Although he's yet to win the big one, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's place in the fabric of NFL history is secure. With two regular season MVP's in only six NFL seasons, plus numerous NFL records and dozens of jaw-dropping highlights, Lamar is one of the defining players of this generation of professional football. But even if you zoom out and look at the 100-plus year history of the National Football League, Lamar Jackson's dual-threat ability at the quarterback position makes him one of the most dynamic and uniquely talented offensive players the game has ever seen.
He's not the only one who occupies this space in NFL lore. Many mobile QB's who can beat you with both their legs and their arm have come along and laid the groundwork for what Lamar Jackson has done in Baltimore. But even if you ask one of those guys who came before Lamar — one who also has an MVP Award in his trophy room — to sort through all of the great dual-threat quarterbacks in league history and crown one the best, Lamar Jackson remains the answer.
During a recent appearance on the 4th and 1 Show, former Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton was asked if he believed that he was greatest dual-threat quarterback to ever play the game. Without hesitation, the 2015 MVP shut that notion down as quick as a Lamar Jackson jump cut.
“Well, Lamar's style is a little different than mine,” Newton explained. “He's got big play, any play! He got speed that I never had, and he's just electric. I played the game more powerful. I can run, but I might probably get caught. Vick and Lamar, they ain't getting caught.”
It's fitting that Newton, whose 75 rushing touchdowns are by far the most among NFL quarterbacks, mentioned both Lamar Jackson and Michael Vick in his answer. My guess would be that if we were playing NFL Family Feud, Jackson, Vick and Newton would be the three most popular answers provided by the 100 football fans who were surveyed. Vick is the all-time leader in rushing yards among quarterbacks, Newton tops the list in touchdowns, and Lamar Jackson's 61.1 yards per game is the best among qualified quarterbacks. But now the question is, is it really that simple, or are there other notable quarterbacks who deserve a shoutout here as well?
Lamar Jackson and the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history
As I started this exercise, before I even began doing the statistical research to put the list together, there were six quarterbacks who came to mind as potential answers to this question. Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton and Michael Vick were three of the six, but before we get to the other three, let's run down the list of some of the guys who narrowly missed the cut:
- Steve McNair, Kordell Stewart, Donovan McNabb, and Daunte Culpepper all deserve consideration when contemplating this list, as does Russell Wilson, who ranked far better in both rushing yards (5,307, 3rd all-time) and rushing touchdowns (29, 20th all-time) than I expected he would.
- Even though some people tend to group guys like Aaron Rodgers and John Elway in the dual-threat quarterback mix, I think that's a mischaracterization of each of them. I don't think of Rodgers and Elway as traditional dual-threat quarterbacks.
- He doesn't belong on this list, but I do think it's worth mentioning that Justin Fields rushed for 1,143 yards in 2022, the second-most in a single-season by a quarterback. That's not nothing.
- Would it be outrageous for me to say that had Vince Young come around ten years later, he would've been a shoo-in for this list? Oh, it is? Well, how about you re-watch VY ending USC's dynasty and get back to me?
- Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray other current quarterbacks who deserve an honorable mention nod. When it's all said and done, Hurts may be the guy who passed Cam Newton on the list for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, thanks in large part to the Brotherly Shove.
- Somewhere in Los Angeles, Skip Bayless is shouting that Tim Tebow is actually the correct answer to this question.
- Old heads will point to Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle, Otto Graham, and Tobin Rote as guys who should get a mention here. Apologies, but I'm not gonna be grinding tape from the 1950's and 60's today, so here's their mention.
So with that said, here are the six guys who I would have at the top of my list as the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in league history:
Michael Vick – 6,109 rushing yards (1st all-time) and 36 rushing touchdowns (8th all-time) / 56.2 completion percentage, 157.1 passing yards per game, 133 touchdowns, 88 interceptions
Cam Newton – 5,631 rushing yards (2nd all-time) and 75 rushing touchdowns (1st all-time) / 59.9 completion percentage, 218.8 passing yards per game, 194 touchdowns, 123 interceptions
Lamar Jackson – 5,258 rushing yards (4th all-time) and 29 rushing touchdowns (20th all-time) / 64.5 completion percentage, 184.7 passing yards per game, 125 touchdowns, 45 interceptions
Randall Cunningham – 4,928 rushing yards (5th all-time) and 35 rushing touchdowns (10th all-time) / 56.6 completion percentage, 186.2 passing yards per game, 207 touchdowns, 134 interceptions
Steve Young – 4,239 rushing yards (6th all-time) and 43 rushing touchdowns (3rd all-time) / 64.3 completion percentage, 196.0 passing yards per game, 232 touchdowns, 107 interceptions
Josh Allen – 3,611 rushing yards (8th all-time) and 53 rushing touchdowns (2nd all-time) / 63.2 completion percentage, 241.5 passing yards per game, 167 touchdowns, 78 interceptions
Personally, for just one single game, I'd take Josh Allen over the rest of the field, and given the fact that he's the only one with a Super Bowl ring, I think many people would pick Steve Young. But you can't argue with the resumes of any of these talented quarterbacks, including Lamar Jackson, who could very well surpass Michael Vick on the all-time rushing list this year.
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