The NFL draft has a serious problem with quarterback development, and NFL teams’ near-elimination of the idea of giving a quarterback a “clipboard year” is a major reason why. In football, the term “clipboard year” refers to giving a player a year on the bench, sitting behind an older/more experienced player to learn the offense and adjust to the speed of the NFL. Giving a young QB a year on the bench was commonplace in the NFL before the start of the 2000s, and now it is all but unheard of.
What has me thinking about this is the recent draft declaration by Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who has been graded as a first-round pick by many scouts but whose lack of experience has started to surface over the last few weeks. QBs who lack experience in college have a tendency to struggle when they get to the NFL, and this is a trend scouts are well aware of and will be something that haunts Simpson through the rest of the draft process. For perspective, here is a list of college QBs drafted in the last decade who had fewer than 15 career starts under their belt…
- Anthony Richardson (2023)
- Dwayne Haskins (2019)
- Mitch Trubisky (2017)
While it’s only three names, it is not a promising list of QB prospects, and past struggles by inexperienced players are concerning to NFL scouts. But what really stands out to me is that every one of these players started for their team within the first five games of their rookie season, with Mitch Trubisky being the only one not to start week one. All three prospects have shown promise at some point in their NFL career, but have struggled with reading defenses, processing plays, and unnecessary turnovers.
All of these struggles are signs of inexperience and likely could have been remedied by a year on the bench. Each of these players had clear upside coming out of college and showed promise, but the step up to the NFL proved too much. But the truth is, this should be expected, and the step to the NFL is a major one. We have seen several times over the last decade that a year on the bench is good for all quarterbacks, not just those with minimal college experience. For perspective, here is a list of some QBs who have played 7 or fewer games in year one and have gone on to have great careers.
- Patrick Mahomes
- Aaron Rodgers
- Jordan Love
- Lamar Jackson
- Jared Goff
- Drew Brees
- Philip Rivers
- Mike Vick
- Eli Manning
- Carson Palmer
While there are examples of QBs who have sat for their rookie year and gone on to struggle, it is beyond evident that it is more likely that QBs who take a clipboard year are much more likely to succeed in the NFL. That list consists of several elite quarterbacks and several who will likely see themselves in the HOF over the next decade or so. So why don’t teams use the clipboard more often?
Well, the reality is, from the moment a coach or GM is hired, the clock on how much time they have left with that team begins ticking. Coaches have an average tenure of just 3 years, and 3/4 of NFL teams have undergone a coaching change in the last 5 years. Because of this, there is a lot of pressure to figure things out quickly. Similarly, because the quarterback is such an important position for the offense, coaches face significant pressure to find a franchise QB quickly.
But if a coach and GM are given time, and the ownership and fan base are willing to be patient, letting a quarterback truly develop can be very beneficial. This is especially true this year, when there are very high-quality quarterbacks, and teams will be inclined to bet on intangible traits. For someone like Ty Simpson, who has shown a ton of promise so far in his college career, giving him a year to learn on the bench could be very valuable for his development and turning around a franchise.
