What’s More Important in NFL Quarterback Development: Nature or Nurture?

[Tua808]

What’s More Important in NFL Quarterback Development: Nature or Nurture?

Highly drafted quarterbacks are often seen as saving graces in the NFL. But many of the league’s most successful passers weren’t taken all that high, or didn’t start right away. So what matters more for long-term success: a QB’s talent level or their situation?

www.theringer.com

“It takes young quarterbacks close to three years,” Pederson says. “Three years to truly understand the offense, understand defense.”


But nobody gets three years of patience anymore—least of all highly drafted quarterbacks.

 

[Rick Cartman]

I couldn't disagree more with three years, except for QBs that have to deal with coaching changes after their first year.

History would suggest to you that you have a pretty good idea what you have by the end of the second season as the starter; the one glaring exception would be Drew Brees.

 

[superphin]

I couldn't disagree more with three years, except for QBs that have to deal with coaching changes after their first year.

History would suggest to you that you have a pretty good idea what you have by the end of the second season as the starter; the one glaring exception would be Drew Brees.

Steve Young, Rich Gannon, Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Steve McNair, Alex Smith just to name a few.

 

[GreenDolphinSt]

I know it's just the title, but the talent level of a qb when he enters the NFL, hell when he enters college is not "nature". I'm a general believer in nuture over nature in almost all sports - in almost all endeavors. (You know -the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours, focused practice stuff) Aside from the obvious basic barriers ( you're not playing in the NBA if you're really short and not named Bouges etc.) training trumps genetics strongly in most cases. For things like football that training starts very early quite often.

OK I think what we're really asking is: all the training up until the NFL vs. the training early in an NFL career for qb's. For that I think QB's are coming into the league REALLY well trained, and ready to play early. I think more and more you have a good idea of what you have pretty early. There are exceptions - and then there are unprecedenteds - like last years no TC, no Preseason.

For Tua, add his Hip as an "unprecedented" for a QB.

 

[SCOTTY]

Steve Young, Rich Gannon, Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Steve McNair, Alex Smith just to name a few.

Ryan Tannehill, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield currently...

 

[superphin]

I know it's just the title, but the talent level of a qb when he enters the NFL, hell when he enters college is not "nature". I'm a general believer in nuture over nature in almost all sports - in almost all endeavors. (You know -the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours, focused practice stuff) Aside from the obvious basic barriers ( you're not playing in the NBA if you're really short and not named Bouges etc.) training trumps genetics strongly in most cases. For things like football that training starts very early quite often.

OK I think what we're really asking is: all the training up until the NFL vs. the training early in an NFL career for qb's. For that I think QB's are coming into the league REALLY well trained, and ready to play early. I think more and more you have a good idea of what you have pretty early. There are exceptions - and then there are unprecedenteds - like last years no TC, no Preseason.

For Tua, add his Hip as an "unprecedented" for a QB.

The guys who make it to the pros put in the work training-wise but also had great genetics. The deeper you progress from pop warner to HS to college to the Pro's the less training matters if you don't have the genes to take you to the next level. My nephew played HS football but just didn't have the natural speed you need to make the jump to college. He worked hard but unfortunately, no amount of hard work can get you past your own physical limitations.

I could have started training at birth but I will never come close to being the swimmer Michael Phelps is because at some point my body is going to plateau and I am not going to get any faster. My peak physical capabilities are nowhere near those of Olympic athletes who have the training and genes to take them to next level.

 

[GreenDolphinSt]

The guys who make it to the pros put in the work training-wise but also had great genetics. The deeper you progress from pop warner to HS to college to the Pro's the less training matters if you don't have the genes to take you to the next level. My nephew played HS football but just didn't have the natural speed you need to make the jump to college. He worked hard but unfortunately, no amount of hard work can get you past your own physical limitations.

I could have started training at birth but I will never come close to being the swimmer Michael Phelps is because at some point my body is going to plateau and I am not going to get any faster. My peak physical capabilities are nowhere near those of Olympic athletes who have the training and genes to take them to next level.

Not the place to go into depth here. I probably should've only posted my 2nd paragraph - I think you can judge qb's earlier than in the past, but not too early.

Your examples are correct, and it's big spectrum on the genes vs training spectrum, that varies with the sport or activity. Let's just say I think the truth lies further towards the training side than most believe. Obviously that doesn't mean I think anyone can be Michael Phelps. But, enough, back to the Dolphins.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Teams know a lot sooner now what they have at the QB position than they used to.

Back in the day of guys like Rich Gannon we didn’t have all the 7-on-7 camps that quarterback get now. By the time they enter college as a freshman now, they have more reps than QB’s in the 80’s had after 4 years of college and 4 years in the NFL.

The process is much more expedited now. They enter the league closer to their ceiling than they used to because of the reps. Gannon was a Wing-T quarterback.

I played high school football for Bay City, TX in the early 80’s with Hart Lee Dykes, Simon Fletcher and Joe DeLoach. Joe went on to beat Carl Lewis for a gold medal in 1988.

Tracy Simien was also on our team for a short time before his parents moved about 30 minutes down the road to Sweeny to play for coach Pyssen. Sadly I got notification a few months ago that coach Pyssen passed away earlier this year.

We beat Thurman Thomas’ Willowridge team 42-0 in the semifinals in 1983. That Willowridge team also had Stan Petry. He’s the CB that was in all Warren Moon and Haywood Jeffires highlights the day he passed for 527 yards against the Chiefs in 1990. Tough day for him.

We played Bert Emanuel’s team one year. I was amazed at how good Bert Emanuel was. That guy was amazing in high school. Went on to be a great college QB for Rice too. We all thought he’d end up at a place much bigger than Rice. But he was even better receiver in the NFL. Bert Emanuel is one of the best and most underrated football players I ever saw.

I played football, baseball and basketball for Bay City. Played basketball with LaBradford Smith.

I was a 6’0”, 165 pound safety with 4.7 speed when I was 16-17 years old. Although I had nowhere near the god given talent of these well known players in any sport. But I worked hard enough to start as a junior and senior.

People have no idea how fast 4.5 speed really is. I know because I’ve had to chase it many times. You ain’t catching it.

 

[josephreese]

People have no idea how fast 4.5 speed really is. I know because I’ve had to chase it many times. You ain’t catching it.

I was a sprinter. That feeling of being at your absolute maximum speed and still seeing the guy next to you pulling away one inch at a time is maddening and humbling.

 

[1972forever]

A great offensive line, a great RB, and a top 5 receiving Corp. Give an average QB those things and he will develop into a very good QB rapidly.

 

[GhostArmOfMarino]

It might take three years for mastery of the offense, but honestly year one you should see flashes and year two should be consistently solid.

Its incredibly rare you'll see a QB not look the part at all his first two years and suddenly flip a switch. Not saying it can't happen, but its not common.