by Itoro Umontuen

The National Football League’s NFC Eastern Division will be the first division that fields four Black or African American starting quarterbacks this season. The anticipated starting quarterbacks are Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, and Russell Wilson, respectively, for the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants.

Hurts will return to Philadelphia for his sixth season after the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. In the 2024 season, Hurts completed 68.9% of his passes, threw for 2,903 yards, and tallied 32 combined touchdowns (18 passing, 14 rushing). Hurts rose to fame in the NFL by keeping the main thing, the main thing. During the Super Bowl ring ceremony, Hurts did not put on the ring. He said he moved on.

“I’ve moved on to the new year,” Hurts said. “It’s as simple as that.”

That is the epitome of the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ made famous by the late, great Kobe Bryant.

Jayden Daniels returns to Washington carrying huge expectations after leading his team to an NFC Championship game appearance last season. His growth during his rookie year took the league by storm. In 2024, Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also added 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns, culminating in Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors. After the first week of training camp, Daniels says he’s getting more comfortable in the system as he prepares for year two.

“It’s being more comfortable in the offense,” Daniels said. “I understand what Kliff is calling and what we want to accomplish as an offense. I have different tools in my tool belt to get to different protections, to get to different runs versus certain looks.”

The renewed enthusiasm for the Commanders in the District coincides with the D.C. City Council approved a proposal that paves the way for a new stadium to be built on the site of RFK Stadium.

“This is a historic moment,” said Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris. “This project is about more than delivering a world-class stadium worthy of our players, fans, and the region. It’s about revitalizing a critical part of our city, creating thousands of jobs, and unlocking long-term economic benefits for the District. We look forward to working with our fans, residents, community leaders, and elected officials to deliver on this vision.”

The Dallas Cowboys will remain relevant as long as Jerry Jones is the owner, general manager, and the lead promoter. With that, the spotlight shines brightest while Prescott wears the star on his helmet. He is also no stranger to criticism. When Prescott got engaged last season, fans took to social media to lament the fact that the engagement ring may be the only ‘ring’ he gets his hands on during his playing career. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. In Prescott’s case, he’s entering the first year of a $240 million extension, which will see him earn more than $60 million per season. The Cowboys are in win-now mode. But could they be hamstrung by Prescott’s contract?

Can Russell Wilson be a bridge for the Giants? Russell Wilson signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants in the offseason to bring stability to the quarterback room. Jameis Winston was also signed to be the backup. Head Coach Brian Daboll said during Monday’s press conference that Wilson has had a positive impact on Giants star receiver Malik Nabers.

“Wilson has had a very positive impact on Malik,” Daboll said Tuesday, according to Matt Citak of the team’s website. “They have a good relationship. They spend a lot of time in the meeting room, and then they spend time outside just in terms of body maintenance—how Russ takes care of his body, the things he’s done to have a long career. He’s kind of grabbed hold of that, asks a lot of questions. He’s very involved—talking about Malik in the meetings, communicative.”

Even though the Giants drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants are expected to feature Wilson (and possibly Winston) this year as Dart sits. While Wilson isn’t as elusive as he used to be, it is up to the Giants’ offensive line to give the 36-year-old quarterback time. Additionally, the running game must be effective for Wilson to execute play action passes, something he is excels at.

Last year, there were 16 Black starting quarterbacks in the NFL, joining Daniels, Stroud, Cam Ward, Deshaun Watson, Caleb Williams, and Bryce Young.