“Guys Don’t Do That Much Anymore”
July 17th, 2026
A common theme ran through the new Netflix “Quarterback” series starring Baker Mayfield, Jayden Daniels, Joe Flacco and Cam Ward.
These quarterbacks are going to play injured and their teams respect them greatly for it.
Sit out to heal? They won’t unless forced, as seen in the Daniels story while the Netflix crew followed him all last season. Washington didn’t let Daniels play when he felt he could after in early-season injury. He was sat down to heal — and he ended up getting a different injury upon returning to the field.
Perhaps the moral of that story is to let your starting QB play if he can. And then adjust accordingly.
Mayfield is seen on the show gutting through shoulder and knee injuries, among others. Him working at home with his personal physical therapist every week is riveting stuff.
Flacco? He lectured during “Quarterback” about how staying on the field is everything. Viewers saw him plead to get shot up during a game after he he injured his shoulder — and that’s what happened — and he played through an ugly and swollen dislocated index finger on his throwing hand. Flacco missed one play and was back on the field.
“All toughness is just mental,” Flacco said. “It’s making a decision that you’re going to do something, then doing it, and not giving yourself and out. That’s what it is. It’s just a decision — to like say ‘Fu*k it.’ Guys don’t do that much anymore.”
Joe doesn’t know what QBs Flacco thinks are soft, but Mayfield certainly isn’t in that club, neither is Daniels or Ward.
July 17th, 2026 at 11:47 pm
Its selfish and self serving. Ever since Drew Bledsoe’s injury when Brady replaced him and Bledsoe was relegated to a backup QB’s want to play through injuries despite the calamity it costs the TEAM!! Despite the fact that the starting QB has a freaking SHOULDER injury, his FEAR of being replaced or his EGO, DIDN’T let him sit and heal. But as selfish as it is, there’s one clear distinction. Washington sat their QB in the team’s best interest. The Bucs caved to the QB’s selfish demands.
July 17th, 2026 at 11:54 pm
The GOAT, our own Tom Brady, missed 15 games in his career and the Patriots went 10-5 in his absence. If the GOAT can sit to heal, so can a journeyman QB.
July 17th, 2026 at 11:59 pm
Actually 11-5 if you include the game he was injured in.
July 18th, 2026 at 12:01 am
Just shows you why these QBs are where they are in playing lead roles in one of the most exclusive team sports in the world. They’re tough competitors, period. Never give up, never give in.
July 18th, 2026 at 12:12 am
OMG!! i can’t believe all my guys are sleeping!! DR 3:28, Truth, St Pete, BA, 813, Hodad, Beej, Allen, SB, Lakeland, Bucsfan, Dan, Pick, Lynch.. I can’t believe you guys are sleep so early!
July 18th, 2026 at 12:14 am
Ima check back in a coupla hours when I come out of Magic City.
July 18th, 2026 at 7:20 am
You can’t be soft to play in the league. We talk about Buc injuries like we’re the only ones, or we have the worse ones. Every player in the league is hurting from the first play of the season, till the last. It’s the nature of the league. Add in games almost every day of the week in lands sometimes far away, it’s a wonder these players make it through a season. Give these guys credit. They’re paid well, but you have to be wired different to be an NFL player.
July 18th, 2026 at 9:02 am
Ok ATL, and if these guys decided to sit out, you’d be among the first to call them soft and quitters. Y’all just like complaining because you have nothing better going on in your lives, find another hobby, it’ll do you some good
July 18th, 2026 at 9:09 am
Interesting. Obviously better cap space for backup QB’s needed. Unforunately the league has become a qb league. No QB or injured qb your team is out. Maybe the passing rules need to change so the league gets back to a running game that can work.
I don’t know but obviously you can’t compete without a healthy franchaise QB today
July 18th, 2026 at 6:26 pm
I think there’s a point to be made about guys not wanting to sit out because they’re afraid to lose their job. But I think that could be on a case-by-case basis because let’s face it last year if Mayfield sat out Bridgewater wasn’t coming in and pulling a Tom Brady circa 2001.
Which leads to the question why do the Bucs always have a POS backup QB? I think Jason Licht is a great GM but he does some quirky things and we all know a confident backup QB is necessary to win in this league.
July 18th, 2026 at 10:58 pm
We had a capable backup who was released for Toodles BrokeBackBridgewater. As much as the moisty boyyz hate him for almost beating their 6th year vet fresh off the garbage heap to his 4th team Trask would’ve done good under Coen and would’ve had a TD in 2024 when Baker went out for one play but Godwin gator armed the catch. Trask wasn’t a “dawg” or attention needy like Mayfield but was a sight better than Toodle and would’ve done better last year if Mayfield was forced to sit. Don’t get me wrong moisty boyyz I know Trask is not better than Mayfield but your idol has to make up for some things to deserve +$55 million/year. I could live with 3 years $48mil/year+incentives with 2 fully guaranteed. He plays recklessly at times trying to make plays and once he’s injured his play plummets. I don’t want the Bucs to be saddle bagged with a 32 soon to be oft injured qb because of his playing style
July 19th, 2026 at 10:13 pm
At some point, it is a detriment to the team. Baker clearly was injured and did not play as well for half the season. The Buccaneers screwed up because they didn’t have a backup that they trusted. instead they left in Bsmer who was 75% at best and it definitely cost them (along with many other things).
It all started with the horrendous decision of having Teddy Bridgewater be the backup based on two touchdown passes in the preseason when everything else he did was horrific. Constantly sailing passes high, costing Godwin almost the entire season.