I’ve never seen anything like it in my 70 years of watching pro football.
No, I’m not talking about all the problems with the officiating.
It’s about the unusual number of injuries to starting quarterbacks and how so many teams are not only hanging in there, but contending for playoff berths.
It’s really been unheard of.
When you lose your starter at the most important position in the game you’re gone. It’s wait till next year time.
Not so this year.
It all started quickly this season.
Aaron Rodgers, the big acquisition by the Jets, in a major push to make the playoffs and think beyond, went down with an Achilles tear on the fourth play of the year.
Rodgers underwent surgery, and in the biggest tease that shouldn’t have fooled anyone, many football observers who should have known better dangled the possibility he would return and lead the Jets if they had a chance at post-season.
It was never going to happen. No one, especially a player reaching the age of 40, can bounce back that quickly from that kind of surgery.
And the Jets, relying on ineffective Zack Wilson were not going to become a contender.
Last week the Jets finally conceded Rodgers would not play anymore.
What a surprise.
But the real stories of teams with quarterback losses and injuries goes far beyond the Jets tale of woe.
In the AFC, the four division leaders are manned by franchise quarterbacks who have stayed relatively healthy.
Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence have stayed the course and have the Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs and Jaguars in first place.
Interesting here is the fact that Miami’s hopes were contingent on Tua staying healthy amid concussion issues.
He has, and has played sensational ball for a Dolphin team that has a tough finishing schedule in an effort to ward off the charging Bills.
The man in question is Trevor Lawrence of the Jags who has been in concussion protocol and may or may not be ready to play.
Now look at the AFC wildcard battle.
The three teams in place, and one of the outsiders are all playing without their original starters at QB.
And winning.
The Browns appear to be in the best spot, losing Deshaun Watson and now bringing back veteran Joe Flacco who was sitting home waiting for a call.
Flacco, 38, has won a Super Bowl and had fallen off before he was dropped by the Jets after 2022.
Now he has found his groove and the Browns, with a superlative defense seem to be for real.
Howard about the other Ohio team in the AFC North, the Bengals.
When they lost Joe Burrow it looked like curtains.
Not so fast.
Enter Jake Browning, who signed with the Vikings as a free agent in 2019, was waived, and and signed by Cincinnati, let go, brought back and won the backup job in pre season.
He took his first NFL snap in the opener against the Browns when Burrow had to leave the game.
He took over for good after a wrist injury to Burrow, one of the league’s best, ended his season in week 11.
Browning has led Cincy to three straight victories.
And, who thought the Colts would even be in contention this season going with rookie Anthony Richardson to lead the offfense?
Richardson suffered a severe knee sprain and that was it for the promising first year quarterback.
Waiting in wings was Gardner Minshew, who had become a journeyman signal-caller, first with the Jacksonville in 2019, then with the Eagles where he had his moments subbing for Jalen Hurts.
He then joined the Colts this season, and has them in playoff contention sparking Indy’s five wins in the past six heading into Atlanta last weekend.
The surprising Houston Texans, headlined by the amazing rookie C. J. Stroud were within inches of a playoff spot going into last weekend, but Stroud was sidelined, another with concussion issues, and another career second-stringer, Case Keenum was likely to take over again.
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings are battling for a wild-card spot with a third-stringer, Nick Mullens at the helm.
A week ago, the Seahawks upset the Eagles with Drew Lock, coming off the bench, making a big comeback effort.
And so it goes.
Most of the reserve quarterbacks coming to the fore and delivering for contending teams are names we’ve seen before.
Some of them will extend the dreams of their current teams.
Others will fall by the wayside.
What is happening this season is unprecedented in my view.
Enormous credit has to be given to all of the quarterbacks, many of whom were once starters, but circumstances led them to demotion.
But they were undaunted. They were determined to prove to themselves and to teammates and coaches that they could win.
They accepted backup posts and worked every day at practice to be ready just in case.
When their chance came, they competed.
Perhaps the poster boy of this breed of quarterback is Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.
Purdy was the very last man drafted by any team in 2022.
It is joked about that the honor of being the final pick in a draft earns him the title “ Mr. Irrelevent”.
But this time the joke is on the rest of the NFL.
Brock Purdy, the third-string quarterback, was forced to start for the 49ers after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined them.
All Purdy did was win all five regular season games he started, then a playoff win, before he himself was injured and replaced in the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.
Philly won and advanced to the Super Bowl.
This season, the 49ers have boasted the best record in the conference heading into the Monday Night collision with the Baltimore Ravens who own the same honor in the AFC.
No matter the victor, Purdy has proven something that the football scouts and all the experts judging talent don’t see.
That the heart of a player, the inner determination that can’t be measured in how fast he can run or how far a quarterback can throw, ultimately determines whether an athlete can not only be an asset to his team, but be a factor in that team winning and dominating.
Yes, there’s a story to be learned this season in the NFL, and I believe it overshadows everything.
On that note, here’s wishing everyone a healthy, and Happy New Year.