How Many Black Quarterbacks Start in the NFL?
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How many black quarterbacks start in the NFL? It’s a question that has been asked for years, and the answer may surprise you.
The NFL’s Diversity Problem
Every year, the NFL Draft brings new hope to aspiring young athletes that they will be the one selected to start for their favourite team. But for black quarterbacks, the odds are stacked against them. In the history of the NFL, only 22 black quarterbacks have ever started a game. That’s just over 4%. Compare that to the 70% of NFL players who are black, and it’s clear that the NFL has a diversity problem.
Lack of racial diversity among NFL coaches
In recent years, the National Football League (NFL) has been criticized for its lack of racial diversity among coaches. As of 2019, only six of the league’s 32 head coaches are black, despite the fact that African Americans make up about 70% of its players. This lack of diversity is even more glaring when compared to other professional sports leagues in the United States. For example, Major League Baseball (MLB) has had 14 black managers in its history, while the National Basketball Association (NBA) has had 17.
There are a number of factors that may contribute to the lack of racial diversity among NFL coaches. One is the “rookie rule,” which stipulates that a team can only hire a head coach who has never been a head coach before. This rule was implemented in order to prevent teams from hiring coaches who have been fired from other teams. While this rule may have good intentions, it unintentionally makes it harder for black coaches to get hired, as they are less likely to have prior head coaching experience.
Another factor is the “ Rooney Rule ,” which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for open head coaching and general manager positions. Named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who helped implement the rule in 2003, the Rooney Rule was designed to increase opportunities for minorities in coaching and front office positions. While the rule has undoubtedly helped increase the number of black coaches and general managers in the NFL, critics argue that it has not done enough to increase racial diversity among head coaches, as many teams simply use it as a box-checking exercise without actually considering minority candidates for the job.
The lack of racial diversity among NFL coaches is an issue that needs to be addressed. The league has made some strides in recent years with initiatives like the Rooney Rule, but more needs to be done in order to truly increase opportunities for black coaches.
Lack of racial diversity among NFL executives
The National Football League has a diversity problem. According to a recent report from The Undefeated, an ESPN publication that covers the intersection of sports and race, only four of the NFL’s 32 team presidents are people of color. This lack of diversity is especially evident at the quarterback position, where African Americans make up just over 70% of all players but only about 20% of starters.
There are a number of factors that contribute to this lack of diversity among NFL executives and quarterbacks. Firstly, the quarterback position is one of the most important and high-pressure positions in all of sports. This often leads to a “white default” mentality, whereby white players are seen as more capable and deserving of the starting job. Additionally, NFL front offices are often dominated by former players, coaches, and scouts who tend to be white and male. This creates an exclusive culture that can be difficult for qualified people of color to break into.
The NFL has made some efforts to address this issue in recent years, including instituting a “Rooney Rule” that requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senioroperations positions. However, much more needs to be done in order for the league to truly reflect the racial diversity of its player base.
The NFL’s Black Quarterback Problem
The NFL has a problem with black quarterbacks. In the history of the league, only a handful of black quarterbacks have ever been starters. This season, there are only two black quarterbacks who are starters. This is a problem because the NFL is a largely black league.
The “glass ceiling” for black quarterbacks
The National Football League has had a longstanding problem with the lack of opportunities given to black quarterbacks. This has been referred to as the “glass ceiling” for black quarterbacks, as they are often not given the same chances to succeed as their white counterparts.
In recent years, there have been some changes made in an attempt to address this issue. The “Rooney Rule” was instituted in 2003, which requires NFL teams to interview at least one black candidate for head coaching vacancies. However, this has not resulted in a significant increase in the number of black head coaches in the NFL.
As of 2017, only five out of the 32 NFL teams had a black quarterback as their starting quarterback: the Buffalo Bills (Tyrod Taylor), Detroit Lions (Matthew Stafford), Houston Texans (Deshaun Watson), Miami Dolphins (Jay Cutler) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jameis Winston). This is a decrease from 2016, when there were six black starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
The lack of opportunities given to black quarterbacks is often attributed to racial bias among NFL decision-makers. One study found that NFL coaches and general managers are significantly less likely to view black quarterbacks as “intelligent” and “hardworking” than their white counterparts. This racial bias can result in black quarterbacks being overlooked for starting positions, despite their talent and ability.
The glass ceiling for black quarterbacks in the NFL is an issue that needs to be addressed. Black quarterbacks are underrepresented in starting roles, and this is likely due to racial bias among NFL decision-makers. These biases need to be overcome in order for black quarterbacks to have equal opportunity in the NFL.
The NFL’s “racist” quarterback evaluations
In the NFL, black quarterbacks have been historically undervalued. This can be seen in the NFL’s history of only a handful of black quarterbacks ever starting in a season. In fact, according to a report by USA Today, “as recently as 2002, not a single black quarterback started in the NFL.”
There are a number of explanations for why this is the case. One theory is that scouts and coaches simply don’t believe that black quarterbacks have the “intelligence” or “intangibles” necessary to be successful at the position. Another explanation is that the NFL’s evaluation process itself is racist, with Players’ Tribune writer Jarrett Bell noting that it “favors tall pocket passers with good athletic ability but not necessarily scrambling ability.”
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that black quarterbacks have been underserved by the NFL for many years. And while there has been some progress made in recent years — with more black quarterbacks than ever before starting in the league — there is still much work to be done in terms of ensuring that all players are given a fair chance to succeed.
The NFL’s Black Quarterback Solution
The National Football League has a problem with black quarterbacks. Only a handful of African American quarterbacks have been able to find long-term success in the league, and the number of black quarterbacks starting in the NFL is currently at an all-time low. The league has been searching for a solution to this problem, and they may have finally found one.
The Rooney Rule
In order to ensure that qualified African American candidates were given a chance to interview for vacant head coaching and senior operations positions, the rule that now bears his name was instituted: beginning in 2003, each team with a head coaching or senior operations vacancy had to interview at least one black candidate.
The Rooney Rule has been credited with increasing the number of black coaches and top executives in the NFL. In the four years before the rule was enacted, there were only three African American head coaches in the NFL. Currently, there are eight African American head coaches, including two who led their teams to the Super Bowl this year. There are also seven African American general managers or equivalent positions.
Due to the success of the Rooney Rule, other professional leagues have followed suit and implemented similar rules.
The “QB Pipeline” program
The “QB Pipeline” program is a new initiative created by the NFL to develop and promote African American quarterbacks. The main goal of the program is to increase the number of black quarterbacks starting in the NFL, which has been woefully low in recent years.
The QB Pipeline program will provide support and resources to African American quarterbacks at all levels of the game, from high school to the NFL. The program will also create opportunities for black quarterbacks to be mentored by current and former NFL players, coaches, and executives.
The QB Pipeline program is a much-needed step in increasing the number of black quarterbacks in the NFL, and it is hoped that it will lead to more opportunities for African American players at all positions.