There’s nothing more painful for a quarterback than watching a comfortable lead crumble into dust as the clock winds down. Some signal-callers just seem to unravel when the pressure ramps up, turning potential wins into frustrating losses.
While a few thrive under the bright lights, these quarterbacks have often struggled when the walls start closing in during the final minutes. Here are NFL quarterbacks who just couldn’t keep it together when a fourth-quarter collapse was looming.
24. Mark Sanchez
The Butt Fumble wasn’t just a one-time disaster. Sanchez had a knack for turning promising drives into heartbreaking turnovers when the game was on the line.
23. Blake Bortles
He might have led the Jaguars to an AFC Championship game, but when the fourth-quarter pressure hit, Bortles often went from hero to head-scratcher in seconds.
22. Jameis Winston
With his aggressive gunslinger mentality, Winston racked up fourth-quarter interceptions like it was a hobby. Sometimes it felt like his late-game strategy was just chucking it and hoping for the best.
21. Jay Cutler
Cutler’s arm was never in question, but his late-game decision-making often was. His body language on the sideline during a collapse never inspired much confidence either.
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzmagic had its moments, but the bearded wonder also had a habit of disappearing when the pressure got too intense, turning Fitzmagic into Fitztragic.
19. Sam Darnold
Darnold’s fourth-quarter woes often made Jets fans feel like they were cursed. He never quite found that late-game spark during his New York days, but maybe his time in Seattle will be different.
18. Tony Romo
Romo’s career was full of breathtaking highs and gut-wrenching lows. Fourth quarters were often when those lows came out in full force, leading to plenty of what-could-have-been moments.
17. Jared Goff
Goff can light it up when he’s in rhythm, but if the script flips in the fourth, he’s been known to unravel faster than a cheap sweater.
16. Matt Schaub
Once a solid starter, Schaub’s pick-sixes in crucial moments became the stuff of legend. When the fourth quarter got tense, Schaub often made it worse.
15. Carson Wentz
Wentz’s roller-coaster career is littered with promising drives turned disastrous. When the pressure ramps up, he’s struggled to keep it together.
14. Andy Dalton
The Red Rifle had plenty of regular-season wins, but his fourth-quarter collapses in prime-time games are the stuff of nightmares.
13. Derek Carr
Carr had his moments, but his late-game struggles cost his teams more than a few wins over the years. Sometimes it feels like the moment is just too big.
12. Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill enjoyed a career resurgence in Tennessee, but his playoff collapses became a recurring theme. When the stakes rose, his performances dipped.
11. Baker Mayfield
The swagger is undeniable, but Mayfield’s late-game decision-making left Browns fans questioning if he was really their guy. Turns out he wasn’t, and sometimes the confidence outweighs the execution.
10. Matthew Stafford (Pre-Rams)
Stafford’s arm talent is elite, but in his Lions days, he racked up plenty of gut-wrenching late-game losses that still haunt Detroit fans.
9. Rex Grossman
Grossman’s boom-or-bust style meant his fourth quarters were a gamble at best. His Super Bowl run with the Bears ended in fittingly chaotic fashion.
8. Phillip Rivers
Rivers was a fiery competitor, but his fourth-quarter interceptions and untimely mistakes were often the difference between winning and losing.
7. Cam Newton
When things went south, Newton’s body language could be as deflating as the scoreline. He’s had his heroic moments, but those late-game struggles linger.
6. Matt Ryan
Ryan’s 28-3 Super Bowl collapse is the gold standard of fourth-quarter heartbreak. He’s never quite shaken that legacy, despite an otherwise impressive career.
5. Tony Eason
Eason’s Super Bowl XX performance was a masterclass in crumbling under pressure. It’s tough to come back from that kind of meltdown.
4. Jim Everett
Everett had all the tools, but the psychological toll of fourth-quarter collapses took its toll, leading to a famously disastrous on-field breakdown.
3. Kirk Cousins
The ultimate stat-padder, Cousins has had some high-pressure meltdowns that have left fans pulling their hair out. He’s got the numbers, but those crunch-time moments haven’t always been kind.
2. Drew Lock
Lock’s potential has always been there, but when it comes to late-game execution, he’s still trying to figure it out.
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1. Zach Wilson
Wilson’s fourth-quarter struggles have been a defining feature of his young career. Football fans are still waiting for him to find that clutch gene.
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