Coach -

When looking back on the NFL season all the way through the this upcoming round, the evidence for the value of preparing a back-up quarterback(s) couldn’t be clearer. 22% of teams lost their starter in 2023.

It started on Monday Night Football in week one when Aaron Rodgers was lost for the season very early in the game. It continued throughout the season as franchise QBs went down.  Many teams lost their game 1 starters and even their back-ups. The Cleveland Browns made the playoffs by using five quarterbacks.

Whether your QB is a football only guy or he plays multiple sports, there is always a way for him to be working on his craft at the quarterback position.

in today’s quarterback driven offenses, you have to have more than one or even two ready to go at any level.

Now is as good of a time as any to put together and begin running your off season quarterback school.  Regardless of the limitations of in-person coaching that may be regulated by your state or governing body, there are may ways to both teach in the classroom and prescribe drills and training that create QB readiness as you head into the summer months of the tear.

Here are the components your should consider when putting together a year-round  training plan:

1. Start with a big picture plan. Off Season development starts with a big picture that details the qualities of successful quarterbacks and sets up the phases of development throughout the year.

1. The coach needs to give insight to quarterbacks how to identify coverages, understand the strengths and weaknesses of each coverage and how to attack each coverage.  

1. Teach quarterbacks to understand Defensive Fronts.  Quarterbacks who understand the various core structures and how to identify the fronts that can be played within those cores ultimately will help the execution of run game and protections.   

1. Determining the Man/Zone scheme a defense is playing by identifying specific things prior to the snap such as locating the safeties and depth, eyes, leverage of specific players will help the quarterback better understand where to go with the ball.  This will help your quarterbacks be more efficient and confident in getting the ball out to the proper receiver on time.  

1. Drills and fundamentals - put together the physical side of the quarterbacks training so they can work it on their own or with their teammates.

There’s plenty of templates available which you can use to create your own QB School. Two very good examples come from the high school level:

Todd Dodge - Training a Championship Quarterback

Jeff Steinberg - QB Academy

Retired 7x state champion and 2x national coach of the year Todd Dodge developed plenty of championship quarterbacks and also coached QBs at North Texas and Pitt.

Coach Dodge used a comprehensive plan for training Quarterbacks in grades 7-12.   He explains the approach of how it starts with eight quarterbacks at the middle school level narrowing that down to two quarterbacks by sophomore year (click images for video).

Video: QB Development Plan

Having the quarterback who stands at the middle of the field in December and raises the state championship trophy begins with clear expectations.  Beyond being an accurate passer, Coach Dodge shares the characteristics that he must see from his quarterback in this video:

Video: QB Expectations

Coach explains the aspects of training a quarterback including his “3 camera” coaching point to help the quarterback understand the “stroke” of throwing a football which helps with accuracy. He explains the concept here:

Video: Developing Technique

Coach Dodge spends a good portion of his presentation covering how the quarterback’s footwork must match the concept. Coach demonstrates how they think about calibrating their passing game with proper footwork illustrating their methods with drill and game film. 

The other high school coach who is out on the clinic circuit now talking about QB development and other aspects of his offense and program is Jeff Steinberg, head coach of Beaumont High School in California. Coach Steinberg was named the 2023 Los Angeles Rams High School Coach of the Year.

He’s put together multiple presentations on how he covers quarterback training in a 12 month plan.  He outlines that in this video:

Video: 12 Month Plan

The efforts of putting together your own 12-month approach  may or may not develop the next Patrick Mahomes, but it certainly will help prepare multiple athletes to play the position for you this fall.

We have also worked with Lauren’s First and Goal to put together a 6 clinic QB Development Bundle. See the details below.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Here’s whats in the QB Development Bundle (6 for $39 = 67% savings):

#1) Kirk Campbell - Michigan QB Development & Coverage Identification

#2) Mark Rosenbaum - Princeton - QB Fundamentals

#3) Joey Lynch - QB Development

#4) Jimmy Robertson - Monmouth - QB Development & Qb Friendly Schemes

#5) Adam Austin - Tarleton State - QB Evaluation

#6) Robert Weiner - Toledo - The QB Equation

Also - you can get access to these 6 presentations with the Lauren’s First and Goal 2024 Premium Access membership.  That gives you those 6 presentations as part of the 120 clinics from 2023 you can view up until the 2/29/24 when the next clinic kicks off.