Colts: 3 things Jacob Eason must improve to cement backup job in 2021

2. Playmaking on the Move

If you haven’t noticed over the last five or so seasons, the NFL has quickly become a league dominated by mobile quarterbacks. Just in the last few years, we’ve seen studs like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray take the league by storm.

Nobody’s saying Eason has to be held to that standard. There are plenty of immobile quarterbacks that have made names for themselves.

Jacob Eason’s lack of mobility is a cause for concern.

However, the Washington product’s inability to impact games outside of the pocket is why he profiled as a scheme-dependent QB coming out of school. You can throw a gorgeous deep ball, have a rocket for an arm, and be the prototypical size for an NFL gunslinger, but if you’re unable to make throws on the run, you’re simply not going to have much success at this level.

Even the likes of Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees — three of the most flat-footed (in terms of foot speed) QBs of the last decade — have proven capable of doing so. If Eason wants to cement his status as Indy’s backup, he must improve this aspect of his game.

After all, 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger, for as little as he projects as a starting quarterback in the NFL, has a ton of athleticism. If he pops at training camp and shows an ability to elude pressure and make throws on the run, Eason could be in trouble.