As football fans, we get into deep conversations with one and another over our team’s quarterback. As fanatics, we usually don’t take the time for evaluating a quarterback, most of us don’t have the skill set. Ultimately it is for the front office to decide. Fear and the unknown can drive a General Manager’s decision. “If I don’t resign my quarterback, who will play the position next year? Salaries for quarterbacks are often decided by the market. As part of the business model, the front office in part has to answer to the fan base,. The fan base ultimately works on a much simpler emotional parameter: Does the quarterback make me happy?
The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic view is central to differentiating value verses evaluate. How how one separates the two different perspectives? A New York Giant fan may say that Eli Manning belongs in the Hall of Fame. The rational is that he was instrumental in winning two Super Bowls. And that happiness by itself (intrinsic view) is reason enough to vote him in. With an intrinsic view, emotions, legacy, as well as cherishing a player are all part of a fan’s perspective.
Evaluating a Quarterback: Philip Rivers and Eli Manning
When evaluating a quarterback, a front office’s extrinsic view and evaluation is more analytical. One looks closer at the numbers and say: “Yes, Manning threw for 366 touchdowns, but he also threw 244 interceptions. His pass percentage of 60.3% is low by today’s standards. Manning’s career win-loss record is 118-118.” And the difference between the two perspectives for Eli Manning rages on to this day.
The emotional value for Philip Rivers, the quarterback initially drafted by the Giants in 2004 before being part of a trade for Manning, appears to be not as strong as Manning’s. Even though Rivers won five playoff games, was selected to eight Prow Bowl games (only four for Manning) and had a higher pass percentage than Manning at 64.9%, as well as a better TD-INT ratio of 421-209, Rivers never won a Super Bowl, let alone play in one. As his career wound down and his performance on the field diminished, the ties that bind unraveled as the front office and the fan base both did seem to be bothered when Rivers left the Chargers to see his career end with another team.
Legacy of Daniel Jones
The legacy of current Giant quarterback, Daniel Jones is still being scripted. One is not taught script anymore in elementary school. Let me not date myself, nor digress. And just say that the legacy of Daniel Jones is still to be crafted. Evaluating quarterback Daniel Jones is on-going. The front office signed him to a four year $160 million contract this past off- season. This is based on a 2022 season where he completed 67.2% of his passes, threw for 15 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. When 15 touchdowns gets one a $160 million contract, I need my karma to ripen and have me to come back as an NFL quarterback in my next life.
Clearly what Joe Schoen saw in the collegiate ranks as well as the going price for a starting quarterback pushed him in part to resigning Jones to such a lucrative contract. Here’s to hoping that the fans will value Jones in the upcoming years as has the front office in their current evaluation.
Barry Schustermann
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