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Factoid

Rookie quarterbacks

Young leads trio of first-round quarterbacks

The season kicks off in full today, and it will be with three rookie quarterbacks who were top-4 overall picks. Eyeballs will be on Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

Typically, such quarterbacks tend to need some time to hit stride, but there have been some exceptions. Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III ripped it up pretty good in their first games, making it clear the NFL landscape had changed with their arrival.

The overall pictured hasn’t been as grand. In the 32-team era, 23 quarterbacks selected in the first round have started in Week 1. They’ve gone 8-14-1 in those games. Two of those quarterbacks threw 3-plus touchdowns (Trevor Lawrence and Marcus Mariota).

Of those 23 touchdowns, 9 finished with multiple touchdown passes and over 200 passing yards. (That means, of course, that 14 of the 23 either finished with fewer than 200 passing yards or fewer than 2 TD passes.)

In the chart below, the nine quarterbacks who came out of Week 1 with decent numbers (200-plus passing and multiple touchdowns) are tagged with black dots.

FIRST-ROUND QUARTERBACKS IN WEEK 1 STARTS
YearPlayerOppResultCmpAttYdsTDInt
2002David Carr, Hou.Dall.W 19-10102214521
2003Kyle Boller, Balt.at Pitt.L 15-34224315211
2004• Carson Palmer, Cin.at NYJL 24-31182724821
2008Matt Ryan, Atl.Det.W 34-2191316110
2008Joe Flacco, Balt.Cin.W 17-10152912900
2009Mark Sanchez, NYJat Hou.W 24-7183127211
2009Matthew Stafford, Det.at N.O.L 27-45163720503
2010Sam Bradford, St.L.Ari.L 13-17325525313
2011• Cam Newton, Car.at Ari.L 21-28243742221
2012• Robert Griffin, Was.at N.O.W 40-32192632020
2012Andrew Luck, Ind.at Chi.L 21-41234530913
2012Brandon Weeden, Cle.Phil.L 16-17123511804
2012Ryan Tannehill, Mia.at Hou.L 10-30203621903
2013EJ Manuel, Buff.N.E.L 21-23182715020
2015• Marcus Mariota, Ten.at T.B.W 42-14131520940
2015• Jameis Winston, T.B.Ten.L 14-42163321022
2016• Carson Wentz, Phil.Cle.W 29-10223727820
2018Sam Darnold, NYJat Det.W 48-17162119821
2019• Kyler Murray, Ari.Det.T 27-27295430821
2020Joe Burrow, Cin.LACL 13-16233619301
2021• Trevor Lawrence, Jac.at Hou.L 21-37285133233
2021Mac Jones, N.E.Mia.L 16-17293928110
2021• Zach Wilson, NYJat Car.L 14-19203725821
2022A. Richardson, Ind.Jac.??????
2022C.J. Stroud, Hou.at Balt.??????
2022Bryce Young, Car.at Atl.??????

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index