Consistently Inconsistent: Potential QB Controversies Heading into '09

Imagine that in your chosen field, there is only 32 open positions in the entire world.

Imagine that there could only be, say, 32 firemen.

Or 32 marine biologists...

Or 32 plumbers...

On second thought, we probably don't want to imagine the kind of resulting catastrophe if there were only 32 plumbers in the entire world, but, if you can use your imagination nonetheless, you have an idea of the kind of odds a professional quarterback is facing.

It's already an uphill battle just to make it far enough as a quarterback to draw the attention of the NFL, but once you're there, only 32 starting jobs exist.

And that's when the real pressure begins, because when the most competitive league in professional sports has a regular season consisting of just 16 games, there's not a lot of time for growing pains, unless you have the patient luxury of being a multi-million dollar draft pick.

For the rest of the signal-callers, they're often stuck at the end of a leash barely lasting a month into an NFL season.

While the sheer numbers make it a long shot to not just be a starting NFL quarterback, but also a successful one, there's more factoring into the constant QB carousel in the NFL.

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, it seemed that the majority of NFL teams were pretty solid under center, when the likes of Montana, Esiason, Kelly, Sims, Everette, Marino, Elway, Moon, even Kosar and Hebert were slinging the ball on Sundays; and later followed by Young, Aikman, Favre, McNair and others.

That brand of stability is a thing of the past in the NFL, possibly a victim of the increase in teams, or possibly the result of college teams abandoning pro-style offenses and producing raw passers that rarely take snaps under center.

Regardless of the reason, there will once again be more than 32 starting quarterbacks this coming season, and injury will not be the sole cause. Some of the battles will start in summer camp and extend into the preseason; others will come to life well into the regular season.

Lets take a look at some current or potential QB battles—if not full-blown controversies—that fans will be treated (or subjected) to in 2009:

MIAMI

It's hard not to sympathize with Chad Pennington.

He earns the starting job for the New York Jets and leads them to multiple playoff births, returns from a season-ending injury to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, but can never shake the injury and arm-strength concerns. He was unceremoniously dumped by the Jets when they chose to climb on the back of Brett Favre for the 2008 season.

Pennington responded by leading a Dolphin squad that won one game the previous year past the Jets and into the playoffs that season, but all indications are that Miami doesn't covet him as their quarterback of the future.

Bill Parcells came in to clean house in 2008, and drafted his own Chad, former Michigan star Chad Henne. It's only a matter of time before Henne takes over the offense, and if smokescreens have to be thrown up to justify Pennington's removal, then so be it.

In the meantime, count on rookie Pat White to steal some reps out of the trendy Miami-based Wildcat formation.

CLEVELAND

Probably the most obvious quarterback controversy is coming out of Cleveland, but it could be the hardest to predict before the games start.

Default starter Derek Anderson should have locked this position up last season on the heels of his Pro Bowl performance in 2007; instead he was benched in favor of fan-favorite Brady Quinn, partially due to less than stellar play, partially due to fan outcry.

Whether the switch was warranted or not, Anderson took over for good in late November when Quinn suffered an injury, but could not manage double-digit touchdown passes on the season.

Quinn has been less than spectacular in his own right, but he's a former first round pick, considered a more athletic talent than Anderson and also has the good fortune of being an Ohio product that grew up following the team and has a growing fan base in Cleveland.

New coach Eric Mangini isn't tipping his hand as to who his starter will be, but with the team in need of so many upgrades, its likely that he will zero in on one quickly and use the odd man out as trade bait.

Prediction: Quinn will eventually assume the permanent reigns in Cleveland.

DENVER

If the way new Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels handles his personnel is any indication of how he'll manage his head coaching duties, his greatest glory may have come as an offensive coordinator.

While the majority of NFL teams are desperately seeking a Pro Bowl-caliber QB, McDaniels landed a job where one of the only solidified positions was QB—and blew that up in no time.

In the aftermath of the Jay Cutler debacle that saw the Broncos' franchise QB shipped off to Chicago, Denver is now mired in mediocrity with Kyle Orton and Chris Simms.

Orton has had more success in the league than Simms, proving more than servicable in Chicago and able to win when the talent around him is up to task.

