Dalton & McCarron are in a very awkward situation

[Essex Johnson]

(01-07-2016, 02:15 PM)Ravage Wrote: 2000: New Orleans Saints, Jeff Blake playing at a Pro Bowl level in his first season in New Orleans breaks his foot. Replaced by Aaron Brooks. Blake never gets his job back.

2001 : New England Patriots, Drew Bledsoe, former #1 overall pick, arguably a top 10 NFL QB at the time gets hurt. Replaced by second year 6th round QB Tom Brady. Bledsoe never gets his job back and is traded to Buffalo during the off-season.

2004: Pittsburgh Steelers, Tommy Maddox (a year removed from being named NFL comeback player of the year) is injured and replaced by rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger. Maddox never gets his job back.

I could keep going, but please tell me how you "always go with history" again?

I'm in no way advocating that I want McCarron to replace Dalton.  McCarron's looked good...for a backup QB. But to assert that established starters (especially at qb) are immune to losing their job due to injury is a fallacy.

First lets define Established QBs in my eyes:   1.  That have been with the team for a few years and have been playing at a good level  and had the team winning and going or on pace to make the playoffs.    Now take the three you stated and you can't use that definition.  Here is why 

Jeff Black was not an established starter, he had played one season with New Orleans and had not make the playoffs the year before.

Bledsoe was 0-2 when he was hurt and  had not had a winning season with NE since 1998 and had not made the playoffs since 1997 so easy to see Brady keep job

Ben was picked 12th in draft, he was going to be their starter sooner than later plus goes 13-0  big difference from  AJM picked 4th/5th round and taking over late in year.  Also Maddox had 4 years I believe with Steelers at that point and never taken team to playoffs...

there have been many QBs that were backups that maybe played a few games and had a winning record for teams that once the starter came back, they went to backups.

Each situation has its own circumstances that can be very different from the others.   To me the only theme you have similar is that a starting QB got hurt and someone replaced them that kept the job.   How about finding this:

A QB going in his 5th year with 5 straight winning records, 5 playoffs appearances earned, playing at MVP level for 3/4s of his 5th year before he got injuried is replaced by a backup and loses his job in the future.

Can you come up with that or a simliar situation to Dalton's ?? I don;t think you can or will be very rare

Finally interesting when you look at the three you posted Blake, Maddox, Bledsoe.. none of them had taken their team to the playoffs the previous 3 or 4 years.. seems like a much easier reason why the backup never game up their job