For many years, there was a mold of what an NFL quarterback was supposed to look like.
There were a few outliers that would pop up from time to time, but for the most part, the average quarterback was a fairly immobile pocket passer.
That mold has changed in recent years, with quarterbacks getting more and more athletic, and many of them have added a rushing element to their game.
Michael Vick was one of the first players to have this mindset and approach to the game, and several other quarterbacks have followed in his footsteps, perhaps even evolving their play to surpass what he was able to do.
One current quarterback who is commonly compared to a player like Vick is Lamar Jackson.
Jackson has received a fair amount of criticism throughout his career for being a rush-first quarterback, but Joy Taylor recently called out his critics on a segment of “Speak” on FS1.
“I think Lamar Jackson is unfairly criticized because we’ve never seen anyone like him,” Taylor said.
“I think Lamar Jackson is unfairly criticized because we’ve never seen anyone like him.” — @JoyTaylorTalks pic.twitter.com/EokDpEIzZQ
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) July 4, 2024
Sure, Jackson might have a similar playstyle to Vick, at least on paper, but he has proven himself to be an above-average passer when called upon.
He has now won two MVP awards and led the Baltimore Ravens to the AFC Championship this year despite doubters saying that he couldn’t win in big games.
Taylor is trying her best to advocate for Jackson moving forward, understanding that he is a unique player, which makes it difficult to compare him to other quarterbacks.
