The Curious Case of Tyler Thigpen

The names are already being tossed around.

Matt Cassel is expensive and has just one season worth of game tape to see. Even still, he's probably the Chiefs' best option as a quarterback for the future.

Matt Stafford, though a rookie, has the highest ceiling of all available rookie quarterbacks in this year's draft.  He has some delivery and accuracy concerns, but would probably be a good draft pick, if available.

Mark Sanchez is another rookie, but at USC he had experience in a pro-style offense.  He hasn't had much starting experience and may be a risky choice—but he's still worth it.

Lost in all this chatter about which quarterback the Chiefs will suit up as a starter for the foreseeable future is a name we all should take note of—current Chiefs' quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

The short report on Thigpen goes like this:

Mid-range arm.  Makes all the throws.  Decent season of production.  Good mobility.  Played well for a bad team.  Probably going to be overlooked.

Thigpen is a star in the making, make no mistake.  Had he been quarterbacking a team with weaponry and a defense, he would have been a star. 

He threw for upwards of 2,600 yards and put 18 in the end zone through the air.  He was picked 12 times, which was about par for most starters in the NFL. Those are good numbers for a guy who started the season by struggling to make the team out of camp as a third option.

Thigpen wasn't a rookie last year according to the records, but he was a rookie on the field, seeing his first extensive action. Every quarterback has their struggles in the first years. Thigpen played good ball for someone who didn't come out of a major college, was never a lock to make any NFL team, and has bounced around.

If he keeps improving, and could end up being the next Willie Parker—a player we never heard of until he broke out in the NFL.

If it's not with the Chiefs, it'll be with someone else.  The kid's got a future.

When evaluating Thigpen's talent, throw out the statistics from last year. Statistics for quarterbacks, particularly when it comes to sacks and interceptions, depend on more than one player.

If Thigpen played behind a better offensive line and had more than just Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez to throw to, he might have been even better.

Instead of the stats, look at the game tape. We can't put it up on here, but if we could, you'd notice a few things about this guy.

First, you'd see him making quick decisions from the pocket, getting through his progressions, and finding underneath and check down options when his best two guys were blanketed. That's a pro quarterback's best asset.

If this is what he does in his first action as a starter, I'd hate to be playing against him in a few years.

Second, you'd notice the mobility. While he's not a running quarterback a la Donovan McNabb, he's not a pocket passer like Tom Brady, either.  He's a poor man's Ben Roethlisberger. 

Want a stat to mull over?  He rolled up almost 400 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. That's almost unheard of since Michael Vick went to jail. 

He didn't just operate the Chiefs' passing offense, he was also their best rushing threat. 

When teams lack proven offensive players, it's essential that they have a quarterback who is a playmaker.  Look at what Roethlisberger did with a mediocre line and poor rushing attack.

Finally, you'd notice the "it" that so many coaches describe vaguely.

In Thigpen's case, check out his leadership. I never noticed the guy yelling at receivers the way other young quarterbacks do. I also noticed him constantly checking stuff on the sideline. 

He's a lunch pail guy. He comes to play and comes to learn.  He realizes this is an opportunity that may be fleeting, regardless of his play. You can't coach that.

Thigpen may not get a starting gig with the Chiefs. He probably is the starter this year unless the team snags Cassel, but they are likely to draft a replacement to grow up behind him.

Thigpen seems destined for a Drew Brees-type career path. His best years are still ahead of him, but likely with another team. 

That's fine.  Someone needs to step up and take notice of him, though. If they don't, they're missing a fine young talent that you can build a team around.

Tyler Thigpen's story is just beginning. Hopefully the Chiefs or someone else in need of his talent will notice before it gets to be too late.