Why NFL Quarterbacks Can Be Misleading Models

It makes sense that we look to copy the best. It is logical that kids want to look like their favorite players on TV. It stands to reason that the athletes who play at the highest levels make the best models. But, is this really the case?

The answer, from what I can tell, is yes and no. Yes, NFL quarterbacks are the best models, as they are the best players in the game. But no, simply copying an NFL quarterback is not the best method of improvement. There are a few issues with copying guys at the top of the game:

1. No player is perfect, and if you copy even a great player, you could end up copying their faults, not just their best qualities. We’ve discussed this in other posts, but copying a player or even a few players is an example of “anecdotal evidence,” which is not really evidence at all. It’s an incredibly small sample size, and doesn’t prove or disprove a method of playing the position.
   
2. Youth quarterbacks are simply not capable of many of the things an NFL player can do. They have completely different levels of strength and coordination, meaning that their approach to a skill set can be completely different than a youth quarterback, or even a high school quarterback. The same as we have age appropriate exercises, age appropriate educational curriculums, etc, we should have age appropriate quarterback coaching.
   
3. Copying an end product leaves out the basics that so many NFL quarterbacks had to learn. Imagine if you were a basketball player learning to shoot jump shots, and you copied Steph Curry, meaning you went behind the back, did a step back, and shot off a leaning fade away. Obviously, this is not the right starting point. The same is true in football: just copying Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen skips the basics and reinforces more advanced skills that most kids shouldn’t be worried about yet.
   
4. Many NFL quarterbacks, or any professional athlete, are successful in spite of their fundamentals and/or mechanics, not because of them. If we’re really honest, we know that many NFL guys are simply more gifted than those around them, and for their entire athletic careers have been able to get away with errors that others simply couldn’t afford.
   

WIth those things stated, what I’ve seen from young quarterbacks who are being told to copy what they see on TV are guys who lack an understanding of timing and spacing, and guys who try to make too many highlight reel throws. Unfortunately, when you base your theory of the position on highlight reels, rather than fundamentals, that’s the end result.

One of the more frustrating things about this thought process is when we consider coaches who use the pros as their model or better yet, scapegoats, for teaching things that are ill advised shortcuts to the end product, without teaching the basics, or worse yet, simply wrong. I see it all the time on instagram - coaches preaching something ridiculous about mechanics, using a pro model, generally on an exceedingly small sample size and out of context. 

In the end, the conclusion is fairly simple - the guys on TV are great, but young quarterbacks would be best served working on fundamentals first, and using the NFL models only when context and skills align with what needs to be learned.

​