Read the full transcript from Mike McDaniel's press conference on September 26, 2024.
(Have you decided on a starting quarterback for Monday or are you willing to disclose it?) – "I have in my mind what I think, how it could play out, however it's a little premature for a multitude of reasons and the very last being the competitive advantage piece. There is a lot going on today, a lot that's gone on the last 48 hours and you kind of want to – instead of wishing something into existence, I'll let it play out while the quarterbacks that will be participating today will get action and great opportunity. As the week progresses, I'll be sure to shout it from the top of a building when we know that, but still a lot of information to gather. But looking forward to today because it's a very important day when you have opportunities, regardless of how you think it's going to play out. You get to – I get to see guys play within this offense and play with their teammates and all of that tells me a lot of information and we'll continue progressing, but we got a good team practice today that will be very enthusiastic based upon the meetings today."
(Where is QB Skylar Thompson as he comes back – I just want to clarify too, is it a rib injury or is it chest?) – "Rib. Which I guess is semantics because ribs are connected to your chest, but it was rib injury. Pretty painful so you're trying to gauge – it's not just a pain tolerance thing, because Skylar is a very tough individual, but it's how you're able to do your job and with what effectiveness, and every day from the injury, you get kind of a scope into what it could look like and how that can affect him. So I'm really just balancing what he's able to do and then with regard to the reps and what the other guys are doing, just trying to absolutely make the best decision for the football team."
(So QB Skylar Thompson will work today?) – "Yeah, I mean this is not a day off for anybody but how much and whether it's fully – he's able to be in football drills. He's working on his body and I'm not – I would be surprised if he would be able to fully participate, but I also don't want to hold him back. I'm just letting the process take care of itself and I know he'll do what he's able to do, what he's capable of doing, but he won't put himself – or he won't put the team in harm's way if he's unable to execute some of the jobs, so we'll play that by ear. But not expecting him to get a ton of team stuff, and as a result, there will be some opportunities for our newer guys to the team that are pretty excited for the opportunity."
(Where is QB Tyler Huntley in his grasp of the offense? And what have you guys asked of him since he's gotten here?) – "I'm feeling much more knowledgeable about exactly where he's at over the course of the last half-week and very, very encouraged. I think we – Chris (Grier) and his staff, in conjunction with the coaching staff, we targeted him for a reason. It's a player that we're very familiar with from the opponent standpoint, and then we have a couple coaches that have been on staff with him, on the same team – our defensive coordinator being one of them. So what you're careful of, and not to misread into it, what I don't like to do is when players are out on the NFL football field and they have their name on the back of the jersey and they're playing with their teammates, you want to make sure that you're doing right by them and not living in hope and allowing them to execute what they train at in terms of being a quarterback. So I take that super serious and it was bottom line, in the event that Skylar (Thompson) went out for that game, I felt that Tim (Boyle) would be more prudent. At this point, I'm more comfortable him (Tyler Huntley) falling into where we went and targeted him for – we targeted him to be on the active roster and he's steadily working every day, and I can see him gain the confidence of his teammates as well. So it's a cool process to be a part of. It's not easy but nothing in this game is, specifically for that position. So you can tell he's cut from the right cloth and that the game isn't too big for him, so very encouraged with his progression."
(Have you ever been in a position where you added a quarterback, let's say two weeks ago, and then started them in a game? I'm thinking maybe Jimmy Garoppolo?) – "Yeah, that was one. That was actually a turning point from our staff then, but really all the guys that we've worked with in terms of play communication to the quarterback. Jimmy's (Garoppolo) first game was against Chicago on the road, and he was – it might have been about that timeline, so we went to a wristband system that really we all kind of are steadfast to, to this day. There's always challenges in the league, and sometimes they have to do with the player that touches the ball on every play. And you learn; for me I got to learn – we we're able to win a football game and won several after that with Jimmy that year, and you naturally reflect on, 'OK, how do you pull that off?' And you start to – it really puts into perspective the relationship that quarterbacks have with the team and the players that they are playing with, because you have to – to win football games like Jimmy did, your team has to believe in you. Well where does that come from? Well it's not all the reps that we've had throughout training camp; we weren't there with him. There's an unspoken, I don't know, confidence and conviction that a person has to have where guys believe that, regardless of how long they've played with him, that they have the components to do what each and every one of them need him to do, really. So the quarterback, there's no player really on the team that that player doesn't touch. I mean indirectly or directly; your special teams and defense are playing for that guy. Everybody, whether you're a runner or an offensive lineman, trying to come off on the right snap count, or you're a skill position trying to get a pass target, all of these things, everyone's job, they're depending on that person doing their job. So when you see people with conviction get the back of quarterback, especially new ones. I've seen a lot of teammates really gravitate to not only – I call him 'Snoop,' that's much easier and pretty legit to call somebody 'Snoop' (Tyler Huntley) and that be their name. 'Snoop' and Boyle, which is also cool – not as cool as 'Snoop' in terms of names, but unless you're maybe – it's close to 'O'Doyle rules' from a movie reference. But Tim (Boyle), that's the thing I don't think people – there's also opportunity to really see people galvanized and it was really cool to watch the teammates of Tim's and how he competed without blinking. I just have a lot of regard for guys that just jump into a situation that isn't for the faint of heart, and you're talking new language. It takes some self-confidence from within to be able to do that, and I feel fortunate that the guys that we've added are boldly attacking it and not looking for any sort of excuse."
