The Value of a Bridge Quarterback in the NFL

In the world of professional football, the term ‘bridge quarterback’ is often used to describe a veteran player who is brought in to temporarily fill the role of starting quarterback until a rookie is ready to take the reins. But just how valuable are these bridge quarterbacks, and do they truly serve a purpose in the modern NFL?

The NFL’s top quarterbacks are getting younger by the year.

In recent years, it’s become increasingly common for NFL teams to draft a quarterback in the first round and then bring in a veteran to serve as a bridge until the rookie is ready to start. This year’s draft class was no exception, with teams like the Patriots, Vikings, and Commanders all bringing in veteran quarterbacks to serve as bridges for their rookie signal-callers.

But just how long do these bridge quarterbacks typically last as starters? According to recent data, it’s getting rarer for a temporary quarterback to stay atop a team’s depth chart through Week 4, if not by Week 1. In fact, of the 12 bridge quarterbacks over the past five seasons, none ranked above 12th in overall grade and none were in the top 10 in passing grade in their spans of starting.

Caleb Williams is one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.

So what does this mean for the 2024 rookie quarterback class? For some, like Caleb Williams, the discussion is moot - they’ll be starting from Week 1. But for others, like Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, there’s no clear answer for when they’ll be handed the reins. Maye and McCarthy will likely have to wait until Week 8 or 9 to take over as starters, while Williams and Jayden Daniels are likely to get Week 1 nods.

The quarterback depth chart is getting younger by the year.

But what’s the point of having a bridge quarterback in the first place? The answer lies in the value they bring as insurance and a resource for a rookie. Having a veteran quarterback on the roster can be monumental in a rookie’s development, providing them with a valuable learning experience and a chance to grow as a player.

However, this research also sheds light on the fact that there’s little point in starting a veteran over a rookie, especially for long periods. These older quarterbacks rarely, if ever, perform well, so sticking with the status quo seems suboptimal. If anything, it’s a shrewder move to play a rookie early to extend the sample size and see what type of player an organization has on its hands.

The quarterback competition is heating up in the NFL.

Ultimately, the value of a bridge quarterback is a complex issue with no clear answer. While they may serve a purpose as insurance and a resource for a rookie, they rarely perform well and often hold back the development of younger players. As the NFL continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how teams approach the concept of the bridge quarterback in the future.