These days, many 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 while allowing their teams to have a more versatile offensive attack.
Many trace the evolution of NFL quarterbacks toward being able to both throw and run to Michael Vick, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft.
He is celebrating his 43rd birthday on Monday, and the league posted a video montage in his honor to its official Twitter account.
No. 7️⃣ turns 43 today.
Happy birthday to @MichaelVick! (via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/ARM0ah29H5
— NFL (@NFL) June 26, 2023
Vick hasn’t played since the 2015 season, and it’s easy to forget what a force he was back in the day.
His rookie season was rather quiet, as he played just eight games and started two of them, but in 2002, he started to take pro football by storm.
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 ran for 777 yards and eight touchdowns that year.
That production earned him his first of three Pro Bowl nods in a four-year span.
However, in 2007 he pleaded guilty to criminal charges from his involvement in a dog fighting ring and spent 21 months in federal prison.
When he was released, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles and had a Pro Bowl campaign in 2010 by throwing for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns and adding 676 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground while winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Men such as 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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