Rookie quarterbacks have been the talk of the 2022 preseason. One quarterback made a legitimate argument to his team’s starting quarterback (more on that in a sec), while several other rookie passers made their own marks in their first games in an NFL uniform. Each has helped or hurt their collective cause in the final week of the preseason, as NFL teams prepare to release their 53-man rosters for the official start of the regular season.
Here’s a look at how each rookie quarterback performed in the final week of the preseason. One quarterback you won’t read about below is Panthers rookie Matt Corral, who suffered a serious foot injury a week ago. The injury will likely keep Corral out for the rest of the season.
Pickett didn’t enter the game until the second half, after Mitchell Trubisky gave the Steelers a 16-0 lead on his touchdown pass to Steven Sims just before halftime. Pickett played most of the second half after Trubisky went 15 of 19 for 160 yards in the first half while playing with the first-team offense. Pickett looked sharp again while leading the second team offense. He went 10 of 14 for 90 yards while leading a 12-game practice. He also designed a 10-game practice that ended in a blocked field goal attempt. Pickett’s best accomplishment was a 29 yard run to Miles Boykin on the near sideline.
As good as he’s played this preseason, Pickett will likely spend Week 1 holding a clipboard, which is how the last Steelers quarterback who was taken in the first round, Ben Roethlisberger, started. his career in the NFL. But what Pickett has done has shown Steelers staff that he’s ready to step into the fray if called upon.
Willis improved his accuracy in his preseason finale, going 15 of 23 for 131 yards against the Cardinals. He threw a touchdown and an interception while leading the Titans on four scoring drives. Willis’ biggest play was a 50-yard getaway that set up Tennessee’s second touchdown. Sacks, however, continue to be a problem for Willis and the Titans as he was sacked four times on Saturday, a week after being shot three times against the Buccaneers.
While he threw two passes to the other team, Ridder was otherwise solid in his preseason finale. He went 14 of 21 for 185 yards against the Jaguars which included a first-quarter touchdown pass to Tyler Allgeier. One of Ridder’s most impressive passes of the day was a 21-yard pass to Cameron Batson on a third-and-10 play that helped set up the Falcons’ final touchdown.
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Despite a strong outing, Howell was unable to end the Ravens’ historic preseason winning streak, which now stands at 23 games. Howell played significantly better than the previous week, going 24 of 35 for 280 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Reggie Bonnafon. He also took care of the ball after throwing a critical interception the previous week against the Chiefs.
Zappe played the entire second half against the Raiders while engineering the second of two Patriots goals. He went 10 of 14 for 84 yards, including a 15-yard gain to Tre Nixon on New England’s second drive. Zappe, however, committed a costly turnover for a second straight week as his through pass late in the fourth quarter was intercepted while leading for a touchdown in Las Vegas.
Purdy was the 49ers’ most effective quarterback against Houston, albeit mostly against third-string defenders. He went 13 of 20 for 182 yards while playing most of the second half. Purdy finished the game with a 15-play drive that ended with a sack at second base on the last play of the game. He finished the preseason with a 61.2 completion percentage with one touchdown and one interception.
Crum completed his only throw — and an 11-yard gain against Tayon Fleet-Davis — against the Packers in the Chiefs’ preseason finale. Crum threw three passes without fail in Kansas City’s second preseason game against the Commanders. He went 6 of 11 for 18 yards in the Chiefs’ preseason opener against Chicago. He’ll likely be left off the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, but Crum may have done enough in preseason to earn a spot on the Chiefs’ or another team’s practice squad.
The former Notre Dame quarterback went 2 of 3 against the Buccaneers in their preseason finale. He went 7 of 11 for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Colts’ second preseason game against the Lions and was 1 of 5 in his preseason debut against Buffalo. Coan, who is currently behind Matt Ryan and Nick Foles on the depth chart, will be on the Colts’ 53-man roster if the Colts decide to wear three quarterbacks.
Thompson capped off his impressive preseason with another solid outing against the Eagles. Playing the entire second half, Thompson threw three touchdown passes that included a 39-yard strike to Lynn Bowden Jr. As he faces stiff competition (Tua Tagovailoa and veteran Teddy Bridgewater are ahead of him on the depth chart), Thompson’s preseason should have done enough to earn him a spot on anyone’s 53-man roster, whether in Miami or elsewhere.
Strong didn’t have much work during the preseason. He threw a pass in the Eagles’ second preseason game and was 1 of 3 for six yards against the Dolphins in the Eagles’ preseason finale. Strong’s best bet to stay in Philadelphia is on his practice squad, with Gardner Minshew and Reid Sinnett ahead of him on the depth chart.