Kurt Warner breaks down if Drake Maye is ahead of Caleb Williams | Spiegel & Holmes

Kurt Warner breaks down if Drake Maye is ahead of Caleb Williams | Spiegel & Holmes

Kurt, is Drake May ahead of Caleb Williams? I watched this thing last night. I’m like, I what what do they have? I don’t know how deep a dive you’ve done into where he is with the Patriots, but good night for him last night. Yeah, I mean, I do think he’s ahead in terms of, you know, just his pocket presence and playing the game, you know, more conventionally. Um, but I think you also have to realize, you know, he played more of that way um, in college. And so, you know, I’ve been talking a lot about this, you know, the last couple, you know, weeks with different people is the idea of um, the sooner you’re forced to learn to play certain ways, the better and more advanced you’re going to be sooner. And the longer that you go with being able to rely on other factors, you know, being, you know, better athletes, um, you know, being able to create, you know, those kinds of things, the more you’re going to depend on that. Um, you know, so if use the analogy that if you know, me and Lamar Jackson are both seniors in in high school, Lamar Jackson’s, you know, far superior to anybody that steps on the football field that he’s going to play all year long. Kurt Warner is far insuperior to most of the people that will be on the field all season long. And so when I’m playing at a as a senior in high school, I’m forced to have to play more conventionally in the pocket, see it, understand pressure, understand reads, you know, play the game more mentally than I am physically. Um where Lamar, okay, now I go off to college and I’ve been seasoned to play that way. I have to continue to play that way through my four years of college. Lamar goes off to college, he’s still the best athlete on the field. You know, Lamar comes to the NFL, he’s still, you know, although it’s not as big a discrepancy, he’s still the best athlete on the field. And so, he gets further and further in the process without being forced to learn those things. And it’s not that he didn’t learn some along the way or um you know, wasn’t forced at times to play that way. Um, but he could get away with playing another way. And and I think if you looked at Caleb, you saw a lot of that in college as well. Drake May, not as much. And although a good athlete, he was not a guy that was winning with his athleticism time and time again in college. And so we we say a little bit more advanced now. I just think he was probably forced to have to play more conventional drop back, read it, get it out on time quarterback throughout his career than Caleb has. And so that’s where Caleb has gotten so much better this year. And when I talk about him fighting to play more conventional and stay in the pocket and have that patience, you have to understand that it’s it’s a fight. When I say he’s fighting to do that, it’s a fight because his whole life has been saying, “Go create. Oh, you don’t see it? Go make a play.” You know, and and he’s not at the stage now in the NFL because again, unlike Lamar Jackson, who’s the best athlete, guys like um you know, Caleb aren’t the best athlete on the field anymore. And so, they can’t live in that world anymore. So, now this whole thing has to be sped up for them. Like, okay, you’re not the best athlete now. you better learn how to play and you better do it quickly or it’s going to be a struggle. Um, you know, guys like Kyler Murray, same sort of thing. Although we see the athleticism at times, he doesn’t live and can’t live in that world in the NFL and he struggled to make that transition and why we’re still wondering is he the guy after seven years. And so that’s how I see this whole process for guys. And you know, at some point for most guys, the athleticism piece catches up to you and you’re forced to play it conventionally. You’re drop back mentally more than physically. And the further guys go before they learn that, I think it the harder the process is when they finally get to that stage, especially if it’s against the best in the world playing in the NFL. Um, and now you have to win games, you know, save a franchise and learn how to play. that that type of quarterback. Here you go. Good luck. And they throw guys out there. And I I’ll use another example. Justin Fields, guy that was there before is um you know, he was thrown in and asked to win games. Yet he had never learned that process. He wasn’t ready to play that particular way. And so, but you know, he can’t go out and go, “Well, okay, it doesn’t work. I can’t worry about winning and doing all that. I’m going to learn how to play the position. No, when you’re thrown in there, you’re also asked to win. And so, you have to grow and win at the same time. And winning becomes the priority. So, it’s whatever I can do. You know, go run for a