Tag: quarterback

Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) speaks with head coach Bill O'Brien before the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Boston College benches QB Thomas Castellanos ahead of SMU clash

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien said he’s benching starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos, with Grayson James to start Saturday against No. 13 SMU instead.

The Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) have three remaining games and need one win to become bowl eligible.

O’Brien said that Castellanos has decided to take a few days away from the team in the wake of the coach’s decision.

“Tommy has done a great job for us,” O’Brien said Tuesday. “He’s an awesome competitor. We have a lot of respect for Tommy. Obviously, he wasn’t real thrilled.”

After Castellanos limped off the field early in the third quarter last Saturday against Syracuse with an apparent leg injury, he was replaced by James. The sub was 5-of-6 passing for 51 yards and a touchdown but managed an offense that gained 313 rushing yards in the 37-31 win.

Castellanos was 2-of-7 passing for 14 yards with a touchdown and interception when he came out of the Syracuse game.

“I think what’s best for the team right now is for Grayson James to be the starter,” O’Brien said.

Castellanos played in 13 games (12 starts) in 2023 and totaled 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards to become the first 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher in Boston College history.

This season, he has completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 1,366 yards with 18 TDs and five interceptions. He’s added 194 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

James, a fellow junior, is in his first season with the Eagles after transferring from Florida International.

In limited action with the Eagles, he has completed 24 of 38 pass attempts for 219 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

“He was very poised (against Syracuse),” O’Brien said about James. “There was a couple things he’d like to have back like all of us, coaches and players alike. But, overall, he played a solid game and was instrumental in helping us win the game.”

–Field Level Media

Jun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and quarterback Jacob y Brissett (14) throw passes at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Jerod Mayo: Drake Maye ‘100 percent’ ready to lead Patriots

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New England Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo isn’t ready to name his starting quarterback, but he said Wednesday that he wouldn’t hesitate to turn to rookie Drake Maye to run the offense.

“One hundred percent, I think he’s ready to run a huddle,” Mayo told reporters in Foxborough, Mass.

Veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett remains listed as No. 1 on the New England depth chart, but Mayo said he will wait until after Sunday night’s preseason finale against the Washington Commanders before deciding who will open the season at QB on Sept. 8 at the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is. You know, Sunday night game, it’s always hard to really crank through the film, especially on the road, but I think Monday, Tuesday we probably should know who the quarterback is.

“Now, that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you on Monday or Tuesday.”

Brissett, 31, is in his ninth NFL season and second go-round with the Patriots after stops in Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland and Washington. He has appeared in 79 games and is 18-30 as a starter, completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 10,574 yards with 51 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Maye, who turns 22 next week, was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft in April. He was a two-year starter at North Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Rams sign QB Jimmy Garoppolo to 1-year deal

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The Los Angeles Rams are signing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year contract, according to multiple reports Friday.

Garoppolo, 32, will serve as the backup to Matthew Stafford in 2024 after he serves a two-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances.

Garoppolo spent last year with the Las Vegas Raiders after six seasons with San Francisco. He was benched after Josh McDaniels was fired as the Raiders’ head coach on Nov. 1, save for a spot appearance in which he had one incomplete pass and a sack in the team’s season finale against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 7.

Over seven games (six starts) in 2023, Garoppolo completed 65.1 percent of his throws for 1,205 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In February, Garoppolo was assessed a two-game ban to start 2024, reportedly for using a prescribed medication without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the league. The Raiders released Garoppolo on Wednesday.

Across a 10-year career with the New England Patriots (2014-16), Niners (2017-22) and Raiders, Garoppolo has completed 67.4 percent of his throws for 15,494 yards, 94 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.

The Rams at times have employed John Wolford, Stetson Bennett and Baker Mayfield as a No. 2 quarterback in recent seasons.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Seahawks quarantee 2024 salary of QB Geno Smith

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The Seattle Seahawks are keeping quarterback Geno Smith on the roster this week, guaranteeing his $12.7 million salary, ESPN reported Thursday.

The team had until Friday to release him to save the money.

He also has a roster bonus of $9.6 million that is due on March 17.

The immediate move either buys the Seahawks time to trade Smith or gives new head coach Mike Macdonald and recently hired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb an opportunity to chart a path at the QB position.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock will become an unrestricted free agent next month.

