OXNARD, Calif. — Just before the start of training camp practices, a couple of prominent Black quarterbacks were portrayed in negative lights by anonymous NFL talent evaluators.
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes was described as playing “streetball” after making his first read, which can be considered a negative connotation that a player lacks discipline. Historically, it’s been a label placed upon African American quarterbacks or players in other sports, such as basketball.
Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson had an anonymous defensive coordinator question his passing abilities. Mahomes, a Super Bowl winner, and Jackson have been named MVPs of the NFL.
Mahomes said it was “weird” to see the negative comments regarding himself and Jackson, two of the best at the position.
In Dallas, quarterback Dak Prescott took his share of criticism before signing the richest contract in franchise history. Some of the criticism could be warranted, considering Prescott hasn’t elevated the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs. Yet, it’s something African American quarterbacks have dealt with for years.
In a new book released this month titled "The Rise of the Black Quarterback. What it Means for America," Andscape author Jason Reid explores the history of Black quarterbacks and the challenges they’ve faced.
Prescott isn’t one to shy away from that history. On Thursday, he pointed toward what it means to be an African American quarterback.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a blessing,” Prescott said. “Obviously knowing the numbers aren’t favored, I guess you can say it’s a minority, but I know who I’m representing, I know what it means every time that I take the field. And it’s something that I take pride in, so just go out there and be the best I can to inspire others, to inspire the next generation.”
Prescott is that next generation of African American quarterbacks, joining Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson of Cleveland, Mahomes and Jackson as considered among the best at the position regardless of race.
Yet, when stories are written, particularly when it comes from anonymous NFL talent evaluators, there are interesting comments about African American quarterbacks.
Here is what an NFC evaluator told ESPN about Jackson: “Innately competitive, driven and mentally tougher than just about anybody. You just run into a few issues late in the year: For as much as you run him, you get worn down.”
The Athletic quoted an unknown talent evaluator on Mahomes: “I love the kid. But take his first read away and what does he do? He runs, he scrambles and he plays streetball.”
Could that have been said about Tony Romo, who also was quick to move out of the pocket early in his career? What about Baker Mayfield?
Murray had a clause removed from his contract that mandated he study four hours a day away from the facility, after the Cardinals took heavy criticism.
“So it is always weird when you see guys like me, Lamar, Kyler kind of get that [narrative] on them and other guys don’t,” Mahomes said this week. “But at the same time, we’re going to go out there every day and show that we can be some of the best quarterbacks in the league.”
Questions about drafting Black quarterbacks is explored intimately in Reid’s book with a passage about former Cowboys personnel executive John Wooten imploring the team to draft Warren Moon in 1978.
Wooten, as his written in the book, gives his scouting report to Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt and Tom Landry, the Mount Rushmore of the Cowboys front office.
“Well,” someone in the room finally said to shatter the silence, “did you discuss with him about playing another position?”
Moon went undrafted that year. The Cowboys did have Roger Staubach, but at that time African American quarterbacks were still considered as players to move positions. It came true again in 2018 when Jackson declared for the NFL draft and some talent evaluators thought he should change positions.
The Ravens drafted him 32nd overall and at some point soon he’s due a massive contract that could impact what the Cowboys eventually give Prescott in his next contract in a few years.
You would hope that when African American quarterbacks are criticized, it’s about them as players not because of their race.
“Honestly, being biracial, I don’t really even care about that or think about that in a sense,” said Prescott, who is Native American and African American. “And I say that to say, I haven’t looked at the difference. I don’t know if that’s something that I should go back to and be more educated on, but I don’t want to speak about something that hasn’t necessarily been aware to me.”