thousand yards. It’s awesome. But you’re not learning how to play the position. So, here he is. I’m not sure what year this is for him, five, six in the league. and he’s still struggling to play the position and and learn the position because nobody’s taken the time to say, “Okay, you need a couple years to develop here. We’re going to spend those couple years developing you. So, when we finally put you on the field, you’re ready to survive and win and play conventionally and do the athletic things and and do all of this stuff.” Nope. We’re going to throw you in and force you to win right now and then try to learn along the way. And it’s a really tough thing to do. How do you think Jaden Daniels is handling that balancing act? Um, again, I I think Jaden, as good of an athlete as he is, he’s played more conventional. Like when he was at LSU, he played more conventional. like he could he could do those other things and they would have designed quarterback runs and and he would, you know, get out of the pocket and create at times, but he was very good inside the pocket and and was still what we would call a pocket passer first and then an athlete second. And so, um, you know, so as he’s made that transition to the NFL, he’s doing the same things. He’s not like just looking at one guy and then ready to take off and run. He’s going through his progressions. He’s playing the position and runs when he has to. Kurt Warner with us here on Spiegel and Holmes on 670 the score. Kurt, um Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield in an absolute shootout yesterday. What do we make of two veterans cast off by multiple teams being this uh effective at this point in their careers? Um well, I mean the first thing is I’m going to start with uh Baker. And you know, I’ve said it since he was in Cleveland. I I think Baker’s always been a starting quarterback in this league. He’s shown that he deserved to be a starting quarterback from his rookie year when he set the touchdown record to leading, you know, Cleveland to a a playoff win. Like, there’s never been a time where Baker hasn’t shown that he’s a starting quarterback in this league. And Cleveland just decided to go a different route. You know, whatever that he didn’t have for them or or however he didn’t fit for them, they let him go. But I don’t think it was ever, and again, this is my opinion, based on what I saw on the field, it should have never been because of the way that he played the game. I think they just made a mistake there or just said his personality or or his maturity at that level doesn’t fit our team. But I’m, you know, I won’t say I’m not surprised because I think Baker’s gotten better, especially as a drop back quarterback throughout his career. But I’m not surprised that he’s a high level starting quarterback in this league because I always felt that he was. Sam Darnold is kind of the opposite is that Sam Darnold had lots of opportunities and didn’t thrive and didn’t survive in those situations. Um, you know, and I even talked to Sam last year. we covered one of their games with Minnesota and you know asked him a little bit about that and he said sitting and sitting back and learning and taking some stuff in uh was so helpful for him to grow and mature and learn some of the things that he needed to learn. I think we all, you know, would agree that, you know, the Jets organization and, you know, where they were as a team and the pressure that was on him as a number three pick. Um, he didn’t play his best football and he was very inconsistent and he made a lot of bad decisions. And because of that, we all wondered, okay, is he a starting quarterback or not? He sat, he learned, he got in some other systems around Kyle Shanahan and and such in San Francisco. um and then you know goes to Minnesota and he finds a guy that speaks his language. He’s more mature. He understands the game a little bit better. Um and you know and you’re starting to see the talent level that he has come out. He goes to Seattle and I think Seattle is even a better fit for him with what they’re asking him to do and more under center play action stuff which I I I think is is his strength throwing the ball down the field. Um, but I just think it took some time with Sam as it does with a lot of guys. Um, you know, I sat down with Jordan Love a few weeks ago for an interview and just asked him in this day and age where it’s um, you know, throw these young guys into the fire as soon as you draft them and they’re supposed to save the organization, if you had to do it all over again, would you start or sit? And he said, I would sit. I wouldn’t change a thing. There were things that I learned, things that I, you know, understood better after three years of not, you know, being thrown in and expected to just survive that I learned and was better at. So when I got in there, I was more ready to play the