List of black starting NFL quarterbacks facts for kids

Fritz Pollard became the NFL's first Black quarterback in 1923

This article is about Black and African-American quarterbacks who have started games in the National Football League (NFL). A quarterback is the leader of a football team's offense. They tell other players what to do on the field.

For a long time, Black players faced unfair treatment in the NFL. Some people wrongly believed that Black quarterbacks were not smart or good leaders. Because of this, many talented Black players who were quarterbacks in high school or college were asked to play different positions in the NFL.

The NFL banned Black players for a while, but this ban ended in 1946. However, it took much longer for Black players to become starting quarterbacks. Even today, some unfair ideas about Black quarterbacks still exist. Studies have shown that Black quarterbacks are sometimes treated differently than white quarterbacks.

It wasn't until 2017 that every single NFL team had started at least one Black quarterback. This was a big step forward. In 2023, a record number of Black quarterbacks started games in the NFL. This shows how much the league has changed.

Early Black Quarterbacks in the NFL

The quarterback position has changed a lot over the years. In the early 1900s, quarterbacks did many things, like throwing, running, and kicking the ball. The forward pass became more common in the 1930s.

In early football, the quarterback (QB) often blocked, while the tailback (TB) handled the ball.

Later, the T formation made the quarterback (QB) the main passer and leader.

Fritz Pollard was a very important player in early NFL history. He became the league's first Black quarterback in 1923 for the Hammond Pros. Before that, he was the first Black head coach in the NFL. He also was the first Black quarterback to be named an All-American in college football and to play in the Rose Bowl Game. Pollard faced a lot of racism during his career. After football, he started the first Black newspaper. In 2005, he was honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After the 1920s, there were fewer Black players in the NFL. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, times were tough, and minorities often faced more unfair treatment. In 1932, Joe Lillard joined the Chicago Cardinals. He was the only Black player in the NFL at that time. He played many roles for his team, but he was not often used as a quarterback.

In 1933, a team owner named George Preston Marshall helped create an NFL-wide ban on Black players. Joe Lillard was released, and by 1934, there were no Black players in the NFL. Marshall's team, the Washington Redskins, refused to sign any Black players until 1962. This only changed when President John F. Kennedy threatened to cancel their stadium lease if they didn't allow Black players.

1952 football card showing George Taliaferro. He was the first Black player drafted into the NFL in 1949. He played quarterback and six other positions until 1955.

In 1949, George Taliaferro became the first Black player ever chosen in the NFL draft. He played many positions, including quarterback, which was unusual. He retired in 1955.

Two other Black quarterbacks played briefly before the Super Bowl era. Willie Thrower played one game for the Chicago Bears in 1953. Charlie Brackins was the first Black quarterback from a historically Black college. He played one game for the Green Bay Packers in 1955.

First Black Quarterbacks by Team

In 1967, the American Football League (AFL) and the NFL agreed to combine. This led to the first championship game, called the Super Bowl. The full merger happened in 1970.

Marlin Briscoe played for the Denver Broncos in 1968. He is known as the first Black quarterback to start a game in the modern NFL. Briscoe started as a defensive player. But when the main quarterback got hurt, he stepped in. He started the last five games of the season. He threw 14 touchdown passes and was considered for Rookie of the Year. However, he was released after that season and later changed to a receiver.

Black Quarterbacks Who Won MVP

Six times in NFL history, a Black quarterback has won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Four different quarterbacks have won this award. Patrick Mahomes was the first Black player to win it twice in 2022. The next year, Lamar Jackson also won his second MVP, becoming the youngest player to do so.

Black Quarterbacks in the Playoffs

In 1974, James Harris made history. He became the first Black quarterback to start and win an NFL playoff game. Later, he became an executive for several teams and won a Super Bowl ring.

Warren Moon was the first Black quarterback to be chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played in seven playoff games during his career. He was also the first Black quarterback for four different NFL teams.

The 2023–2024 playoffs had six starting Black quarterbacks. This was the most in NFL history. These quarterbacks included Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and C. J. Stroud.

Most Playoff Wins

*This means the quarterback played for other teams but did not win a playoff game with them.

Black Quarterbacks in the Super Bowl

In 1987, the number of Black quarterbacks in the NFL tripled. This was partly because of a players' strike, which led teams to hire replacement players.

On September 20, 1987, Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start for the Washington Redskins. This team had been segregated for a long time. Williams had led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs before joining the Redskins. He was a backup for most of the 1987 season. But he played so well that he became the starting quarterback for the playoffs.

On January 31, 1988, Doug Williams made history again. He became the first Black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl. A few hours later, he became the first to win it. He threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns, which were Super Bowl records at the time. He was also named the Super Bowl MVP.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the seventh Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Black quarterbacks have a combined Super Bowl record of 4 wins and 7 losses. Doug Williams and Patrick Mahomes are the only Black players to win the Super Bowl MVP award. Mahomes and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson are the only Black quarterbacks to start in more than one Super Bowl.

In 2023, Mahomes became the first Black quarterback to start three Super Bowls. He also became the first Black quarterback to win two Super Bowls and two MVP awards. The next year, he became the first Black quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Super Bowl LVII was special because it was the first time both starting quarterbacks were Black. Patrick Mahomes played for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Jalen Hurts played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Images for kids

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  Doug Williams

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  Steve McNair

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  Donovan McNabb

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  Colin Kaepernick

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  Russell Wilson

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  Cam Newton

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  Patrick Mahomes

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  Jalen Hurts

See Also

• List of African-American sports firsts
• History of African Americans in the Canadian Football League
• Baseball color line
• List of first black MLB players
• Negro league baseball
• Black players in ice hockey
• List of black NHL players
• Race and ethnicity in the NBA