The Toughest Job In The NFL Is Being A Black QB
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As a Carolina Panthers fan, there wasn’t ever much to cheer about. At the conclusion of the 2010 season, the Panthers finished dead last in the NFL, giving them the first pick in the 2011 draft. They used that pick to select Auburn QB, Cam Newton. Newton was coming off of a Heisman trophy and an NCAA national championship, but the pressure of being a number one overall draft pick has led even the most dominant of college players to have short and uneventful NFL careers. However, Cam was up to the challenge. In 2013, just two years after the Panthers finished last in the league, they were in the playoffs. Additionally in 2015, Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 record, and their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, all to go along with a league MVP and a first team All-Pro selection. All of that with what was considered to be a very sub-par receiving score. In 2021, at the age of just 32, Cam Newton is not on an NFL roster despite having more playoff wins than Matt Stafford, Andy Dalton, and Derek Carr combined. All three who are currently starting QB’s and white. Throughout his career, during his greatest highs and lows most of the media’s criticism on Cam has had nothing to do with football. From early on before his career started, when Pro Football Weekly writer Nolan Nawrocki determined that Cam has a “fake smile that gives off a selfish, me-first attitude.” Or being criticized for letting his hair grow out and wearing unique outfits by former QB Jeff Garcia saying that he should “sneak into the stadium and try his best on the field.” And more recently when former Patriot QB Scott Zolak said that the team should stop playing rap music at practice as it is hurting Cam’s performance. Pretty ambitious comments for someone with 8 career touchdown passes in 7 seasons. My point is not to attack the critics nor to say that white QB’s are bad and undeserving, but to point out that the people who have been attempting to attack the character and attributes of Newton and other black QB’s, have nowhere close to a career resume or statistics to offer many pointers. Analysts will also find subtle ways to attack black QB’s by coming after their intelligence. Recently it was implied by members of the media that rookie QB Mac Jones was teaching Cam Newton the plays. A baseless claim that suggests a 10 year NFL veteran QB has a lesser understanding than a rookie with no experience. However, Cam isn’t the only QB to jump these hurdles. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has experienced from day one how ruthless NFL analysts can be. Before he even played a snap for Baltimore, NFL “experts” suggested that Jackson would be better off switching to wide receiver. They said that he was athletic, but they doubted his ability to read coverages and throw at the pro level. In only his second NFL season, Jackson won the MVP of the league at the QB position. So if these analysts and scouts are so-called experts, how could they be so wrong about Lamar’s potential? Now I know to the untrained eye, it would be easy to say that these issues are isolated. I would encourage you to pay attention to the headlines. When Cam scores a touchdown and celebrates with a dance followed by giving the ball to a kid in the stands, it is considered arrogant, selfish, cocky, and distracting. But when cameras catch Tom Brady cussing out his offensive line, it is considered great leadership and a guy who “just wants to win.” While there is no denying the greatness of players like Brady, Rodgers, and many others, I want to leave you with a question. Aaron Rodgers completed his 420th touchdown pass on Sunday afternoon and his celebration was taking a hit from an imaginary blunt on national TV. The reaction from the broadcast and announcers was laughter. I actually was hard pressed to find any negative headlines on the matter. My question to you is simple, what would the headlines or the reaction be if a black quarterback did the same thing?