The NFL is officially back with the preseason getting underway over the course of the past week. With another season of professional football comes more opportunity for former NC State quarterbacks to continue doing the red-and-white proud. While some former Wolfpack quarterbacks prepare to serve their squads from the sideline rather than under center, NC State still proudly boasts a talented selection of QBs in the NFL.

Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks

A household name going into his 10th NFL season, Russell Wilson is just as ready as ever to return to his former postseason glory. Who could forget the Legion of Boom Seahawks who were on pace to be the next great NFL dynasty before being broken up just a couple of years after its rout of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Despite the messy divorce the team has faced with its winning ways in the postseason, one constant has always remained in place: exceptional play from Wilson whenever it’s asked of him.

There has long since been an assumption that as age increases in professional sports that quality of play moves inversely. However, just as Tom Brady and LeBron James continue to put that narrative in the dirt, Wilson continues to age like fine wine in the pocket. Coming off arguably his best season as a passer in his professional career in 2020, Wilson is showing no signs of exiting his prime at 32 years old.

In a season where Wilson threw for 4,212 yards and 40 touchdowns on an incredibly efficient 68.8% completion rate, the quarterback continued to cement his legacy as a generational talent in the league with a lot left to prove. Each of the statistics listed above were career highs for Wilson who played and started in all 16 games of the season, as he has done every year in his career.

Barring injury or utter disaster for Wilson and the Seahawks this season, there is absolutely no reason why Wilson can’t continue to improve despite having a career year last season. Serving as the leader of a talent-loaded offense including the likes of running back Chris Carson, tight ends Will Dissly and Gerald Everett and wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Wilson has a squad just as primed as ever for a huge year.

This season brings a new learning curve for Wilson however, whose offensive game calling will be done by the newly hired Shane Waldron, who formerly served as the Los Angeles Rams’ passing game coordinator. Those familiar with Wilson will have no worries for the quarterback under new management, as he has proven time and time again that he can excel under any system that is centered around team success.

Mike Glennon, quarterback, New York Giants

After a messy year in Jacksonville where the 31-year-old quarterback wasn’t able to earn himself a long-term roster spot on a relatively unimpressive roster, Mike Glennon now finds himself serving as Daniel Jones’ backup this year in New York. Expectations weren’t particularly high for Glennon in his time with the Jaguars, but his 0-5 record in his only five starts last season were enough to earn himself a one way ticket to the Big Apple.

The Giants have made it clear that Daniel Jones is their guy for the next season at the very least, and Glennon’s signing serves as nothing more than a learning opportunity for the young quarterback who is still trying to find his feet in the big leagues. Glennon is no stranger to changes of scenery, filling roles on five different teams throughout his eight-year career. He is now presented with an opportunity to earn his keep with New York for the near future provided he can be a positive influence on the development of Jones.

NFL fans will likely not see Glennon on the field at all this year unless it comes as the result of a nuclear level catastrophe for the Giants. Across his journeyman’s career in the league, Glennon has started in 27 games with a record of 6-21. It would appear that he has exhausted all of his opportunities to be a starter in pro football, but can now begin working towards using the remainder of his playing days to mentor younger quarterbacks league wide. This season will likely serve as his interview into becoming a trusted backup that can continue to collect a salary for at least the next couple of seasons.

Jacoby Brissett, quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Jacoby Brissett also finds himself in new scenery this season, making the shift from Indianapolis to Miami in the offseason. Following his pair of strong showings in New England in his first professional season, Brissett served as a Swiss-Army knife for the Colts for four years before his eventual departure from the franchise. Unlike Glennon, it’s unsure whether Brissett’s play warrants a backup spot, with the 28-year-old showing plenty of promise as a starter when given the opportunity.

Whatever football fans feel on the issue is irrelevant however, as Brissett now finds himself as the backup quarterback for a young and budding Miami Dolphins offense led by fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft: Tua Tagovailoa. Regardless of the gas that Brissett has in his tank, this is a phenomenal move for Miami, who brought the former NC State quarterback in to help mentor Tagovailoa without being an immediate threat to his success as former Dolphin Ryan Fitzpatrick proved to be last season.

Flashes of brilliance from Fitzpatrick clearly stunted Tagovailoa’s growth a season ago, coming in to save games for the Dolphins when Tua was struggling rather than allowing the young quarterback to figure out how to face adversity on his lonesome. Now with “Fitzmagic” out of the picture in Miami, Brissett offers a much more passive mentor figure for Tagovailoa in a season that will prove crucial to his success moving forward.

Should the struggles for Tagovailoa observed last year persist into this season however, Brissett could have his name called on to help get this Miami team into winning ways. The constant battle between Tua and Fitzpatrick signified a win-now mentality for head coach Brian Flores, who will likely not step down from that stance in the coming year. Such a situation is unlikely in all seriousness, with Tagovailoa showing plenty of promise a year ago and now having a full offseason under his belt. Brissett faces a similar situation to that of the previously mentioned Glennon: having the opportunity to earn his keep in the league for the next few years through off the field actions rather than his performance under center.