Only nine quarterbacks last year started all 17 games in the regular season. That surprised me. I would have guessed there would have been about twice as many.
The league, after all, has added a ton of rules to protect them over the years. Quarterbacks allowed to throw away the ball when they’re outside the pocket. They’re allowed to slide, with defenses not allowed to touch them. They can’t be hit in the head, nor down around the knees, and pass rushers aren’t allowed to land on them with their full body weight.
All of these changes came after Jack Lambert groused in the late ‘70s that, “It might be a good idea to put dresses on all of them.”
Despite the rules limiting defenses, the injuries have continued. Quarterback health peaked in 2012, when 20 teams went the distance with one starting quarterback, but the total has been down at 11, 10 and 9 the last three seasons. The total of 9 in 2023 was the fewer in a season since the late ‘90s.
Of course, injuries aren’t the only reason a quarterback can leave the lineup. Derek Carr and Russell Wilson were in line to be full-season starters the last two years before being pulled late in the season. And some other quarterbacks have been rested in end-of-season games with little meaning.
Oddly, three of the quarterbacks who didn’t get hurt last year were runners who folks tend to worry about: Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson. And Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa entered last year as injury concerns but were able to stay healthy.
Ultimately, 66 different quarterbacks ended up starting games last year, 2nd-most ever. The record was set the previous season, with 67. (That’s setting aside the strike-affected 1987 season, when teams played three weeks with replacement players).
In the chart below, you’re seeing the number of starting quarterbacks each year, along with the number who started all of their teams games. The final column shows the percentage of teams that used only one starting quarterback.
| QUARTERBACKS STARTING THE WHOLE SEASON | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Strs | Full | Pct |
| 2023 | 66 | 9 | 28% |
| 2022 | 69 | 10 | 31% |
| 2021 | 62 | 11 | 34% |
| 2020 | 58 | 13 | 41% |
| 2019 | 58 | 13 | 41% |
| 2018 | 55 | 16 | 50% |
| 2017 | 56 | 12 | 38% |
| 2016 | 54 | 14 | 44% |
| 2015 | 53 | 17 | 53% |
| 2014 | 54 | 16 | 50% |
| 2013 | 51 | 17 | 53% |
| 2012 | 48 | 20 | 63% |
| 2011 | 56 | 14 | 44% |
| 2010 | 62 | 12 | 38% |
| 2009 | 57 | 13 | 41% |
| 2008 | 53 | 16 | 50% |
| 2007 | 64 | 11 | 34% |
| 2006 | 50 | 16 | 50% |
| 2005 | 58 | 12 | 38% |
| 2004 | 58 | 12 | 38% |
| 2003 | 58 | 13 | 41% |
| 2002 | 58 | 14 | 44% |
| 2001 | 50 | 16 | 52% |
| 2000 | 55 | 12 | 39% |
| 1999 | 62 | 8 | 26% |
| 1998 | 62 | 7 | 23% |
| 1997 | 58 | 11 | 37% |
| 1996 | 55 | 8 | 27% |
| 1995 | 51 | 13 | 43% |
| 1994 | 54 | 7 | 25% |
| 1993 | 55 | 7 | 25% |
| 1992 | 58 | 8 | 29% |
| 1991 | 52 | 10 | 36% |
| 1990 | 51 | 11 | 39% |
| 1989 | 56 | 6 | 21% |
| 1988 | 58 | 6 | 21% |
| 1987 | 87 | 13 | 46% |
| 1986 | 56 | 8 | 29% |
| 1985 | 53 | 6 | 21% |
| 1984 | 56 | 7 | 25% |
| 1983 | 50 | 10 | 36% |
| 1982 | 38 | 18 | 64% |
| 1981 | 49 | 11 | 39% |
| 1980 | 44 | 13 | 46% |
| 1979 | 47 | 13 | 46% |
| 1978 | 48 | 12 | 43% |
| 1977 | 52 | 11 | 39% |
| 1976 | 52 | 8 | 29% |
| 1975 | 55 | 7 | 27% |
| 1974 | 52 | 5 | 19% |
| 1973 | 47 | 9 | 35% |
| 1972 | 43 | 10 | 38% |
| 1971 | 52 | 5 | 19% |
| 1970 | 47 | 7 | 27% |
—Ian Allan