Tavita Pritchard's influence on Commanders QBs
There are so many factors that play into developing a successful young quarterback in the NFL. There are also far more that fail than thrive.
Coaching is one of the most important aspects when it comes to an inexperienced signal caller adjusting to the NFL speed, mastering his mechanics, having a full understanding of the playbook, learning how to attack/read defenses, and setting him up for success.
Instead of opting to keep long-time NFL quarterback guru Ken Zampese, who served as the Washington Commanders' quarterbacks coach for the last three years and has extensive experience developing passers over 25 years, the team decided to bring in Tavita Prichard.
If you aren't familiar with the name, he's entering his first pro coaching season after serving in various offensive roles at Stanford since 2010. Zampese is now the senior offensive advisor/game manager.
The move feels odd, to say the least. Given the importance of ensuring Sam Howell is set up for success, it almost seems like Eric Bieniemy knows something about Pritchard the fan base doesn't, and hand-picked him to work with his new gunslinger for a reason.
It will be interesting to see the chemistry between Howell and Pritchard and attempt to get a feel for their relationship throughout training camp. This move doesn't feel like it's getting talked about enough - potentially because Bieniemy is running the entire offense when it's all said and done - but the coach may be one of the most important assistants heading into 2023.