Warren Moon on Quarterback Awareness & Avoiding Injuries

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Outspoken With Dan Sileo

Quarterback Awareness and Protecting Against Injuries

Reflecting on the ending of the Commanders-Giants game, Warren said responsibility falls on the entire group. Joe Theismann had explained that communication through the quarterback’s earpiece ends with 15 seconds remaining, leaving the quarterback responsible for understanding the situation, field position and time.

Warren said the quarterback must keep track of the available timeouts, even without instructions from the coaching staff. The quarterback can check the scoreboard or ask an official, particularly during a crucial overtime drive. However, the sideline should also communicate that information in case the quarterback is unaware.

The discussion then turned to quarterback injuries and whether today’s players do enough to protect themselves. Warren said quarterbacks run more often now than they did during his playing days, when there were more pocket passers and fewer dual-threat quarterbacks. In his view, running exposes quarterbacks to defenders moving at full speed and can create a greater injury risk than being sacked in the pocket.

Warren said quarterbacks should slide earlier, get out of bounds when possible or initiate contact themselves. He recalled preferring to go headfirst against defenders who were his size or smaller because it allowed him to initiate the contact rather than absorb it.

He pointed to Josh Allen as a bigger quarterback who initiates contact and does not get hurt often. Warren also stressed that late slides put defenders in difficult positions. A defensive player moving at full speed may not know whether the quarterback intends to slide and cannot suddenly stop his momentum. That can result in hard contact, including hits to the quarterback’s head or face.

Ultimately, Warren said quarterbacks need to be smarter about when they slide and make a greater effort to step out of bounds when the opportunity is available.