Factoid

May 10, 2024

Running QBs

Injury potential of running quarterbacks

I’m always torn on running quarterbacks. On the one hand, it’s a great way to add statistical value. But at the same time, it makes it seem like it’s only a matter of time before a season-altering injury will occur.

Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson are great players, with the rushing production being a key element of their success, but it’s a risky style of said. Something to be said, I think, for instead going with a quarterback who does a better job of staying out of the fray – Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow for sure, or perhaps one of the up-and-coming youngsters (Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud, Brock Purdy).

Allen, of course, has gone five years in a row without getting hurt, while Mahomes and Burrow have missed games in that time. But I don’t think that changes the probabilities. If a contestant in a game of Russian Roulette makes it through five rounds, does that mean the regular rules don’t apply to him?

Cam Newton and Daunte Culpepper were physically similar to Allen and played with the same style; injuries eventually caught up with them. Hurts is comparable to Allen; he had to play hurt last year and missed time the previous season.

Jackson stayed healthy last year but missed five games in each of his two previous seasons.

At the same time, there’s something to be said for just picking these guys and trying to ride it out. Even if theres’ an injury, there’s the possibility of keeping your fantasy team afloat with another quarterback (there are lot of good ones out there this year).

I was playing around with some on this. Below see the list of all quarterbacks who’ve run the ball at least 100 times in the last 40 years. The final column shows the number of starts the quarterback missed the next season.

There have been 38 of these quarterbacks, and half missed at least two games the next season. I’ve got them tagged with dots. Not all of the missed games have been due to injury (I see dog-fighting Michael Vick and discarded Tim Tebow) but a good number of injuries with this group.

QUARTERBACKS WITH 100 RUSHING ATTEMPTS
Year	Player	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Miss
2019	Lamar Jackson, Balt.	15	176	1,206	6.9	7	1
2022	Jalen Hurts, Phil.	15	165	760	4.6	13	0
2022	• Justin Fields, Chi.	15	160	1,143	7.1	8	4
2020	• Lamar Jackson, Balt.	15	159	1,005	6.3	7	5
2023	Jalen Hurts, Phil.	17	157	605	3.9	15	?
2023	Lamar Jackson, Balt.	16	148	821	5.6	5	?
2018	Lamar Jackson, Balt.	7	147	695	4.7	5	1
2017	• Cam Newton, Car.	16	139	754	5.4	6	2
2021	• Jalen Hurts, Phil.	15	139	784	5.6	10	2
2020	• Cam Newton, N.E.	15	137	592	4.3	12	12
2021	• Lamar Jackson, Balt.	12	133	767	5.8	2	5
2020	• Kyler Murray, Ari.	16	133	819	6.2	11	3
2015	• Cam Newton, Car.	16	132	636	4.8	10	2
2012	Cam Newton, Car.	16	127	741	5.8	8	0
2011	Cam Newton, Car.	16	126	706	5.6	14	0
2023	Justin Fields, Chi.	13	124	657	5.3	4	?
2022	Josh Allen, Buff.	16	124	762	6.1	7	0
2006	• Michael Vick, Atl.	16	123	1,039	8.5	2	15
2011	• Tim Tebow, Den.	11	122	660	5.4	6	14
2021	Josh Allen, Buff.	17	122	763	6.3	6	1
2022	• Daniel Jones, NYG	16	120	708	5.9	7	11
2012	• Robert Griffin, Was.	15	120	815	6.8	7	3
2004	Michael Vick, Atl.	15	120	902	7.5	3	1
1990	• Randall Cunningham, Phil.	16	118	942	8.0	5	15
2014	Russell Wilson, Sea.	16	118	849	7.2	6	0
2002	• Michael Vick, Atl.	15	113	777	6.9	8	12
2022	Lamar Jackson, Balt.	12	112	764	6.8	3	1
2023	Josh Allen, Buff.	17	111	524	4.7	15	?
2013	• Cam Newton, Car.	16	111	585	5.3	6	2
2019	Josh Allen, Buff.	16	109	510	4.7	9	0
2002	• Daunte Culpepper, Min.	16	106	609	5.8	10	2
2014	• Colin Kaepernick, S.F.	16	104	639	6.1	1	8
2015	Tyrod Taylor, Buff.	14	104	568	5.5	4	1
1989	Randall Cunningham, Phil.	16	104	621	6.0	4	0
2014	Cam Newton, Car.	14	103	539	5.2	5	0
2015	Russell Wilson, Sea.	16	103	553	5.4	1	0
2005	Michael Vick, Atl.	15	102	597	5.9	6	0
2020	Josh Allen, Buff.	16	102	421	4.1	8	0
2018	• Cam Newton, Car.	14	101	488	4.8	4	14
1997	Steve McNair, Ten.	16	101	674	6.7	8	0
2010	• Michael Vick, Phil.	12	100	676	6.8	9	3

—Ian Allan

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