Mark Schofield showcases the creativity of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in this segment of the RSP NFL Lens.

A wise football sage once asked the question of quarterbacks: “Can they make music?” Creativity is a necessary trait for playing the quarterback position, and one that can show up in a variety of ways on the field of play.

If you were to ask football fans what makes a quarterback creative or to identify some creative quarterbacks, you would probably hear responses such as Johnny Manziel, Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young or Michael Vick. The ability to run around like a man with his hair on fire and make something happen in a scramble drill situation is certainly evidence of a QB’s creativity.

But there are other ways.

Sometimes as a quarterback you need to create with your mind, or your eyes, or your arm, or in a way not often associated with creativity at the quarterback position. An adjustment to your arm angle, a change in your footwork, a subtle pump fake, or even a no-look throw. These other ways of showing creativity are no less important in playing the position.

In this video we see Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers using his mind and his eyes to be creative:

When evaluating quarterbacks it is easy to identify the creativity of a Manziel or a Mayfield, but perhaps not as easy to identify the creativity of a Brett Rypien. But it is important to try. Sometimes it is the small things that make the biggest difference as a passer…and a creator.

For more college, NFL, and NFL draft analysis like this, subscribe to the RSP site and receive notifications of the latest post via email. Scroll to the bottom of this page and simply enter your email address.