The Indianapolis Colts haven’t had a genuine battle for the backup quarterback job in several seasons, as Jacoby Brissett, despite being thrust into the full-time role after Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 campaign, has given Indy a quality option as a second-stringer.
This year’s a different story, as Brissett signed with Miami in free agency, clearing the way for Jacob Eason to cement his place behind new starter Carson Wentz.
It remains to be seen what Eason can offer at the NFL level, however. The 2020 fourth-round pick essentially red-shirted as a rookie after preseason was canceled while the truncated offseason provided limited opportunities for him to showcase his skillset.
With a full training camp and three-game preseason slate in place this time around, Eason will have every opportunity to prove he deserves the backup gig. However, what part of his game does the second-year QB have to improve to leave no doubt it’s his job to lose?
What does Jacob Eason have to do to secure the backup job?
3. Going Through Progressions
A big knock on Eason coming out of Washington was getting through progressions and going through multiple reads in a timely fashion.
The NFL obviously moves a lot faster than college, let alone the Pac-12, so Eason better have been working at refining his ability to read a defense.
Jacob Eason could be in trouble if he struggles reading NFL defenses.
Most, if not all, rookie quarterbacks struggle with this. Even 2020 rookie standouts Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow took some time to get over the hump. However, since Eason is a ways behind them in his development and the talent department, he needs to show progress.
General manager Chris Ballard acknowledged at the end of the season that Eason was simulating going through reads with his headset on during games. That’s a promising sign and further proves the 23-year-old is motivated to be the best version of himself.
For his sake, let’s hope that Eason, who newly-promoted offensive coordinator Marcus Brady has been impressed by this offseason, has continued to put in the work. If he’s able to recognize what a defense is giving him, there shouldn’t even be a competition for the backup job.
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.
1. Pocket Awareness/Footwork
Most young quarterbacks struggle with pocket awareness, so the fact Eason also falls under that category isn’t a huge indictment against him. However, that’s also what separated him from the other top gunslingers in his class and why he slipped to Round 4.
The main criticism of Eason coming out of college was his inability to read pressure and stay confident in a collapsing pocket. That, of course, can be attributed to poor footwork (which he’s worked on improving since being drafted) and a lack of mobility.
Jacob Eason must improve his pocket awareness and footwork.
That’s a recipe for failure in today’s NFL, whose premier pass rushing talents have gotten increasingly more powerful and quick over the years.
The fact Eason struggled with this playing in the Pac 12, compared to more heavyweight conferences like the SEC, Big Ten or ACC is extremely alarming, and he’ll be in for a rude awakening in preseason if he hasn’t turned somewhat of a corner in this regard.
If Eason had elite footwork and a strong foundation to build around, we wouldn’t even be concerned. The fact he doesn’t — or didn’t the last time we saw him play in a meaningful game — proves the Colts’ coaching staff must work it out of him in practice.
Colts fans will love Jacob Eason’s offseason activities
Indianapolis Colts fans will love that backup quarterback Jacob Eason has been working out with his receivers this offseason.