While an NFL team doesn’t need a franchise quarterback to win a Super Bowl, having one definitely makes it easier.
The last five quarterbacks to win the whole thing were Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford. While it isn’t impossible to win without a star behind center, it’s improbable. No position has more control over the game than a quarterback.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando recently ranked each team’s strength of schedule based on the quarterbacks they play by organizing all the signal callers into tiers.
According to Sando’s ranking, the Cincinnati Bengals have the fourth-easiest schedule in the NFL in 2024.