“Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck” – Don Shula
The position that wins super bowls, the position that determines whether a GM and Coach are considered successful; this is the way of the Quarterback. In times of trouble, the QB of your team is your lighthouse; someone who navigates the darkness, even through the most difficult of circumstances. Since the QB is most important, they should be priority 1 when it comes to an NFL franchise, right? In the words of Lee Corso, not so Fast my Friend!
This NFL season seems to be an episode of the Twilight Zone. Aaron Rodgers is about to be benched for Jordan Love, Geno Smith ‘Space-Jammed’ Russell Wilson’s abilities and Tom Brady is no longer winning his battle w/ Time. Nothing in the NFL makes sense anymore, but this isn’t just a random, one-off event. Instead, we are witnessing the changing of the guard. In a league dominated by QB play, more and more teams are looking to find their next star to elevate them to new heights. Those in need have turn to two places; either veterans in free agency or young QB’s in the draft. The old veterans that have been bouncing around the league never get better than they were at their previous stop, showing ok talent but nothing great (i.e. Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz and Mitch Trubisky). Even in the NFL draft, some of the top draft picks are also struggling to step up to that next level (i.e. Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Daniel Jones). So many swings and misses, yet teams continue to search day and night for the next “stud” QB. What if you didn’t need a superstar at QB like today’s modern NFL says? What if all the team needed was a good locker room fit, a QB who could rally the team and “be the glue”?
First take a look at the New York Jets. They drafted Zach Wilson and he has been less than impressive in his 2 seasons with the team so far. In fact, Zach Wilson ranks dead last among qualified starters in passing yards and touchdowns this season. The Jets as a whole on the other hand, are playing very well; ranking 5th in Points allowed/ per game and 3rd in yards allowed per game. The offense wasn’t cutting it with Wilson so they turned to Mike White. In 3 starts, White has 1 less TD pass (3) than Zach Wilson has (4) in 7 starts this year. In that same amount of time, Mike White has only 300 less passing yards than Wilson. While the team may not have a better win percentage with White, he’s shown he can handle himself well in tough situations, keeping the game within 1 score against 2 of the top teams in the NFL the last 2 weeks (Vikings and Bills). Another key change with White under center is the team chemistry. Guy’s are getting off the team plane wearing “Mike F’n White” shirts and publicly encouraging their QB, a feat rarely seen with Wilson under center. Even disgruntled wideout Elijah Moore has calmed down and begun to produce for the Jets. With a new energy in the locker room, the Jets are looking to capitalize and make the playoffs for the first time since 2010 with Mike White at the helm.
Skip across the country and you’ll find another team in a very similar boat. The only difference between the 49ers and Jets is that the QB position was stable BEFORE Brock Purdy arrived. Asking Purdy to elevate the 49ers would be tough however as they’re currently 8th in PPG and 9th in YPG. That being said, Purdy has not let the offense skip a beat in the absence of Jimmy Garoppolo, scoring 33 points against the Dolphins and 35 against the Buccaneers. Purdy has proven that he can play just as well as the other QB’s in the room, and at a much cheaper price tag. If the 49ers were to move forward with Purdy (and Trey Lance once he returns), they would have an extra 15-30 million to go and get more firepower, or allocate that towards an extension for a player who is crucial to their success.
Mike White and Brock Purdy have shown that it doesn’t take a “generational talent” at QB to fix a team’s offense. White is a 5th rounder from Western Kentucky who was cut by the Cowboys before ending up in NY. Purdy was dubbed “Mr Irrelevant” in this year’s draft, being taken with the last pick. This isn’t to say don’t go after the stud QB’s who can win games by themselves; Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert are among those talents who are helping their teams in major ways and all the credit to them. I’m just saying in today’s NFL, it’s not the only way to find success. NFL Teams who need a QB always seem to stretch for one in the NFL draft, we see it every year. Whether it be a decent performance in their bowl game or at the combine, 1 or 2 guys always seem to shoot past their true grade and a team will draft them based off their “ceiling”. In the same note, certain players will fall in the draft because their ceiling is limited, most of the time due to their age (staying through their senior year). White and Purdy both stayed through their senior year and their draft status took a hit because of it, despite great performances in college; Mike White had the 4th most passing yards of any QB his senior year and Purdy in his had the 5th best completion percentage.
Success at the college level should be a leading indicator of a QB’s potential. Skills are great, but when under pressure, how do they react? Moving forward, NFL teams should be more cautious in regards to the QB position, because as time goes on the gap between Good and Great college quarterbacks is going to keep getting narrower. Instead of tossing a large portion of salary at a QB who is just ok, spend that money on PROVEN assets at other positions and take a risk on someone who was good in college. If it doesn’t work out? Just try again next year, there is always a magnitude of QB’s entering the draft Although they might not meet the same “ceiling” that these other players might have, we’ve seen that at the NFL level, they’re just as capable of winning games. And may we NEVER forget that:
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