The Pain Of Being An Nfl Quarterback

There are several positions played in the NFL, but there is only one that a majority of players would never choose to play. This is the Quarterback position. Many people may wonder why, but there is good reason. One major reason is that quarterbacks take all the hits when dropping back in the pocket. The hardest hit is when it is totally unexpected, and the quarterback doesn’t know that it is coming. Sometimes after a tackle, the player simply gets right back up and continues playing. Other times, the quarterback doesn’t recover quickly from a tackle like this, and can get hurt pretty seriously. Many have sustained injuries such as concussions or broken bones. It is not unusual for some quarterbacks to sustain more serious injuries, such as severe head injuries and cervical spine damage. Surgery is often required in many instances, causing the player to be incapacitated for months at a time. Most quarterbacks heal pretty rapidly, and are quite resilient, but sometimes they can experience permanent damage.

Some players may continue to play despite injuries. This is not a good idea, though, because it can aggravate the problem, and even cause new ones to arise. A coach or team physician would definitely not allow a player to continue to play while injured, if it were serious. Unfortunately, though, some pro quarterbacks, or even players who play other positions, may hide the fact that they are hurt, and continue to play until the end of the season.

One quarterback in particular, Donovan McNab, played with a hernia for nearly the entire season, and then as soon as the season was over, he had surgery to correct the problem. Following recovery from his surgery, he returned to the NFL, but got hurt again. Fortunately, though, it was at the end of the season, so it he didn’t have to miss out on playing.

So, obviously, it’s tough and potentially dangerous being a quarterback. There is also a great deal of pressure placed on them to win; if they don’t do well on the field, then they’re benched. A good example of this is when Drew Bledsoe, a Dallas Cowboy’s quarterback, was benched by his team’s coach for not performing to his potential.

As they all say, the name of the game is to win, because there is a lot at stake for an NFL quarterback.