Donovan McNabb and Robert Griffin III are grateful when it comes to examining where the NFL is today.
At the start of the 2023 season, there were a record-breaking 14 Black starting quarterbacks. The number broke the previous record of 11 starting Black quarterbacks in the league, set a season before in 2022. During the week of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, McNabb and Griffin III spoke to rolling out about the progress of the sport.
Fellas, it’s Black History Month. When you think of all the work you put in during your careers and inspiring this new generation of Black quarterbacks, what does it mean to you when you see a Patrick Mahomes II, Jalen Hurts or Justin Fields out there?
McNabb: Acceptance. Appreciation.
The talent that we’re seeing right now, we’ve seen that over the last 20-30 years, but now people are starting to appreciate the things that we bring to the table.
Not only that, we’re creating offenses that are based on our strengths, and we’re improving our weaknesses. When we build talent around us, all of a sudden, it starts to flourish. But this isn’t anything that we haven’t seen over the years.
Continue to watch, continue to enjoy it and flourish in this moment because this is going to continue to grow.
Griffin III: Oh, he had that prepared. He was ready.
Listen, I’ve had conversations with Donovan about this before. What was frowned upon in the past is now the standard. They’re no longer telling, not just Black quarterbacks, but quarterbacks that have attributes of what the Black quarterbacks had that they can’t play the position anymore. So for me, I find a lot of gratitude in that. They’re not just taking guys and trying to put them on the West Coast system. They’re taking that guy and building the system around what he does best.
That, to me, is the true testament to the league developing and growing. What better day to have it, or what better month to have it, than Black History Month with a guy like Patrick Mahomes doing his thing out there, and a guy like Brock Purdy, who has attributes through the former Black quarterbacks with the athleticism, playing the Super Bowl.
