Honorable Mention #2: Michael Vick
Amidst all the hype around guys like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray, let’s not forget that there was one guy who truly broke the mold when it came to the combination of “most dynamic athlete on the football field” plus “one of the 10 best arms in the NFL.” Though his statistical profile doesn’t tell the whole story, Vick became a household name in the early 2000’s after the Atlanta Falcons took him with the #1 overall pick in 2001.
The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010, after his brilliant season with the Philadelphia Eagles, which took place after his long period of legal troubles.
Honorable Mention #1: Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon went from a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback who never seemed to have the proverbial “lights turn on” (and seemed relegated to being a career backup), two a two-time All-Pro and even league MVP that helped get the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl. After never starting more than 12 games in a given season, his career was rejuvenated when he joined Jon Gruden in Oakland.
In his first three seasons there, Gannon threw for an average of just under 3,700 yards per year, and in 2002 — when he led the Raiders to the Super Bowl (under head coach Bill Callahan) — Gannon led the NFL with 4,689 yards passing.