These days, a lot of teams and fans love the idea of having a dual-threat quarterback under center.
Such players put more pressure on opposing defenses than traditional pocket passers and allow their teams to have a more versatile offensive offense.
Many trace the evolution of NFL quarterbacks to the ability to throw and run to Michael Vick, who was the first pick in the 2001 draft.
He is celebrating his 43rd birthday on Monday, and the league posted a video montage in his honor on its official Twitter account.
Number 7️⃣ turns 43 today.
Happy Birthday to @MichaelVick! (through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/ARM0ah29H5
—NFL (@NFL) June 26, 2023
Vick hasn’t played since the 2015 season, and it’s easy to forget how strong he was in his day.
His rookie season was fairly uneventful as he played only eight games and started two of them, but in 2002, he began to conquer professional football.
He threw for 2,936 yards and 16 touchdowns, but it was his ability to move the chains with his own legs that caught everyone’s attention, as he rushed for 777 yards and eight touchdowns that year.
That production earned him the first of three Pro Bowl nominations in a span of four years.
However, in 2007, he pleaded guilty to criminal charges for his involvement in a dog fighting ring and spent 21 months in federal prison.
When released, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles and had a Pro Bowl campaign in 2010 throwing for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushing for 676 yards and nine touchdowns while winning Comeback Player of the Year.
Men like Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson have Vick to thank for paving the way for them to play the way they do.
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