Does the NFL have a problem developing young quarterbacks, or are these guys just truly bad at football?
It's a question that is going to require a lot of studying, introspection on the part of teams, and discussion in the coming years. There is no doubt that we are seeing a lot of evidence of the NFL having a quarterback problem in recent years. Guys like Daniel Jones are getting paid $160 million contracts after one mediocre season. Teams like the Cleveland Browns are so desperate for any semblance of solid quarterback play that they're willing to shell out an NFL-record $230 million in fully guaranteed cash to Deshaun Watson, legal issues and all.
What's really concerning these days is the league's intolerance for quarterback development. Obviously there are a number of situations being highlighted in recent years and even days like Anthony Richardson being benched by the Colts. But there are countless examples when it comes to the last 5-10 years in the NFL of teams drafting quarterbacks (into bad situations) and not giving them much time to figure things out at all.
Are the owners ultimately the ones to blame?
NFL has a major quarterback development problem
The Anthony Richardson example is low-hanging fruit right now, so let's use that as an example. The Colts used the 4th overall pick on Richardson, a guy who was notable coming out of Florida for two things: Freakish physical talent and barely any time on task. The Colts drafted Richardson knowing full well that he was going to be a project, and Colts owner Jim Irsay even made a post during the 2023 NFL Draft that they could double up and take Will Levis in round two as well.
Now, it's looking like maybe he was more serious about that than anything else.
Irsay, like every owner in the NFL, wants a long-term solution known and in place at the quarterback position. But the decision to bench Anthony Richardson for Joe Flacco -- while not without merit -- is a clear decision to move away from a long-term plan in favor of short-term -- instant -- gratification.
The pressure to win now in today's NFL is understandable, but only in certain situations and contexts. Teams are not buying into long-term building plans. That's not universal for every NFL team, but it's true of so many. And it wouldn't be shocking if it were true in the Colts' context.
The same could be said for the Carolina Panthers, who pulled the plug on Bryce Young earlier this season and appear poised to move on from him after this season barring some surprising turnaround.
Fans can afford to think about contending in 2027 because they’ll still be there, attached to the team.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 30, 2024
Coaches/GMs/players can’t think long term. They are not afforded that luxury. None of them can guarantee they’ll be there in week 12 of this year, let alone in three years.
Brett Kollmann makes an interesting point here. Fans can afford to think long-term because fans aren't going anywhere (most likely). The same cannot be said for every coach/GM/player in the NFL because we know the NFL stands for "Not For Long" in so many contexts.
We have seen so many examples in recent years of quarterbacks coming in and absolutely blowing up as overnight success stories. Last year it was CJ Stroud. In 2020 it was Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow. Patrick Mahomes was an MVP candidate in his first year as a starter. Dak Prescott stole Tony Romo's job immediately as a Day 3 pick in 2016.
But there are just so few teams that are willing to commit to quarterbacks, especially when it doesn't work out right away. The reason for that is undoubtedly because the team doesn't immediately win.
There are some QBs who just flat-out can't play, there's no question about it. The Broncos weren't too quick to move on from Paxton Lynch. But what about situations like we're seeing this year with Sam Darnold and the Vikings after he was let go unceremoniously by the Jets?
What about Baker Mayfield's resurgence after getting out of terrible situations in Cleveland and Carolina?
What about Geno Smith and his resurgence with the Seahawks?
Heck, you could even throw Jared Goff into that category as he was undoubtedly a cast-off by the Los Angeles Rams.
The point is, NFL teams are willing to give up on quarterbacks quickly if they don't see instant results. I'm not saying that you should pass on Kyler Murray for Josh Rosen. I'm not saying you keep things rolling with Davis Mills and pass on CJ Stroud.
There is nuance to this discussion, but there's undoubtedly so much impatience when it comes to the NFL and quarterback development right now, so much so that it's costing the league dearly in overall QB play.