The quarterback development dilemma may be reaching its breaking point in the NFL, as now two of the three quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2023 draft have already lost their starting roles.

Former number one overall pick Bryce Young was replaced by veteran Andy Dalton just two games into the 2024 season, and six weeks later Joe Flacco will take the keys to the Indianapolis Colts at instead of fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson.

While Richardson spent more time in the 2024 season than Young, Richardson completed only his 10th career start before switching to helmet after missing the majority of his rookie year due to surgery. the end of season shoulder.

Young is 21 games and counting under center for the Carolina Panthers in his young career, as Young already won the starting role against Dalton last week. But this position is probably as fluid as you’ll see in the NFL.

Richardson’s time as a starter in Indianapolis is likely far from over as well, as both of those first-round picks have at least two years under contract with the fifth-year option, but that begs the question: why did Richardson -he got less than half. opportunities for young people?

And for these two former collegiate stars, how much of these results are their fault?

For those who only watch the professional level of football, the scouting report for these two quarterbacks was very different.

Young was a two-year star at Alabama, winning the 2021 Heisman after compiling 4,872 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He finished his college career with a 24-4 overall record, and without his 5’10, 200 lb. frame, he would have been a clear No. 1 overall selection.

Even with coaches’ hesitancy over his ability to stay in the pocket, his college work wasn’t enough to not only be selected first overall, but also for the Panthers to mortgage their future first-round picks for progress and select it.

Richardson, on the other hand, was on the opposite end of the spectrum. With essentially just one season as a starter for the University of Florida, Richardson was the textbook definition of a project.

Finishing his redshirt sophomore season with 2,549 passing and 17 touchdowns to 9 interceptions, Richardson struggled with accuracy, completing only 53.8% of his total pass attempts.

When he was able to complete a pass, or when a play broke down, that’s when Richardson increased his draft stock with his athleticism. The former Gator led all of college football with 14.5 yards per completion, and he had 654 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns in just 12 games.

At 6’4, 235 pounds, the ability to run efficiently, along with above-average arm strength and accuracy on the field was a coaching staff’s dream combination.

For their professional comparisons, Young received similar treatment to Kyler Murray with the Cardinals, and Richardson had the benefit of becoming the next Josh Allen.

The only problem is that it’s very difficult for a player to do what Murray and Allen did, which is why the first round of the NFL Draft has become a lottery system for teams looking for a franchise quarterback.

So why is Richardson already seeing the sidelines after just 10 games, while Young seems to have a longer leash? The first reason lies in the specificities of their struggles.

Young has struggled to move the ball consistently down the field, which is due to his ability to read an NFL defense. In his 21 games, Young has averaged just 161.9 yards per game, which is 42nd best in the league since 2023.

His yards per attempt have been even worse, sitting at just 5.4, which is 56th best over the entire period. And although Young has taken risks and made safeties honor his ability to take over, he still only has 13 total touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his career.

Richardson, on the other hand, seemed to transfer his collegiate struggles to the professional level, but with that came the ability to make explosive plays.

While Richardson has already managed to surpass Young in some statistical categories, including his 7.1 yards per attempt and 1,535 passing yards in less than half the games, his short- and mid-range inaccuracy has made games explosive much less common than what we saw in Florida.

With a completion percentage of 50.2%, PJ Walker has the worst completion percentage of any quarterback over the last two years. And Walker only has 111 pass attempts in that span.

These questions represent the most effective way to overcome struggles, which are different for both actors.

While working as a backup against the starting defense will help read a defense and learn tendencies, nothing replicates the speed and action of the game. And when your team is on track for a third top-five year last overall, it’s much easier to let Young continue to learn on the job.

However, for the Colts, with a 4-4 record and their four single-game losses, it is much more difficult to keep the team competitive while Richardson struggles with an aspect of the game that Flacco can offer now. Especially when a quarterback learns accuracy in practice rather than in game action.

The third aspect that influenced these decisions was what these teams gave up for their franchise centerpieces. While the fourth overall selection is nothing to scoff at, picking a quarterback with your first pick has become a veritable lottery. And if you don’t win the lottery, it’s better to throw away the piece of paper.

When you trade future opportunities to play the lottery again for the best chance of winning the lottery for a year, it’s a little harder to swallow the fact that you lost. And while there is still talent and potential in these two quarterbacks, there is no time to wait.

Whether or not this is fair to the athlete is irrelevant, as the NFL is the fastest growing league with the smallest sample sizes. But, while a franchise quarterback’s plan on a rookie-year contract is the ideal architecture of a Super Bowl formula, it’s only a matter of time until enough failed quarterback training camps lead to a change in philosophy.