Lesser-mentioned, intriguing theories related to Jalen Hurts MVP candidacy

Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson have helped re-write old-school notions concerning black quarterbacks.

Up until recently, black quarterbacks have struggled to be taken seriously at football’s highest level. Warren Moon and Doug Williams made major strides to create a path for others. Guys like Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes continue to destroy the stereotypes.

One of the things that makes many Philadelphia Eagles fans proud is the manner in which their team and its organization has embraced black quarterbacks. Some of the best quarterbacks in franchise history are African American including Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, and Jalen Hurts.

Many black quarterbacks, for whatever reason, were criticized for embracing their athleticism. Before the stereotypes were broken, erroneous statements were made including the following: black men lacked the football intelligence, the ability to throw off platform, and the prototypical skill sets to play the position. 

Black quarterbacks both chose to and were led to embrace roles as scramblers and as dual-threat quarterbacks. It was this eventual acceptance of dual-threat quarterbacks, having a legitimate running threat at QB, that led teams to start building their offense around the strengths and skills of their signal-callers as opposed to requiring them to ‘fit in’ with the current system.

These dual-threat quarterbacks became their systems. Jalen Hurts claimed that during his time at Alabama, Oklahoma, and with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts wasn’t a product of a great system. He was the system.

Lamar Jackson, a black quarterback and a dual-threat quarterback won the NFL’s MVP award in 2019. Patrick Mahomes won the same honor in 2018 (and he was the Super Bowl MVP in 2018, and he was the Super Bowl MVP LIV). That alone should silence any criticism about African American men that play the quarterback position.