Why JaMarcus Russell shouldn’t even be 2nd or 3rd string.

The Quarterback position is the most important on a football field and one the hardest positions to play in all of sports. That’s why QBs get the ridiculous contracts and the girls, looking at you Tom Brady. They are the only position that tracks wins and losses. All of that means that not only do you have to be very talented but you have to put in hours of extra work to even be partially successful. So let’s say you have to pick one of two QBs for your team and all they gave you were these stats:

QB 1-27 years old Career: 52% completion percentage, 23 fumbles, 65.2 QB rating, 7-25 win/loss record

QB2-30 years old Career: 58% completion percentage, 19 fumbles, 74.4 QB rating, 31-19 win/loss record

Now looking at these numbers, neither QB seems to be very good until you get to the wins and losses and in the NFL that’s what matters. QB1 is JaMarcus Russell and QB2 is Vince Young. Recently Russell got a workout with the Chicago Bears and according to sources, “displayed a big arm and good, positive demeanor.” No one has ever questioned Russell’s talent. He even ran a 4.8 at the combine at around 260lbs. He has some talent but he does not have the rest. He was seen in Oakland as moody and not dedicated. He held out of his first training camp and into the season. In 3 years in Oakland he threw 23 interceptions and had a total of 45 turnovers. He did not throw a lot either. We also can’t forget the “purple drank” incident when he was caught with the “dirty south” inspired codeine drink. He was already on thin ice. Russell stole 39 million dollars from the Raiders and they are still trying to recover from that catastrophic draft pick. Young on the other hand has won in this league. Went to pro bowls and the playoff yet he can’t get a tryout or camp invite yet. I’m not saying either of them should be starters because they should not, but I’d rather have a winner backing up my star QB than someone who can pass as a left tackle. I’m sure both men have matured and hopefully conquered there demons but Russell should not be given another chance. He was given enough and never produced. At least Young has shown something resembling a winning QB. Honestly I’d rather have Tim Tebow as a backup than Russell. Well, maybe I would not go that far.