Lamar Jackson is on pace to finish with over 1,200 rushing yards – the most ever by a quarterback. Is this a sustainable business model? Or is he a serious injury waiting to happen?
Another running quarterback, after all, was shelved for the season this week, with Cam Newton placed on injured reserve as he waits to heal from a foot injury. Newton has been heavily used as a runner for years.
Jackson is an athletic guy, I’ll give him that. Like some other running quarterbacks – Newton, Michael Vick, Terrelle Pryor – he’s enough of an athlete that he could play another position if he wanted. Jackson is thicker than Robert Griffin III, for example. I remember seeing Jackson in one of his first preseason games; he lowered his head and took on a defensive back – I was wondering if they were going to flag him for a penalty (with that being a point of emphasis in the preseason that year).
Jackson has held up OK thus far. After taking over at midseason last year, he started eight games without issue. (That’s including a playoff game; in the chart below, I added on Jackson’s playoff start from last year so that he would appear for both 2018 and 2019.).
Since 2000, we have seen 53 quarterbacks start at least half of the season and average 30 rushing yards (in those games). Of the 46 in the 2000-17 season, 56 percent of those quarterbacks came back and started at least 14 games the following season. About a third (15 of 46) didn’t play more than half the season. But seven of those guys didn’t start at all (so they didn’t get hurt, but simply weren’t starters for various reasons).
Thus far, the rushing numbers Jackson has put up are amazing. He’s averaged over 75 rushing yards per game in both of his seasons. No other quarterback has averaged 65 yards, and only three have gone over 60 – Vick (twice) and Pryor.
Jackson’s matchup today is almost too good to be true. The Ravens lead the league in rushing. The Bengals rank last in run defense.
QUARTERBACKS AVERAGING 30 RUSHING YARDS | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | St | Yards | TDR | YPG | Next Yr |
2019 | Lamar Jackson, Balt. | 8 | 637 | 5 | 79.6 | ?-?-? |
2018 | Lamar Jackson, Balt. | 8 | 610 | 4 | 76.3 | ?-?-? |
2006 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 16 | 1,039 | 2 | 64.9 | 0-0-0 |
2013 | Terrelle Pryor, Oak. | 9 | 553 | 2 | 61.4 | 0-0-0 |
2004 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 15 | 902 | 3 | 60.1 | 15-597-6 |
2011 | Tim Tebow, Den. | 11 | 623 | 5 | 56.6 | 0-0-0 |
2018 | Josh Allen, Buff. | 11 | 605 | 8 | 55.0 | ?-?-? |
2012 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 15 | 815 | 7 | 54.3 | 13-489-0 |
2014 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 16 | 849 | 6 | 53.1 | 16-553-1 |
2010 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 11 | 573 | 9 | 52.1 | 13-589-1 |
2002 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 15 | 777 | 8 | 51.8 | 4-239-1 |
2017 | Cam Newton, Car. | 16 | 754 | 6 | 47.1 | 14-488-4 |
2012 | Cam Newton, Car. | 16 | 741 | 8 | 46.3 | 16-585-6 |
2002 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 10 | 460 | 6 | 46.0 | 16-355-3 |
2011 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 13 | 589 | 1 | 45.3 | 10-332-1 |
2011 | Cam Newton, Car. | 16 | 706 | 14 | 44.1 | 16-741-8 |
2016 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 11 | 468 | 2 | 42.5 | 0-0-0 |
2006 | Vince Young, Tenn. | 13 | 528 | 7 | 40.6 | 15-395-3 |
2015 | Tyrod Taylor, Buff. | 14 | 568 | 4 | 40.6 | 15-580-6 |
2014 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 16 | 639 | 1 | 39.9 | 8-256-1 |
2005 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 15 | 597 | 6 | 39.8 | 16-1039-2 |
2015 | Cam Newton, Car. | 16 | 636 | 10 | 39.8 | 15-359-5 |
2000 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 16 | 629 | 6 | 39.3 | 16-482-2 |
2016 | Tyrod Taylor, Buff. | 15 | 580 | 6 | 38.7 | 14-389-3 |
2014 | Cam Newton, Car. | 14 | 539 | 5 | 38.5 | 16-636-10 |
2002 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 16 | 609 | 10 | 38.1 | 14-422-4 |
2001 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 11 | 416 | 5 | 37.8 | 16-609-10 |
2013 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 13 | 489 | 0 | 37.6 | 7-130-1 |
2000 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 11 | 404 | 6 | 36.7 | 16-537-5 |
2017 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 16 | 586 | 3 | 36.6 | 16-376-0 |
2013 | Cam Newton, Car. | 16 | 585 | 6 | 36.6 | 14-539-5 |
2000 | Cade McNown, Chi. | 9 | 323 | 3 | 35.9 | 0-0-0 |
2019 | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | 8 | 279 | 5 | 34.9 | ?-?-? |
2018 | Cam Newton, Car. | 14 | 488 | 4 | 34.9 | 2--2-0 |
2019 | Kyler Murray, Ariz. | 9 | 313 | 2 | 34.8 | ?-?-? |
2015 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 16 | 553 | 1 | 34.6 | 16-259-2 |
2018 | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | 16 | 551 | 5 | 34.4 | ?-?-? |
2013 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 16 | 539 | 1 | 33.7 | 16-849-6 |
2001 | Kordell Stewart, Pitt. | 16 | 537 | 5 | 33.6 | 5-180-2 |
2012 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 10 | 332 | 1 | 33.2 | 6-308-2 |
2000 | Rich Gannon, Oak. | 16 | 529 | 4 | 33.1 | 16-231-2 |
2013 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 16 | 524 | 4 | 32.8 | 16-639-1 |
2015 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 8 | 256 | 1 | 32.0 | 11-468-2 |
1999 | Doug Flutie, Buff. | 15 | 476 | 1 | 31.7 | 5-83-1 |
2008 | Tyler Thigpen, K.C. | 11 | 343 | 2 | 31.2 | 0-0-0 |
2015 | Alex Smith, K.C. | 16 | 498 | 2 | 31.1 | 15-134-5 |
1999 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 11 | 337 | 8 | 30.6 | 15-396-0 |
2012 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 16 | 489 | 4 | 30.6 | 16-539-1 |
2003 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 14 | 422 | 4 | 30.1 | 16-406-2 |
2001 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 16 | 482 | 2 | 30.1 | 10-460-6 |
2001 | Rob Johnson, Buff. | 8 | 241 | 1 | 30.1 | 2-46-0 |
2018 | Mitchell Trubisky, Chi. | 14 | 421 | 3 | 30.1 | ?-?-? |
2017 | Brett Hundley, G.B. | 9 | 270 | 2 | 30.0 | 0-0-0 |
—Ian Allan