There are two lines of thinking when it comes to rookie quarterbacks. Some feel it’s best to let them sit and learn from a veteran, while others feel playing right away is the way to go. For me it depends on the player and the situation he inherits.
Take Joe Burrow, for example. Burrow was clearly ready to play as a rookie (he led the NFL in 10 games), but the Bengals didn’t yet have the talent around him, particularly on the offensive line. Burrow’s rookie campaign ultimately ended early after he suffered a season-ending injury.
However, the experience of playing that season paid off instantly for Burrow and the Bengals, as Cincinnati went to the Super Bowl the following year. However, not all situations end this way. Just ask Robert Griffin III, who had a fabulous rookie year but was never the same after suffering a serious injury late in that season.
If you’re considering drafting a rookie quarterback, it’s essential to put him in the best possible position to succeed. This is something the Patriots and Bears are currently trying to do with whoever they select in April’s draft, whether it’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
While no situation is perfect, these are about as good as it gets if you’re a rookie quarterback. They’re already on the list of best situations for a rookie quarterback since 2000. Let’s find out where they rank on the list.
10. 2012 Washington
NFL fans shouldn’t forget Robert Griffin III’s year in 2012. It was simply one of the best rookie campaigns in league history. It’s a shame that it ended with Griffin’s injury altering the course of his career.
Griffin went 9-6 as a starter that year. He threw five times as many touchdown passes as interceptions while totaling 815 yards and seven touchdowns. Griffin was complemented by fellow rookie Alfred Morris, who accounted for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns. Washington’s offense that season also included veteran Santana Moss and left tackle Trent Williams, who that season was named to the first of his 11 Pro Bowls.
A poor defense is the main reason Washington is so low. He finished the regular season ranked 32nd in red zone efficiency and was gashed by Seattle in the first round of the playoffs. Washington’s reliance on Griffin to make plays also factored into their rankings. This addiction also played a role in his season-ending injury.
Cleveland started 0-1-1 before Baker Mayfield replaced injured starter Tyrod Taylor in the Browns’ third game. Mayfield led a comeback victory against the Jets that night, which was a preview of things to come this season.
Mayfield won six of his 13 starts that season, a remarkable feat considering the Browns had gone 1-31 in the previous two seasons. He made the most of an offense featuring fellow rookie Nick Chubb, veteran Jarvis Landry, tight end David Njoku and Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio.
The defense wasn’t very good, but the 2011 Panthers had plenty of talent on offense, led by rookie quarterback Cam Newton. Newton took over a Carolina offense that featured two talented running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, Pro Bowler Steve Smith Sr., tight end Greg Olsen and Pro Bowl center Ryan Khalil.
Newton took full advantage of his situation. While the 2011 Panthers finished 6-10, Newton did his part by becoming only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 20 touchdowns and run for at least 10 more over the course of the same season. His 14 rushing touchdowns were the single-season record for a quarterback until the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts broke it in the 2023 season with 15.
7. Patriots 2024
Whoever starts for the Patriots next year will have a decent supporting cast that currently includes wideouts KJ Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson and tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. The offensive line, however, needs some work as it is currently ranked the 30th best unit in the league by Pro Football Network.
New England should be solid defensively next season, which will help the Patriots quarterback. But the fact that the Patriots play in the ultra-competitive AFC East is a big reason why the Patriots’ current quarterback situation isn’t ranked higher.
On paper, Houston hasn’t surrounded CJ Stroud with as much help as the other teams on this list. But the Texans clearly did something right as Stroud had the best statistical rookie season ever for a quarterback.
For starters, Stroud was helped by a defense that excelled under first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans. Offensively, Stroud benefited from a system that played to his strengths. Stroud also had a strong group of receivers, led by Nico Collins, Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz.
5. Bear 2024
I was tempted to place Chicago higher, but I couldn’t overcome the Bears’ recent lack of success. One thing is clear though: The Bears have put their next quarterback in a better position to succeed than their last starter, Justin Fields.
The Bears recently acquired longtime Chargers player Keenan Allen, Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift and veteran tight end Gerald Everett. Chicago’s offense also features DJ Moore, who caught 96 passes for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
Unlike New England, Chicago has a solid offensive line, provided it can stay healthy. Defensively, the Bears are also in pretty good shape, with Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds and recently acquired Kevin Byard manning that side of the ball.
4. Chargers 2020
Before Stroud’s monstrous 2023 season, Justin Herbert’s 2020 season was the most prolific rookie passing season ever. Herbert took full advantage of an offense that included players Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and versatile running back Austin Ekeler. Herbert’s secret weapon that year was Hunter Henry, who caught 60 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns in his lone season with Herbert.
Unfortunately for Herbert, the Chargers defense had too many leaks which contributed to seven losses by seven points or less. These losses ultimately led to the Chargers missing the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
An injury to Tony Romo pushed then-rookie Dak Prescott into the starting lineup in Week 1. Prescott did not play like a rookie, however, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Cowboys to tie a franchise record with 13 regular season wins. .
Prescott played exceptionally that year, but he had help. Ezekiel Elliott, who was also a rookie that year, won his first of two rushing titles and had nearly 2,000 total yards. Dallas’ receiving corps was led by franchise stalwarts Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. The Cowboys offense also possessed Cole Beasley, who was one of the best slot receivers in the NFL at the time.
The Cowboys also had the league’s fifth-ranked defense, led by All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee.
The Seahawks went to the second round of the playoffs two years before Russell Wilson arrived in 2012. But poor quarterback play sunk Seattle’s playoff hopes in 2011, leading the Seahawks to take Wilson in the third round of that year’s draft.
Seattle’s receiving corps wasn’t great, but it was deep, led by Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. What really helped Wilson was having All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch and the league’s top-ranked defense at his disposal. Wilson parlayed those strengths into a successful rookie season that included a wild card win over RGIII and Washington.
Ben Roethlisberger himself said that the Steelers were too good a team to be able to select him 11th overall in the 2004 draft. Pittsburgh was in that position after going 6-10 the previous season, largely due to because of a turnover-prone passing attack, a sleepy running game and a young secondary.
Pittsburgh bolstered its roster this offseason by signing former Eagles running back Duce Staley to team with future Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis. Staley had a successful start to the year before an injury slowed him down. Bettis took over and had a Pro Bowl season.
In addition to a strong running game, Roethlisberger had a strong receiving corps led by Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle El. The offensive line was anchored by future Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca.
Defensively, the Steelers finished first in the NFL in points allowed, largely due to the improved play of then-second-year safety and future Hall of Famer Troy Polaamlu.
The Steelers won an AFC-record 15 games that year, with Roethlisberger going 12–0 as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback during the regular season.