The quarterback position, more often than not, dictates the outcome of games and whether teams are successful throughout the NFL regular season and playoffs.
Something that can impact a quarterback’s ability to be a force to be reckoned with on the field is confidence and not giving up on a play or simply going with a checkdown rather than letting a play pan out.
During the 2022 NFL season, the percentage of checkdowns by quarterbacks was monitored via PFF, with some telling outcomes, as Baker Mayfield led the league with almost 12% of his passes being checkdowns while Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens did not once go that route, which is impressive, to say the least.
Lowest % of checkdowns on 3rd down in 2022:
Lamar Jackson – 0%
The QBs who most/least rely on checkdown passes ⬇️https://t.co/UTwFgl8PCH
— PFF (@PFF) June 11, 2023
Interestingly enough, rising stars Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (11.7%) and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals (11.5%) followed Mayfield in this category at No. 2 and No. 3.
Obviously, Herbert and Burrow are two of the best quarterbacks in the game today, with bright futures ahead as being among the elite at their position for many years to come.
Mayfield, however, has struggled to keep a job in the NFL after being traded to the Carolina Panthers and released, leading to a short stint with the Los Angeles Rams last season before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.
The rest of the list is filled with subpar quarterbacks, with the exception of Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills (9.5%) at No. 7, Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott (8.6%), and superstar Aaron Rodgers (8.3%), formerly of the Green Bay Packers.
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