Can you ruin a rookie QB?

[Batman1876]

It’s a question that comes up all the time can playing a QB too soon or in adverse conditions ruin them?

 

Yes- they learn bad habits, lose confidence, get gun shy, hold the ball too long and expose themselves to injury, lose the faith of the team. 

 

No- the NFL is a tough league if you don’t survive early struggles then you were doomed from the start.

[COTC]

If I hit him hard enough in the head, he can be ruined. 

 

[BuffaloButt]

You've either got what it take to make it in the NFL or you don't.   It becomes pretty clear after 1 season of playing for most.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I'm starting to think that next to goalies in professional ice hockey, professional quarterbacks are the next closest athlete group to be on the verge of breakdowns / difficulties.

1 minute ago, COTC said:

If I hit him hard enough in the head, he can be ruined. 

 

Bah!  Curly and Shemp Howard fared remarkably well, and they never wore helmets even!  ?

4 minutes ago, BuffaloButt said:

You've either got what it take to make it in the NFL or you don't.   It becomes pretty clear after 1 season of playing for most.

2 games for others?

[SoCal Deek]

By golly ....we’re sure as Heck gonna try!

[Orlando Buffalo]

I can name only one who I truly believe was ruined by his early coaching-RGIII. If he was allowed to sit and learn to be pocket passer then I think he would have been great but his coach told him just win instead of develop his game. So I certainly think a bad coach can ruin a QB if not simply starting him too soon.

[Batman1876]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

I can name only one who I truly believe was ruined by his early coaching-RGIII. If he was allowed to sit and learn to be pocket passer then I think he would have been great but his coach told him just win instead of develop his game. So I certainly think a bad coach can ruin a QB if not simply starting him too soon.

Sending him out on one leg to get further injured also hurt his career. 

[Rc2catch]

Leave the David carrs and a few others out of it and sure the bills themselves proved that a young quarterback with potential can be ruined. 

Look how many young “promising” talents we tossed out too early and totally ruined their careers. I’m a firm believer in a quarterback being shell shocked too early before ever building confidence in their game at the professional level. 

Now before I get blasted the likes of JP Losman, Trent Edwards and EJ Manual were never gonna be a top 15 elite kinda quarterbacks.

However I do believe if they were drafted by some other teams (not all) they would have had much more success in the league. 

With us they had terrible coaching and were put in very unreal situations. 

Those 3 for example were probably not starting material long term, however think Matt Schaub or maybe Blaine Gabbert kinda careers. Not a starter but a decent backup who could spot start with some success. 

However due to getting completely overmatched so early in their careers became shell shocked and never able to recover from it. And they never really played after buffalo. 

[stuvian]

Ryan Grigson may have ruined Andrew Luck so it isn't just rookies who get ruined. 

[TonyBeets]

David Carr is the only QB I feel was ruined.  In recent times anyway.

[TigerJ]

Depends on the QB.  Some are sufficiently tough mentally they can handle anything they have to endure.  Some aren't at first but have the potential to grow into a viable starting QB.  It's tough to know what you've got until it's too late in the case of a QB that needs to be handled a certain way.  Josh Allen seems to have a real good head on his shoulders.  I'm hoping he'll be OK whatever happens this season.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

This is stupid.  No.  No, you can’t ruin a rookie QB by starting him right away.  Josh will have his peaks and valleys this season, but there is no substitute for “being behind the wheel” as McCoach puts it.  I think he’ll be fine.  He seems like a kid who is confident and also mentally tough.

[aceman_16]

David Carr waves hello (after his record breaking 76 sack rookie season).

[Boca BIlls]

If a QB gets ruined he was never meant to be a franchise QB in the first place.

[C.Biscuit97]

Of course you can.  A lot more qbs have been ruined than made.  I didn’t like the Allen pick because guys with his track record rarely succeed in the nfl.  Imo, his best chance was to be eased into things and work at developing better habits in practice.

 

now, he is getting rushed into action with a bunch of ? around him and watch those bad habits start creeping out.  But at least he has a very successful OC to design plays for him.

[KD in CA]

Depends on the guy, which is why cocky dicks usually make the best QBs.

[NewEra]

We’re about to find out.  

 

My vote says Yes.  Not saying Allen will be ruined, but a qB can be ruined.  

[Augie]

42 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

This is stupid.  No.  No, you can’t ruin a rookie QB by starting him right away.  Josh will have his peaks and valleys this season, but there is no substitute for “being behind the wheel” as McCoach puts it.  I think he’ll be fine.  He seems like a kid who is confident and also mentally tough.

 

I wouldn’t say it’s stupid, but Josh might be if they slam his head off the turf often enough, like they did in preseason. I was thrilled he wasn’t in concussion protocol after that. 

[NoSaint]

Every player is different and pretty much none are slam dunks. Fit to scheme, talent around, personality fit, learning style, injuries, home life, and just dumb luck can all play part beyond raw skill levels. 

 

A guy like allen might be a HOFer in some spots and a train wreck in others. And it might not always be obvious which is which. Adverse conditions plus good coaching might be his magic formula 

[Cash]

I don't believe in a fait accompli for something as complex and major as this. I can't tell you who was ruined and who would've failed anyway, but I'm sure it's happened.