Name That! (Fox/YouTube).
It’s not unusual for people to assume the majority of quarterbacks in the NFL are white. Historically, they have been. It’s a racism issue. Ever heard about racial stacking at the quarterback position? No? Read about it here. And no, it’s not an issue of the past. A 2023 article released by SF Gate shows that these inequalities still exist.
It’s interesting to note that many of our 32 starting QBs come from a far more diverse background than many fans are aware of. It is important to honor every aspect of an individual’s background, and the accurate portrayal of history matters. So, let’s get to know our 32 starting quarterbacks even better!
The NFL’s AFC East
Miami Dolphins:
Tuanigamanuolepola “Tua” Tagovailoa is the son of Galu and Diane Tagovailoa. Tua was born and raised in Hawaii and is of Samoan descent.
Buffalo Bills:
Josh Allen is white and of European descent. Most notably Swedish-American. The Allen family has been in the California area since his great-grandfather on his dad’s side immigrated from Sweden in 1907.
New York Jets:
You get bonus points if you correctly guess that Zach Wilson is of European and Hawaiian descent. Don’t let his blonde hair fool you. Zach’s father, Michael Wilson, is Hawaiian. A tip-off for a super-sleuth would be Zach’s middle name, Kapono.
Aaron Rodgers would have been the starting QB if it weren’t for his injury. What is his ethnicity? Dolphin.
New England Patriots:
Mac Jones is white, with no further specification on any specific European countries he comes from.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs:
Most people are aware that Patrick Mahomes is of mixed ethnicity. His mom, Randi Martin, is European-American, and his father, Pat Mahomes, is African American.
Las Vegas Raiders:
Jimmy Garoppolo can thank his Italian genes for making him one of the most handsome quarterbacks in NFL history. Although Jimmy G mostly identifies with his father Tony’s Italian heritage, he is also partially German and Polish from his mother’s side.
Los Angeles Chargers:
Despite being an Oregon State dynasty, Justin Herbert’s parents weren’t in the Pacific Northwest forever. As you might have guessed, the very white bread appearing Herbert is Irish on his dad’s side and Hawaiian and Portuguese on his mom’s side.
Justin’s background is likely comprised of more European countries than Ireland, as his last name, Herbert, has French roots.
Denver Broncos:
Russell Wilson leaves no guesses as to what his ethnic background is. He did a 23-and-me type test and reported his results: 62% African, 36% European, 1% West Asian, and 1% Central Asian.
Wilson has Frankish roots. The Franks are Germanic people, migratory people, who originate from an area we now know as Northwestern and Central Europe as well as Scandinavia in the Middle Ages and earlier.
AFC North of the NFL
Baltimore Ravens:
Lamar Jackson is fully African-American, as far as we know.
Pittsburg Steelers:
Kenny Pickett is sometimes identified as being mixed-race, although he is typically labeled as just being of European descent. It’s unclear what Pickett’s background is.
If this article has proven anything, it’s that appearances do not define a person’s ethnic background. However, it does appear that Kenny’s parents are likely just of European descent. We’ll assume that is true until we hear more.
Cleveland Browns:
Deshaun Watson is African-American. He self-identifies (according to me) his background as something different—full creep.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Joe Burrow’s is Belgian and Swiss-German on his dad Jimmy’s side, and Czech and French on his mother Robin’s side. It sounds like someone else took an ancestry test with Russell Wilson, because that is a highly detailed background.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Trevor Lawrence hasn’t dropped which countries were blended together to create those long, golden locks. We do know it’s from Europe somewhere.
Indianapolis Colts:
Gardner Minshew is technically starting right now, likely for the rest of the season. His background is unspecified white.
There really should be greater integrity in the media, because some websites indicate that Anthony Richardson is all white. Others indicate he is all black. The truth could be somewhere in the middle, but he isn’t exclusively European-American, based on my eyeballs.
