Well, that's the problem with running QBS - they run because they can't pass really good.
That is not always the case. some running QB can also throw. But playing as an actual drop back passer is (stylistically at least) a different skillset. Not everyone can make the transition.
and yes, some runnning QB cannot cut it as a drop back passer because they really are not great at throwing the football. their running opened up the pass game in a way that being a drop back passer does not.
That does not mean that they cannot throw the ball. but the reads are definitely different and the way you play the game is different. new skillsets need to be developed. such as the art of throwing someone open. the art of a timing pattern. these are tools you can get by without because when defenders see you threatening to run with the football, they will sometimes leave the guy they are covering to try to make the tackle on the QB and then the throw comes and the WR is wide open. so the need to rely on these other tools is not there.
Not everyone can make that transition successfully.
the other reason a lot of running QB dont have long careers is because they take a lot more hits than the drop back passer. those extra hits take a large toll on the body. lots of those guys start to get injured a lot in the later years. Donovan McNabb, Cam Newton are two who were successful but whose bodies broke down before they even hit 30. then there are a few who only had a couple years.... RGIII for example. and once you get to a point where you cannot stay healthy, you become a backup QB or just retire.
Very well said, Ray.
Pretty much supplements my feelings on the issue as well. From a pure fantasy perspective, running QBs are fantasy gold but in real life I would think that teams investing so much $$$$ into the QB position would take it seriously and choose long-term position stability instead of the short-term adrenaline shot. The contracts nowadays are huge and I think risking that on a running QB is foolish, but that's just my opinion.
McNabb is an unusual name to bring up here. Aside from being an Eagles QB, he doesn't seem relevant to whatever point Ray is trying to make.
As a rusher, early career McNabb would fall somewhere between Brock Purdy and Bo Nix. It was a part of his game, but was a complimentary part. Also, he was effective well beyond his age 30 season. He did sustain a few injuries...broke his leg getting sacked in the Cards game (continued to play on it and threw for 4 tds) and tore an ACL rolling out of bounds attempting a pass when he landed awkwardly. Not really the kind of injuries you are referring to.
Newton, meanwhile, was often mentioned as a comp for Hurts early on. I get it, they are both built like tanks, deadly around the goalline, and adept at getting the ball to their skill players. But here is where the comparison fails...
Cam couldn't hit 60% completion percentage in his best season. Hurts was nearly 70% last year...with 8.0 YPA. Those are Joe Burrow numbers. This doesn't even begin to dig in to the dramatic improvement Hurts showed last year with taking care of the football.
I get that my previous comment offended because I went there. But I do think you should understand why I did. The "analysis" that keeps popping up in all of these threads over and over and over is so amateur that I can't help but feel it is motivated by something else. Yes, running the ball is a part of Hurts game and part of what makes it so hard to stop him. If he gets to Canton (too early to say) it will be part of his resume. But to suggest he can't throw from the pocket? To suggest he isn't worth every penny to the Eagles? That's just disrespectful.