Quarterback mobility has become a tantalizing trait NFL teams have been looking to incorporate into their offense in recent seasons. Names like Steve Young, Randall Cunningham, and Pittsburgh’s very own Kordell “Slash” Stewart were before their time, showcasing their legs along with their arms as a threat to beat opposing defenses on the ground as well as through the air. Michael Vick revolutionized the position with his ability to attack defenses with his legs, starting the trend of having a mobile quarterback be more sought after than your traditional pocket passer.
Over the last several years, we’ve seen teams prioritize quarterback mobility as more and more franchise quarterbacks are displaying that dual-threat skill set. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson is top dog as the modern-day Vick in the league, while others like Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, and Washington’s Jayden Daniels all are legit threats with their legs. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a mobile quarterback who can strike fear in the hearts of opposing defenses since Slash, but heading into 2024, they have several players at the position who possess that skill set.
In reality, 2024 will be Pittsburgh’s most mobile quarterback room in franchise history. It is headlined by Justin Fields, who has showcased his dual-threat ability since entering the league as the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields had 2,220 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 40 career games (38 starts) with the Chicago Bears, including an impressive 2022. He toted the rock 160 times for 1,143 yards (7.1 YPC) and eight rushing touchdowns that season, ranking second in single-season quarterback rushing yards all-time. He has a career long of 67 yards as a rusher and has displayed the skill set to make plays outside of the pocket as a passer as well as gash opposing defenses when he keeps the ball to run.
Fields will most likely be backing up Russell Wilson to start the 2024 season, and Wilson is a fairly mobile quarterback in his own right. Wilson hasn’t run the football as much in recent seasons as he did to start his career in Seattle, but he still possesses the athleticism and mobility to create outside of structure and tuck the ball and create with his legs. Wilson rushed for 341 yards and three touchdowns last season, the most for the veteran since 2020. He has five seasons with over 500 rushing yards on his resume. And while he will be 35 to start the 2024 season, he still has a baseline of mobility to create with his legs that is equal to or greater than recent Steelers QBs Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, and Ben Roethlisberger in his twilight years.
Third-stringer Kyle Allen isn’t anything special when it comes to mobility, but UDFA John Rhys Plumlee is a different story. The former UCF and Ole Miss quarterback was a multi-sport athlete in college, playing both football and baseball, showing off his athleticism on the diamond as well as the football field. Plumlee racked up 2,556 rushing yards and 28 rushing scores for the Rebels and the Golden Knights, displaying his 4.54 speed as a dual-threat quarterback who made plays as a scrambler as well as on designed runs. He has the speed to challenge defenders in pursuit as well as the toughness to take on contact as a runner, making him a legitimate threat opposing defenses have to consider when under center.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has stressed the value of quarterback mobility time and again. He had this to say in the spring of 2022 at the NFL owners meetings about the importance of having a mobile quarterback in today’s game:
“Quarterback mobility is a more significant part of the game than it’s ever been in today’s game,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel. “Matter of fact, in 2021, I think the yards per rush in the NFL was the largest it had ever been. It wasn’t because teams are running the ball more effectively. It’s because they’re utilizing the quarterback as a runner. And so now you’re playing 11 on 11 football. So do the math. Guys have to defeat blocks and make tackles in today’s game to be effective at stopping the run.”
That sounds like a statement by a coach wanting a mobile passer who can contribute in the running game, and now he has the personnel in his quarterback room to incorporate it into his offense. Pickett, Trubisky, and Rudolph to a lesser extent had some mobility to create outside of structure, but the combination of Fields, Wilson, and Plumlee are far superior in that department.
For a team that wants its identity rooted its running game, the turnover at the quarterback position this spring has definitely added another component to that. We will see how the room shakes out throughout the season, but we should expect Pittsburgh’s mobile quarterbacks to have more of an impact in the rushing department than they have in recent memory.