Houston Texans:
CJ Stroud’s family identifies as being solely of African-American descent. They clarified since some people appeared to think Stroud was partially Hispanic. You heard it here, folks.
Tennessee Titans:
Ryan Tannehill is white. Do we have any more details on the long-term NFL QB’s family origins? Nope.
The NFL’s NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles:
There are no surprises with NFL QB Jalen Hurts and his background. He identifies as African American.
Dallas Cowboys:
Dak Prescott has been very transparent about his family and his mixed-ethnicity background. We know his late mother, Peggy, is of European descent, and his father, Nathaniel, is African American.
Interestingly, Dak is also Native American, with ties to the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb through his mother’s side. The tribe is recognized by Louisiana, where Dak was born, but is not a federally recognized tribe.
Washington Commanders:
Sam Howell has been open about his ethnic background, believing that there is a significant lack of representation from his community in the NFL.
Howell is partially Korean, speaking about the important role that his grandmother Han played in his life. We appreciate Sam being so open about the importance of Asian representation in the NFL. Howell will be a crucial role model for many individuals.
New York Giants:
Danny Dimes is a white man. Where did his ancestors come from? We are not sure.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers:
Brock Purdy may be Mr. Irrelevant, but his background isn’t. Purdy is Italian-American from his mother’s side, Carrie, and Mexican-American from Shawn, his father’s side.
Seattle Seahawks:
Geno Smith is African American from both sides of his family. On his father’s side, he can trace his roots back to the Bahamas. How cool!
Los Angeles Rams:
Matthew Stafford is white. Where is he from? It would probably be a good question for before he got his spinal cord scrambled like an egg last year.
Arizona Cardinals:
Kyler Murray is often labeled as African American, which is true. Murray’s father, Kevin, is African American. However, Kyler is also Korean American from his mother, Missy’s side.
NFC North of the NFL
Detroit Lions:
Jared Goff is Irish-American on both sides of his family. The luck of the Irish is definitely on his side this season.
Green Bay Packers:
Jordan Love is of mixed ethnicity. Most NFL fans have caught a glimpse of his mother, Anna Love, at his football games, who is European American. Unfortunately, Jordan’s dad, who was African American, Orbin Jr., passed away when his son was only 14 years old, or he would also be on the sidelines supporting his son.
Minnesota Vikings:
We asked Kirk Cousin’s Kmart button-up shirts what his ethnicity is, and they said white. Just white.
Chicago Bears:
The information on Justin Field’s ethnicity is alarming, like some of our former starting NFL QBs. Some sources say he is white, and others say his grandparents immigrated from Africa to seek a better life in America. Heaven help them if they don’t have a source to back that up. It does appear that Justin Field’s is of African American descent.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Kirk Cousin’s button-up told us that Baker Mayfield is fully of European descent as well.
Atlanta Falcons:
Desmond Ridder has spoken about his life quite a bit. We know that his father is African American and his mother, Sarah, is of European descent. Ridder’s mother was actually just 15 when she gave birth to her future NFL QB. Sarah’s mother, Jan, helped her daughter raise Desmond as well. It takes a village!
New Orleans Saints:
We weren’t making any assumptions that Derek Carr is Irish since we saw his temper on full display when he was shouting at everyone on the sidelines tonight.
However, it wasn’t a huge surprise when sources indicated that he is Irish and German on his dad’s side and English on the other.
Carolina Panthers:
Bryce Young has a diverse background. He is African American. Emphasis has been placed on the fact that Young is not Polynesian specifically for some reason.
Bryce Young’s mother, Julie, has been private about her background. Just as a note to the editors of this article, the city that a person is from is not their ethnicity. We’ll let Bryce and Julie keep that part of the NFL QB’s ethnic background private if they prefer.
Interestingly, this means that only 44% of NFL starting QBs are white. This in no way diminishes the prejudice that quarterbacks of color experience; it only highlights that the NFL is a more diverse place than it sometimes appears. Slightly more.
Want to read more gridiron gems like this? Look here!
