Game manager

{{short description|Quarterback in American football doing just enough to win games}}

{{For multi|managerial positions in sports|Manager (disambiguation)|a wildlife manager|Wildlife management}}

In American football, a game manager is a quarterback who, despite pedestrian individual statistics such as passing yards and touchdowns, also maintains low numbers of mistakes, such as interceptions and fumbles. Such a quarterback is seen as a major factor in neither his team's wins nor their losses; his performance is good enough to not negatively affect the performances of other players on his team, even if he himself does not have the skills to be considered an elite player.{{cite news|last=Goldberg |first=Dave |title=More to a QB than managing |date=November 13, 2008 |newspaper=USA Today |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2008-11-13-3367799010_x.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193137/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2008-11-13-3367799010_x.htm |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Tim |title=Though not flashy, Smith now a 'game manager' |date=November 13, 2011 |newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune |url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/13/though-not-flashy-qb-has-become-reliable-game/?print&page=all |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219014713/http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/13/though-not-flashy-qb-has-become-reliable-game/?print&page=all |archivedate=December 19, 2013 |url-status=dead }} Game managers often benefit from strong defense and rushing offense on their teams.{{cite book |last=Maxymuk |first=John |title=Strong Arm Tactics: A Historical and Statistical Analysis of the Professional Quarterback |page=18 |year=2008 |publisher=McFarland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALSWIBwNvnwC&q=%22game%20manager%22%20quarterback&pg=PA18 |isbn=978-0-7864-3277-6 |accessdate=January 16, 2012}}{{r|farmer20120128}}

Arizona Sports said that "game manager" was "a term that often comes with negative connotations of a non-talented, play-it-safe type of quarterback".{{Cite web |url=https://arizonasports.com/story/2122505/kyler-murrays-grow-coincides-with-that-of-kingsbury-cardinals-around-him/ |title=Kyler Murray's growth coincides with that of Kingsbury, teammates |last=Zimmerman |first=Kevin |date=2019-10-16 |website=Arizona Sports |access-date=2019-10-17}} The New York Times called it a "backhanded compliment".{{cite news |last=Bishop |first=Greg |title=Smith, for Once, Is a Reason for San Francisco's Victory |date=January 15, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=SP3 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/sports/football/49ers-alex-smith-delivers-in-playoffs-after-best-season.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=%22alex%20smith%22&st=cse |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622064337/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/sports/football/49ers-alex-smith-delivers-in-playoffs-after-best-season.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=%22alex%20smith%22&st=cse |archivedate=June 22, 2022 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 27, 2017 }} The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "As consolation ... Quarterbacks are called game managers only if they're winning."{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/12/SP451MNLH4.DTL | title=Drew Brees really pays Alex Smith a compliment | work=San Francisco Chronicle | date=2012-01-12 | accessdate=January 29, 2012 | author=Knapp, Gwen}} The Associated Press opined, "But like any cliche, [game manager is] oversimplified". Former Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian laughed, "Every quarterback is a game manager, it's what the job is all about". Nick Saban said, "I don't think you can be a good quarterback unless you're a really good game manager".{{cite news

|last=Zenor

|first=John

|title=Saban: Game manager label is high praise for QB

|date=November 1, 2012

|work=yahoo.com

|agency=Associated Press

|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/saban-game-manager-label-high-185708895--ncaaf.html

|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121121014840/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/saban-game-manager-label-high-185708895--ncaaf.html

|archivedate=November 21, 2012

|url-status=live

}} The Los Angeles Times noted that although Trent Dilfer was not an elite quarterback, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl with a dominant defense and Dilfer as a game manager.{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129,0,4590029,full.story | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129033612/http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129,0,4590029,full.story | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 29, 2012 | title=In the NFL, it's (almost) all about the quarterback | work=Los Angeles Times | date=January 28, 2012 | accessdate=January 28, 2012 | author=Farmer, Sam}} Peyton Manning, who was a five-time NFL Most Valuable Player, transitioned into a game manager role with a defensive-oriented Denver Broncos squad in his final season in 2015, when he won his second championship and became at the time the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, at age 39.{{cite news|last=Voisin |first=Ailene |title=Was this Peyton Manning's 'last rodeo'? |date=February 7, 2016 |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |url=http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article59084043.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209001309/http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article59084043.html |archivedate=February 9, 2016 |url-status=live }}