The skeptics dismissed his inaugural college season and put his regression over the next two campaigns under the microscope.<\/p>\n
Seeing his completion percentage dwindle from 58.9% in year one, to 55.8% in year two, before posting a paltry 53.5% rate last season paired with taking over 100 sacks during hist time at Penn State had some fans shaking their heads in disbelief over the selection.<\/p>\n
The two sides remain split. The optimists and the pessimists, but there was one thing that was almost unanimous among Jets fans, and that was that year-one should be a redshirt season for Hackenberg. \u00a0Keeping him on the bench to learn the nuances of an NFL offense behind whatever quarterback lines up under center on Sunday’s seemed to be the general consensus.<\/p>\n
In fairness, you can’t blame Jets fans for wanting to take it slow. \u00a0Some are still shell-shocked from\u00a0the nauseating performances turned in by Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith over their first two pro seasons as both were thrust in to starting roles immediately and combined for 89 turnovers while producing just 54 touchdowns. \u00a0An average of 13 touchdowns and 22 turnovers per season. \u00a0Good luck winning with numbers like that in today’s NFL.<\/p>\n
Aaron Rodgers, the poster boy for letting a quarterback sit and learn as he did behind Brett Favre for so many years appears to be a popular reference point in how to go about developing Hackenberg. \u00a0However, there are multiple examples of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks as well as a few highly regarded youngsters who played early and often despite being viewed as “unprepared” by many:<\/p>\n
Ben Roethlisberger:\u00a0<\/strong>The two-time Super Bowl winner and future Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler was chosen in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft out of the University of Miami, Ohio. \u00a0A small school that rarely lined up against big time defenses. \u00a0As a result, the Steelers plan was to sit the rookie behind veteran quarterback Tommy Maddox who was subsequently injured in week 3. \u00a0With Maddox out, “Big Ben” was forced in to action and all he did was go 13-0 while earning a trip to the AFC Championship game. \u00a0Pittsburgh relied heavily on their defense and running game as Roethlisberger threw 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing\u00a066.4% of his passes.<\/p>\n Russell Wilson:\u00a0<\/strong>A fourth round choice of the Seattle Seahawks out of the University of Wisconsin, Wilson was described on his NFL.com draft profile<\/a><\/strong> as a player that a team might “take a late flier on” despite an otherwise glowing report<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0The Seahawks had just signed free agent Matt Flynn to a three-year $26 million contract<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>but Wilson wowed the Seahawks coaching staff from the minute training camp started, and with an excellent defense and running game led Seattle to an 11-5 record and a first-round playoff win before winning the Super Bowl<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0one year later.<\/p>\n Joe Flacco:\u00a0<\/strong> Like Roethlisberger, Flacco was a small school product out of the University of Delaware where the level of competition was nowhere near what he would see in the pro’s (or what Hackenberg would have seen at Penn State). \u00a0Even still, he got the nod as a rookie and led the Ravens to an 11-5 finish. \u00a0While Flacco undoubtedly benefited from Rex Ryan’s 3rd ranked scoring defense, he held his own, piloting what would be the 11th highest scoring offense in the NFL.<\/p>\n Three young quarterbacks who many, including their own team’s, expected \u00a0to sit and learn but who had a great deal of success early on due largely in part to a strong defense and running game with veteran playmakers. \u00a0Sound familiar?<\/p>\n The list of successful young quarterbacks isn’t limited to recent Super Bowl winners either.<\/p>\n Oregon product Marcus Mariota impressed as a rookie.<\/p><\/div>\n Marcus Mariota:\u00a0<\/strong>The Tennessee Titans selected Mariota with the second overall pick in last years draft out of the University of Oregon where he ran an up-tempo offense that required little decision-making and called on quick reads and throws. \u00a0With that being the case, many pundits viewed Mariota as a multi-year project who was far from NFL-ready. \u00a0Despite struggling with the deep ball<\/a><\/strong>, Mariota was very impressive in his rookie campaign, tossing 19 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions while completing 62.2% of his passes.<\/p>\n Derek Carr:\u00a0<\/strong>A second-round choice of the Oakland Raiders out of Fresno State in 2014, Carr has quickly become one of the better young quarterbacks in the NFL. \u00a0The strong-armed signal caller has piled up 53 TD’s through his first two pro seasons, out-performing Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles who was the 3rd overall choice in that same draft.<\/p>\n Blake Bortles:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Yes, Carr has outperformed Bortles thus far, but that’s not to say Bortles isn’t another fast riser who many franchises, the Jets included, would love to have. \u00a0Much like several of the aforementioned QB’s, Bortles played mostly lower level competition as a student at the University of Central Florida and was supposed to get the same redshirt treatment that Jets fans are hoping for with Hackenberg.<\/p>\n After being selected by Jacksonville, the Jaguars said their plan was to sit Bortles for a full season to let him develop the “right way”. \u00a0Well, that full season on the bench lasted all of 3 games. \u00a0Bortles was the Jaguars starter by week four of his rookie season after playing just two full seasons at UCF and he hasn’t looked back. \u00a0After a promising rookie season, Bortles looked even better in year two, throwing 35 touchdowns.<\/p>\n So while keeping a QB off the field may feel like the “safe” way to go, recent history has shown us plenty of examples of quarterbacks who have thrived in the NFL when put on the field sooner than expected wnen the supporting cast was strong enough to overcome the deficiencies that go along with a rookie quarterback.<\/p>\n Should the Jets entertain the notion of doing the same thing with Christian Hackenberg?<\/p>\n![\"Oregon](\"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Mariota-300x192.jpg\")
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