position. And I think there’s so much value in that. And that used to be the way that we did things, right? We used to draft guys and let them sit for a while and then when they were ready, we would put them in. And that’s just not the case now with a lack of patience in, you know, in our organizations and with our coaches and with our quarterbacks that they are expected to come in and be thrown in right off the bat. And I think Sam just wasn’t quite ready for that and everything that, you know, it entailed and the time away and the maturing and the learning um finally and then he found a great spot with a lot of talent last year and a good quarterback coach. Um, we got to see who he could really be as a quarterback and and and now he’s just he’s confident and he’s ready to roll and and he’s playing great football for Seattle. Kurt, what did you think of Shawn Payeyton down one going for two? I mean, I thought he was nuts. Um, you know, I mean, it was crazy, but um, yeah, I mean, you hear people talk all the time, well, if you’re on the road and blah blah blah, then then you go for it or whatever it is. Um, I, you know, being that, you know, Philly had had really dominated the game and then you fight your way back. I mean, I just kind of think, hey, you know, we’ve kind of taken the momentum back. Let’s kick the extra point. Let’s not lose it on one play. Let’s kick the extra point. We’ve got the momentum right now and let’s go win this game. Um, but, um, you know, I think it was a a strong move because it ends up working out. I think, you know, players love it when it works out and go, “Oh, our coach is behind us and our coach just wants to win.” Um, but yeah, I mean, I I thought it was crazy. I would have loved to, if I was them after being, you know, down by two scores to just get out of there with a tie, you know, at the least would have been uh would have been something that I would have been happy with at that point. But, um, you know, we’ve seen uh Shawn Peyton make some gutsy moves before and this was gutsy and it paid off. you you have the Monday Nighter tonight and is Patrick Mahomes still the best quarterback in the NFL? Uh I’m I mean that’s a great question. Uh I mean I still think he is because I know what he’s capable of. Do I think like he’s he’s played the best uh and like that quarterback this year? No, I don’t. Uh last game I saw uh a lot more of of that Patrick Mahomes. I felt like their offense uh was back to doing what they had done the last couple years and and and you could see it kind of coming together. I don’t think he’s played great this year. Um I think a lot of the pieces around him have have changed aspects of him and he’s gotten impatient and he’s, you know, he’s looking to run more than throw and it, you know, it takes away from him being the best quarterback in the world. Um, but if he can settle in and they can get comfortable on the offense again, yes, I still think with his capabilities, he’s the best quarterback. Uh, just hasn’t played like it, you know, so far this year. What’s real with Jacksonville this year? Their defense is real, I think. Um, you know, they they have playmakers on offense. Um, you know, I still think the jury’s out a little bit on Trevor Lawrence that so talented and every game he’s going to make elite level throws, but every game he usually makes four or five, you know, bonehead plays or bad plays that you just go, you just, you can’t keep doing that. Like, you you can’t miss that read or you can’t miss that throw or you can’t jam that. So, um, that’s the thing that to me still has to kind of kind of flip for them to be a contender, but I think it’s their defense. Their defense is turning the football over. Their defense has got a couple big-time pass rushers. Um, I think that’s what’s flipped and allowed them to win. And, and you know, Coach Cohen, too, I think does a really good job. You know, remember he was with Baker last year when Baker, you know, threw 40ome touchdown passes and led the league. And so, he does some really good things offensively, too, that I really like. So, I think that’s helped as well. Um, but I think, you know, their defense has been kind of the area that as much as anything that just kind of let them down for years. I think they’re playing up to the standard this year. If the offense and Trevor meets that, uh, I think they’re going to be a really tough team to

On the Spiegel & Holmes Show, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner weighed in on how Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams compare in their developmental arc as they’re early in their second NFL seasons. Warner also discussed other storylines from across the NFL, including the terrific play from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

#ChicagoBears #CalebWilliams #DrakeMaye #nfl

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