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Balancing Acts: The mental load of the NFL backup QB
There is an old, tired joke in the football world: Boy, I’d love to be a backup quarterback in the NFL. Those dudes make millions to do nothing. Hardy har-har.
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It’s the epitome of low-hanging fruit, because the outlines of the joke are true. Veteran backup QB salaries this year range from about $1.5 million to $8 million, if we exclude the Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson situations. In a perfect world, none of these backups would play a down outside of garbage time. Thus, the joke: getting paid to do “nothing.”
It’s far, far from the truth, as Jourdan Rodrigue wrote today in an excellent story. Two things that struck me:
- It’s easy to think of these guys as normal dudes. They’re not. These are among the 60 or so best quarterbacks on planet Earth, and the NFL is often the first place where they aren’t the best in their own locker room. The competitive fire that fuels the best pro athletes is still there, yet it has to lie dormant as they wait — but not hope too hard! — for a chance. It can be a mental struggle.
- Consider them the most in-shape librarians you know, who are also seconds away from running onto a field where 250-pound men are lining up to hit them. The copious amounts of study they have to do — it’s essentially being a coach and a player — to simply be a good backup QB is staggering. There are no days off.
Read the story here. It’s fun and perspective-changing. Let’s keep moving:
News to Know
Silver: NBA needs ‘substantial proof’ in Leonard case
In a news conference yesterday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver urged patience in the case of Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers’ possible salary-cap circumvention, saying the league would need definitive evidence to take any action. At the same time, Silver admitted he has “very broad powers” to issue punishment should the allegation be proven true. See Silver’s full statements here.
Two more updates on this developing story:
- “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” which recently joined The Athletic’s network, broke this story last week. Pablo and crew published a follow-up podcast today on the matter. Watch. Big stuff.
- John Hollinger wrote a great column about the one missing phrase in the CBA that could impact this entire saga.
Oh, and in other uplifting NBA headlines, the league is conducting its own investigation into Malik Beasley’s gambling allegations.
More news
- Andy Murray — yes, the tennis one — is trying to qualify for The Open Championship. The golf one.
- Cubs legend Anthony Rizzo is retiring and joining the organization as an ambassador. It’s a trope, but he shouldn’t have to pay for a drink again in Chicago after 2016.
- The CEO of the Detroit Tigers’ parent company defended his organization yesterday following The Athletic’s investigation into the company.
- Zohran Mamdani, the front-runner to win New York City’s mayoral race, called on FIFA to ditch its dynamic pricing plan for World Cup tickets. More details here.
- Christian Pulisic says his relationship with USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino is “good” and any drama between them is overblown. Hm. Read his comments here.
- Former Premier League referee David Coote was charged with making an indecent image of a child. More info in our full report.
- Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov turned down the most lucrative contract in NHL history, per a report.
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Pulse Polls: Time to pick another bet
We’re back for a third reader pick, which have been delightful thus far. We missed last week’s wager (Bengals to cover -5.5 against the Browns), but I blame Cincy for that.
Your three options this week:
- Patriots (+1.5) at Dolphins, a favorite of this week’s confidence picks
- Rams (-5.5) vs. Titans, which wormed its way to me from our survivor pool picks
- USF (+17.5) at Miami, a terribly fun selection
Make your pick below. We’ll see who wins tomorrow.
What to Watch
📺 MLB: Mets at Phillies
7:15 p.m. ET on Fox
The expensive Mets are cratering at the worst time, as they hold the NL’s final wild-card spot by just two games over the Giants, who look like the best team in the entire sport sometimes, and the Reds.
📺 NCAAF: NC State at Wake Forest
7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
I don’t know if this is a particularly good game — Wake is ranked No. 92 in Chris Vannini’s The Athletic 136 — but it’s college football. Sometimes we love slop.
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📺 NFL: Commanders at Packers
8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL get a chance to set some early-season narratives in the NFC. This one is simply delicious. Watch out for Micah Parsons, who had a huge impact despite a limited role last weekend.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Ben Proud is a swimmer in his prime. He’s an Olympic medalist who had expressed hopes about swimming in the 2028 Games. Instead, he chose the Enhanced Games, where athletes are permitted to use PEDs. Why? Read his exclusive interview here.
Remember when we clowned the Falcons for picking Michael Penix Jr. in the same offseason they gave Kirk Cousins $100 million in free agency? Josh Kendall took us inside the controversial decision that actually worked out.
I always like Jake Ciely’s fantasy football picks, but this week also features … karaoke rankings? I dig it, but it needs more hip-hop.
There have been zero no-hitters in MLB this year, despite some recent close calls. Jayson Stark wondered how rare that was. It’s extremely rare — and random.
Comedian Shane Gillis is now Notre Dame’s most famous fan. The Irish are in on the joke.
Trevor Story has surprisingly put together his best season in Boston this year. He credits a single drill for the resurgence.
It may actually be time for the Penguins to trade Sidney Crosby, as Josh Yohe writes. Feels weird.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on the Missouri-Kansas Big 12 officiating crew getting suspended.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Tigers investigation mentioned above.
(Top photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
