For years, a debate has raged in the NFL about how to handle rookie quarterbacks: Start them immediately, or sit them for a year or two and allow them to develop?
Some of the top quarterbacks in the league sat and learned before starting, making a good argument for patience. Tom Brady didn’t become a full-time starter until his second year, and he’s chasing his fifth Super Bowl title. Aaron Rodgers went three seasons sitting behind Brett Favre before starting for the first time.
Philip Rivers and Tony Romo went two full seasons before starting for the first time. Drew Brees did not start until his second season.
In today’s NFL, though, with such a shortage of true franchise quarterbacks and with so many teams desperate to find one, there’s no longer such a thing as development time. That leads to rushes to judgment, which is hurting quarterback development — perhaps leaving some young quarterbacks cast aside as failures too soon, before they have had a fair chance.
The current example of the start-immediately trend is Tampa Bay and Tennessee, the two fledgling franchises with the top picks in April’s draft. The Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston at No. 1 and the Titans picked Marcus Mariota at No. 2, and both teams felt they had no choice but to start their new investments with tickets to sell to disgruntled bases.
The two top picks faced each other last Sunday in a compelling Week 1 matchup, with Mariota badly outplaying Winston.
“I don’t think there’s any coach in the world that wants to start a rookie quarterback,’’ said Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, a former NFL head coach. “But if that’s the best option available to you, that’s what you do. That’s just the situation that some teams find themselves in — where they’ve got to play the guy. Some teams don’t and they can sit him. Aaron Rodgers could sit. Tom Brady could sit. But some of those guys can’t sit.’’
Before Gailey came to the Jets, the last two quarterbacks they drafted (Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith) started immediately and, in hindsight, both players did not benefit from being thrown right into the fire. Now, not long into their respective careers, a negative determination has been made on both of their ability to be NFL starters.
There is no way to tangibly measure this, but had they had the benefit of waiting a year or two and learning behind a veteran, who is to say either Sanchez, Smith or both might not be starters now, instead of cast-away backups so early in their careers?
There are, of course, current exceptions to the wait-and-develop rule.
Andrew Luck, who has been the starter since the day the Colts drafted him, has led Indianapolis to the playoffs his first three seasons. Joe Flacco has started since Day 1 for the Ravens and is one of the most successful postseason quarterbacks in the game outside of Brady. Russell Wilson was an immediate starter in Seattle and has been to two Super Bowls in his three seasons.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles, asked if he had the “luxury’’ of letting a rookie quarterback develop, said with a smile: “If I had the luxury, I probably wouldn’t [draft] one.’’
