Photos: AP. Photo edit: 3DownNation.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback Chris Streveler has never been far from the minds of CFL fans during his four-year stint in the NFL, but the 29-year-old believes he’ll be returning to Canada as a better passer than people remember.
“I’d like to think I’ve gotten better, I’d like to think I’ve progressed in these last five years,” Streveler told the media during his introductory press conference earlier this week.
“Debates are gonna be debates, people always have to write a story and always have to say something. I’ve been playing professionally for seven years, if I couldn’t complete a pass, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
The six-foot-one, 216-pound pivot was renowned for his rushing ability during his first stint in Winnipeg from 2018 to 2019, running for 1,167 yards and 22 touchdowns in 35 games. However, his sporadic passing left many concerned if he would ever be able to hold down a starting job, as he completed 64.7 percent of his throws for 2,698 yards, 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
When Streveler initially headed south of the border with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020, he was viewed as a Taysom Hill-type athlete and had his throwing ability publicly called into question by CBS broadcaster Boomer Esiason during his first live action. The Grey Cup cult hero took that in stride and continued to refine his game, drawing inspiration from another uber-athletic quarterback who faced similar criticism.
“I just think that that’s a lot of external noise, that doesn’t bother me whatsoever. People are always gonna have something to say,” he explained. “Up until a couple years ago, people were still saying Lamar Jackson couldn’t throw the ball but look at him. I’m not saying I’m Lamar Jackson by any means, but I am saying there’s always going to be people that say things and that doesn’t bother me at all. I’m just going to continue to focus on my own development and being the best I can be.”
Jackson is expected to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award later this week, having thrown for a career-high 3,678 yards in 2023 with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The 26-year-old also ran for 821 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Baltimore Ravens to the top seed in the AFC.
Streveler has never reached those heights but did prove his worth during a historic preseason run with the New York Jets in 2022. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 277 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while rushing nine times for 71 yards on the ground to secure comeback wins in all three of his appearances, but still spent the majority of that season on the practice roster.
Across nine regular-season appearances with the Cardinals and Jets, Streveler completed 27-of-40 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, adding 16 carries for 75 yards. He also enjoyed brief stops in Baltimore and Miami, getting to pick the brains of several elite quarterbacks including Jackson.
“I can point to the fact that I’ve gotten to be in some rooms with some really cool people. I’ve gotten to sit in the room with Aaron Rodgers. I’ve gotten to be around Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson, Teddy Bridgewater, Colt McCoy, Kyler (Murray); a lot of guys that are great players in their own unique way,” Streveler said of his improvement.
“My role as a backup and somebody trying to make the team, fight for a spot, is just to be a sponge, soak up all that knowledge as much as I can and try to apply that.”
A thumb injury prematurely ended the South Dakota product’s second preseason with the Jets and he has elected to return north after unsuccessful tryouts with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. He will once again be asked to be a backup, this time to Zach Collaros, who has won two Most Outstanding Player awards since he was brought in via trade at the end of the 2019 season to ease the minds of those concerned that Streveler didn’t have the passing chops to get the Bombers over the hump.
That was a long time ago in football terms, however, and the improved passer believes he is more ready to handle the burden of starter if it is thrust upon him this time around.
“I think the biggest thing I can point to in terms of my development is my mental side of the game and being able to handle adversity,” Streveler insisted. “The last time we all spoke and I was in the CFL, I was 24 years old in my second professional season. Now I’m 29 years old, going into my seventh season. There’s been a lot of growth, a lot of adversity and a lot of triumph in that time.”
Winnipeg will open their 2024 season on Thursday, June 6 when they host the Montreal Alouettes.
2024-02-04 22:00:42
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