The quarterback in football is like the engine in your car.
You can have all sorts of extras on a car and a shiny paint job waxed to a high shine, but if you don’t have an engine you aren’t going anywhere.
In football, you can have speedy receivers, runningbacks that break tackles and a defensive line that intimidates their opponents, but without a quarterback, you aren’t going anywhere.
They have a quarterback in Philadelphia that led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory last February over the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. His name is Jalen Hurts and his job is not in danger. Still, the preseason is a chance for an unexpected star to emerge on the depth chart.
In 2012, the Seattle Seahawks had backed up the Brinks truck to lure Matt Flynn to the Northwest and become their starting quarterback. Then, in the preseason, a third round rookie draft choice couldn’t be denied.
Pete Carroll was in his third season as head coach of the Seahawks and had announced at the beginning of training camp that the quarterback position was open to be won on the field. Most of those around the team figured Carroll’s pre-camp announcement was designed to motivate Flynn, who had a pile of money and the media had already declared the opening day starter.