(You mentioned on Monday that you were planning on talking to players about the quarterback situation. I'm just wondering the feedback they've given you already on QB Tyler 'Snoop' Huntley?) – "I think you're always interested in how – Chris (Grier) and I are talking and projecting how we think someone is going to fit in the locker room. It's not overly weighted – you're just interested to see if your forecast is similar, just early impressions. I listen to the strongest statement that I think teammates can make. Asking them is nice, but I'm also the head coach and generally players are not trying to overly plateau one way or another with their teammates because they are good guys and they love all of them. But what I like to lean into is what I see through all sorts of nuances when 11 people play football. You can just tell, it's the best way that I can explain it, when guys are believing in the signal caller to really go and do what we have to do. So these practices are extremely important for me for that reason, because a lot of people are very much concerned – I think a lot of guys on the team that the last thing that they could care about is that, only because so many people are trying to worry about their job themselves. I think that's one thing that when you're in a football season and you have results that you didn't forecast necessarily on the front end, you can either find excuses or you can find solutions. Although all the players do very much care who the quarterback is on one hand, on the other hand there is a lot of motivated people to try to do their part to make our football right, and when you're having results like we're having it very clear to everyone that it's not just one person. It's a collection of people. So we have a lot to worry about in that. A lot of guys will be worried about their jobs, and along the way I'll be able to observe natural interactions with teammates and we'll do our best to absolutely – regardless, right, wrong or indifferent as every decision that I make is, always willing to work to the end of the earth to try to do the best. But you also know what the job is and that you just have to make your best educated decision, and fortunately, there is a lot of people that will be seizing the day today and I'll get a lot of information out of that."
(T Terron Armstead, CB Kendall Fuller, LB David Long Jr.?) – "(Terron) Armstead, talking to him, he's feeling better. He's in the protocol, and I make sure anyone that enters into that, same with (Kendall) Fuller, is that they know on the front end from me is that I'm not projecting or worried about the timeline because of the literal science that I've learned that I think that's important to come from me. Guys have told me they are feeling better, what that means and where that's at, I intentionally don't concern myself with that. We're still in the protocol, so we'll see."
(LB David Long Jr.?) – "He (David Long Jr.) won't be able to practice today, but he is doing absolutely everything he can for this opportunity. He'll either be out there or it will be impossible because he's going to do everything he can. Him and we are rooting for his body, but will let his body work through it."
(T Patrick Paul, obviously you guys got a good look at him during training camp because T Terron Armstead was not working and you pretty much should have a good look at him during the practice week. How ready is he to start an NFL game? You said you didn't want to put him in adverse situations. Seattle obviously with the crowd noise must have been an adverse situation, but now it's a home game. Is that a possibility that he could be out there?) – "I'm feeling good about his readiness and ability to play NFL football in the regular season. What ready means is that he can be counted on for his assignments and he's steadily progressed in his techniques and fundamentals. Then you have the actual NFL game which is a whole other process because it's not if but when you have a snap that you don't like, and realistically just making sure our coaches do a great job of knowing where our rookies are, what amount of pressure they feel on a daily bases and in that way they are a little more – I don't want to say aggressive, but you try to put pressure on guys so that they don't know football without it so they don't get into a cruise control situation. I think he's responded well, so I'm feeling good about his development and I think his chance to play NFL football is coming soon. I just don't know how soon. He's got to tell me that today and where he's at today, and then we'll move forward with that. I've been very happy with his progression, fully knowing that there is different things to attack on the horizon when you step on that football field, and he knows that too."
(The other day you said that "I think that as QB Skylar Thompson progresses, I think that leaves variable more vague." What did you mean by that?) – "It's very easy to say that Skylar (Thompson) is not playing if he's unable to play. It's a different scenario forecasting complete unavailability to OK, well now you're assessing when he's able to get the reps and how much he's going to get, and what type of situation you're putting in the whole team and the other guys if you put them in. It's more of a decision to make, so there's more variables in that. It's less of a decision when you remove a person – that's high-level math right there. (laughter) That's all it's – you have to take into account several factors that may or may not change your ultimate decision. It's just you have to account for it and makes it a different type of problem to solve when guys – the hardest thing for football players is when they are unavailable, but when they're unavailable, the picture of what you could do is a little clearer. It doesn't mean it's not going to be the same thing. It just means you have to evaluate that and not – my business is not to say the grass is greener all the time. My business is to assess what's going on, attribute to the issues and where it might seem – if I would've thought that Skylar Thompson and the offense would have scored three points last Sunday, I probably would've changed the players, the scheme, everybody – maybe I would've had you call plays, I don't know. But you're trying to do – listen, I don't take any of the decisions lightly at all. It's never as clear as the surface value. I said that on Monday, and sure enough, I have a lot more information on Wednesday. The picture is clearer to me and I'm excited for the moment of supreme clarity. I just don't chase that for the sake of, 'All right, I just want it off my plate.' Generally the easiest thing is not the path that I choose. That doesn't mean the results are always awesome, but that's literally what I signed up for."
