The NFL’s 2024 season begins tonight with a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, a battle between last year’s AFC Championships teams and two of the best quarterbacks in the league in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
And in case you didn’t know, they’re both Black, a characteristic that’s on full display this season.
This year, the league will field 15 Black starting quarterbacks in Week 1:
Jacoby Brissett (New England Patriots)
Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
This list of signal callers breaks the record of 14 Week 1 starting Black QBs set last year.
Leading the pack is Mahomes, a 2x NFL MVP and 3x Super Bowl Champion. He and Jackson, also a 2x league MVP, are at the top of the list and share and interesting stat.
Here's an interesting fact from The Athletic about Patrick Mahomes & Lamar Jackson.
— First and Pen (@firstandpen) September 4, 2024
They're the only 2 QBs drafted in the past 10 years to win NFL MVP. They each won it 2x, both in their 2nd season.
Mahomes- drafted 2017; MVP 2018, 2022
Lamar- drafted 2018; MVP 2019, 2023 pic.twitter.com/tvzdG36JBJ
The two are the only two QBs drafted in the past 10 years to win NFL MVP. They each won it twice and both did it in only their second season.
Mahomes, drafted in 2017, won MVP in 2018 and 2022; Lamar, drafted in 2018, won MVP in 2019 and 2023.
They are followed by veterans and rising young stars, including the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, the Texans’ CJ Stroud and the Packers’ Jordan Love, who faces Hurts and the Eagles on Friday in Brazil.
There are two rookies on the list, the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and the number one overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams.
There’s also the Cardinals’ Kyle Murray, the Colts’ Anthony Richardson, and the Panthers Bryce Young, young players who are looking to bounce back from injury (the former) and a poor season (the latter).
