In the NFL, it’s a given that coaches and front offices will make mistakes on player evaluations.
Guys that should be starting might end up sitting on the bench for too long, and certainly there are players who get more rope than they really should as well.
It’s easier to conceal these errors in judgment when they relate to a nickel cornerback or a rotational defensive end.
However, when this inability to make the right decision seeps into the quarterback room, it can cause problems on the field and in the locker room.
Organizations need to pay extra attention to making sure that they are taking the temperature of the players under center accurately.
It’s not too late for franchises to correct their assessment at the most important position in sports in June—but here are three mistakes NFL teams are making at quarterback right now.
3. Philadelphia’s Open Competition
From a chemistry standpoint, the approach new head coach Nick Sirianni is taking makes a lot of sense.
Since he’s just starting his head coaching journey, he wants to promote an atmosphere of competition as opposed to one of complacency.
It’s usually the trope that most first-year head coaches preach when they get a new job.
However, the Eagles don’t need to openly claim that there’s a heated battle at quarterback between Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco.
Flacco has had a respectable career in the NFL, but he has not been a viable starter for a few years now.
He’s fine to have as a presence in the quarterback room as an alternative, but pretending he could be the starter Week 1 is unwise.
Hurts was already part of a locker room last year that vacillated between Carson Wentz and himself, and it might do more for his confidence to let him (and his teammates) know he’s the guy from the beginning of camp.
Offseason work@JalenHurts | #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/JZTTJ7TLRW
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 22, 2021
2. San Francisco’s Consideration Of Trading Jimmy Garoppolo
Let’s rewind the calendar way back in time to January 2020.
The 49ers had just made the Super Bowl, and were within a whisker of knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs for the championship.
Had Jimmy Garoppolo put a little more air under a downfield pass to Emmanuel Sanders, that hypothetical scenario might have been a reality.
Granted, Garoppolo has been hurt more than the team would like, and does need help around him in order to be effective.
It makes sense that San Francisco tried to get someone a little more dynamic at the position, which rookie Trey Lance profiles to be.
But look at the 49ers’ roster; they’re a win-now type of team.
Ideally, Lance would start Week 1 and light the league on fire, but he might also need more time to get his bearings.
If the 49ers truly aren’t going to throw away the 2021 season, they should keep Garoppolo around as insurance, despite his price tag.
1. Chicago’s Steadfast Support Of Andy Dalton
It might not just be the biggest mistake an NFL team is making at quarterback; it might be the most egregious blunder a team is making at any position.
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy continues to claim that veteran Andy Dalton will be the team’s Week 1 starter.
He might be channeling his inner Sirianni by trying to refrain from handing the job to rookie Justin Fields, but he can’t afford to play that game.
It’s no secret that his job, and potentially the job of general manger Ryan Pace, hangs in the balance.
Blessed 🙏🏽. https://t.co/1IlNVz1QH8
— Justin Fields (@justnfields) June 11, 2021
Dalton is a solid streaming quarterback should Fields struggle or get hurt, but they won’t have the luxury of running a vanilla offense again in 2021.
Their longevity in Chicago is directly tied to Fields’ performance, so they would be better served feeding the former Ohio State quarterback as many first-team reps as he can handle.
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