These are the best NFL quarterbacks who ever ran the ball.

The dual-threat quarterback is undeniably one of the most dangerous players in modern football at both the collegiate and professional levels.

Given the size and length of NFL fields, defending against a quarterback with these skills can be nearly impossible.

Here are some of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league, as discussed in this article. Despite popular belief, Michael Vick was not the pioneer in this field.

Actually, you'd have to go back more than 40 years to find the pioneer who did it.

1. Frank Tarkenton

The way Fran Tarkenton handled the football, whether passing it or running with it, was impressive even by today's standards.

As a pro, Tarkenton finished with 675 touchdown passes and 3,675 interception yards.

He was a solid passer as well, having completed over 61% of his passes for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns during his career with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.

Tarkenton was selected to 9 Pro Bowls, was named 1975 AP Offensive Player of the Year, MVP, and Bert Bell Award winner, and won both of those awards in 1975.

The 1966 season with the Vikings was Tarkenton's best statistically, as he carried the ball 62 times for 376 yards.

2. Michael Vick

One could make the case that the concept of a running quarterback is here to stay because of Michael Vick.

Defenses, who still didn't know how to stop a rushing quarterback at the time, had no chance against him or Tarkenton because of this.

The league's all-time record for rushing yards by a quarterback is now his despite the fact that he missed two full seasons for violating its personal conduct policy. Vick participated in dog fighting events.

Vick played for the Atlanta Falcons for the vast majority of his career. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles (2009-2013), the New York Jets (2014), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2015) after his comeback from the incident (2015).

He had three seasons where he gained more than 700 yards on the ground.

In 2002, he led all running backs with 777 yards on 13 carries and eight touchdowns for a 6.9 yards per carry average.

In 2006, he had a career-high 1,039 yards on 123 carries (an average of 8.4 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.

3. Lamar Jackson

Although Lamar Jackson's career is still young to be called one of the greats, if his statistics remain consistent throughout his remaining years, he will certainly be a quarterback legend.

Jackson has been a member of the Baltimore Ravens since 2018, and he currently has 4,437 yards on the ground. In addition, he rushed for over a thousand yards in each of the two upcoming seasons (2019 and 2020).

Early in the 2022 campaign, he got off to a hot start before cooling off.

In week 2, the Ravens lost 42-38 to the Miami Dolphins despite his 9 rushes for 119 yards and a touchdown, which was part of his hot streak.

The following week, he had 11 rushes for 107 yards against the New England Patriots in a 37-26 victory.

4. Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is another young quarterback with significant experience in the NFL.

His antics, such as no-look passes, have made him a household name. He can pass the ball as well as he can run the ball.

In the 2020-21 season, Mahomes did throw for 5,250 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

In 61 attempts, he gained 358 yards and scored four times on the ground. He now has the most touchdowns in his career thanks to these scores.

Mahomes has won the Super Bowl and been selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He has also been named to the All-Pro team twice.

He received the 2018 Bert Bell Award and the AP Offensive Player of the Year honor.

5. Steve Young

Steve Young is best known for succeeding Joe Montana as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.

He also ran the ball as a quarterback before that became popular.

Young spent his first two seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he is best known for his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

In 1998, his last year of Pro Bowl eligibility, he had 70 rushes for 454 yards, representing his best statistical rushing season.

Young won three Super Bowl rings and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times.

In addition to his two Bert Bell awards and two AP offensive player of the year honors, he was the 1994 NEA MVP and Super Bowl XXIX MVP. With his remarkable achievements on the field, he also inspired a generation of fans, and even spurred the growth of online sports betting as fans eagerly followed his career and placed bets on his performances.