Wherever Michael Penix Jr. is selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he will join an exclusive club in the NFL.
When the Washington football star is drafted ― with the draft starting Thursday and running through Saturday ― he will be just the second active left-handed quarterback in the league. The other is the starter for the Miami Dolphins and former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa.
The league had two active left-handed QBs last season as well, with the Seattle Seahawks rostering former Eastern Carolina QB Holton Ahlers on their practice squad on and off.
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According to an article from the Durango Herald in August 2023, two left-handers are among the 36 NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Steve Young and Ken Stabler. Before Tagovailoa entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft, there was no lefty quarterback in the league since 2017, when Kellen Moore played his final season in the league for the Detroit Lions.
That does not mean there haven't been talented left-handed quarterbacks. Here's a look at some of the top left-handed QBs in the league:
Tua Tagovailoa is the lone active left-handed QB in the NFL
Tagovailoa, entering his fifth season in the NFL, is coming off a year where he was a serious MVP candidate for much of the season. He completed 69.3% of his passes for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and a 101.7 QB rating in an electric Miami offense. Tagovailoa has played in 51 career games with a 32-19 record. He has 12,639 passing yards, 81 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for his career, helping shape the perception of left-handed QBs.
Interestingly, Penix has drawn comparisons to Tagovailoa in his pre-draft process. Outside of football, Tagovailoa is actually right-handed. Ahlers, who was on and off the Seahawks practice squad, has been the only other active left-handed quarterback in the league since 2017. He was released by Seattle on Oct. 18, 2023, and signed on with Arlington Renegadesof theXFL on Dec. 26, 2023. Penix, the former Indiana transfer, is seeking to become the second active starter in the NFL when he is drafted.
Lefty Jim Zorn led Seattle Seahawks expansion team
The most famous left-handed quarterback associated with Washington would be former Seattle Seahawk standout Jim Zorn, who signed with the Seahawks as a free agent ahead of 1976, Seattle's inaugural season in the NFL. His three consecutive 3,000 passing yard seasons were the franchise record until broken by Matt Hasselbeck in 2005. He was also the first Seahawk QB to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games, a feat he accomplished twice.
Zorn's best season came in 1978, when he earned All-Pro second-team honors. He threw for 3,283 yards and 15 touchdowns. He hit career-highs of 20 touchdowns and 3,661 yards the following season. Zorn was the Seahawks' QB until replaced by Dave Kriegmidway through the 1983 season, serving as the backup through 1984. He played two additional years in Green Bay (1985) and Tampa Bay (1987) before retiring. Zorn finished his career with 21,115 passing yards and 111 passing touchdowns.
Zorn was the second Seahawk to be entered into the "Ring of Honor" in 1991. He went on to coach, serving notably as the Seahawks' offensive assistant (1997), Seattle quarterbacks coach (2001-07) and coach of the Washington Redskins in 2008-09.
Steve Young, Ken Stabler, Michael Vick other notable NFL left-handed quarterbacks
Young and Stabler are Hall of Famers and among the most well-known left-handed quarterbacks in NFL history. Young won three Super Bowl championships and made the Pro Bowl seven times in his illustrious career. He became the first left-handed quarterback inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. Stabler led John Madden's Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl 11 championship and was the 1974 NFL MVP. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2016.
Former Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was more well-known for his running than passing, but he also enjoyed a prolific NFL career as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft. He finished with the most career rushing yards by a quarterback, won the 2010 Comeback Player of the Year award and made four Pro Bowls.
Boomer Esiason won the 1988 league MVP award, whereas the aforementioned Moore played for five years in the league. Former Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart(2004) and Tim Tebow (2007) had brief NFL careers with some degrees of success. Tebow ignited the Broncos with "Tebowmania" after leading the Broncos from a 1-5 start to the NFL Playoffs and a first-round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was replaced by Peyton Manning the following season.
Chris Simms ― the son of Super Bowl 21 MVPPhil Simms― had a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he tossed 10 touchdown passes. Former West Virginia star Pat White (2009-14) had a brief NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and Washington.
