Why Didn't Texas A&M Bench Conner Weigman vs. Notre Dame? Mike Elko Explains

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman had a season opener to forget against Notre Dame.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) warms up prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mike Elko isn't pulling the plug on quarterback Conner Weigman anytime soon, even after an abysmal showing in the season opener.

The Texas A&M head coach said Wednesday during an appearance on "The Aggie Football Hour" that benching Weigman never crossed his mind in Saturday's 23-13 loss to Notre Dame despite some major struggles from Weigman and the passing game as a whole.

Elko doubled down on previous comments he made about the quarterback reps he's seen all offseason, making it clear that a decision to sit his QB1 isn't in the cards right now.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

"We've evaluated about 1,000 quarterback reps since I got hired, and it was a competition, and Conner did win it, and I don't know that it's in anybody's best interest to just pull the plug on a kid the second things aren't going well," Elko said. "And I just don't know that that's human nature. You know? I don't know that anybody wants to get fired on their job the first time it doesn't go exactly the way they hoped it would and doesn't get a second day, right?"

Weigman finished 12 of 30 passing for just 100 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He met the media head-on Monday and admitted there's "no excuses" for his struggles, an approach that Elko praised.

Had the Aggies won despite Weigman's struggles, the conversation of benching him after a tight loss to a top-10 team would be nonexistent. Texas A&M tied the game at 13 early in the fourth quarterback before the Irish pulled away in the final two minutes. The game was obviously much closer than the 10-point margin indicates.

The Aggies will host McNeese State on Saturday in a game that will serve as a major pick-me-up opportunity for Texas A&M. But if Weigman's struggles continue to bleed into the early stages of SEC play in October against teams like Missouri and Mississippi State, benching him in favor of Jaylen Henderson will be an option Elko has to consider.