Let’s get one thing out of the way from the start… it is very important:
There is a major difference between a RUNNING quarterback and a MOBILE quarterback.
Both Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have carefully picked their spots during their careers, and running is secondary to their primary weapon… their arm. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s primary weapon was his running ability. He was by far the best running quarterback in the league, but it wasn’t enough to make up for his shortcomings.
Kap threw just 30 touchdowns in his final 30 games in the NFL. Last year alone, NINE quarterbacks threw for 30 or more touchdowns. His rushing numbers were impressive, but he tied for 3rd among quarterbacks in fumbles his final season, despite starting just 11 games.
That year, Kap had the best TD/INT ratio in football (16/4; 2016)… and that’s where the flattery stops. In Total QBR, he ranked 23rd — Behind Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemien, and Sam Bradford, respectively. Kap, unsurprisingly, led the league in clutch-weighted rushing points added over average (22.9), but Tyrod Taylor was really the only other running quarterback game in town. On the flip side, Kap was dead last in clutch-weighted pass points added over avg, and it wasn’t close. Kap was -0.3, while Case Keenum was second at +10.2.
Kap was 17th in quarterback rating, but DEAD LAST in passing yards per game. Reality TV Star Jay Cutler averaged almost 30 more yards per contest.
Kap was 1-10 that season. 3-16 over his last two seasons combined.
So… the case against running quarterbacks.
NFL quarterback rushing leaders over the past 10 seasons (2010-2019):
- Cam Newton
- Russell Wilson
- Aaron Rodgers
- Kaepernick
- Alex Smith
- Mike Vick
- Tyrod Taylor
- Blake Bortles
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Robert Griffin III
Aside from Wilson and Rodgers, who have both cut back their rushing attempts in recent years, the rest of the pack is just 13-18 in their collective playoff careers (ironically, Kap leads this group with four wins).
With results like that, it’s curious that the previous two top overall draft picks were undersized quarterbacks with a strong penchant for running the football — Baker Mayfield in 2018 and Kyler Murray this year.
Every active quarterback on the list above has either drastically cut back on running or is currently hurt and/or backing up another quarterback.
The next five aren’t any better:
- Andrew Luck
- Marcus Mariota
- Lamar Jackson
- Ryan Tannehil
- Andy Dalton
Luck retired this season due to injuries, Mariota was benched for Tannehill, who was let go by Miami, and Dalton was just benched after going winless in his last 10 starts… Lamar Jackson, an MVP candidate, is the only quarterback in that entire group of 15 that is successfully winning in the NFL by running the football. Why? Because he hasn’t played long enough.
It’s really that simple.
To assume Lamar Jackson will buck the trend would be a mighty leap of faith, for which there is no precedent.
The list of inactive quarterbacks with multiple seasons of 80 or more rushing attempts since 1980: Kap, Cam (technically active), Vick, Randall Cunningham, Kordell Stewart, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper, and Vince Young.
That’s a ‘Who’s Who’ of unfulfilled potential behind center. Cam leads the 80-rush club with eight such seasons, and, if he ever plays again, it will be fair to wonder if we only got to see one good season from the big man. It doesn’t feel right that he threw for over 24 touchdowns just once, but it’s true. Of the 12 active quarterbacks with over 100 career interceptions, Cam has the third-worst interception percentage (2.71), behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Eli Manning. When he was at his best, he was MVP of the league in 2015. Unfortunately, that style of play has proven unsustainable.
When Russell Wilson retires, he’ll likely be the most accomplished running quarterback in NFL history. But, it will be his transition to a MOBILE quarterback that will ultimately delay that retirement five or so years and likely earn him a spot in Canton.
All of this being said, I still think Kapernick — a running quarterback if there ever was one— should be signed. We just have to keep it real when it comes to his strengths and weaknesses.
Said NFL expert Chris Wesseling in 2014:
“A one-read passer with accuracy and touch issues, Kaepernick is on pace for a franchise record 51 sacks despite persistent accusations that he flees the pocket prematurely. That speaks to a confused signal-caller, being instructed to go through his progressions but still unable to make the correct pre- and post-snap reads.”
He wasn’t a good passer when he was playing, so it’s unlikely that facet of his game has improved. Fortunately, Kap’s unique situation is the exception to the rule. Team’s won’t be looking to sign him to be a franchise quarterback. He would merely be a quick fix. And a running quarterback in a short term situation works really well. In “reckless abandon mode,” Cunningham, Vick, and Cam were all nearly unstoppable. That’s what you want in a backup/replacement quarterback.
As for Mayfield, Murray, and Jackson? Forget everything else — if they can’t throw the damn ball, they’re screwed.
