Editing Quarterback (section)

==Leadership==
[[File:Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and the Packers break the huddle..jpg|thumb|[[Green Bay Packers]] quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] (No. 12) breaks the Packers' offensive huddle]]
Often compared to [[Captain (sports)|captains]] of other team sports, before the implementation of [[National Football League team captains|NFL team captains]] in 2007, the starting quarterback was usually the ''de facto'' team leader and a well-respected player on and off the field. Since 2007, when the NFL allowed teams to designate several captains to serve as on-field leaders, the starting quarterback has usually been one of the team captains as the leader of the team's offense.

In the NFL, while the starting quarterback has no other responsibility or authority, they may, depending on the league or individual team, have various informal duties, such as participation in pre-game ceremonies, the coin toss or other events outside the game. For instance, the starting quarterback is the first player (and third person after the team owner and head coach) to be presented with the [[AFC Championship Game|Lamar Hunt Trophy]]/[[NFC Championship Game|George Halas Trophy]] (after winning the AFC/NFC Conference title) and the [[Vince Lombardi Trophy]] (after a Super Bowl victory). The starting quarterback of the victorious Super Bowl team is often chosen for the "[[I'm going to Disney World!]]" campaign (which includes a trip to [[Walt Disney World]] for them and their families), whether they are the [[Super Bowl MVP]] or not; examples include [[Joe Montana]] ([[Super Bowl XXIII|XXIII]]), [[Trent Dilfer]] ([[Super Bowl XXXV|XXXV]]), [[Peyton Manning]] ([[Super Bowl 50|50]]) and [[Tom Brady]] ([[Super Bowl LIII|LIII]]). Dilfer was chosen even though teammate [[Ray Lewis]] was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, due to the bad publicity from Lewis' murder trial the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2001/01/30/ravens-star-not-going-to-disney/|title=Ravens Star Not Going To Disney|website=Articles.orlandosentinel.com|date=January 30, 2001 |access-date=July 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818194411/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-01-30/news/0101300190_1_ray-lewis-trent-dilfer-disney-world|archive-date=August 18, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Being able to rely on a quarterback is vital to team morale.<ref name="Archived copy"/> [[San Diego Chargers]] safety [[Rodney Harrison]] called the [[1998 San Diego Chargers season|1998 season]] a "nightmare" because of poor play by [[Ryan Leaf]] and [[Craig Whelihan]] and, from the rookie Leaf, obnoxious behavior toward teammates. Although their [[1999 San Diego Chargers season|1999 season]] replacements [[Jim Harbaugh]] and [[Erik Kramer]] were not stars, linebacker [[Junior Seau]] said, "You can't imagine the security we feel as teammates knowing we have two quarterbacks who have performed in this league and know how to handle themselves as players and as leaders".<ref name=silver19990830>{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Michael|title=San Diego Chargers - After a season of discontent there's reason to be upbeat|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1999/08/30/265631/5-san-diego-chargers-after-a-season-of-discontent-theres-reason-to-be-upbeat-ryan-leaf-is-out-two-veteran-passers-are-in-and-the-new-coach-unlike-the-old-one-is-a-nice-guy|access-date=February 21, 2012|newspaper=Sports Illustrated|date=August 30, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811004806/http://www.si.com/vault/1999/08/30/265631/5-san-diego-chargers-after-a-season-of-discontent-theres-reason-to-be-upbeat-ryan-leaf-is-out-two-veteran-passers-are-in-and-the-new-coach-unlike-the-old-one-is-a-nice-guy|archive-date=August 11, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

Commentators have noted the "disproportionate importance" of the quarterback, describing it as the "most glorified—and scrutinized—position" in team sports. It is believed that "there is no other position in sports that 'dictates the terms' of a game the way quarterback does", whether that impact is positive or negative, as "Everybody feeds off of what the quarterback can and cannot do...Defensively, offensively, everybody reacts to what threats or non-threats the quarterback has. Everything else is secondary". "An argument can be made that quarterback is the most influential position in team sports, considering he touches the ball on virtually every offensive play of a far shorter season than baseball, basketball or hockey—a season in which every game is vitally important". Most consistently successful NFL teams (for instance, multiple Super Bowl appearances within a short period of time) have been centered around a single starting quarterback; the one exception was the [[Washington Redskins]] under head coach [[Joe Gibbs]] who won three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks from 1982 to 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/29/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129 |title=Archives |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=August 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061328/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/29/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many of these NFL dynasties ended with the departure of their starting quarterback.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/patriots-dynasty-collapsing-around-newton?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2m-rcw-sports-illustrated-talk-of-fame-network|title = Patriots' Dynasty ending like they all do - without a dominating quarterback| newspaper=Talk of Fame }}</ref>

On a team's defense, the middle linebacker is regarded as "quarterback of the defense" and is often the defensive leader, since they must be as smart as they are athletic. The middle linebacker (MLB), sometimes known as the "Mike", is the only inside linebacker in the 4–3 scheme.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Tanier |title=The 4–3 vs. the 3–4 |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5913858/The-4-3-vs.-the-3-4 |work=[[NFL on Fox]] |date=August 28, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415130829/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5913858/The-4-3-vs.-the-3-4 |archive-date=April 15, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>