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This is a list of notable left-handed quarterbacks who have played professionally or for a major college program. In gridiron football, quarterbacks have been predominantly right-handed; only 33 left-handed quarterbacks have appeared in the National Football League (NFL);[1] whilst twelve others were drafted but never played in the NFL.[2] The rarity of left-handed NFL quarterbacks has been a topic of discussion and debate among players, coaches, and analysts.[3]
 |
Left-handed quarterbacks were relatively prominent in the NFL between the 1970s and the 2000s, but became mostly absent from the league after 2010.[4] The most successful have been Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Steve Young and Ken Stabler, 1988 Most Valuable Player Boomer Esiason, and Pro Bowl selections Frankie Albert, Mark Brunell, and Michael Vick. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are currently the NFL's only left-handed quarterbacks.
| ^ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
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| Name | Career | Teams | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankie Albert | 1942–53 |
Stanford (college) |
|
[5] |
| Allie Sherman | 1943–47 |
Brooklyn (college) |
|
[6] |
| John Karrs | 1944–45 |
Duquesne (college) |
|
[7] |
| Harry Agganis | 1952 |
Boston University (college) |
|
[8] |
| Fred Wyant | 1956–57 |
West Virginia (college) |
[9][10] | |
| Terry Baker | 1963–67 |
Oregon State (college) |
|
[11] |
| Bobby Douglass | 1969–78 |
Kansas (college) |
|
[5] |
| Ken Stabler | 1970–84 |
Alabama (college) |
|
[5] |
| Jim Del Gaizo | 1971–75 |
Syracuse (college) |
|
[12] |
| Dennis Morrison | 1973–74 |
Kansas State (college) |
[13] | |
| David Humm | 1975–84 |
Nebraska (college) |
|
[11] |
| Jim Zorn | 1975–87 |
Cal Poly Pomona (college) |
|
[5] |
| Rick Leach | 1979 | Michigan (college) Denver Broncos |
|
[14] |
| Paul McDonald | 1980–87 |
USC (college) |
|
[11] |
| Boomer Esiason | 1984–97 |
Maryland (college) |
|
[5] |
| Steve Young | 1984–99 |
BYU (college) |
|
[5] |
| Erik Wilhelm | 1989–2001 |
Oregon State (college) |
|
[16] |
| Jeff Carlson | 1989–92 | Weber State (college) Los Angeles Rams (NFL) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) New England Patriots (NFL) |
[17] | |
| Scott Mitchell | 1990–2001 |
Utah (college) |
|
[4] |
| Todd Marinovich | 1990–93, 1999–2001 |
USC (college) |
[18] | |
| Will Furrer | 1992–95 | Virginia Tech (college) Chicago Bears (NFL) Houston Oilers (NFL) |
[19] | |
| Mark Brunell | 1993–2011 |
Washington (college) |
|
[4] |
| Doug Nussmeier | 1994–2000 |
Idaho (college) |
|
[11] |
| Tony Graziani | 1997–2008 | Oregon (college) Atlanta Falcons (NFL) Los Angeles Avengers (AFL) Philadelphia Soul (AFL) |
|
[21] |
| Brock Huard | 1999–2004 |
Washington (college) |
|
[23] |
| Cade McNown | 1999–2002 |
UCLA (college) |
|
[24] |
| Michael Vick | 2001–15 |
Virginia Tech (college) |
|
[4] |
| Chris Simms | 2003–10 |
Texas (college) |
|
[4] |
| Jared Lorenzen | 2004–14 |
Kentucky (college) |
|
[26] |
| Tyler Palko | 2004–11 |
Pittsburgh (college) |
|
[27] |
| Matt Leinart | 2006–13 |
USC (college) |
|
[4][28] |
| Pat White | 2009–14 |
West Virginia (college) |
|
[27] |
| Tim Tebow | 2010–15[lower-alpha 2] |
Florida (college) |
|
[4][30][11] |
| Kellen Moore | 2012–17 |
Boise State (college) |
|
[4][3] |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 2020–present | Alabama (college) Miami Dolphins (NFL) |
|
[27] |
| Holton Ahlers | 2022–present | East Carolina (college) Seattle Seahawks (NFL) |
|
[32][33][34] |
| Michael Penix Jr. | 2024–present | Washington (college) Atlanta Falcons (NFL) |
|
- Behind only John Elway.
- Tebow converted to tight end upon returning to professional football before the 2021 NFL season.[29]
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