While every other quarterback in the league wished they were in the same position as Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo during January’s closing weekend as the NFC and AFC championship games approached, there is probably far less envy in the weeks leading up to this new season.
A combination of mystery injuries, capsule injuries (yeah, I don’t know what that means either), unexpected surgeries, receiver uncertainty, job uncertainty, trade uncertainty, plus a few more hiccups along the way, has cast a small shadow over the guys who were, well, “the” guys, just a few months back.
The past week has brought some better news for all four. Yet each of them, for different reasons, might still feel the need to prove themselves all over again once the actual battle restarts in September.
This is the hot take time of year, when we all want to feel like experts yet know deep down that we haven’t got a freaking clue how things are going to shake out over the winter.
Favor and fortune are unpredictable instruments in the toughest team sport of all. Elite quarterbacks, naturally, get more attention than any other position, so any ups and downs and doubts and quirks are magnified.
Garoppolo is obviously in the most troubled spot, not knowing where or even if he is going to be a starting QB when the season starts, as the San Francisco 49ers position him firmly in the rearview mirror even while he is still employed by them – for now.
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Stafford’s excitement at starting the season as reigning champ with the Los Angeles Rams has been somewhat curtailed by a bothersome development regarding his right elbow, a concern described as “abnormal” by head coach Sean McVay and which has reduced his training camp output.
Burrow’s summer plans were affected by problems with his appendix, which required surgery and delayed his participation at Cincinnati Bengals camp, ahead of a season where he hopes to establish himself firmly in the upper tier of NFL throwers.
As for Mahomes, the feel of this offseason is subtly, but unmistakably different. Although still one of the league’s true standouts, never has there been more doubt cast in the Kansas City star’s direction. With speedster Tyreek Hill having departed for Miami, not everyone is sold on Mahomes’ ability to dominate as he has in recent seasons.
Part of this is our collective fault. Because football is that much more interesting when there are a multitude of contenders, it is easier to pick up on the positives of a rising team or QB, and hone in on the first sign of trouble for those in the established order.
Was Stafford really that good last season, or did he benefit greatly from receiver Cooper Kupp having a campaign for the ages? Can Burrow sustain his progress, or was his burst through the playoffs an outlying sample size? Is Mahomes about to suffer a decline as teams continually develop new methods to deal with his cannon of an arm and aerial threat? And is this it for Garoppolo’s days of leading a contending team — albeit with question marks attached?
Much of the talk, as ever with these things, is overreaction. Those who love sports do so for the unpredictability, so there is a natural extra fondness for storylines and possibilities that would give us something new.
It leads to a premature skewing of the narrative at times, and it has done so with Stafford, Mahomes, Burrow and Garoppolo. Even the past few days has seen things strike a more positive tone for each.
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Mahomes looked spectacular in his fleeting burst of preseason game action and more buoyant still with an outrageous circus throw in practice that had social media blinking in disbelief. Both those snippets should be taken with perspective, but it is clear he’s far more relaxed about how his prospects look going into the season than some external noise would suggest.
Stafford has been more active and involved with the Rams, and that’s expected to continue. Such injury talk surrounding QBs never ceases to induce panic, but unless and until it starts to affect playing time or productivity, it must rank low on the worry meter.
Burrow appears to have made a strong recovery and his practice throws Sunday delighted receiver and friend Tyler Boyd, going some way to ease the stress of nervous Bengals fans.
“He made alright reads, diced the defense up,” Boyd said. “He’s the same Joe Burrow that took us to the Super Bowl.”
And then there is Garoppolo, stuck in one of the more curious personnel situations in the league. Things are confusing with Garoppolo and there have been some odd stories about his apparent lack of text message availability to team staff in recent summers, but it does look like a trade might be moving closer.
Someone is going to take a chance on him sooner or later, be it the Cleveland Browns seeking relief during Deshaun Watson’s suspension or another squad in need of a temporary QB fix. The New York Jets seemed like an option for a while, and although Zach Wilson might not be hurt as badly as was feared, it was a reminder that opportunities invariably arise for any QB at the top of the “available” list.
No one ever said it was easy being a QB. Not everyone can be Tom Brady and get to the point where no one questions you anymore. Heck, Brady didn’t even get to that stage until his seventh ring and long past his 40th birthday.
The quicker you rise, the more obstacles stand in your way, each season a grind littered with pitfalls. The four men who survived the longest last season want to find some way to get there again, just like everyone else wants to take their spot.