Simms on the other hand has more physical talent and the pedigree that comes with the Simms name, which up to now hasn't translated into a lot of wins.

No matter who McDaniels' starter his heading into '09, you can bet that there won't be much slack thrown his way.

WASHINGTON

There really shouldn't be much of a dispute in the Nation's capital.

While incumbent Jason Campbell hasn't been spectacular, he hasn't been horrible either; his youth and natural talent indicate that he's probably worth the investment owner Dan Snyder made in him a few short years ago.

Of course, Snyder expects to win now, and while he is more than willing to splurge on veterans that saw their best days when Tecmo Super Bowl was still the hottest video game on the market, he has no patience for a struggling third-year QB.

His reaction has been to test the waters on Cutler, then not-so-privately kick the tires on drafting rookie Mark Sanchez (apparently he's willing to be patient with him?).

So while Campbell in all likelihood will start in DC, Snyder very publicly gave his starter a vote of no confidence.

And if Campbell can't perform given the circumstances, good luck trying to recapture the 2007 magic of Todd Collins.

OAKLAND

This is the season that Al Davis proves once in for all that his "Just Win, Baby" mantra only goes as far as his bank account, because if wins were the bottom line right now, Jeff Garcia would be his starter.

Instead, his multi-MULTI-million dollar horse JaMarcus Russell will be back under center.

And it isn't so much that Russell deserves the bust label already; to the contrary, there may have never been a QB who left college early AND was surrounded with the lack of talent Russell has been. Simply surviving should be the top priority for the young cannon-armed Raider.

Garcia on the other hand has been to multiple Pro Bowls and led multiple teams to the playoffs, and is a career overachiever. He should have never been run out of San Francisco, and should not have been dismissed in Tampa Bay.

He could jump start the Raiders out of the NFL gutter in Rich Gannon-style, if only Al would eat some pride and allow Russell to sit and learn.

Working in Garcia's favor is that the Raider Nation is anything but patient, or quiet for that matter, and the moment they sense another double-digit loss season, its going to be hard for head coach Tom Cable to ignore their calls for Garcia.

MINNESOTA

Whether or not they actually plan on working together in '09, Bret Favre and the Minnesota Vikings both seem more than willing use each other to steal the spotlight.

So while the media has taken the bait on yet another potential Favre off-season soap opera, newly-acquired Sage Rosenfells has to face the reality he may not have quite escaped the lonely confines of the bench just yet.

Even if Favre does finally retire to his tractor for the month of September, there's still no public guarantee that Rosenfells will out-duel part-time starter Tavaris Jackson.

The wild card that no one seems to acknowledge in Minnesota is second-year quarterback John David Booty. He had a solid, if not spectacular career at USC, a school that produces NFL starters whether or not they ever even started in college.

Why he doesn't at least get a chance in Minnesota, where the QB play has been downright awful at times, is baffling.

Regardless, even if Favre comes back, the prediction here is that the QB position will hold the Vikings back yet again from cracking the NFL's upper-echelon.

SAN FRANCISCO

In a sports town that has collected Pro Bowl quarterbacks almost in tandem with Super Bowl trophies, fans are jonesing for a quality starter like John Daly does for a beer on the back-nine.

Perhaps 49er fans should count their lucky stars that they were treated to back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks, whose own backups could have started for half the league, and accept the current mediocre play under center the way much of the NFL's fans do.

But that's not the 49er way.

And despite new coach Mike Singletary's promise of physical, smashmouth football by way of the ground, Niner fans can't help but harken back to the glory days with the arrival of sensational college receiver Michael Crabtree.

All they need is someone to get the ball to him.

Shaun Hill appears to be the front-runner, with a 7-3 record as a starter and a knack for winning games in the scrappiest of styles. Hill's come-from-behind victories against St. Louis and Washington at the end of the year possibly won Singletary the head coaching position, but apparently didn't cement a starting job for himself.

In his way is Alex Smith, teetering on first-round bust status, but coming into the '09 season with a repaired shoulder and a new sense of opportunity under the new coaching regime.

Singletary has shown that he won't hesitate to pull a starter he doesn't believe in, so there's a fair chance both will see time under center this season.

Of course, if that's the case, chances are the 49ers won't be in the midst of a playoff run.