Does the NFL have a QB development problem?
Does the NFL have a QB development problem?
By Levi Coovert November 08, 2024 17:41
Already this season, the NFL has seen young quarterbacks Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson, the first and fourth overall picks of the 2023 draft, benched in favor of veterans Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco. It is leading many NFL fans and analysts to ask the question, does the NFL have a QB development problem?
Young was not even given a season and a half before being benched. Richardson was given ten starts. Other young quarterbacks have earned even less of a runway. Trey Lance only got four starts as a 49er before being traded to the Cowboys, despite being the third overall pick. Will Levis appears to have been benched by the Titans after not even a full season.
The trend of young quarterbacks struggling to develop also applies to some who are still starting. Trevor Lawrence, who was once known as the “Prince who was Promised,” was on a trajectory to be one of the top passers in the league. He came back from a 28-point deficit to win a playoff game in his second season, but since then, he has struggled. The Jaguars and Lawrence have shown real regression over the past year, and it’s worth wondering what happened to his development.
Similarly, fans might point to Daniel Jones, one of the top picks in 2019. Jones appeared to be ascending when he defeated the Vikings in the 2022 playoffs, but since then, he has been among the worst signal callers in the league, only winning three games in a two year span. What happened to his development?
However, it is also important to note that there has been a tremendous wave of young talent taking over teams and winning playoff games. CJ Stroud, Brock Purdy, and Jordan Love all won playoff games in 2023. Jalen Hurts went to a Super Bowl two years ago, and Tua Tagovailoa has proven himself as an MVP candidate with the Dolphins.
Meanwhile, all four rookie QB’s have played well in 2024, with Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix sporting winning records, Caleb Williams looking good at 4-4, and Drake Maye doing his best to lift up a weak roster in New England.
So perhaps there is not a QB development problem after all. Instead, look at the players who are succeeding in comparison to the ones struggling. Many of the struggling young passers, such as Richardson and Lance, came out of college with only one year of starting under their belts. Others, such as Young, Levis, and Mitchell Trubisky started two seasons in college, and have similarly struggled in the NFL.
Is it possible that the real takeaway should be that teams need to stop overdrafting quarterbacks with two or fewer years of experience starting? Then again, Stroud only started two years, and he has blossomed into a star with the Texans.
The jury is still out on whether or not the NFL has a real QB development problem, and fans are likely to remain divided on the topic.
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