Nothing sparks irrational hatred of a quarterback quite like inconsistency. It’s especially frustrating for fans when a player is able to flash the ability to lead a team to great things, but can also seemingly blow a game single-handedly with costly mistakes.
RG3 isn’t the only NFL quarterback fans love to hate
When things go wrong, quarterbacks typically take the blame and RG3 is just one of several quarterbacks who take the brunt of anger from NFL fans.
Typically, that’s just the reality of what a middle-of-the-pack quarterback is. While the most elite quarterbacks earn Pro Bowls with relatively consistent performances week in and week out, there is a whole group of passers who are good enough to keep their job, but not consistent enough to earn the trust of fans.
Deserved or not, these average and inconsistent quarterbacks become the NFL’s most scrutinized players. Where there is praise for their abilities, there are also legions of detractors quick to remind everyone of the shortcomings that have held them back from greatness.
Before the era of Twitter and social media fueling negative opinions of players, the NFL's most vicious media markets still found a way to unite in their criticism of a quarterback. Donovan McNabb was booed the second he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 and, despite six Pro Bowls, every major franchise record and a trip to the Super Bowl, the booing never really ended for a list of not entirely rational, possibly stupid reasons.
Give Philadelphia fans even a small reason and they’ll find a way to hate a player. Throw a inconsistent player under the spotlights generated by New York or Dallas and that can fuel some serious scrutiny, as well.
Here are a few of the NFL’s most maligned and picked on quarterbacks, whether that’s deserved or not:
The fall from grace for the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is pretty incredible when considering how quickly it happened. After 20 touchdowns and five interceptions as a rookie, Griffin went out on his shield as a hero in the playoffs after tearing his ACL while trying to play on his already injured knee. The tailspin in the seasons that followed was a phenomenon all its own, and the public opinion of RG3 had a tailspin to match.
Griffin finished 2014 with four touchdowns and six interceptions in seven starts, regressing into a shell of the player who earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie. But bad quarterbacks are aplenty all over the NFL, and Kirk Cousins hasn't done nearly enough to make Griffin starting a source of frustration. Yet, Griffin is the maligned one who consistently stews opinions and conversation, although that comes with the expectations of a player taken No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft.
He fueled negative conversation earlier in August when he told reporters that he thinks he’s the best quarterback in the NFL. Griffin later explained that anybody who doesn’t think that way isn’t being a competitor, but that concession came too late to stop fans from scoffing at what seemed to be boasts and brags from a player who hadn’t proven himself at all.
In a league where inconsistency can be frustrating, Smith is a roller coaster of ups and downs. When he’s good, he can rack up passing stats with the best of them, like he did in Week 17 of the 2014 season when he threw for 358 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating. Or he could complete just 25 percent of his passes for five yards and three interceptions and a passer rating of zero, like he did almost exactly two months prior.
Combine his wildly inconsistent play with the lights of New York, off-field controversies like the recent fight with IK Enemkpali and criticisms of his attitude that date back to his time at West Virginia, and there are plenty of negative opinions of Smith. Like Griffin, the high investment the Jets made also contributes to the frustrations of fans who expected more from a player taken in the second round.
Cutler's path to the Chicago Bears included asking the Denver Broncos for a trade, which is a quick way to earn a diva label, whether the demands are justified or not. In his six seasons with the Bears, Cutler has twice led the NFL in interceptions, including 26 in his first season with the team, the second-highest single season mark in the last decade.
Yet, despite the mistakes, Cutler's numbers have been prolific, taking the all-time franchise passing mark from Sid Luckman in only his fifth season with the Bears. In 2010, Cutler led the Bears to the playoffs and lit up the Seattle Seahawks with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, but melted down with 80 yards passing and an interception against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship.
His inability to turn ridiculous talent into consistent performances coupled with a standoffish personality and a massive contract make Cutler one of America’s most hated athletes.
The starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is arguably the biggest spotlight an athlete can have. It's the most important position on the team people to hate in the most watched sport in the country. Romo has carried the burden of that spotlight for nearly a decade since taking over the job in 2006.
Romo has earned four Pro Bowl nods in that time, but also a reputation for crunch time collapses. Despite 24 career fourth-quarter comebacks and 28 game-winning drives (his five game-winning drives led the NFL in 2014), Romo hasn’t shaken the reputation that he’ll blow it when the pressure is on. He bobbled the hold on a would-be game-winning field goal in the 2006 playoffs, and the narrative has followed him ever since.
With three minutes left in a close game for all the marbles, is Romo the player you want to have at quarterback? Opinions certainly vary.
There are a lot of reasons why Tebow draws so much criticism, but the reasons are also tied to the praise he gets. Wherever Tebow goes, there are hordes of fans and admirers who point to his playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2012 as proof that he has a place in the NFL. And whenever there is praise for Tebow, there are naysayers who point to his 47.9 career completion percentage as proof that his wild inaccuracy is the reason he hasn't played much at all since the 2011 season.
No backup quarterback gets more attention than Tebow and that tremendous amount of spotlight annoys plenty of fans who don’t believe it’s justified or deserved.
If inconsistency is the fuel for quarterback hate, Tebow’s the only one who manages to be consistent with his ups and downs within games. Tebow is notorious for lackluster play through the first 45-55 minutes of a game before turning it on for “Tebow Time,” leading the Broncos to five fourth-quarter comebacks in his 11 starts in 2011.
SB Nation presents: There is never enough Tim Tebow coverage
The also-rans
In the four seasons since the Bengals took Dalton in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, he has made two Pro Bowls and led the team to 40 regular season wins. However, he's also led the team to zero postseason wins in four trips with one touchdown and six interceptions in the playoffs.
Much of the disappointment in Kaepernick came after he was handed the keys to a San Francisco 49ers offense that was running pretty well with Alex Smith at the helm. After avoiding mistakes in his first full season as a starter, his numbers have begun to trail off. Also, he doesn't wear his hat like a leader, apparently.
Sanchez was another player that had to deal with the media frenzy that only New York can bring. While he had a few playoff runs early in his career, his highest-ever passer rating in a season with the Jets was 78.2 and his legacy with the team can best be summarized by the Buttfumble.
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Frustration and annoyance caused by quarterbacks is often justified. Then in other cases, it’s not. Either way, no position is praised more often and absolutely no position is blamed more, and a handful of quarterbacks are the subject of that ire much more than others.
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