So, the quarterback situation ...
It's painful to even start writing about it. We all know where things stand and if you haven't done so yet, head over to SB Nation Pittsburgh to read my thoughts on why it's an even bigger mess than it had to be. But with Tino Sunseri struggling and Trey Anderson appearing to need more time, there's been some talk about Mark Myers.
Just where is he?
Well, for the time being he's serving as a backup punter of all things. But that whole quarterback thing? Todd Graham doesn't sound as though he's ready to use him anytime soon.
Todd Graham addressed the Myers issue during his weekly press conference (we'll have the top ten up later this morning):"Mark is basically our third quarterback and he is our backup punter. He is doing a good job. We’re not going to play musical quarterbacks and get ready to play a football game. He is definitely a guy that we have looked at…he is a guy that is in the equation as he progresses. Where Coach Norvell and Coach Magee feel like we are at, that is what we are going to do. Our starting quarterback is Tino. I have said that all along. He knows what he has to do to get better and we know what we have to do to get better as an offense."
A few things here -
It's incredible to me that Myers was passed up by a walk-on freshman (and one that wasn't all that heralded coming in) that has only been with the team for a few months. That, maybe more than anything, speaks to where Myers is at this point.
Graham says he's a guy they've 'looked at' so they have at least thought about using him. But the fact that he's not gotten in despite the shoddy quarterback play at times shows that he's probably not a realistic possibility. And the 'in the equation as he progresses' quote really seem to emphasize that. Sounds like he'd be willing to give Myers a shot later on, but not right now.
Lastly, the punting thing is just ... weird. Was it a way to appease him and get him on the field in some small way? I doubt it. But how often do you see a fairly highly-touted QB come in and serve as a special teams backup?
I mentioned this before, but I think Myers sticking around is questionable. Anderson is a freshman and Graham has Chad Voytik coming in next season. There's also Anthony Gonzalez, who was essentially given the backup spot after Spring ball and he could return to quarterback next season with the issues surrounding the position. Not that Myers won't want to compete, but as a pro-style quarterback, I'm not sure he could ever get a shot.