“Ravens Vs Bengals” by Office of the Maryland Governor on Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Black quarterbacks are both the present and future of the NFL as led by the reigning MVP himself, Lamar Jackson. The 2020 NFL season opened to a record 10 starting Black quarterbacks. In half a century since Marlin Briscoe became the first Black quarterback to start a pro football game, expect to find more persons of color as the signal callers.
Lamar Jackson’s historic 2019 will be the norm
Jackson won the MVP in 2019 following a sophomore season that saw him make or break numerous records including setting a quarterback rushing record and becoming the first to throw for over 30 touchdowns and rush for over 1,000 yards.
These feats made Jackson only the second unanimous MVP following some guy named Brady. He also became the second-youngest player to win the award after Jim Brown and just the fourth black quarterback.
What’s exciting is that Jackson’s season should only be the norm – or close to it – for many quarterbacks in the future as the combination of a faster-paced game, better collegiate programs tailoring offenses to match the NFL, and the constant improvement of quarterback prospects will lead to Madden-on-rookie-mode numbers.
Fans can stay excited for Jackson and the Ravens even if their postseason fell short at the hands of the Titans. Jackson is just 23 and recently just became the fastest NFL player to reach 5,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards.
Jackson should continue to evolve just as the NFL does. Right now it’s too early to tell if he’s a flash in the pan or a future Hall of Famer, but Baltimore fans can optimistically look to the latter.
Jackson just one among a rising elite crop of black quarterbacks
Jackson’s spectacular 2019 would’ve put him on a shortlist of top-tier quarterbacks if not for the abundance of amazing quarterbacks, both Black or white. As it stands, there are already several MVP-caliber Black quarterbacks who could outshine Jackson on any given season.
Russell Wilson
The nine-year veteran is the betting favourite to win the MVP award this season according to the top NFL sportsbooks in Vegas. Wilson already has what Jackson lacks, a Super Bowl trophy and he did it in his sophomore season.
Wilson has kept the Seahawks competitive throughout his tenure. The Seahawks only missed the postseason once and have never had a losing season. With a 9-6 playoff record, Wilson has also won at least one playoff game in six of their seven playoff runs.
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes, like Jackson, won the MVP in his sophomore season. And like Jackson, he set several NFL records in doing so including becoming only the 2nd player to throw for 50 touchdowns and over 5,000 yards in a single season.
There is a budding rivalry between Mahomes’ Chiefs and Jackson’s Ravens although the former have had a significant advantage so far. Jackson even admitted that the Chiefs are Baltimore’s “kryptonite” following their most recent loss.
Expect to see Mahomes keep duking it out with Jackson in the playoffs for many years to come.
“Patrick Mahomes II” by Jeffrey Beall is licensed under CC BY 4.0
The best of the rest
Wilson and Mahomes are two of the top three MVP favourites this season with Jackson coming in at fifth. There are plenty more Black quarterbacks in the MVP picture including Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Dallas’s Dak Prescott, and New England’s Cam Newton.
Murray could be the next superstar Black quarterback. Prescott, despite not having the same accolades, continues to keep himself and the Cowboys relevant. And Newton, a former MVP himself, could be this year’s Comeback Player of the Year as he leads the Patriots back to glory.
And not to be forgotten are the likes of Houston’s Deshaun Watson, Carolina’s Teddy Bridgewater, and Washington’s Dwayne Haskins.
Why this is great for both the NFL and its fans
One-third of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks are Black and this could point to a growth in diversity and adaptation on football’s part. This continued evolution potentially benefits the NFL’s mainstream appeal, especially in an age with plenty of racial politics.
Jackson is also a budding star and has already appeared on several mainstream outlets just as Mahomes is quickly becoming a face for the league. Wilson has also been a constant celebrity presence for the NFL.
Quarterbacks are the stars of the NFL and with more players like Jackson identifying with this group only shows both the game and the league are making steps in the right directions.
