With Patrick Mahomes returning from a knee injury to start the Monday Night Football clash between his Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos, 15 teams are set to feature Black starting quarterbacks during the first week of the NFL season.
Some soared while others struggled, but the fact that almost 47% of the league’s Week 1 starters are African American illuminates the historic change the NFL has undergone in the last decade.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears – Williams created Most Valuable Player talk with a four-touchdown performance, two passing and two rushing, in his team’s 59-37 win over Carolina. Williams was 21-of-29 passing with no interceptions and rushed for 65 yards.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers – Young dueled with Williams throughout their record-setting opening game offensive output. He finished 23-of-37 for 361 yards with three TD passes and an interception.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans – Stroud turned down a $50 million-a-year deal, and for now it seems foolhardy. While he passed for 274 yards and completed 26-of-38 passes in a 36-31 loss to Buffalo, he lost two costly fumbles and was sacked in the game’s waning moments.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens – Jackson is without the contract extension he wants, and the two-time MVP put on a dazzling show in a 41-23 win over Indianapolis. Jackson was 17-of-25 for 324 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 40 yards and a TD.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns – The controversial QB wasn’t awful, but look for Shedeur Sanders, another Black quarterback, to take over soon. Watson was 16-of-22 for 205 yards with a TD and an interception. He rushed for 38 yards and fumbled twice, though Cleveland recovered both.
Geno Smith, New York Jets – After a dismal 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith joined the Jets and led them to a 23-10 road win over the Tennessee Titans. Smith was an efficient 19-of-24 passing for 215 yards and committed no turnovers.
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans – The rumbles that Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, will be a bust grew louder after he looked confused, was sacked three times, and completed just 19-of-32 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals – The 33-year-old Brissett outplayed L.A. Chargers golden boy Justin Herbert in an impressive 26-14 road victory. Brissett was 27-of-37 for 277 yards and a TD without any turnovers. He was one of the brightest stories of the week.
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins – It will be difficult to judge Willis’ season because he plays on the NFL’s worst team. With few offensive weapons to help him, Willis completed 15 of his 27 passes for 220 yards. He was sacked five times and threw an interception.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers – A seemingly winning effort turned to disaster for Love in a devastating 39-22 loss to Minnesota. He completed just 50% of his passes (21-for-42) with two TDs and an interception. He was sacked five times and lost two fumbles, one at his 1-yard line.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings – His Vikings debut ended abruptly in the first quarter when he suffered a concussion. He was 3-of-5 passing for 18 yards with an interception. He ran the ball twice for nine yards, with the second attempt ending with his injury.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – Hurts was impressive in a 24-22 slugfest win over the Washington Commanders. He was 14-of-25 passing for just 203 yards, but he did have three TD passes. Hurts also rushed for 46 yards including a key fourth-quarter scramble that led to a TD.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders – Daniels almost delivered a major upset over the Eagles. His team’s two-point try, an ill-conceived shovel pass to John Bates, would have tied the game 24-24. Daniels was 18-of-34 for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Add 31 rushing yards, too.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys – Both he and his team were bitter disappointments in a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants. He was 22-for-34 for 175 yards and two TDs, but his late first-half interception led to a Giants touchdown and dramatically changed the game.
The Reid Roundup
The roster of starting Black quarterbacks will likely increase when Michael Penix Jr. returns from last year’s knee injury to take over in Atlanta. Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury that led to journeyman backup Cooper Rush starting for Atlanta in a loss to Pittsburgh.