With the high cost of starting quarterbacks, Smith could be an affordable option for a team looking for a quarterback, or for the Seahawks as they build their 2024 roster.

Smith, 33, has been steady at the position over the past two seasons for the Seahawks since replacing Russell Wilson as the starter. A Pro Bowl selection in both 2022 and 2023, Smith threw for 3,624 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.

The Seahawks have the No. 16 overall selection in the upcoming NFL draft but don’t have a pick in the second round. That’s where the latest mock drafts from 247Sports and The Athletic project quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will be selected. He ran Grubb’s offense at Washington, where Grubb was the offensive coordinator.

–Field Level Media

Sep 1, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) during a timeout in the first half against the Missouri State Bears at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (back) likely to play vs. Illinois

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Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has been limited due to back stiffness, is likely to play Friday night against Illinois, ESPN reported.

It was unclear Thursday whether Daniels or backup Jason Bean will start the game.

Daniels, the Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year, missed the season opener against Missouri State because of the back issue, but ESPN reported he took a “significant amount of snaps” in practice this week.

The back tightness also impacted him during summer practice.

Daniels missed four games last season with a shoulder injury but appeared in nine, throwing for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also ran for 425 yards and seven scores.

The Jayhawks beat Missouri State 48-17 in the season opener last Friday behind Bean, who tallied 276 yards and two touchdowns. Bean started four games last season and nine in 2021.

Like Kansas, Illinois is 1-0 after defeating Toledo 30-28 last Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 12, 2022; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Haynes King (13) warms up before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M transfer Haynes King wins Georgia Tech QB job

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Georgia Tech coach Brent Key named Texas A&M transfer Haynes King the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback for the 2023 season on Tuesday.

King was competing with redshirt freshman Zach Pyron for the role.

“There are going to be points in time this year when those quarterbacks will all play,” Key told reporters Tuesday, “but for now, Haynes King is the starter and we are looking forward to moving on.”

King came to the Atlantic Coast Conference after a few difficult years in the Southeastern Conference with Texas A&M. He opened the 2021 season as the Aggies’ starting quarterback but suffered a broken leg in their second game of the year, sitting the rest of the way behind Zach Calzada.

It was King’s job again to start the 2022 season, but he was benched after two games as Max Johnson and Conner Weigman shared quarterback reps moving forward.

“I’m not putting (King) on a short leash,” Key said. “I don’t want the starting quarterback to go out there and feel like if he makes one mistake he is going to get yanked. That is not the world we are living in. Both guys will have to be prepared. We can win with both players.”

King has three years of eligibility remaining after retaining his “COVID year” of eligibility from 2020.

Last year, King threw for 1,220 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions while completing just 55.6 percent of his throws across six games.

Georgia Tech will host conference foe Louisville on Sept. 1 to open the season.

–Field Level Media

Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (QB11) participates in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Richardson writes GMs letter vowing to outwork peers

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Florida’s Anthony Richardson may not be projected to go No. 1 or 2 in this month’s NFL draft, but however the order shakes out, Richardson wanted NFL general managers to know he won’t easily be outworked by his fellow prospects.

In an open letter titled “Dear NFL GMs” on The Players’ Tribune published Thursday, Richardson made a pitch for himself as some team’s future franchise quarterback, promising no one will outwork him.

“I know the things people are picking apart,” Richardson wrote. “People talk about whether I can be accurate. They say I don’t have touch. They say I can’t throw short. They say a lot of things.

“All I gotta say is: Watch how hard I work. In my mind, I can do anything with the football in my hand — but I know that no one will ever work harder than me to improve. Whether that’s my footwork, accuracy, mechanics, learning defenses, you name it. You can always grow, and that’s what I’m focused on. I’m going to come in and be tireless. I’m going to put it all on the line. My family sacrificed too much for me to not give everything to this game.”

Richardson’s competitors are Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis. Young recently rocketed past Stroud and into the favorite spot at sportsbooks around the country to go first overall to the QB-needy Carolina Panthers.

Richardson impressed evaluators with a stellar showing at the scouting combine. ESPN’s most recent official mock draft predicts the Tennessee Titans trading into the No. 3 overall pick to select Richardson as a “QB of the future.”

