They just don’t make ’em like Drew Bledsoe anymore.
Pocket passers such as Bledsoe are a dying breed in the modern NFL, with many teams instead favoring mobile quarterbacks who are more adept at evading pass rushers and making plays with their feet.
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr falls into this category, and veteran Baltimore Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs doesn’t sound particularly excited about facing him this Sunday.
“Every week, you get a mobile quarterback,” Suggs told reporters Wednesday, via ESPN.com. “There aren’t any more Drew Bledsoes who just stood there and take it like a man; God bless him. All these quarterbacks are looking to make plays with their feet to extend plays and make plays downfield.”
Suggs, who was tasked with defending dual-threat Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor in Week 1, said he wishes more current NFL signal-callers possessed Bledsoe’s skill set.
“Oh, definitely,” Suggs told reporters. “Drew Bledsoe, he took it like a man. He just liked to sit in there, and he waited for his guys to get open, which gave us a lot more time. We are thankful for Drew Bledsoe.”
That can be taken as either a compliment or a dig, but Bledsoe, who played 14 seasons for the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2007, said he appreciated Suggs’ shout-out.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
