Week 9 NFL QB Chaos: Milton, Sanders, and Minshew Take Over
Lamar Jackson believes he’s not done yet.
The NFL just dropped a Week 9 quarterback slate that looks like a preseason fever dream.
Ian Rapoport confirmed a massive wave of under-center musical chairs for Sunday. is taking over for the , Gardner is firing up the mustache for the , Joe gets the nod for the , and is stepping in for the . Oh, and Lamar Jackson is out here promising he is not done for the year, which is exactly what you want to hear from your franchise quarterback in November.
Let us start in , where the 2-6 Eagles are officially throwing spaghetti at the wall. Jalen Hurts is sidelined, Tanner McKee just piloted them through a six-game losing streak, and now head coach Nick Sirianni is handing the keys to Joe against the . has a cannon that could launch a football into orbit, but trusting a rookie who just arrived from the practice squad to save your season is a tough sell at the betting window.
Over in , the 5-3 Browns are turning to . Deshaun Watson took a brutal hit against the Pittsburgh Steelers and is stuck in concussion protocol. gets to make his first start against the , which instantly makes the most fascinating watch of the afternoon.
Then we have the NFC West backup bowl. Sam Darnold is dealing with quad and rib injuries after getting beat up by the , so the 4-4 Seahawks are rolling with . He gets to duel Gardner , who just came off the bench to steal an overtime win against and is now trying to drag the 3-5 Cardinals back from the dead.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens are sitting at 4-5 and holding their breath. Jackson missed practice time with an ankle issue, and while he is telling teammates he plans to return this season, the fact that we even need that reassurance is terrifying for anyone holding a Baltimore futures ticket.
We are officially in the survival phase of the NFL calendar. If your team is trotting out a guy who was holding a clipboard three weeks ago, just close your eyes, pray for a defensive touchdown, and hope the injury report looks better by Tuesday.