When he was head coach of the Jets, Herman Edwards famously declared, “You play to win the game.”

That straightforward six-word sentence became the title of Edwards’s 2004 book, and a rallying cry for players. It earned Edwards affection from some fans, who cheered him for it, and it earned him derision from other fans, who mocked him for it. But as seemingly obvious as Edwards’s statement was, it wasn’t completely true.

Edwards now coaches the Kansas City Chiefs, one of a handful of NFL teams that are currently debating whether they’ll truly play the 2007 NFL season to win as many games as they can — or whether they’ll treat the season as an opportunity to develop young players, even if that might cost them some wins in the process. For the Chiefs, it comes down to choosing their starting quarterback.

Damon Huard, an 11-year veteran who started eight games for the Chiefs last season, is a better quarterback right now than second-year player Brodie Croyle. But the Chiefs think Croyle will be a better quarterback than Huard someday. Since few people believe the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl this year, no matter who their quarterback is, this raises the question: Would they rather be slightly above average with the 34-year-old Huard, or slightly below average with the 24-year-old Croyle?

Play to win now, or build for the future? Coaches rarely acknowledge that dilemma publicly, but they ask themselves that question every year.

To answer that question, coaches have to weigh their own job security. The Miami Dolphins’ quarterback depth chart currently consists of 14-year veteran Trent Green, four-year veteran Cleo Lemon, and rookie John Beck. Coach Cam Cameron seems intent on starting Green, whose experience makes him the most likely to help the Dolphins get to the playoffs this year.

But Cameron has the job security that comes with being in the first year of a four-year contract. That means that if midway through the season Green hasn’t made the Dolphins playoff contenders, Cameron could play one or both of the younger quarterbacks. That approach might hurt the Dolphins in the standings this season. But if it helps them find a quarterback of the future, it would be worth it to Cameron, who expects to stay in Miami for a while.

On the other hand, Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel is heading into his third season. After back-to-back last-place finishes, his job is on the line. That means Crennel doesn’t have the luxury of allowing rookie quarterback Brady Quinn to learn as he goes. If Crennel thinks Quinn gives the Browns the best chance of winning this year, Quinn will be the starter. But if Crennel thinks veteran quarterbacks Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson give the Browns a better chance of winning this season, Quinn will stay on the bench.

The Oakland Raiders, who spent the first pick in this year’s draft on quarterback JaMarcus Russell, could face the same predicament. Whether Russell is ready to play as a rookie is a moot point right now, as Russell and the Raiders still haven’t agreed on a contract. Russell will sign eventually, though, and when he does, the Raiders will have to weigh whether they want him to take his lumps and learn on the field, or stand on the sidelines while one of the Raiders’ veteran quarterbacks (most likely Daunte Culpepper) plays.

Even the Jets could find themselves facing this question this season. Although Chad Pennington is the starting quarterback, backup Kellen Clemens has potential, and he’s seven years younger than Pennington. If the Jets have a disappointing start to the season and are out of the playoff race in December, coach Eric Mangini will have to consider the option of giving Clemens an opportunity to prove himself.

Playing for the future, rather than the present, is not the same thing as “tanking” — actually playing to lose games — which teams are occasionally accused of doing late in the season to get higher draft picks. When a coach chooses to play a promising 22-year-old and keep a better-prepared 32-year-old on the sidelines, he’s not doing it because he actually wants to lose: He’s just doing it because he’s willing to accept a decreased chance of winning now in exchange for an increased chance of winning later.

Many coaches think that way, but in the hypercompetitive NFL, they don’t say it out loud. “You play to win the game” will always be Edwards’s mantra. But if he chooses Croyle over Huard, his real message will be, “You play to build for the future.”

Mr. Smith is a contributing editor for FootballOutsiders.com.