Running quarterbacks are always hard to grade. On the one hand, it’s a nice way to quickly add value in a fantasy league. Rushing production tends to be worth about twice as much, so when a guy runs for 30-40 yards and a touchdown, it’s like he passed for an additional 60-80 yards and almost a couple of TD passes. But at the same time, when quarterbacks run (especially with a reckless style) it becomes a lot riskier counting on them to play in all 16 games.
Entering this season, there are a handful of quarterbacks who’ve been running a whole bunch. Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Just behind, you’ve got Andrew Luck, who’ll do some running at times.
RG3 has already shown that he’s a lesser runner in terms of having a good feel for when to slide and step out of bounds. He’s torn ACLs, and he missed a big chunk of last season. (Plus his success has been waning).
Kaepernick doesn’t tend to take too many violent hits.
Newton is a big, strong dude, but he exposes himself to be little bit two much punishment. He got hurt in the preseason last year, keeping him out of their first game and leading to him playing a reduced role (as a runner) for the first third of the season.
Wilson should run less going forward. On the one hand, he’s one of the very best at sliding, stepping out of bounds and generally avoiding taking the big, injury-inflicting hits. But he’s awfully small (5-11, 206) to be running around too much.
Anywho, in the last 20 years, we’ve seen 31 quarterbacks run the ball at least 200 times in a three-year period. These four quarterbacks are all right near the top of the list.
| 200 CARRIES IN THREE YEARS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Quarterback | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2011-13 | Cam Newton, Car. | 364 | 2,032 | 5.6 | 28 |
| 2004-06 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 345 | 2,538 | 7.4 | 11 |
| 2012-14 | Cam Newton, Car. | 341 | 1,865 | 5.5 | 19 |
| 2012-14 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 308 | 1,877 | 6.1 | 11 |
| 2002-04 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 273 | 1,934 | 7.1 | 12 |
| 2002-04 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 267 | 1,437 | 5.4 | 16 |
| 2000-02 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 266 | 1,495 | 5.6 | 22 |
| 2003-05 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 262 | 1,754 | 6.7 | 10 |
| 2012-14 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 259 | 1,578 | 6.1 | 10 |
| 2001-03 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 250 | 1,447 | 5.8 | 19 |
| 1997-99 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 250 | 1,570 | 6.3 | 20 |
| 2012-14 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 244 | 1,480 | 6.1 | 8 |
| 2010-12 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 238 | 1,597 | 6.7 | 11 |
| 2000-02 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 231 | 1,571 | 6.8 | 14 |
| 1999-01 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 230 | 1,231 | 5.4 | 14 |
| 2000-02 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 228 | 1,258 | 5.5 | 8 |
| 2005-07 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 225 | 1,636 | 7.3 | 8 |
| 1997-99 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 225 | 1,140 | 5.1 | 15 |
| 1998-00 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 220 | 1,300 | 5.9 | 12 |
| 1999-01 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 218 | 1,155 | 5.3 | 13 |
| 2000-02 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 217 | 1,021 | 4.7 | 12 |
| 2000-02 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 217 | 1,164 | 5.4 | 14 |
| 2008-10 | David Garrard, Jac. | 216 | 924 | 4.3 | 10 |
| 2001-03 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 216 | 1,297 | 6.0 | 11 |
| 1999-01 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 215 | 1,424 | 6.6 | 8 |
| 1998-00 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 215 | 1,100 | 5.1 | 11 |
| 1996-98 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 209 | 1,402 | 6.7 | 14 |
| 1996-98 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 208 | 1,053 | 5.1 | 18 |
| 2000-02 | Rich Gannon, Oak. | 202 | 916 | 4.5 | 9 |
| 2001-03 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 201 | 926 | 4.6 | 15 |
| 2009-11 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 200 | 1,360 | 6.8 | 12 |
—Ian Allan