Highlighting the Pros and Cons of an NFL QB Battle in Training Camp

As we edge closer towards NFL training camps, there are at least six teams looking to find their starter at the quarterback position. Five of those teams, the Bills, Browns, Jets, Jaguars and Raiders, are in the AFC. The lone NFC team looking to establish a starter will be the new-look Philadelphia Eagles.

But is it really a smart move to leave the starting QB job up for grabs entering training camp?

To find out, let’s break down some of the pros and cons of having a QB competition so close to the start of the regular season and see which perspective makes the most sense in the end.

 

Con: Divided Locker Room

Though this element can be an unwanted byproduct of a QB competition, the actual degree in which this has any negative effect is minimal. The biggest downside of a divided locker room is the sacrifice of established leadership at the most important position in sports.

Typically it’s the quarterback who takes command of the locker room and is viewed as the unquestioned leader of the team. When the starting quarterback is undetermined heading into training camp, the team can indeed suffer momentarily from the leadership being in flux.

This issue can be magnified or minimized depending on the coach, the team veterans and the overall character of the team.  But regardless of the team in question, at some point, leadership must be established at the QB position.

But is it not worth it to sacrifice some early season efficiency in order to find the best QB on the roster?

Pro: Sets a Great Example

When a coach holds every player on the team to the same standard, regardless of star power or position, it builds a valuable trust within the locker room. Respect for the coaches’ process grows with consistency among the ranks.

Coaches who baby their QBs or cater too much to their delicate sensibilities are doing no one within the organization a favor.

Players gravitate toward a coach and a quarterback who can embrace the same competitive environment as the rest of the team. Establishing this as an example to the whole team will reduce both complacency and unhealthy egos throughout the roster.

Con: Compromised QB Confidence

This often-heard rallying cry is highly overblown as a genuine concern when considering whether or not to allow a full-on QB competition. Is playing quarterback in the NFL not already one of the most stressful positions in all of sports?

True, no QB enjoys having to look over his shoulder throughout the entire month of August, but if a little friendly competition is too much for a QB to handle, imagine when the guy is faced with real adversity, like trying to lead his team down the field for a game-winning touchdown in the playoffs.

If winning a heated battle for the starting spot proves too much, are you really a reliable option as the face of the franchise? Can a fragile mentality to this degree actually handle the rigors of being an NFL quarterback, forever in the spotlight?

Can he withstand the media bombardment after a disappointing loss or crumble under the pressures of public criticism?

In truth, if your starting QB’s confidence is compromised by positional competition, you never really had a reliable QB anyway. The competition didn’t create the circumstance, if anything, it revealed it.

This brings me to the next category.

Pro: Reveals Mental Fortitude  

When a coach decides to have an open competition at quarterback, he allows those men a valuable opportunity to reveal what they're made of—not just in terms of talent but also in key areas involving the intangibles that typically define greatness for a quarterback, such as mental fortitude.

We hear experts all the time speak on the value of a QB who can remain poised under pressure—well, what can reveal that better than a hard-fought QB competition?

After all, competition for your job is an excellent way to simulate regular-season intensity in the middle of August.

It’s a safe bet to assume the guy who can thrive in a competitive environment is ultimately the best one for the job at that time, regardless whether or not he has the most talent.  He’s also much more likely to be the better leader and the favorite among players in the locker room.

Con: The Starter Will Miss Valuable Reps

This perhaps is the most significant of all the cons regarding a QB-competition in training camp. When you have two or more guys sharing reps with the first team, you’re inherently taking away practice opportunities from the eventual starter.

Learning the offense and building a rapport with your receivers is a critical component to NFL training camps. A quarterback must be able to iron out as many rough spots as possible during August, and splitting time with the No.1s in practice and in games can be both frustrating and limiting to the offenses potential.

The key, however, is that this process is only limiting to the short-term potential while in fact maximizing the potential in the long-term.

Pro: Competition Raises the Quality of Play

This element alone is the neutralizer to whatever deficit is created by splitting reps at quarterback.

Think about it: What QB do you think is working harder and focused more in training camp, the established starter or the guy fighting to win a starting job?

Sure, you may miss out on some reps, but the pressures of competition should raise your level of play to a much higher level than adding more reps. Besides, watching a guy attempt to execute your reps can be a potent learning tool in and of itself.

But can competition really bring out the best in a player?

Joe Montana played his last six years in San Francisco with Steve Young looking over his shoulder. Montana finished his career with three seasons having a passer rating above 100. Two of those seasons came with Young as his backup. Surprisingly, Joe threw for more than 30 touchdowns in a season only once in his entire career. That also happened to be the year Young arrived in 1987.

Con: Media Distractions

This element does play a role in every QB competition during training camp. Media outlets are looking for stories this time of year, and what’s juicier than a full-blown QB controversy for beat writers to sink their teeth into?

So how much can the media distract the team from functioning at a successful level?

It all depends on how the leaders of that organization handle it. If a head coach or owner struggles to keep the process in proper perspective, he may be creating an environment where distractions could potentially weaken the foundations of a team’s chemistry.

But it’s worth noting, the real issue at hand in this scenario originates from a lack of leadership by either a coach or an owner.

Jerry Jones is a prime example of an owner who is terrible dealing with media questions, specifically in regards to creating distractions for his team. Thus, it would be reasonable to assume that if the Cowboys ever have a QB controversy, they’d be prime candidates for a litany of media distractions. It’s not like Jason Garrett has the influential power to offset his boss’s media missteps.

But even in the worst-case scenario of QB-related media distractions, like the 2012 New York Jets, the negative impact is still limited. The Jets had far more pressing problems that year, such as an extreme deficiency in team talent.

When it comes down to it, the players don’t think much about the media in the meeting rooms or on the practice field during the week, and they sure aren’t thinking about it on Sundays.

Teams should never avoid a potentially smart football decision out of fear that it can create a media firestorm.

Pro: Increased Chance of Finding the Better Player

So this is really what it all comes down to. This is why you have a competition in training camp at any position. The point is to discover which QB gives you the best chance to win games.

The pursuit of finding the best quarterback on your roster is paramount and should take priority over every other consideration on this list.

What do divided locker rooms, shaky confidence, media criticism and limited reps really amount to if the Seattle Seahawks would have just given the starting job to Matt Flynn? Not a whole lot when you think about it. Pete Carroll’s courage to objectively find the best QB for the job may turn out to be one of the greatest personnel moves in Seahawk history.

Neither Russell Wilson nor the Seattle Seahawks seemed to suffer from any of the cons on this list, but if they somehow felt the wrath of every listed negative in this article, it still would be considered the wise move to have the QBs battle it out.

Can we please end this illogical fear about a quarterback competition? The problems that usually accompany a QB controversy are likely the product of factors predating the controversy itself.

It seems counter-intuitive to treat the guy playing the most demanding position in sports with more finesse than any other guy on your team.

If anything, QBs should be well-trained in both adversity and competition.  It would save organizations a great deal of time by weeding out the characters unfit to lead an NFL franchise. 

Ryan Riddle is a former NFL player with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets who now contributes to Bleacher Report as an NFL Featured Columnist. 

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