In 2022, Richardson put up 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns passes and nine interceptions while rushing for 654 yards and an additional nine TDs.

Richardson’s letter thanked several family members for pushing him and sacrificing for him, along with former Florida coach Dan Mullen as a “quarterback guru” figure for him.

“It’s funny, when I was younger, my mom used to interview me on long car rides, like I was at a press conference or something,” Richardson wrote. “I’d be like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ And she’d say, ‘You’re gonna need it one day.’ And now I look at where I am, and I’m just grateful that she believed that I could be somebody.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

49ers GM: Brock Purdy has edge at QB

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San Francisco has three quarterbacks — Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold — on its roster, but 49ers general manager John Lynch said one has a slight edge over the others in the race to be the 2023 starter.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” Lynch said Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. “If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

Purdy had surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm earlier this month.

Purdy, 23, made a stunning rise from being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to leading the 49ers into the NFC Championship Game.

After quarterbacks Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were injured in the regular season, Purdy took over and led the team to wins in each of the final five games. Purdy and the 49ers then defeated the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game when the elbow injury occurred.

After fourth-stringer Josh Johnson went down with a concussion against Philadelphia, Purdy returned to action but was unable to throw the ball more than a few yards.

In the regular season, Purdy completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards with 13 scoring passes and four interceptions. In the playoffs, he had a 65.1 percent completion rate while throwing for 569 yards and three TDs with no interceptions.

Garoppolo signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. Lance, who entered the 2022 season as the starter, sustained a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

New Titans GM insists team will keep Ryan Tannehill

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The Tennessee Titans are moving forward with Ryan Tannehill as their starting quarterback in 2023.

So says general manager Ran Carthon, who didn’t sound sold during his introductory press conference last month. Carthon said then that he needed to further evaluate Tannehill, who turns 35 in July.

It was a different tune at the NFL combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday.

“Ryan is under contract,” Carthon said. “I know everybody wants to make a big deal out of the quarterback position and whether he will or won’t be here, but you guys just have to accept the fact that Ryan is under contract for us. Right now, he’s a Titan and he will be a Titan.”

Part of what’s fueling speculation of a departure is Tannehill’s $36.6 million cap hit for 2023. The Titans could save roughly half that amount by releasing the 10-year veteran.

But Carthon likes what he has been seeing in the team facility since taking over the GM duties.

“He’s been a diligent worker, been in the building every day rehabbing and getting his work in,” Carthon said. “So he is under contract and I am excited about moving forward with him and have a ton of respect for him.”

Tannehill is slated to receive a $27 million base salary after being limited to just 12 games last season due to a season-ending ankle injury.

But perhaps part of the decision process revolves around the poor showing by 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis, who looked overmatched by the speed of the NFL.

Willis went 1-2 as a starter but passed for just 276 yards while completing a paltry 50.8 percent of his passes. He was intercepted three times and didn’t throw a touchdown pass.

In fact, when Tennessee was facing two pivotal games late in the season, they plucked Joshua Dobbs off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad and immediately started the journeyman.

Tannehill passed for 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions prior to his injury. The 2023 campaign would be his fifth with the Titans after he spent six campaigns with the Miami Dolphins.

New Tennessee offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said he is looking forward to working with Tannehill.

“He’s a great pro,” Kelly said. “He checks every box in terms of what you’re looking for from that position. I’m excited to continue to work with Ryan.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Auburn Tigers helmets sits on a crate during a game against LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Four-star 2024 QB Walker White commits to Auburn

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Walker White, a four-star 2024 quarterback prospect, committed to Auburn on Friday.

White, from Little Rock (Ark.) Christian Academy, is ranked as the No. 8 quarterback and the No. 92 overall prospect by 247Sports. He chose the Tigers over Baylor and Clemson.

“As soon as I stepped on that football field my heart (jumped),” White told 247Sports about his January visit to Auburn. “I said this is the place.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound White said he is excited to play for new head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff.

“When I go to Auburn, I know I’ll be developed to my full potential,” White said.

“They are geniuses about offense and the quarterback position,” he continued.

In his junior season, White passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, per 247Sports. He added 837 rushing yards and 16 scores on the ground.

–Field Level Media