Who is the best black quarterback in NFL history?

Oh Lord. I'm not one to pick on the Steeler fans, but Joe Gilliam? For crying out loud.

Gilliam was a starter for half-a-season. No way he even belongs in the discussion.

If you want to bring up a black QB from the 70s, forget Gilliam, how 'bout James Harris?



Heck, for that matter, why not Vince Evans?



Matthew 6:33, by the way, is ...

"And he shall sit the bench for the L.A./Oakland Raiders for all eternity."

As for my list ...

1. Warren Moon
2. Donovan McNabb
3. Doug Williams
4. Randall Cunningham
5. Steve McNair
6. Fritz Pollard
7. Michael Vick
8. Rodney Peete
9. James Harris
10. Vince Evans
11. Kordell Stewart
12 (tie). David Garrard & Byron Leftwich

Williams, Cunningham and Vick are the enigmas. Williams probably gets too much credit for both the '79 Bucs and definitely the '87 Redskins, both were primarily running teams with good-to-great defenses, but he probably doesn't get enough credit for other decent Bucs teams that threw more, like the '81 Bucs, who were division winners. Obviously his sojourn into the USFL hurt him big time too.

Cunningham was electric for that one season in Philly, but never again lived up to it, and I especially include his totally bogus '98 MVP year, when Randy Moss (who should have been MVP in Cunningham's place) bailed him out repeatedly by hauling in his under-thrown passes. Atlanta finally figured out that Cunningham couldn't throw downfield that well, defended Moss accordingly, and it helped them win the NFC Championship.

Vick's issues are obviously well-documented, but if someone is compiling a list of good-to-great black QBs, he needs to be there.

 

Shit. Forgot about Blake. Wedge him in between James Harris and Vince Evans on my list.

 

I think the mention of Gilliam was meant in jest, especially since it was right along iwth a mention of Kordell Stewart, though he is a sad story of wasted potential.

 

Bubbs, this is probably my UVa fanboi bias showing, but if you're going down far enough to rank Leftwich and Garrard, then Aaron Brooks needs to be on your list somewhere.

 

No love for Akili Smith?

 

I'd probably add Brooks to their tie, but I've never been a big fan of his. His decision-making absolutely blows.

 

As a Saints fan of long standing, I scream loudly, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

Vince Evans and Jeff Blake both had their moments, but, ah no......

 

I'll agree with you on the decision making, but he's got more TD passes than all but four of the guys on your list (not including Williams' USFL stats).

EDIT: All but five if you count Blake.

 

Yes. Very mobile and while his release is kinda slow, he could throw the ball a freaking mile. Much better throwing arm than McNair and McNabb. No way he's ahead of Warren Moon, though.

 

Brooks was terrible. Back when he was with the Saints, a friend and I coined the term "the Aaron Brooks game." He'd throw two or three TDs in the first half, maybe run for one, then fumble and throw two picks in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Saints would lose almost every game 35-28 or some such.
Great for fantasy purposes. Maddening if you're a Saints fan.

 

I think McNabb's body of work is far more impressive than Cunningham's