Two weeks of preseason football are almost on the books, which means this year’s rookie quarterbacks are about to make their official debuts. But how did the freshman callers fare in their last show? We’re glad you asked. Here is our ranking of the top five QB rookie performances from Week 2 of the 2022 NFL preseason:
Statistics: 7-11, 83 yards, 1 touchdown
The Colts may not have room for Notre Dame’s undrafted product given that Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger are trailing Matt Ryan, but he showed a pro-level touch to close out the game against the Colts. Lions, delivering a perfect touchdown pass to Samson Nacua in the last minute of the fourth quarter.
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Statistics: 9-10, 129 yards, 1 touchdown
For the second week in a row, the seventh round claims he belongs on Miami’s roster as the third QB, behind Tua Tagovalioa and Teddy Bridgewater. Even in a tight loss, he looked poised in the pocket, upright, especially for fairly deep strikes. In a team whose other QBs are known to be conservative, that’s a fine quality of development.
Statistics: 7-17, 80 yards, 1 TD, 42 rushing yards
With lots of electricity and little throwing consistency, Willis posted a very Trey Lance-esque stat line against the Buccaneers, but look where Lance is now: from QB to an NFC title contender. In truth, Willis’ preseason was always about confirming the physical gifts that justified his selection for Day 2 at Tennessee. He has to grow as a pace setter to claim and keep a top position, but his effortless scrambling and arm angle adjustments are evident.
Statistics: 10-13, 143 yards
The Falcons’ third-rounder staged its second promising preseason outing in as many games Monday night against the Jets. He threw just three misses while leading Atlanta to a pair of field goals in his three streaks, and those drives could easily have resulted in more runs had it not been for the penalties. Ridder isn’t in a position to supplant Marcus Mariota as the Week 1 starter, but if the former Titans and Raiders signalman struggles early on, the Cincinnati Bearcats product appears to be set if his number is up. called.
Statistics: 6-7, 76 yards, 1 touchdown
K-Dawg picked the right time to show off some of his best tricks, considering he’s the only QB here able to earn a starting job. His work was very limited against the Jaguars (eight snaps), but he was decisive in a quick drive that made Mike Tomlin happy after the game. Even better, he was standing in frantic pockets, suggesting he can hold off Pittsburgh’s transitioning O line as well, if not better, than his main competitor for the job: Mitchell Trubisky.
Other notables
- Matt Corral (Panthers): The third round showed some zip on his passes, but came off early after Lisfranc suffered a potentially season-ending injury, postponing his bid for a backup job in Carolina indefinitely.
- Sam Howell (Commanders): While his down arm talent is impressive, Howell hasn’t been as effective as he was in his debut, going 10 for 18 with an interception against the Chiefs on a tough day for Washington’s offense.
- Bailey Zappe (Patriots): Round four had a lot of work after Mac Jones against the Panthers, and he showed accuracy in the short areas, but he also threw a poor pick trying to get a short throw down the sideline.
- Brock Purdy (49ers): Iowa State’s Mr. Irrelevant made a low-key bid for the 49ers’ No. 2 job against the Vikings, alongside an equally effective exit from compatriot Nate Sudfeld. His numbers (14 for 23, 128 yards) weren’t showy, but they would have been better had it not been for three drops. If nothing else, he’s proven he has the precision that Kyle Shanahan covets.
