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Think Like a Quarterback (Hardcover) - Football IQ Book for Players, Coaches & Fans - NFL Quarterback Training Guide - By Kurt Benkert
Want to understand football the way professionals do?
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert (Falcons, Packers, and 49ers) combines real pro experience — including time alongside legends like Aaron Rodgers — with a clear, visual teaching style inspired by film study and Madden-style breakdowns to make complex concepts easy to understand.
Whether you're on the field, on the sideline, or on the couch, this book will transform how you see the game.
🛡️ Master Coverage Identify defensive schemes and spot weaknesses before the snap.
🧠 Process Reads & Progressions Make smarter decisions under pressure.
🎯 Decode Offensive Schematics & Play Understand how plays are designed to create advantages.
🔍 Break Down Film Like an NFL Recognize patterns, anticipate plays, and stay one step ahead.
🔥 Gain a New Perspective on the Instantly elevate your football IQ.
Who This Book Is
🏈 Players — Build a foundation of NFL-level football knowledge.
📋 Coaches — Teach and develop players with a pro-level perspective.
📺 Fans — Watch games like an expert and understand every play.
👨👩👦 Parents — Give your kids the knowledge and edge you wish you had growing up.
If you love football, this book will change how you see it forever.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert (Falcons, Packers, and 49ers) combines real pro experience — including time alongside legends like Aaron Rodgers — with a clear, visual teaching style inspired by film study and Madden-style breakdowns to make complex concepts easy to understand.
Whether you're on the field, on the sideline, or on the couch, this book will transform how you see the game.
🛡️ Master Coverage Identify defensive schemes and spot weaknesses before the snap.
🧠 Process Reads & Progressions Make smarter decisions under pressure.
🎯 Decode Offensive Schematics & Play Understand how plays are designed to create advantages.
🔍 Break Down Film Like an NFL Recognize patterns, anticipate plays, and stay one step ahead.
🔥 Gain a New Perspective on the Instantly elevate your football IQ.
Who This Book Is
🏈 Players — Build a foundation of NFL-level football knowledge.
📋 Coaches — Teach and develop players with a pro-level perspective.
📺 Fans — Watch games like an expert and understand every play.
👨👩👦 Parents — Give your kids the knowledge and edge you wish you had growing up.
If you love football, this book will change how you see it forever.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published April 19, 2025
4 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 19, 2025
As someone who's always wanted to move beyond casual football fandom and develop a deeper understanding of what's happening on the field, I was excited when I heard about this book. The idea of learning from an actual former NFL player seemed perfect... finally, someone who could explain the game from the inside out for us casuals. I've been following Kurt's YouTube channel for a while, so when I saw he released a book, I didn't hesitate to pick it up (and pay the extra shipping to the UK!)
Unfortunately, this book barely scratches the surface of football's complexities. Rather than offering real insights, it reads more like a dictionary as most of it follows the same tired format of [concept]→[definition]. You pick up the book expecting genuine wisdom from someone who's actually played at the highest level (even if it's just taking a knee), but instead you get superficial explanations that frankly a high school coach could've easily written. The explanations are sterile and lack the personal voice and hard-earned insights you'd expect from someone who's actually lived these experiences on the field. None of that expertise and experience is translated into this book, leaving you with a disappointingly dull and impersonal final product.
Beyond the content itself, the presentation feels remarkably unprofessional. Emojis appear on virtually every page (I'm not exaggerating) and the author relies on screenshots from Madden as visual aids to explain the concepts. I understand that as a Madden player himself, it's something his fanbase is familiar with, but using video game screenshots to illustrate actual football strategy feels incredibly lazy. For someone with his background, this represents a massive missed opportunity to provide authentic diagrams or real game examples.
Did I learn some new things? Sure. There were definitely concepts I hadn't encountered before, and it cleared up a few questions and misconceptions I had. But given the author's experience, I was hoping for the kind of in-depth, insider perspective only a former pro could provide.. the knowledge that would actually help you think like a quarterback. Sadly, for a book with that exact title, it fails to deliver on that promise.
I really wanted to like this book, especially since I enjoy Kurt's other content. But I can't recommend spending money on what essentially amounts to an overpriced glossary illustrated with video game screenshots. For fans genuinely trying to elevate their understanding of the game, look elsewhere. Unfortunately this book won't advance your knowledge meaningfully beyond where you started.
Unfortunately, this book barely scratches the surface of football's complexities. Rather than offering real insights, it reads more like a dictionary as most of it follows the same tired format of [concept]→[definition]. You pick up the book expecting genuine wisdom from someone who's actually played at the highest level (even if it's just taking a knee), but instead you get superficial explanations that frankly a high school coach could've easily written. The explanations are sterile and lack the personal voice and hard-earned insights you'd expect from someone who's actually lived these experiences on the field. None of that expertise and experience is translated into this book, leaving you with a disappointingly dull and impersonal final product.
Beyond the content itself, the presentation feels remarkably unprofessional. Emojis appear on virtually every page (I'm not exaggerating) and the author relies on screenshots from Madden as visual aids to explain the concepts. I understand that as a Madden player himself, it's something his fanbase is familiar with, but using video game screenshots to illustrate actual football strategy feels incredibly lazy. For someone with his background, this represents a massive missed opportunity to provide authentic diagrams or real game examples.
Did I learn some new things? Sure. There were definitely concepts I hadn't encountered before, and it cleared up a few questions and misconceptions I had. But given the author's experience, I was hoping for the kind of in-depth, insider perspective only a former pro could provide.. the knowledge that would actually help you think like a quarterback. Sadly, for a book with that exact title, it fails to deliver on that promise.
I really wanted to like this book, especially since I enjoy Kurt's other content. But I can't recommend spending money on what essentially amounts to an overpriced glossary illustrated with video game screenshots. For fans genuinely trying to elevate their understanding of the game, look elsewhere. Unfortunately this book won't advance your knowledge meaningfully beyond where you started.
January 28, 2026
This is a great book for neophyte fans. However, for more devoted or longtime football fans, this book isn’t very informative and doesn’t add anything new.
May 4, 2026
i will honestly reference this often because this is my life now i am football i am grace i am miss united states
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews