FILE – In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 file photo, New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws against the Chicago Bears during the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago. Now that we know Philip Rivers won’t be leading the Chargers into SoFi Stadium in September, the muddied waters of NFL quarterbacking have been cleared a bit. Assuming Drew Brees re-signs with New Orleans, he’s pretty much said he will, and Teddy Bridgewater hits the open market, the only unknown in this sector is in Carolina. (AP Photo/Mark Black, File)

by Kevin Alexander Jr.

Marlin Briscoe became the first African American quarterback to play for an NFL team during the modern Super Bowl era when he started for the Denver Broncos in 1968. More than five decades later, Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II became just the third African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

This achievement comes after Mahomes’ MVP campaign last season where he became just the eighth player to throw for 5,000 passing yards, the third to throw for 50 touchdowns and the second to do both in the same season.

24 hours prior, Lamar Jackson became the youngest player to win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He was also just the second player to win the award unanimously.

White men have dominated the position of quarterback in the NFL since the league was first formed in 1920. However, African Americans have begun to stand out in the position.

Aside from the aforementioned Mahomes and Jackson, numerous black quarterbacks have taken the league by storm. Players such as Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray, and Cam Newton have all became leaders and playmakers on their respective teams. Even past quarterbacks such as Steve McNair, Michael Vick, Kordell Stewart, Donovan McNabb, Vince Young, David Garrard, Randall Cunningham, and Doug Williams had a part in the rise of star African American quarterbacks.

With an entirely new generation of black quarterbacks coming from colleges such as Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love, true football fans have a lot to look forward to for seasons to come.