Super Bowl 57 will make unique NFL history. Thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs starting Patrick Mahomes and the Philadelphia Eagles starting Jalen Hurts, pro football’s championship game will feature two Black quarterbacks going head to head for the first time.
According to the Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields, another promising Black signal caller in his own right, matchups like Mahomes vs. Hurts in the Super Bowl next Sunday probably won’t be the first we see in the years to come.
If anything, as Fields says, the NFL will start to favor quarterbacks who are multi-faceted with their skillsets a bit more (if it doesn’t already). Meaning to be a quality starter, you’ll have to be capable of being a great passer and someone who can create something out of nothing with their legs. This definition so happens to align with the unique talents of many Black QBs — not only Mahomes, Hurts, and Fields.
More from a Complex Q&A with Fields:
“I think the game is just changing to be honest with you. Unless you have a crazy offensive line where you can just sit back there and chill in the pocket, you’re going to have to be mobile. So I think you’re going to find more African-American quarterbacks who can extend plays. The game is just changing, when you step on the field and see 260, 270-pound dudes running 4.6’s that’s tough for an offensive line to hold up every play. As a quarterback, you’re going to have to use your legs and extend plays. Having that aspect of your game, it’s very important in today’s game.”
It’s tough to argue with Fields’ sentiment there.
Both Hurts (fourth) and Mahomes (ninth) were in the top 10 in QB rushing yards during the 2022 regular season. Their mobility was an integral part of their respective offensive dynamics in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Meanwhile, behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines, Fields adapted and turned himself into the league’s best mobile QB overnight to survive, coming just 63 yards short of Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record in 2019.
Fields’ thoughts also hold true because they are where football is heading. As defenders continue to get stronger, faster, and more athletic (and offensive lines don’t noticeably improve much), if your team has a statue taking snaps, that statue will likely have little shot of success.
We might be living at the start of a new era of dynamic, face-of-the-league Black quarterbacks. At the minimum, that is a very exciting development for the sport’s future.