Winston Brissett
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (left) hugs New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (right) after the game at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images
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Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett and longevity as a Black NFL quarterback

Veteran QBs show you don’t have to be a star or starter to have a long career in the league

William C. Rhoden @RhodenRhoden8
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Arizona Cardinals Commentary Jacoby Brissett Jameis Winston Locker Room Talk New York Giants NFL

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    Jacoby Brissett of the Arizona Cardinals and Jameis Winston of the New York Giants represent 19 years of NFL experience as starting and backup quarterbacks.

    They met here at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and in a wild quarterback duel, Winston and the Giants prevailed 36-24. But Brissett and Winston also represent a new reality in the fascinating evolution of Black quarterbacks: You can float in and out of the starting lineup and still enjoy a double-digit NFL career.

    That hasn’t always been the case.

    When James Harris became the first African American quarterback to start a regular-season NFL game in 1969, Black quarterbacks had to prove that they had what it took to play the position. They didn’t have the luxury to be backups. They were either starters or nowhere.

    But now, when half of the starting NFL quarterbacks are African American, Black quarterbacks don’t necessarily have to be starters to provide value.

    Winston, 32, was the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He was Tampa Bay’s primary starter for five seasons, then he left and spent time in New Orleans and Cleveland, largely as a backup. Brissett, 33, was selected by New England in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was traded to Indianapolis the next year and started two seasons for the Colts.

    Since then, Brissett has been a valued backup for the Miami Dolphins, the Browns and the Washington Commanders. He was named the Cardinals starter this season after Arizona parted ways with Kyler Murray. Winston began the season as a backup to Jaxson Dart and was pressed into service when Dart was knocked out for the season with a knee injury.

    Brissett and Winston have the rest of the season to prove themselves. Winston must prove that he can salvage the Giants season. Brissett must prove he was worth the investment Arizona made in him as a starter.

    What Winston and Brissett are showing aspiring Black quarterbacks is that you don’t have to be a starter to or a star to have a long NFL career. What you have to do is stay ready and be good when you have to be good.

    William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs.