Dalton’s usage is sure to conjure more questions about Young’s size — 5-foot-10, 204 pounds — and his ability to withstand a beating in the NFL. However, Reich noted his history of inserting a backup QB to take the short-yardage reps during his time in Indianapolis.
“That’s not unprecedented by any stretch of the imagination,” Reich said. “We had Jacoby Brissett, we brought him in on some short-yardage situations.”
As we saw on Monday, Dalton’s presence could signal a QB sneak to the defense, which might open other options in those situations. It’s not unprecedented for coaches to look for alternatives to sneaking their starting QB. After Patrick Mahomes injured his knee in 2019 on a sneak, Chiefs coach Andy Reid started employing the TE-motion-sneak into the plan. Whatever keeps Young healthy early in his career is the smart play by Reich.