By Nate Longshore
Every quarterback I have ever worked with, from high school to college to the professional level, has asked some version of the same question:
"What do I need to get better at?"
It sounds simple, but it rarely is.
Most quarterbacks are not short on effort, motivation, or access to training. What they usually lack is clarity. They are working hard, but they are not always working on the right things, in the right order, or with a real understanding of how they are being evaluated.
That gap is exactly why the 67 QB Attributes exist.
Development without evaluation is guesswork
Quarterback development has never been more popular. There are great trainers, great drills, great technology, and more information available than ever before.
But here is the reality I have seen over and over again.
Most quarterbacks are training without ever being truly evaluated.
They are improving mechanics without understanding which mechanical traits actually matter at their level. They are chasing arm strength without knowing how velocity is really judged. They are told to “process faster” without anyone clearly defining what processing even means.
You cannot fix what you cannot name.
And you cannot prioritize what you do not understand.
That is where development breaks down.
Coaches do not evaluate vibes, they evaluate traits
When coaches make decisions about reps, roles, depth charts, or scholarships, they are not doing it emotionally. They are doing it based on patterns.
Over time, certain traits consistently show up in quarterbacks who earn trust and keep it. Not just physical traits, but mental, technical, and operational ones as well.
Things like footwork under pressure.
Pocket movement versus scrambling.
Ball speed control, not just arm strength.
Accuracy on different trajectories.
Processing under stress.
Communication and situational awareness.
Most of these do not show up in box scores. Many do not show up in highlight reels. But they always show up on film and in meeting rooms.
The 67 QB Attributes exist to make those evaluation criteria visible.
This is not a drill book, it is a mirror
I did not create this to tell quarterbacks how to throw, lift, or train.
I created it to help quarterbacks answer a more important question:
How am I actually being judged?
Each attribute forces honest self evaluation.
Is this a strength or a weakness right now?
Does this need maintenance, progress, or initiation?
What actions actually support improvement here?
Who can give real feedback in this area?
That process alone changes how a quarterback thinks.
It moves them from “I think I am good at this” to “I understand where I stand and why.”
That difference matters.
The best quarterbacks speak the language of evaluation
One thing that shows up consistently at higher levels is this. The best quarterbacks can clearly explain their own game.
They do not just say, “I need to be better.”
They say things like, “My pocket movement is solid when the interior is firm, but I need to improve subtle lateral resets when edge pressure widens the pocket.”
That kind of clarity does not happen by accident. It comes from understanding the traits that matter and taking ownership of them.
The 67 QB Attributes give quarterbacks and coaches a shared language. It makes development faster, feedback cleaner, and accountability real.
This framework grows with you
What matters to a freshman quarterback is not the same as what matters to a starter. What matters in high school is not identical to what matters in college.
But the categories do not change. Only the standards do.
That is why this framework holds up long term.
You do not outgrow evaluation.
You refine it.
Quarterbacks who understand this stop chasing trends and start building complete games.
If you are serious about development, start with evaluation
If you are a quarterback who wants more than motivation.
If you are tired of vague feedback.
If you want your work to actually translate on the field.
Then the place to start is not another drill.
It is understanding what actually matters.
That is what the 67 QB Attributes That Coaches Evaluate was built to provide. A clear, honest, structured way to see yourself the way the position demands.
Development works best when clarity comes first.