When the Jacksonville Sharks opened the 2017 season, Quarterback Tommy Grady was the undisputed leader of the offense.
After a marvelous 5-0 start to their campaign, the Sharks lost Grady in week six to a lisfranc foot injury against the Monterrey Steel.
Backup Quarterback Damien Fleming then took over the offense and led the team to a 9-1 finish and a championship to top it all off.
With his incredible performance in Grady’s absence, some may wonder if there may be a quarterback competition in the Sharks near future.
With Grady Signing, Jacksonville Sharks have a quarterback competition
Tommy Grady is an outstanding quarterback, so good in fact, that some even view him as the best in the National Arena League.
In the six games that Grady played in during the 2017 season, he recorded 71 completions on 133 attempts with 23 touchdowns and only one interception, giving him a completion percentage of 62.8%.
When the 2018 season begins, Grady will be 33 years old heading into his 9th year in pro football.
As I see it, Grady still has a few more seasons before either his play declines or he begins to contemplate retirement.
With Grady leading their passing attack, the Sharks should be a dominant force for years to come.
Damien Fleming is a third year quarterback, playing his rookie season with the Colorado Crush of the Indoor Football League (IFL).
He is a local of Jacksonville and played high school ball at Ribault. He stepped in after Grady’s injury and led the team to its first championship since 2012.
He recorded 90 completions out of 138 attempts, threw 6 interceptions, giving him a completion rating of 65.2%. Fleming threw for 18 touchdowns and ran for 4 more, giving him a total of 22 on the year.
Fleming is an excellent quarterback who proved his worth in the absence of Grady. With his play in 2017, the Sharks should give him an opportunity to fight for the starting job next year.
While Grady may seem like the better option as of right now, the Sharks should also consider their future at the games most important position, and with his performance last season, Fleming may be the answer.
Both Fleming and Grady have proven themselves as quarterbacks who can lead a championship caliber team to the promised land.
However, despite playing in only five games, Grady finished 6th in the NAL with 1059 total offensive yards and averaging 221.8 yards per game.
Fleming, playing in ten games, finished 4th in the NAL with 1120 total offensive yards and averaging 112.0 per game. Fleming also finished the season with 18 carries for 73 rushing yards, earning 8th place in the rushing yards category and averaging 4.1 yards per game.
With two valuable quarterbacks sharing a locker room, the Jacksonville Sharks have a major decision to make.
Both players have proven that they can win games for this organization and be a leader when asked. Only time will tell who’ll be under center for the Sharks in 2018, but as of right now, my guess is as good as yours.
With Tommy Grady resigning with the team earlier in August, the Sharks quarterback room is guaranteed to be full of talent and wisdom. Whoever this organization chooses to start this upcoming season will make a huge impact on this team as they attempt to repeat as NAL Champions.
