Drew Lock’s MNF Magic Continues Year of the Backup QB Trend for 2023 NFL Season | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Those around the NFL must be wondering whether they need to pay a premium for every quarterback when so many of this year’s backup options have been proven so successful.

The latest example occurred during Monday Night Football, when Drew Lock led the Seattle Seahawks on a game-winning 92-yard touchdown drive with 28 seconds left to play. A 29-yard touchdown connection with rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba sealed the 20-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The outcome occurred during the same weekend of play where teams led by Aidan O’Connell, Jake Browning, Gardner Minshew II, Joe Flacco and Case Keenum helped their teams win.

The argument isn’t whether to invest in the quarterback position. Nothing proves to be more successful at the highest level than consistent quarterback play. At the same time, the NFL developed a bad habit of the highest paid quarterback being the newest one to sign a contract.

It makes sense to invest mega-deals in the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. They’re counted among the league’s top-tier signal-callers. The argument in favor of paying a similar price for the next tier is far sketchier.

Justin Herbert is wickedly talented, but his Los Angeles Chargers squads have been mediocre at best. The Cleveland Browns signed Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract and his first two seasons with the team have been an utter disaster. The New York Giants are probably rethinking their decision to extend Daniel Jones based on what Tommy DeVito accomplished as of late. Even the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts isn’t playing anywhere close to the level he did a year ago. Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million extension in the offseason.

Quarterback is important. In fact, it’s the most important position in all of professional sports. The league doesn’t have enough quality options and everyone knows this, which is exactly why ridiculous investments in those who fall short of truly elite performance can severely hamstring a franchise. A different approach should be considered.

Just because a team thinks it has a long-term option in place doesn’t automatically equate to that individual being counted among the league’s highest-paid.

The Seahawks are a perfect example. Monday’s outcome isn’t an indicator that Lock should be anything more than what he already is. The squad’s regular starter, Geno Smith, signed a new three-year, $75 million contract after winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Smith has been great in stretches. He’s currently dealing with elbow and groin injuries, though. As awesome as his story was last season, no one looks at him as the long-term solution in Seattle or a top-tier quarterback. Lock isn’t that far away from Smith in terms of talent and ability to run the Seahawks offense.

The discussion surrounding the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy is a wonderful example of what too many people miss: Every quarterback is a system quarterback. How coaches build systems around their skill sets and how individuals execute the scheme ultimately defines success.

The truly great at the position are the few who redefine what happens outside of their respective systems and elevate those around them. These quarterback are few and far between, hence why Lock’s comments after the game rang so true.

“Amazing won’t do it justice,” Lock said during a postgame interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “It takes a special group to rally around the guy coming into his second game of the season.”

As much as everyone in and around football glorifies the quarterback position, they need help. Lock admitted during the interview that he started to question whether he could still play during the 23-month stretch between regular-season starts. He was overcome with the emotion after the contest.

“It’s so hard to describe the feeling of not playing for so long,” Lock said, “or what feels like a really long time to me. Then, you sit there and watch games. You wonder if you can do this still. I haven’t been out there on the field. That’s the human nature of it.

“You get back out there last week, and I’m like, ‘I’m the man. I can still do this. Then, you have another test since I didn’t know if I was going to play or not. … The boys rallied around me tonight and it just feels so good.”

Keep in mind, the 27-year-old veteran didn’t know he was going to start Monday’s contest until he arrived at Lumen Field earlier that day. Fast forward to that evening, and the Eagles felt like they were control throughout the entire contest…until the final drive.

Three plays will be remembered forever in Seahawks lore.

First, Lock connected with DK Metcalf for 18 yards on 2nd-and-5, while the wide receiver somehow scooped a low pass with his left arm as he fell to the ground. Second, the duo struck again, with Lock hitting the honey hole between an underneath cornerback and over-the-top safety as Metcalf made a physical catch despite the two defenders. Finally, the quarterback threw a picture perfect go-ball that landed in the outstretched hands of Smith-Njigba for the final score.

“Just BEAUTIFUL football,” head coach Pete Carroll responded when asked about his quarterback’s performance.

The Seahawks are now 7-7 and in the thick of the NFC playoff race. A logjam exists between Seattle, the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also own the same record, but they currently sit atop the NFC South standings.

Lock did his best to lose himself in the moment and pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

“You don’t get very many moments,” Lock told reporters. “You don’t get many opportunities in this league. With every opportunity you get, you need to be as ready as you can be.”

Eventually, the Seahawks will snap back to reality, with Smith leading the way. But their biggest shot came against one of the conference’s best and Lock took advantage.

The beat will go on for the rest of the league. It shouldn’t. Someone will see how this year unfolded. They’ll formulate a plot, with an understanding a team doesn’t need one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks to win. The final point is all that matters.

Success is the only option. Failure is not. It should matter if it’s Mahomes leading the way or Lock as long as those tallies keep showing up in the win column.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.