It was 2012 and Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III were on fire as Black, dual-threat, NFL weapons of the future.
Both stars shattered records as rookie quarterbacks and changed the way the NFL viewed the position forever.
Russell Wilson was an unheralded third-round pick, but he was a multi-dimensional beast as well. He just didn’t come with the hype and expectations. In fact, he came out of nowhere, but Newton and RG3 were both Top 2 overall picks.
We all know how it works out for those guys. RG3 went from young upstart to irrelevant after a series of injuries.
The height of Cam’s career was 2015 when he won the MVP and then lost to an over-the-hill Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl. Inconsistency has defined Cam’s career since then, as he’s carried a huge burden each year and suffered some injuries as a result.
Wilson has turned out to be the best of the three, setting a record for TD passes by a rookie with 26 and then going to two straight Super Bowls, winning one. This weekend, he’s taking his Seahawks team into war against the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Wild Card playoff game on Saturday.
Fast forward to 2018 and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Jr. and Baltimore Ravens ground-pounder Lamar Jackson are two African-American quarterbacks — special talents like the aforementioned signal callers — who are breaking records and turning their squads into Super Bowl contenders as newbies.
"What Patrick Mahomes did this year is one of three greatest quarterbacking seasons ever… It's the No. 1 seed, the 3rd highest scoring team in the history of football, 50 touchdowns, 5,000 yards." @getnickwright on why the choice for NFL MVP should be unanimous pic.twitter.com/uCBSwdDm7S
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 2, 2019
Jackson wasn’t nearly as heralded by NFL scouts as the former Washington Redskins QB, but he’s proved to be just as special by producing a 6-1 record since taking over as Ravens starter.
His ability to use his legs as his first weapon of choice and accumulate chunks of yardage sets him apart from other quarterbacks. Baltimore’s averaging 229.6 rushing yards per contest since Action Jackson grabbed the pigskin.
Impact, media glory and team success is probably where the comparisons between Mahomes Jr. and Newton end.
Mahomes has had one of the finest seasons in history by a quarterback. He’s already a far superior and more accurate passer than Cam ever was.
He’s been the talk of the NFL all season and when it looked like other players would surpass him for MVP billing, Mahomes kept leading Kansas City to wins. The Chiefs, with 565 points scored, finished as the third-highest scoring team in league annals, trailing only the 2013 Denver Broncos (606 points scored) and 2007 New England Patriots (589).
35 broken records 50 TDs, 5097 yards, AFC champs!! 3years running AFC W CHAMPS, 16 games into his career!! MVP HANDS DOWN!! pic.twitter.com/AZVcNrkcUa
— JPChiefs (@JpChiefs) December 31, 2018
As he awaits the winner of the Wild Card game between the Texans and Colts, Mahomes Jr. prepares for his next level of superstar status to be tested.
Jackson has been playing with a chip on his shoulder all season. The last pick of the first round and the last of the Fab Five rookie quarterbacks to get drafted and become a starter will face the Chargers in the biggest game of his career. Jackson has obliterated the haters and forced certain scouts and analysts into retirement with his downright sensational rookie performance. He simultaneously saved Baltimore’s season and solidified their future.
Mahomes Jr. IS the future of NFL quarterbacks with his two-sport background, intelligence, and instincts. The world will get to see these two special talents on display in the playoffs which will be another shining moment for the advancements of Black quarterbacks in the NFL.
The NFL has come a long way in regards to teams entrusting their offenses to quarterbacks of color. And with only just two Black QBs ever winning the Super Bowl, there’s a lot of history yet to be made.
