The Atlanta Falcons took an unusual tactic this offseason.
Armed with one left-handed quarterback on their roster already in the form of Michael Penix Jr., they decided to add a second, Tua Tagovailoa.
Considering the number of lefty QBs that there have been in the history of the NFL, it puts their depth chart construction in the category of incredibly rare.
It comes into focus on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, with both Penix and Tagovailoa returned to health. Penix will start, and Tagovailoa will be his backup.
They’re part of a very exclusive NFL club, one that is smaller than you’d think — the club of left-handed quarterbacks.
How Many Lefty QBs in NFL?
At present, two of the three left-handed players who have started games at quarterback and are still active in the NFL are Penix and Tagovailoa.
The other lefty who is currently in the league that has started a game is Dillon Gabriel, who is currently on Injured Reserve with the Cleveland Browns.
The Philadelphia Eagles also brought aboard a rookie lefty, Cole Payton from North Dakota State, but he hasn’t gotten into a game yet.
According to Athlon Sports, just two other teams in NFL history have had more than one lefty QB at a time:
- 1991 Cincinnati Bengals: Boomer Esiason and Erik Wilhelm
- 1997 Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Brunell and Steve Matthews
The Falcons join that club.
Total Left-Handed QBs in NFL History
According to a new story this week by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, a total of 33 left-handed quarterbacks have made a regular season appearance in the history of the NFL.
Raimondi notes that just two have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame — Steve Young and Ken Stabler. The most prominent in more recent NFL history is Michael Vick, who did his best work for the Falcons.
“If you think about the number of lefties in NFL history, abnormally few,” Young told ESPN. “Just from a data perspective, it doesn’t make sense how few quarterbacks are lefty. And one of the main reasons I can say why is because of the coaches. I think they’re very right-handed and they don’t encourage it. They see a lefty and they’re like, ‘Ugh.’ As if it’s going to be more work.”
The reality is that everything becomes a little different for an offense.
The quarterback’s blindside is now protected by the right tackle instead of the left tackle. Plays that the offense likes running one way — certain rollouts and other concepts — might now have to be run the other way.
There are those who also feel that the different spin of the ball out of a lefty’s hand can also be tricky for a receiver.
The interesting thing about what the Falcons have done is that they’ve potentially removed some difficulty that could come if a backup has to play.
Now early in the season, that became a moot point as both lefties were out with injury. But now with both back, a second left-hander would come in if the first got hurt — so plays wouldn’t have to be switched or anything like that.
There’ll be a lot of eyes on Atlanta to see if their double lefty experiment works. Penix and Tagovailoa both have been viewed as having strong talent at various points in their careers, but neither join forces with total confidence from outsiders. If they deliver, it may do good things for left-handed QBs in the NFL.
How Many Lefty QBs in NFL History? Falcons Have 2 of Rare Left-Handed Passers