NFL quarterbacks have been transformed from mere stars to the most valuable figures in American sports. Here’s how it happened. In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Arm 1993 Quarterback gains right to throw the ball away without being flagged for intentional grounding, sparing sacks and INTs, helping stats and spines. Ankle 2006 Low hits outlawed “when a rushing defender has an opportunity to avoid such contact.” Shoulders, hands and ankles are still quarterbacks’ most injured body part. Knee 2009 Defender “cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player”—aka, the Brady Rule, after TB12 missed 2008 season with ACL injury. Don’t worry, he bounced back. Torso 1995 Defenders banned from “unnecessarily and violently” throwing down quarterbacks and “landing on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight.”
The NFL’s New Rules Show the League Is Actually Listening to the Fans
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Head 2002 NFL bans helmet-to-helmet collisions with quarterbacks after a turnover. In general, this is get-out-of-the-way time. The Outliers: Stat kings in any era.
William Helburn/Corbis via Getty Images Johnny Unitas 1956–1973 290 TDs, 40,239 yards. Not bad for a guy who started playing in 1956.
Superstock/Alamy Stock Photo Fran Tarkenton 1961–1978 Going 0–3 in Super Bowls stained his rep, but 130 more TD passes and nearly 20,000 more passing yards than ‘70s rival Terry Bradshaw.
Eric Miller/AP / Shutterstock Dan Marino 1983–1999 Had over 400 TDs and 60,000 yards in an era when 250 and 40,000 made you a Hall of Fame lock.
Breaking Down the NFL’s New Celebration Rules
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Tony Gutierrez/AP/Shutterstock (Brown); Steve Marcus/Getty Images (Flacco); Daniel Kucin JR/AP/Shutterstock (Burrow); John Amis/AP/Shutterstock (Williams); Bill Ray/The Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock (Dawson)
Receiver Respect 2007: Illegal cut block becomes 15-yard penalty, instead of just 5. 2009: 15-yard penalty for hitting defenseless receiver in head or neck. Completing passes is way easier when your best receivers are around to catch them. Financial Incentive As a rookie in 1969, Cowboy Roger Staubach earned $25,000. He retired after 11 seasons to become a real estate magnate now worth $600 million. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco has a decent shot at $200 million in career earnings — not Staubach money but pretty good. Surgical Advances In November 2020, Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s rookie season ended when his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus were torn in a game against Washington. The next season he almost won a Super Bowl. Joe Theismann is extremely jealous.
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Whether you’re an All-American or a pickup game ringer, anyone can suffer an injury. Here are the ai… Read article
Blindside Makes Bank Not only are QBs paid a ton, so are the guys who keep them upright—witness San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams averaging $23 million per season. Superior Training We all know about Tom Brady’s avocado ice cream. Whereas in the ‘70s, Hall of Fame QBs like Lenny Dawson huffed smokes on the sidelines and Kenny Stabler happily discussed spending his off-season boozing in the “Redneck Riviera.” I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times: NFL legends whose numbers now look paltry.
Hulton Staff/Archive (Starr) Bart Starr 1956–1971 152 career TD passes. Brady threw 83 in his first two seasons as a Buc.
Shutterstock Roger Staubach 1969–1979 153 career TD passes. Manning has 366. Eli, that is. Peyton has 539.
Getty Images Joe Namath 1965–1977 173 TD passes, 220 interceptions. Fur coats, bold predictions and great nicknames are sometimes more important than numbers.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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NFL quarterbacks have been transformed from mere stars to the most valuable figures in American sports. Here’s how it happened.
In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies
Arm 1993
Quarterback gains right to throw the ball away without being flagged for intentional grounding, sparing sacks and INTs, helping stats and spines.
Ankle 2006
Low hits outlawed “when a rushing defender has an opportunity to avoid such contact.” Shoulders, hands and ankles are still quarterbacks’ most injured body part.
Knee 2009
Defender “cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player”—aka, the Brady Rule, after TB12 missed 2008 season with ACL injury. Don’t worry, he bounced back.
Torso 1995
Defenders banned from “unnecessarily and violently” throwing down quarterbacks and “landing on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight.”
The NFL’s New Rules Show the League Is Actually Listening to the Fans
Read article
Head 2002
NFL bans helmet-to-helmet collisions with quarterbacks after a turnover. In general, this is get-out-of-the-way time.
The NFL’s New Rules Show the League Is Actually Listening to the Fans
Read article
The NFL’s New Rules Show the League Is Actually Listening to the Fans
The Outliers: Stat kings in any era.
Johnny Unitas 1956–1973 290 TDs, 40,239 yards. Not bad for a guy who started playing in 1956.
Fran Tarkenton 1961–1978 Going 0–3 in Super Bowls stained his rep, but 130 more TD passes and nearly 20,000 more passing yards than ‘70s rival Terry Bradshaw.
Dan Marino 1983–1999 Had over 400 TDs and 60,000 yards in an era when 250 and 40,000 made you a Hall of Fame lock.
Breaking Down the NFL’s New Celebration Rules
Read article
Tony Gutierrez/AP/Shutterstock (Brown); Steve Marcus/Getty Images (Flacco); Daniel Kucin JR/AP/Shutterstock (Burrow); John Amis/AP/Shutterstock (Williams); Bill Ray/The Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock (Dawson)
Receiver Respect
2007: Illegal cut block becomes 15-yard penalty, instead of just 5.
Breaking Down the NFL’s New Celebration Rules
Read article
Breaking Down the NFL’s New Celebration Rules
2009: 15-yard penalty for hitting defenseless receiver in head or neck.
Completing passes is way easier when your best receivers are around to catch them.
Financial Incentive
As a rookie in 1969, Cowboy Roger Staubach earned $25,000. He retired after 11 seasons to become a real estate magnate now worth $600 million. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco has a decent shot at $200 million in career earnings — not Staubach money but pretty good.
Surgical Advances
In November 2020, Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s rookie season ended when his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus were torn in a game against Washington. The next season he almost won a Super Bowl. Joe Theismann is extremely jealous.
The Most Common Sports Injuries
Whether you’re an All-American or a pickup game ringer, anyone can suffer an injury. Here are the ai… Read article
Blindside Makes Bank
Not only are QBs paid a ton, so are the guys who keep them upright—witness San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams averaging $23 million per season.
The Most Common Sports Injuries
Whether you’re an All-American or a pickup game ringer, anyone can suffer an injury. Here are the ai… Read article
The Most Common Sports Injuries
Whether you’re an All-American or a pickup game ringer, anyone can suffer an injury. Here are the ai…
Superior Training
We all know about Tom Brady’s avocado ice cream. Whereas in the ‘70s, Hall of Fame QBs like Lenny Dawson huffed smokes on the sidelines and Kenny Stabler happily discussed spending his off-season boozing in the “Redneck Riviera.”
I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times: NFL legends whose numbers now look paltry.
Bart Starr 1956–1971 152 career TD passes. Brady threw 83 in his first two seasons as a Buc.
Roger Staubach 1969–1979 153 career TD passes. Manning has 366. Eli, that is. Peyton has 539.
Joe Namath 1965–1977 173 TD passes, 220 interceptions. Fur coats, bold predictions and great nicknames are sometimes more important than numbers.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
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Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
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Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
The Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl LVII
Everything You Need to Know About the Rolex Series
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Celebrating the Underrated Genius of Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods Will Make His First Start of the Year at the Genesis Invitational
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Training Secrets That Keep Jon Rahm a Powerhouse on the PGA Tour
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Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
