Ex-NFL player Alex Smith questions defensive-minded head coaches’ ability to develop quarterbacks

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Lengthy gone are the times of an NFL team drafting a quarterback early within the first spherical and letting him sit on the bench as they slowly develop.

Franchises count on a younger quarterback to right away take the beginning reins and achieve success. However a big portion of their success will depend on the roster round them and the teaching employees’s talents to shortly develop them.

Throughout a latest look on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio channel, three-time Professional Bowl quarterback Alex Smith shared his ideas on whether or not he believed coaches with a defensive background are geared up to carry a younger signal-caller on top of things.

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Alex Smith on an NFL field before a game

ESPN analyst Alex Smith on the sector earlier than a sport between the Buffalo Payments and the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on December 6, 2021, in Orchard Park, New York. (Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Photographs)

“There’s a totally different mentality, from my profession, while you play for an offensive head coach that wishes to gentle up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith mentioned.

“There’s a unique mentality you could have, particularly as a younger quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when actually the [coach’s] mentality is, ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t flip the ball over, don’t put us in a foul scenario.’ … That’s an enormous distinction in a mentality and a mindset for a younger quarterback, particularly if it’s a bit rocky to start out.”

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Smith mentioned that in his estimation a few of New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson’s shortcomings will be straight attributed to his head coach, Robert Saleh.

Earlier than being named the top coach in New York in 2021, Saleh spent 4 seasons on the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator. 

Jets QB Zach Wilson throws

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, left, and head coach Robert Saleh speak previous to the sport with the Cincinnati Bengals on September 25, 2022, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Wealthy Graessle/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)

“Robert Saleh, you’re a fantastic defensive thoughts and coordinator, however, like, you don’t have any thought learn how to develop a quarterback,” Smith mentioned. “The coordinator you employed by no means known as performs. So, that’s a very totally different animal. And as a lot as you assume you’re ready to deal with that growth of a younger child, you’re simply not.”

Presently, the vast majority of head coaches within the league come from offensive backgrounds.

The 12 NFL coaches who labored on the defensive facet of the soccer previous to changing into head coaches are: longtime Patriots coach Invoice Belichick, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, Payments coach Sean McDermott, Bears coach Matt Eberflus, Saints coach Dennis Allen, Chargers coach Brandon Staley, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Titans coach Mike Vrabel and Commanders coach Ron Rivera.

Alex Smith at the NFL Pro Bowl

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith throws through the AFC staff observe for the Professional Bowl in Kissimmee, Florida, on Jan. 25, 2018. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports activities)

The rest of the league’s coaches spent their careers on the offensive facet of the ball or coached the particular groups.

If an offensive coordinator has success, they are going to normally shortly draw curiosity from a number of groups that want to fill a head teaching emptiness.

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Heading into the 2023 season, the Jets is not going to be centered on creating a younger quarterback. The staff will as a substitute flip its consideration to attempting to get four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers adjusted to the offense. Rodgers has the advantage of with the ability to work along with his former offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett.

Hackett was the Packers offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021.

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