This is not a story about Black quarterbacks.
It’s a story about how your favorite team may have a mediocre, on his best day, white quarterback because your general manager drafted him over the really good Black quarterback you could have had.
Life is all about decisions.
When Deshaun Watson signed his four-year, $177.54 million deal on Saturday, with over $111 million guaranteed, it meant that, for now, no one in the NFL will make more than him over the next four years.
That led to Field Yates dropping these staggering numbers in this tweet.
Of the six highest-paid quarterbacks on average money per year, the top three are all Black, and the list doesn’t even include the large paydays that Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott are headed for.
But this isn’t about the Haves. It’s about the Have Nots.
Here’s a look at some of the franchises that blew it all because they wanted basic white guys to lead their teams instead of the Black quarterbacks that are rolling in the dough.
Chicago Bears – 2017
Three years ago, the Bears traded the No. 3, 67, and 111 picks, and a 2018 third-round selection to the 49ers just so they could take Mitchell Trubisky, their “quarterback of the future,” second overall. After only starting one season at North Carolina because he couldn’t beat out Marquise Williams — a guy that’s spent his career between the CFL, AAF, and XFL — Trubisky was the first quarterback off the board.
If you ask Bears fans how they feel about Trubisky, you probably won’t hear anything positive. You have to understand. Their team drafted Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Watson. Taysom Hill went undrafted that year and recently signed a two-year, $21 million deal, with $16 million guaranteed, to stay in New Orleans.
The day before Watson signed his deal, it was announced that Trubisky won the starting job over Nick Foles.
Ouch.
Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, & Denver Broncos – 2012
Looking back eight years later, the two teams atop the 2012 Draft made good decisions. The Colts had the No. 1 pick and took Andrew Luck, which was a great choice. At No. 2, Washington’s football team took RG3, who won Rookie of the Year that season.
But then, the Dolphins, Browns, and Broncos outsmarted themselves. At No. 8, Miami took Ryan Tannehill. At No. 22, Cleveland went with Brandon Weeden. And at No. 57, Denver picked Brock Osweiler.
At No. 75, the Seahawks made the best selection of the entire draft when they chose Russell Wilson.
Since 2012, the Dolphins have gone 57-71 with one playoff appearance. The Browns are 33-94. The Broncos have had better luck, as Peyton Manning led them to a Super Bowl in 2013, and Super Bowl championship in 2015. But since Manning retired, they’ve gone 27-37, and something tells me that Wilson would have been the perfect person to take over when No. 18 retired.
Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns & Oakland Raiders – 2016
Like 2012, the teams on top of the 2016 Draft made good quarterback selections. The Rams took Jared Goff at No. 1, and he’s led them to a Super Bowl. The Eagles took Carson Wentz at No. 2, who has either been great at times or plagued with injuries.
That year, the Broncos bombed by taking Paxton Lynch at No. 26, the Jets jacked their team up by going with Christian Hackenberg at No. 51, the Browns blundered with Cody Kessler at No. 93, and the Raiders wrecked themselves with Connor Cook at No. 100.
At No. 135, the Dallas Cowboys decided Dak Prescott was worth a shot. It turned out to be one of the best decisions Jerry Jones has made in the last decade.
Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills & Arizona Cardinals – 2018
Two years ago, every team that needed a quarterback blew it.
The Browns took Baker Mayfield at No. 1, and so far he’s been known more for his facial hair than the Heisman-like play we saw from him in college. The Jets took Sam Darnold at No. 3, and his career has been reduced to a meme. The Bills took Josh Allen at No. 7, and that alone is the punchline. At No. 10, the Cardinals took Josh Rosen, a guy who is without a job and looking to join his third team.
And at No. 32, the last pick of the first round, the Ravens decided that Lamar Jackson was worth building their team around.
Jackson is the reigning unanimous MVP.
What’s the lesson here, boys and girls?
That racism is really bad for business.
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