5 NFL QBs who've had their feelings hurt this offseason
Each year, the NFL coaching carousel spins the day after the regular season ends and three months later, quarterback musical chairs begins.
Some teams look to free agency for a signal caller while others trade a bevy of draft picks to move up the board to land a franchise quarterback -- they hope.
During the process, egos sometimes get bruised. Namely, those of QBs already employed by teams acquiring top prospects and quarterbacks who aren't getting offered the money they think they deserve.
We know how Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison feels about participation trophies for kids. How about professional athletes demanding a ticket out of town rather than compete for a starting spot?
At the end of the 2013 season, Foles' astonishing numbers (27 touchdown passes against just two interceptions) and a Pro Bowl appearance told the story of a QB ascending into the ranks of (this is an "elite"-free zone here) no-doubt starting quarterbacks. But he regressed in 2014, got traded to the Rams in 2015 for Sam Bradford and finished last season with 69.0 passer rating, second-worst in the league.
Then the Rams mortgaged their future to move up the board and draft Jared Goff at No. 1 overall. Now Foles is skipping voluntary team workouts because the team drafted a quarterback, per an ESPN report.
Indeed the workouts are voluntary, but this certainly won't ingratiate him to his teammates. It shows an unwillingness to embrace competition. Plus, Foles got benched down the stretch for Case Keenum in 2015. If he thought he was the presumptive starter, he wasn't paying attention and didn't watch his own game tape. With a solid performance during OTAs and training camp he could secure a spot as Goff's placeholder for half a season or more -- an audition for the next contract.
It's funny how Foles and Bradford traded places and then fell into the same bad trap of not knowing their value or role. After the Eagles followed the Rams with a leap up the board via a draft pick exchange, Philadelphia identified its quarterback of the future: North Dakota State product Carson Wentz. That didn't sit well with Bradford who had signed a two-year, $36 million extension with the Eagles (with $22 million guaranteed!). So Bradford and his agent requested a trade and vowed he wouldn't participate in team activities any longer. This cartoon from Rob Tornoe about sums it up:
Elsewhere, Bradford got some straight talk from Joe Theismann:
Now the same applies to Foles. Bradford has since made an about face and returned to the team after realizing he didn't really have any other option.
My first @cj_wentz toon. First test: learning how to throw in the rain https://t.co/7A5zxq7iqx #Eagles pic.twitter.com/BkHUoy6qpg
— Rob Tornoe (@RobTornoe) May 2, 2016
This is a strange situation. There's currently no market for Ryan Fitzpatrick's services, and the Jets have shown they aren't willing to negotiate against themselves. Both sides have dug in deep. Fitzpatrick and his agent see the unproven Brock Osweiler (we'll get to him) banking a four-year, $72 million contract while the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick, coming off a 31 passing touchdown campaign (a Jets record), hasn't sniffed anything near that in free agency.
He was so dissatisfied with the Jets' offer as of April 29 that he said he would "rather not play football" than play for the Jets at the offered salary.
Now the latest offer to Fitzpatrick has has leaked -- 3 years, $24 million with an unknown guarantee -- while Fitzpatrick reportedly is ready to end the stalemate with just a 1 year, $12 million pact. But the Jets may be unwilling to do that because of salary cap considerations.
First he got benched for a hobbled Peyton Manning in Week 17 last season after a C.J. Anderson fumble. Osweiler didn't outwardly show unhappiness over that and denied that it factored into his decision to leave for Houston. But in the two weeks before officially signing the deal, he cut off contact with Broncos coaches and some teammates. Then the Broncos delayed in negotiations with Osweiler while awaiting official word on Manning's retirement. Said Texans owner Bob McNair:
It also helped that Houston offered more money, but the guy wanted a fresh start somewhere he'd be appreciated more and, yes, to get out of Elway's shadow.
Now, Osweiler is skipping the Denver Broncos' White House visit honoring the champions. "The Broncos graciously extended an invitation for me to join them at the White House on Monday, but due to a scheduled OTA in Houston I feel it is important to be at practice with my new teammates," Osweiler said.
No thanks, Obama.
Here's a newcomer, drafted 100th overall by the Oakland Raiders, entering the league with hurt feelings. "Yeah, any time you see another quarterback get drafted in front of you, it hurts," said the Michigan State product who was the seventh QB drafted this year. "I'm a competitor. It just motivates you. I'm going to go into this league with a chip on my shoulder and try to earn everything that I achieve."
Honorable tensions that began brewing long ago: The saga of Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers, plus Robert Griffin III finally departing Washington with a telling locker room note. On to Cleveland...
