NFL Sweet Sixteen: The Road We’ve Traveled.

(ThyBlackMan.com) 16 Black Quarterbacks started Week 1—A First in NFL History: P. S. Please don’t tell Donald Trump; he’ll say they’re DEI hires.

Black athletes in the NFL have been fighting for a chance to be allowed to line up under center long before today even seemed possible. Quarterbacks like Fritz Pollard played the position back in the 1920s, however, institutionalized racism, fixed stereotypes, and misplaced suspicion kept many athletes from being allowed to be in the position and respected.

I mean seriously: just being trusted to lead and see the field and make the play—things that today’s sixteen starters do like it’s casual—felt next to impossible. For years, talented black athletes and ball players had to prove themselves over and over again. Colleges and pro scouts and the media asked the underlying wrong questions: Can he make reads? Can he be a leader? Can he keep the storm of expectation calm? But seldom did they ask: Why shouldn’t he be?

That’s why when I look at the names and stats of 2025’s Black starting QBs—Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, Official Parol Swag Tour starter Jalen Hurts, 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson, and Jordan Love and the superstars in formation Caleb Williams, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels—it feels like a reckoning, a closure, and a confirmation.

Sixteen Starters: What This Number Represents

When Global Grind put out “Throwing Their Names Into The History Books: Meet The 16 Black Starting Quarterbacks In The NFL In 2025,” they weren’t just naming “starters”; they were identifying seismic movement. Sixteen players starting Week 1, all Black quarterbacks—that’s half of the league’s 32 teams. For an institution that has often relegated Black quarterbacks to the sidelines and outside of the established power with no methodological analytics or concrete analysis, it is unbelievable and beautiful.

All of them carry more than just a football. They carry legacy — the legacy of Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Warren Moon, Michael Vick, James “Shack” Harris — and with it all of the sacrifice of those courageous enough to dare to take the next step. They carry pressure and expectations, personal and collective, because for many of the fans watching, particularly young Black kids, seeing someone who looks like them run an offense on national television makes the notion of “maybe I can too” palpable.

The Stars & The New Voices

Let’s spend a moment talking about the different types of diversity in style, story and path with these sixteen quarterbacks:

• Veterans who are established leaders: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, etc., are not only starting; they are creating a culture of a stellar standard from year to year. They have been under the pressure of expectations, scrutiny, and comparisons; they continue to show us why they have earned the trust.
• Stars and rookies who have just started: Caleb Williams, Cam Ward, Jayden Daniels, etc., are the next wave. Not only are they in the NFL; they have already risen to significant roles in their rookie seasons. It is not the story to believe what may happen next; it has happened already by teams putting their trust in these younger players and allowing them to be the leaders.
• Diversity in style and leadership: Some are tremendous runners; some are pocket passers. Some wear their feelings on their face and on their sleeves; some are calm, quiet for others to watch the storm fire. But they all command respect. ALL of them. They make everyone react — defenses, media, fans; for what is important is they force you to change who you think is being led, and prepare for how you re-define possible limitations on what a quarterback can be.

Why It Truly Matters

If you’re questioning why statistics like these are more than just “numbers,” here’s why:

1. Role models for millions Young Black fans watching on Sunday see leadership, intelligence, resilience in these QBs. They see their dreams of being a quarterback now possible, and that the field is beginning to open where it was once denied.
2. Breaking stereotype after stereotype This isn’t just about being an athlete, arm strength, or any singular physical attribute. This group shows that intelligence, decision-making, poise under pressure, composure—traits that were once questioned in Black quarterbacks—are observable, varied, and irrefutable.
3. Institutional inertia These are folks that are in charge of hiring and making decisions on who gets drafted and trusted. The fact that teams have chosen to start so many Black QBs means inertia is slowing down. Perhaps not at a pace that seems reasonable, but it’s already slowed. And it’s important because the ripples of representation and impact extend far outside just NFL contracts—into how college programs recruit and develop young athletes, into how communities feel seen.
4. Cultural validation and narrative change This is part of a much larger saga of Black accomplishment in undeniably visible spaces. This is the type of progress we seldom see only on the field—it changes narratives, changes optics, and changes possibilities.

Looking Ahead

This is a large moment. But it is not the finish line. Over and over, when people progress, there are challenges to rise to, ceilings still to break through.

• Can these young QBs sustain success? Can they sustain success as they map out their injuries, as they come through adversity, as they navigate rivalries, as they meet expectation? There is nothing low hanging here. The pressure will be high, the lights will be on. To me, the real test is what happens when the margin to feel is razor thin.
• Will all the supporting systems scale? Coaching staffs—offensive coordinators especially; mentoring; media visibility; protection of athletes’ health; mental health supports: the menu needs these to grow with the athletes in the QB space who scarce inked history.
• And the pipeline? Are there still opportunities for the underprivileged because of systemic barriers? They took a chance on them despite (or because of) the status quo. Because today, there are still scouts and decision-makers who travel with the prejudgments echoing in their head: there is a responsibility for the Black quarterback to be a certain way. Progress means also reminding others that the diversity of play style and personal experience can only add to the game, not be a threat to it.

So what do I think? A Proud Moment—and a Call to Keep Pushing

When I look back at the historic 16 Black starting QBs in the league in 2025… I feel proud—for the players, for the families, for the communities that nurtured them. But then I also feel a little tingle—not a joy, but a focus. Because history has shown us that there are fragile moments, that are special. You can celebrate them, but if you are not being aware, that specialness can stall the push you want.

We have to continue to shed light on the stories behind the numbers. We need to honor not just the big names, but the other guys who fought against long odds. We need to continue to ask for fairness in contracts, in leadership opportunities, and in storylines. We need to encourage young athletes that don’t fit the ‘traditional mold’ to play to their strengths.

Because what is happening right now…it is history evolving. When I see Bryce Young play, or Caleb Williams, or Jalen Hurts, I see legacy. I see change. I see the future of the NFL expanding like it never has before.

This season, this list, this moment — is ours. Let’s honor it by keeping our expectations high, by keeping loud voices, and by ensuring that the records broken are not aberrations but follow norms. Here’s to the 16 starters, to everyone who fought to get them there – and to all those who will emerge next.

This is not just a sports story. This is our story. And we are just getting started.

Associate Editor; Stanley G. Buford

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