Are RPO Offenses Ruining Modern Quarterbacks in the NFL?

Without a doubt, the new NFL is a passing league. That’s not stopping offensive coordinators from trying new things, getting creative with the running back position, and coming up with ways for quarterbacks to succeed. The current trend is the RPO (Run-Pass-Option) style offenses that are making their way to more and more pro offenses around the league.

The RPO offenses give the quarterback the option after scanning defenses to either hand the ball off to the running back or keep it for a shot downfield. It comes down to reading and reacting to defenses to get the best outcome possible. These dink-and-dunk plays also have the ability to open up more explosive plays in the secondary of opposing defenses.

But are they a hazard to today’s quarterbacks?

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RPO plays are timing plays designed on split decisions to take advantage of defenders out of position. Today’s NFL is all about big explosive plays that keep points stacking up on the board and these offenses often keep run up the score.

Unfortunately for most quarterbacks, there’s also a high risk of injury. Not only have modern offenses evolved, so they have defenses and defenders. They’re bigger, stronger, and faster and can often sniff out the RPO plays just as fast as they’re drawn up. Too bad for these quarterbacks, if the play doesn’t develop behind a strong offensive line in front of them, quarterbacks take a butt-kicking in hit after hit.

Take a look at the younger quarterbacks around the league that are running the RPO offense. Players like Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, and Lamar Jackson are running similar offenses. All of those players are having great success, but all are constantly battling injuries throughout their careers, some of which are still fresh out of the gate.

So why is it that newer quarterbacks are more susceptible to taking more egressive hits than their predecessors?

The huge difference is timing. Defenders in pursuit of quarterbacks of old would tee off on QBs stuck in the pocket with far fewer injuries. Why? Probably because their feet are planted firmly in the ground and the momentum of defenders would carry the hit to the ground.

Now, on blown up plays NFL quarterbacks are often taking off to avoid what would be a sack to try and keep the broken play alive downfield. Quarterbacks in today’s league are taking off and running with the football more often than they ever have in the past and it’s leading to more injuries.

Football is constantly evolving and the quarterback has always been a position to take a pounding but in the modern age, QBs are designed to fail. Decision making puts them at the forefront of demanding offenses and now they’re at the most risk and it’s no fault of the quarterback themselves. Every guy wants to be put in a position to win.

Once a quarterback becomes a runner, he becomes fair game for defenders to knock into the dirt. If teams want these guys to have long term success in the NFL, they’ll have to evolve ways to keep these guys safe. Quarterbacks are paid to take hits, but coaches have to start designing plays to minimize those hits.

Now instead of playing it safe, teams are already drafting a safety net to protect their season from injury. While the NFL is becoming more explosive and fun to watch overall, it’s also becoming more dangerous. Don’t look for 15-20 season careers out of quarterbacks anymore. Current NFL trends will have plays out after 10 or so years even with modern medicine. If I were an NFL quarterback, I would be trying to cash in while I still could.