Great Progress With 10 Starting Black Quarterbacks in the NFL

As Hall of Fame Quarterback Warren Moon and I were discussing his options in 1978 as he entered the professional football realm, it was necessary to factor racial prejudice into the mix. At the time, there were few black quarterbacks playing in the league and an unstated feeling among many NFL executives and scouts that black players lacked the intellectual capacity to flourish at the position. Black quarterbacks were also sometimes seen as non-appropriate public "faces of the franchises". On 2020 opening weekend 10 of the starting quarterbacks were black. At this racially fraught time, it is encouraging to note the progress.

As Moon went through the draft scouting process, there were NFL teams that suggested that he change positions to have a better chance to succeed. Perhaps he might be more impactful as a running back, wide receiver, or safety. When I asked Warren about his feelings regarding changing positions, his response was rapid - never. He felt he was born to play quarterback because it is the key leadership position on the team. Feedback from scouts indicated that Moon would be drafted as a quarterback by an NFL team, but in a significantly lower round than his superb talented dictated. Instead, he signed on to play in the Canadian Football League for the Edmonton Eskimos, which gave him a better opportunity to see playing time.

Moon spent six legendary years with the Eskimos and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player. In 1984, his contract expired and he became the first free agent quarterback in his prime to enter the market and negotiate with leverage. Twelve teams from the NFL, USFL, and CFL made offers to him, but it was the Houston Oilers that ended up making him the highest salaried player in NFL history.

The Los Angeles Rams' QB Shack Harris had a productive career, Eagles' QB Randall Cunningham and the Washington Football Team's QB Doug Williams were all successful but it did not open the floodgates. Few black quarterbacks were starters and backups were virtually non-existent. In Moon's 17-year NFL career that ended in the Hall of Fame, accompanied by his high-character and community-mindedness, inspired future generations of young black athletes to pursue the veneered position of quarterback.

Being a starter at the quarterback position in the NFL is critically important in terms of symbolism. The quarterback is the player with the highest profile, recognition and the leader of a franchise. Successful quarterbacks play long careers, become public figures, dominate the endorsement market, and are compensated at the top of the pyramid. It was also important to open opportunities for black athletes to become the backup or non-starting QB on a team. Quarterbacks with some time of tutelage have a better chance to be starters. 

It is not just that this season features 10 black starting quarterbacks, it is the quality of these players that is impactful. The last two NFL MVPs - Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who play each other tonight in Monday Night Football, and MVP caliber players like Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and Texans QB DeShaun Watson are part of this contingent. It is important to recognize progress in providing opportunity.