Many Bears fans met the signing of quarterback Mike Glennon one of two ways: with a shrug or with a shake of the head. Either they think he’s a decent option for a “bridge” quarterback, a veteran who can hold the reins for a bit, or he is a waste of time and money. Why not just start fresh with a young rookie and just build around him? That’s supposed to be what teams with sustained success are about.
However, there is a strong undercurrent of experts who continue to explain why this signing should be taken seriously. That Glennon might be better than people realize. Andy Benoit of the MMQB actually cited a particular trait of his that could make this venture profitable, at least in the short-term.
One reason for optimism from #Bears fans: QB Glennon got better with experience RE: playing from pocket with defenders in his face.
— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) March 21, 2017
This is one of the key traits that NFL teams seek in starting quarterbacks. Almost anybody can throw an accurate pass when they have a clean pocket and aren’t pressured. It’s entirely another when they can put the ball dead on the money with a defender in their face or actually hitting them at the same time of the throw. Greats like Brady, Manning, Rodgers and Brees have all done it.
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Tom Thayer of chicagobears.com backs up this assessment by Benoit with a breakdown for one of Glennon’s most impressive plays.
People can talk about arm strength and mobility. Those are fun and all. Yet neither really have everything to do with what makes the best quarterbacks. Being able to remain cool under fire is probably the most underrated quality needed. Glennon demonstrated that capability from from the very beginning in Tampa. In total he was sacked 56 times in 21 games. So he was dropped 2.66 times per game.
For comparative reasons, here are the numbers for other quarterbacks around the league.
- Aaron Rodgers = 2.40 times per game
- Tom Brady = 1.78 times per game
- Drew Brees = 1.52 times per game
- Ben Roethlisberger = 2.46 times per game
- Andrew Luck = 2.22 times per game
That paints a pretty clear picture doesn’t it. For the short time Glennon got to play, he was not well-protected at all. It’s hard to win in the NFL when a guy barely has time to hit his back step before he’s being hit or pressured. The fact that Glennon was able to power through that and still put up 30 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions is a testament to his coolness under fire. Not just in remaining productive but also not turning the football over. A problem that soured much of the Jay Cutler era.
Is Glennon a potential franchise QB? That’s impossible to say until he gets on the field. History says to remain skeptical. However, the tape definitely leaves the door wide open for hope that it’s indeed possible.
