Post by Funkytown on Sept 18, 2023 12:47:06 GMT -6
I harp on the QB2 argument all the time, but...
ESPN: Why injuries like Aaron Rodgers' make the backup QB essential
Link:
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38387248/backup-quarterbacks-highest-paid-player-contract-journeyman
ESPN: Why injuries like Aaron Rodgers' make the backup QB essential
On Dec. 4, 2022, quarterback Josh Johnson, then a member of the Denver Broncos' practice squad, was traveling home with the team after a road game in Baltimore.
"One of my teammates was sitting next to me and told me Jimmy [Garoppolo] got hurt," Johnson told ESPN. "He was like, 'You about to go to the Niners, bro.' And I'm like, 'Man, hell no.'"
Nearly 2,500 miles away, on the opening drive against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo, the San Francisco 49ers' starter at the time, was carted off the field. His team was suddenly razor thin at quarterback while fighting for top seed in the NFC heading into Week 14.
Sure enough, Johnson got a text from his agent, Doug Hendrickson, on that flight.
"Niners wanna sign you," it read.
"It was ironic," Johnson said. "After I landed, the [Baltimore] Ravens tried to sign me, too, because Lamar [Jackson] got hurt."
Sixty-eight quarterbacks started games in 2022, the most in NFL history in a non-strike season, illustrating how vitally important backup quarterbacks are to success in the NFL. Only 11 teams used one quarterback the entire season, and all but two of them made the 14-team playoffs.
The 2023 season could be off to a similar start. Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the New York Jets last spring, went down after four snaps with a torn left Achilles and is lost for the season. His backup is 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson.
Last season, the Niners had three starting quarterbacks, with a fourth -- Johnson -- stepping in during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles when Brock Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Johnson would also leave the game after sustaining a concussion in the third quarter. That forced Purdy to return, followed by running back Christian McCaffrey taking over in the fourth quarter.
The Week 1 starter, Trey Lance, was lost for the season after suffering a broken ankle in Week 2.
"How does it feel to lose the NFC Championship Game because I don't have a quarterback?" Niners tight end George Kittle said after the game. "Pretty s---ty, to be honest."
The 49ers situation prompted the NFL to resurrect an emergency quarterback rule this offseason. The new rule allows teams to designate a third quarterback on game days and doesn't count against the 53-man roster.
The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams both started four quarterbacks in 2022, the most in the NFL, and as Niners coach Kyle Shanahan put it, "There's not just like a store where you just go get quarterbacks at any time."
"One of my teammates was sitting next to me and told me Jimmy [Garoppolo] got hurt," Johnson told ESPN. "He was like, 'You about to go to the Niners, bro.' And I'm like, 'Man, hell no.'"
Nearly 2,500 miles away, on the opening drive against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo, the San Francisco 49ers' starter at the time, was carted off the field. His team was suddenly razor thin at quarterback while fighting for top seed in the NFC heading into Week 14.
Sure enough, Johnson got a text from his agent, Doug Hendrickson, on that flight.
"Niners wanna sign you," it read.
"It was ironic," Johnson said. "After I landed, the [Baltimore] Ravens tried to sign me, too, because Lamar [Jackson] got hurt."
Sixty-eight quarterbacks started games in 2022, the most in NFL history in a non-strike season, illustrating how vitally important backup quarterbacks are to success in the NFL. Only 11 teams used one quarterback the entire season, and all but two of them made the 14-team playoffs.
The 2023 season could be off to a similar start. Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the New York Jets last spring, went down after four snaps with a torn left Achilles and is lost for the season. His backup is 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson.
Last season, the Niners had three starting quarterbacks, with a fourth -- Johnson -- stepping in during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles when Brock Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Johnson would also leave the game after sustaining a concussion in the third quarter. That forced Purdy to return, followed by running back Christian McCaffrey taking over in the fourth quarter.
The Week 1 starter, Trey Lance, was lost for the season after suffering a broken ankle in Week 2.
"How does it feel to lose the NFC Championship Game because I don't have a quarterback?" Niners tight end George Kittle said after the game. "Pretty s---ty, to be honest."
The 49ers situation prompted the NFL to resurrect an emergency quarterback rule this offseason. The new rule allows teams to designate a third quarterback on game days and doesn't count against the 53-man roster.
The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams both started four quarterbacks in 2022, the most in the NFL, and as Niners coach Kyle Shanahan put it, "There's not just like a store where you just go get quarterbacks at any time."
Link:
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38387248/backup-quarterbacks-highest-paid-player-contract-journeyman
... and neither is this Chris guy.