with his play in the preseason.

Odds to Be Bears’ Starting Quarterback in 2021 NFL Season

He was 14-for-20 for 142 passing yards and a touchdown in his NFL preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins. Fields also added an element that Dalton can’t, rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown.

https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1428035669377667079?s=20

Bears coach Matt Nagy gave indications that he’ll give his starters a much longer run in this week’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Dalton might need to show something in order to stay ahead of Fields on the depth chart.

• Pick: Justin Fields (+162)

Patriots Unlikely to Keep Up With Jones

Never a fountain of information at the best of times, Patriots coach Bill Belichick insists that he is in no hurry to name a starting quarterback. That being said, it’s veteran Cam Newton who is continuing to get the majority of reps with the first team.

Cam Newton had a couple on-the-money downfield throws in practice today as he continues to take all the No. 1 reps. His best might have been to a streaking Nelson Agholor, about 30 yards, for a TD to the left-corner of the end zone. 🏈🎯

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 15, 2021

That was the case this week as the Patriots took part in controlled scrimmages against the Philadelphia Eagles. But the reality is that Newton is displaying the same struggles and inconsistencies that he showed for much of his first season as New England’s starter.

Meanwhile, Jones is oozing potential. He’s showing the ability to get the ball downfield, the kind of vertical game that Newton simply wasn’t providing to New England last season.

Odds to Be Patriots’ Starting Quarterback in 2021 NFL Season

Then again, Belichick had the GOAT on his team as a rookie and he never let Tom Brady start a single game. Brady saw action in one game during his rookie season in a mop up role. He attempted all of three passes.

Pick: Cam Newton (-275).

Niners Won’t Be Quick to Change

In three full seasons as San Francisco’s starting QB, Jimmy Garoppolo’s season was twice significantly shortened by injury. The other year, he took the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Odds to Be 49ers’ Starting Quarterback in 2021 NFL Season

San Francisco’s roster was utterly gutted by injury in 2020. This is a team that can within a win of ruling over the NFL in 2019. If healthy, there’s no reason that the Niners won’t bounce back and contend again in 2021.

Lance is the future under center for San Fran. He threw for an 80-yard touchdown in his first NFL preseason game. But that future is not now. Even Patrick Mahomes sat for his rookie season in Kansas City before he took over as the starter during his second season.

TREY LANCE WITH AN 80-YARD STRIKE 😤

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/J1ird6186A

— ESPN (@espn) August 15, 2021

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan is telling everyone that there is no QB controversy in San Francisco. Garoppolo is his starter. Unless he struggles or suffers another injury, that’s the way it will be all season long.

Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo (-450)