Mobile Football Could Have A Shelf Life & Limited Results
It’s entirely possible we saw an AFC championship preview on Sunday. Surprisingly it’s not the Jets game against the Patriots, instead Baltimore took on the Chiefs in Kansas City in a battle of unbeaten QB’s Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Football fans should get used to quarterbacks like those two taking over the league when Tom Brady eventually retires. Mobile QB’s like Mahomes, Jackson, Russell Wilson and even the new shiny QB Daniel Jones can provide a team with play calling options that will throw old fashioned fans for a loop.
Nearly 700 yards of total offense was put up by the two QB’s in the Baltimore-Kansas City game and Daniel Jones had 364 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns in the Giants win over Tampa Bay. Let’s face it, this is the way quarterbacks are heading in the future. Pocket passing quarterbacks are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Drew Brees injured his thumb in the pocket after a throw and Ben Roethlisberger’s underwent successful elbow surgery this week narrowly avoiding Tommy John surgery.
Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and of course Tom Brady are really the only big names that the NFL has from the conventional QB playing group. In today’s NFL it’s all about getting viewers, selling tickets and of course fantasy football. Watching players like Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes or even Jameis Winston having the option to pass to a great receiver or run the ball adds excitement to the game. Of course there is an injury risk with players like this, but this style of play is what college football is teaching it’s top tier QB’s. Trevor Lawrence, Sam Ehlinger, Jalen Hurts, Khalil Tate and of course Tua Tagovailoa are some of the names that will join the ranks of run first quarterbacks in the pros.
There are of course drawbacks to quarterbacks playing this style of football. Cam Newton, Marcus Mariota and Jimmy Garoppolo are some examples of the dangers of playing a reckless QB position. Foot injuries, a torn ACL and an injured arm are just some of the threats these types of players face but it doesn’t stop us from drafting these quarterbacks high in fantasy football and NFL GM’s from drafting these high on their draft boards.
The interesting thing to look at as the years go by is how these players are compensated for these talents. With players like Prescott and Mahomes rookie deals running out or ending next year, how will they be paid. The two names mentioned are top names in the game, however a rolled ankle or a linebacker mowing down one of the top mobile QB’s could change the market and how QB’s are paid in the future.
There is one thing these flashy names have in common. The number 0, as in number of super bowls won. That’s a number that matters when you start talking about the biggest names in the league. As the season continues on, watch how defenses figure out these quarterbacks that try to make magic. Eventually the opposing defense will cover the receivers better and let the quarterbacks run around and play under the secondary. Until one of the “next big names” win a championship, consider these flashy players a flash in the pan.
-John Luck (@jluck_89)