No question: This is Sindelar's team. But what if he gets hurt?

Instead of bringing a player who figures to be one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten--Sindelar was part of the school's contingent in 2018--Purdue opted to take defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal, wideout Rondale Moore and linebacker Markus Bailey to Chicago for the event. All are deserving. Still, none may be more critical to the Boilermakers’ 2019 success than Sindelar.

The fifth-year senior stands alongside Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez, Iowa’s Nate Stanley, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Michigan’s Shea Patterson as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. And--even more importantly to Purdue--he's the team's only signal-caller with experience. So, he likely needs to stay on the field if the program wants to reach its goals.

“Elijah is our starter right now and we want to give him every opportunity to play and showcase what he’s all about,” said Brohm at Big Ten media days on Friday in Chicago.

Thus far in this career, Sindelar has been more about potential than prolific production, making eight starts in 2017 and one last year. Remember, he won the starting job coming out of training camp each of the last two years. And he is the unquestioned No. 1 guy in 2019. (The last Purdue signal-caller to start the season-opener three years in succession was Curtis Painter from 2006-08.) But, each season, Sindelar has gotten sidetracked.

In 2017, he lost his job due to ineffective play but came on late in the season after David Blough got hurt and rallied the program to a bowl while playing heroically on a torn ACL the final three-and-half games.

Last season, Sindelar missed the final 11 games after oblique and knee issues sidelined him. That same left knee he hurt at Northwestern in 2017 was tweaked in the spring. Sindelar is OK. Still, what happens if he gets hurt again? Blough is gone. Now, the No. 2 signal-caller is redshirt freshman Jack Plummer. (Purdue has had the same quarterback start every game in a season just one time since Joey Elliott did it in 2009: Blough in 2016.)

“Do we need to have a backup ready to go?” said Brohm. “Yes. That will be important. With Elijah’s situation and the fact we’ll be able to give our backups plenty of reps in practice, while we are protecting Elijah and making sure he gets to the game healthy, will help get those guys fine-tuned. They got a lot of experience in the spring and hopefully they will utilize that when their number is called.”

Last year, Sindelar got pulled midway through what would be a season-opening loss to Northwestern after he tossed three interceptions. Sindelar never recovered, as Blough assumed command and started the rest of the season. Now, without a veteran in reserve, will Brohm still have a quick hook if Sindelar struggles?

“I never have a long hook,” said Brohm. “It’s always quick. I did a bad job the first game. I’ll take the blame for that. We have to put them in position to succeed and do some things he does well. He has to do his part, too. I don’t think he’s gonna repeat that performance. If he does, we’ll make adjustments then.”

Story continues below photo

Brohm has been quick to praise Plummer, a 6-5, 220-pound three-star product out of Gilbert, Ariz. He looked good in the spring. Still, he’s never taken a snap in a game at Purdue. And the No. 3 quarterback, sophomore walk-on Aidan O'Connell, also never has played. If Plummer has to play, will he be ready?

“You never know for sure,” said Brohm. “I think Jack has improved. I would love to see Jack on the field. I always want to think our guys will be ready when they go out there. And I do think that’s the case. As of today, we’d like Elijah to go out there and do his thing.”

Sindelar will get his chance in 2019. He is the unquestioned starter, hitting 56 percent of his career passes for 2,547 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 picks. And, he could be back as a sixth-year player in 2020 after being granted an extra year of eligibility in the spring. The 6-4, 225-pound Princeton, Ky., native has the big right arm to make Brohm’s down-field passing game work. But it will be critical for an offensive line that is a work-in-progress to develop and provide adequate protection for Sindelar. It's his time to shine, beginning with the season-opener at Nevada on August 30.

“I didn’t do a good job and got him off to a bad start, (last year)” said Brohm. “I think he lost his confidence a little bit. Those things are important. We have to get him off to a positive start. Get him to play well early on and build confidence. I try not to look at all the bad things that can happen. I am optimistic he will play well early.”

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast