Detroit Lions Showing Confidence in Quarterback Jake Rudock

As he enters his second season with the Detroit Lions, Jake Rudock is in a prime position to cement his status as Mathew Stafford’s backup.

For years, the Detroit Lions have been looking for a young quarterback to develop behind Matthew Stafford. While the franchise has had many veteran backups like Daunte Culpepper, Shaun Hill, and Dan Orlovsky in the mix over the years, finding a player to draft and groom has been something of an ongoing, unfinished process in the Motor City. The team has been hesitant to spend draft capital on the position and as such, the issue has remained largely unresolved. However, in sophomore signal caller Jake Rudock, the Lions may have found exactly what they were searching for.

When first-year general manager Bob Quinn selected Rudock with the 191st overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, it marked the first time the Lions had drafted a passer since the team made Stafford the top pick in 2009. Clearly, the new front office prioritized finding a developmental project, and the former Michigan Wolverine intrigued them. With Stafford entrenched as the starter, and Orlovsky as the presumptive backup, Rudock appeared certain get his fair share of opportunities in camp to state his case for a roster spot.

As expected Rudock saw significant playing time in the 2016 preseason, and flashed some ability in the process, completing 30 of 51 passes for 333 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception, good for a quarterback rating of 96.3. The rookie also impressed as a runner, adding 10 carries for 62 yards on the ground. Lions fans took notice of his play, and he became something of an unheralded crowd favorite during this stretch. In fact, his play garnered such attention that there were rumblings he was a contender to be named Stafford’s backup.

Ultimately, that didn’t end up happening.

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Orlovsky retained his previous role, and to the disappointment of many vocal fans, Rudock was released altogether as the Lions cut down to their final 53-man roster last September. However, his quick addition to the team’s practice squad took some of the sting out of the situation, and showed that he remained a part of the team’s plans in some capacity. Rudock would remain in that position until late November, when his career took a big step forward: the Lions promoted him off the practice unit and made him the No. 3 quarterback, and a member of the active roster.

The most important tidbit of information about Rudock’s promotion is the fact that the Lions made the move to block the Chicago Bears from grabbing him off the practice squad for themselves. When faced with the prospect of losing Rudock, the Lions’ brass was willing to make the necessary roster adjustments in order to keep him in the mix, a clear indicator that the organization saw potential in him.

While those events can be seen as a vote of confidence toward Rudock, the fact remained that even once he joined the active roster, he never actually dressed for a game. And as the season concluded, his NFL future remained unclear. In February, however, that all changed. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Ross Tucker, Lions backup quarterback and free-agent-to-be, Dan Orlovsky made some comments that piqued the attention of Rudock supporters:

It appeared that Rudock was about to get his big chance, but without any official word from management, this was all little more than speculation. Telling Orlovsky he wouldn’t be re-signed wasn’t necessarily a guarantee that Rudock was locked into the backup job, and if the Lions had plans to add another veteran this offseason, they likely wouldn’t have shared that information with Orlovsky, regardless.

However, Quinn’s comments at his 2017 NFL Scouting Combine press conference (via CBS Detroit) echoed what Orlovsky had previously told Tucker, and seemed to completely clarify the matter:

"Jake had a good rookie year, started off on the practice squad, had a really good preseason and we made the decision to kind of give him every shot to be the No. 2 quarterback,” said Quinn. “So in the offseason program, in the OTAs and hopefully into training camp, he’s going to get every opportunity to earn that job."

It would appear then, that the job is Rudock’s to lose. In less than a year, the youngster has earned a great deal of trust from the organization. Every move that Quinn has made to this point is a prime illustration of his confidence in Rudock’s ability. The Lions may very well add another veteran to the quarterback room before the 2017 season gets underway, but it’s quite clear that for the first time in his career, Matthew Stafford is likely to have a backup that is several years his junior.

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While Rudock has never taken a snap in an NFL regular season contest, he will gain vital experience getting reps with the second unit in camp. It’s much too soon to know if the Lions have found their long-term backup quarterback, but one thing is certain: executives and fans alike are excited about Jake Rudock’s potential. This is his opportunity to prove that he’s ready to thrive.