Does sitting a QB his first season help or hurt his career?

[everlong]

23 hours ago, Ketchup said:

While all that is true, rookie QB's will definitely learn just by watching and seeing an established veteran QB prepare and play. 

 

To answer OP though, it's depends on a lot of different factors. This simply isn't a black and white question. 

True, but the only way you're going to truly learn is from getting under center. Rodgers somewhat struggled in his first year as the starter.

[Thomas5737]

No way to tell. If you start right away who can say you would be better if you sat? If you sit who can say you would do better sooner by playing? No one. Well, I guess people are saying it but they are saying it without any certainty. We need to clone someone and test the theory otherwise it is just a guessing game.

I think if you are destined to be a good QB it will work either way. If you aren't it will fail either way.

[Oregon Ducks]

I think Joey Harrington would have been at least an All Pro QB if he had been given a fair shot on a better team. Instead, he went to a dumpster fire. What could have been...

[UKTexans]

9 hours ago, Oregon Ducks said:

I think Joey Harrington would have been at least an All Pro QB if he had been given a fair shot on a better team. Instead, he went to a dumpster fire. What could have been...

I think situation makes a huge difference to a QBs development. 

I understand the argument that if you can't handle it mentally in a tough situation, you don't have the right make up to succeed. 

But for a guy like David Carr, the relentless beating he took week after week, month after month would take a toll on anybody mentally and physically. 

[TheKillerNacho]

I really think it depends on the player and the team around them. I think some players are doomed to fail no matter what, but I also think there are some players who need to sit and iron out their mechanics before starting (Aaron Rodgers) or was doomed to fail due to their incompetent team (David Carr). Having said that, there are a lot of players who swear by learning on the field (Peyton Manning).

So I don't think there is a default right or wrong answer... depends on the player, team around them, and coaching.

[Supersuavesky]

On 9/12/2017 at 9:44 PM, jrry32 said:

I don't share this opinion. I think there are guys who would suck pretty much anywhere. I think there are guys who would be great pretty much anywhere. And I think there are a lot of guys who fall someone in between.

I agree with this.

 

And with that said I favor sitting all at least a year if you can afford it. Taking time to get the system down can't hurt.

[Louis Friend]

13 hours ago, Oregon Ducks said:

I think Joey Harrington would have been at least an All Pro QB if he had been given a fair shot on a better team. Instead, he went to a dumpster fire. What could have been...

That dumpster fire drafted Stafford, started him right away and he has excelled thus far. While sitting a young QB behind a good QB to learn from is ideal, the truth is, most teams don't have a stand out QB in the first place, that is why they are drafting a QB early. The best draft picks get drafted to the poorest teams. The good ones excel despite the situation they are drafted to. This is what separates good QBs from bad QBs. Not weather they sit or not, but what they are made of mentally. 

[TVScout]

There are justifications for sitting a QB:

1) Bad mechanics.

2) Injury.

3) Disciplinary punishment.

4) Doesn't understand the playbook.

[Ragnarok]

2 hours ago, Louis Friend said:

That dumpster fire drafted Stafford, started him right away and he has excelled thus far. While sitting a young QB behind a good QB to learn from is ideal, the truth is, most teams don't have a stand out QB in the first place, that is why they are drafting a QB early. The best draft picks get drafted to the poorest teams. The good ones excel despite the situation they are drafted to. This is what separates good QBs from bad QBs. Not weather they sit or not, but what they are made of mentally. 

Um...Stafford only played 13 games his first two years.  He got beat up pretty well, and if it had continued, might have had a more David Carr kind of career.

[everlong]

8 minutes ago, Ragnarok said:

Um...Stafford only played 13 games his first two years.  He got beat up pretty well, and if it had continued, might have had a more David Carr kind of career.

I don't buy that. Good quarterbacks such as Stafford are mentally tough and don't "break" like Carr did.

[Louis Friend]

24 minutes ago, Ragnarok said:

Um...Stafford only played 13 games his first two years.  He got beat up pretty well, and if it had continued, might have had a more David Carr kind of career.

Stafford still is one of the highest sacked QBs in the league (top 6 the last 4 or 5 seasons), which is why Bob Quinn spent alot of money in free agency this offseason adding to the OL and drafting 3 OL in last years draft. 

Staffords first two seasons were riddled with injuries. He was called "Glassford" and called a bust and Lions were abhorred for starting him right away even though they had nothing else at the position. He's now played every game for the last 6 seasons and is currently 4th on the active list of QBs with most consecutive starts. He went from being labelled a bust and an injury concern to be considered a top 10 QB with 3 playoff appearances in 6 years. The difference between him and David Carr, is mental. 

[Hunter2_1]

I think it depends on the QB. Surely there's everything to gain and nothing to lose from sitting and learning?

I'd much prefer to sit for a year, just to get used to NFL pressure, crowds, sounds, experience loss etc. But then, there's a reason i'm not a pro football player. 

[Mox]

There is a bit of a difference getting sacked 249 times in 76 games vs. getting sacked 243 times in 110 games. Especially when Stafford's three highest sack seasons have been the last three years, peaking at 45. David Carr was sacked 76 times as a rookie. Those aren't comparable situations at all.

[Chiefer]

I think it all depends on the player and the situation he's going too.

A guy like Mahomes I let sit a year to work on footwork and understanding the NFL game. Likewise a guy like Aaron Rodgers I'd have sit as long as possible too fix his throwing mechanics.

But if I'm drafting Peyton Manning I start him immediately.

[Calvert28]

On 9/12/2017 at 7:36 PM, DontTazeMeBro said:

I think QBs who are going to be good are going to be good either way. And QBs who are going to suck either way. People will always point to David Carr's early years destroying him mentally but if you can be destroyed mentally I don't think you ever had a chance 

You do realize you just slapped every person in the face who's ever suffered from PTSD and abuse right? 

 

Someone who deals a crappy situation but gains support early on can get out of bad habits quicker. 

A person who is exposed early and sustains the mindset that they have to rely on themselves because others are a liability. That mentality sticks with you for years to come. Regardless if the support you get later on. That why the Texans or the Browns have never sustained great QB play. 

At least now the Texans have a shot at building up Watson because of the stellar supporting cast early in his career.