The NFL is preparing for the next wave of signal callers. Two of these others, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, are becoming household names and future first-round draft picks. Both players have tremendous upside but have a glaring fatal flaw that will determine the course of their careers. It is their capacity to reset their body clock that will allow them to act when it matters most. This skill will make the difference between them succeeding or failing at the pros.
Ward, who illuminated scoreboards all across the Texas Panhandle with 39 touchdown passes last year, has caused a stir with his unorthodox style of play. As he prepares to make the jump to the NFL, his capacity to control time within the pocket is in question. He averaged 2.96 seconds from snap to throw, ranking last in the FBS at 110th out of 110 FBS quarterbacks with enough dropbacks. Whenever you come across this statistic, let it shine a light on his proclivity to sit on the ball too long. This habit can lead to avoidable sacks and losses, a dangerous proposition in the high firestorm that is pro football.
Sanders has been refreshingly upfront about his deficits. Following a challenging game against Oregon where he was sacked multiple times, he reflected on his performance, stating, “I’m realistic, I know what I need to improve on.” The young QB has come under fire for taking 94 sacks the last two seasons. This figure underscores his difficulties with getting and keeping an efficient internal clock. Despite the disappointment, he continues to be bullish on his development, claiming that “put on the tape, those errors [are] reduced down every single year. So I’m super conscious of all the things I need to be doing in order to be successful.
Despite their raw talent, both quarterbacks have to improve their processing and decision-making abilities in order to succeed at the NFL level. As one AFC quarterbacks coach pointed out, for Sanders, “not holding it was the exception.” He conceded that when Sanders finally does let the ball go, it’s usually accurate and on time. This coach emphasized the necessity for Sanders to adapt his timing in the league: “His clock has to be different in the league, or it’s way too many negative plays.”
This point about timing isn’t just a problem for Ward and Sanders. After all, last year’s consensus number one overall draft prospect had the same criticisms lobbed at him for playing too recklessly. During the 2023 season, J.J. McCarthy displayed some tremendous twitch with an average snap-to-throw time of 3.14 seconds. This incredible pace landed him 4th in the country! These types of numbers represent a growing trend with young quarterbacks — in this case with an inability to make quick decisions when forced out of rhythm.
A second player to spotlight is Milroe. In 2023, he had the third-highest average time from snap to throw, at a whopping 3.2 seconds. This new trend illustrates how much all of these emerging quarterbacks need to reinvent the wheel. They always have to adjust as they make the jump to the NFL level.
There are lessons to learn from the experiences of established quarterbacks that would prove beneficial to both Ward and Sanders. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen became one of the top quarterbacks in the league between his first and third seasons. By really honing in on the shorter, inside breaking routes, all that work helped increase his efficiency in the pocket. Allen’s development is a testament to the necessity of flexibility when working with young quarterbacks. They’re going to need to adapt their strategy to find answers to more sophisticated defenses.
Craig Johnson, a prominent coach with extensive experience mentoring quarterbacks, articulated the challenges young players face when entering the NFL. He stated, “When a quarterback comes into the league, he simply thinks, ‘I am faster, more athletic or elusive than the people chasing me.’ You have to learn quickly [that being] late anywhere in the NFL is where the trouble starts.” This sentiment encapsulates the learning curve that Ward and Sanders will navigate as they aim for success in their professional careers.
Johnson added that “the toughest lesson is really that, as a quarterback, you have to earn the right to hold the ball a little longer.” This underscores a vital reality of the NFL: timing and decision-making are paramount. The impact of getting sacked on the young QBs being sacked has a huge emotional and psychological impact on young quarterbacks. One AFC quarterback coach pointed out that “obviously, those numbers tank” when a quarterback can’t get the timing right.
Both Ward and Sanders are realistic about these challenges and hungry to do better. Ward admitted creating improvisational plays out of structure could cause him to sometimes hang on the ball too long. “If you ever make plays out of structure, of course you’re going to hold the ball and try to make a play and get your receivers open,” he explained.
As Ward and Sanders enter their NFL careers, they will most certainly be under a microscope. …how quickly they adjust to the pace and complexity of the professional game. It will be their ability to negotiate those day-night transitions with their own internal clocks that will prove most pivotal to their success on the field.
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