The Next Tom Brady? Three Rookie Quarterbacks Are About To Step Into the NFL Spotlight

At least one rookie quarterback has brought hope and promise in 15 of the last 16 NFL seasons by starting Week 1. But few have ignited the sizzle created by a trio of strong-armed newcomers eager to carry their franchises to Super Bowl success.Will one of them be the next Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes? Only time will tell. But Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders are as close to can’t-miss prospects as any rookie quarterbacks to open the regular season. All three will start Week 1.“It’s a blessing they trust me to go out there and lead the team and the franchise to hopefully win some games,” Mr. Daniels said recently. “This is something I’ve dreamed about as a kid, to experience this moment.”Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, the signal-caller, the leader of the offense, and the face of the franchise. It’s why they get paid the most money, get the most acclaim, and take the most heat. It is not an easy job. But Mr. Williams, Mr. Nix, and Mr. Daniels offer the talent and swagger needed to restore respectability and championship dreams to three storied franchises.“I don’t feel any pressure to be really good really soon,” Mr. Williams told ESPN radio. “My mindset is to be really good really soon. But I have to do things to put myself in that position. I have to be a great teammate. I have to show up. I have to work and I have to learn all the things to put myself in that position.”Six quarterbacks were drafted in the top 12 picks this year. Drafted first overall, Mr. Williams has the best chance to succeed right away. He was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner at USC where he passed for nearly 8,000 yards and 72 touchdowns in two seasons. He is agile, smart with a strong arm, and has proven weapons to throw to, including DJ Moore and six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen. He also paints his fingernails on occasion.Coach of the Bears, Matt Eberflus, doesn’t want Mr. Williams to think he has to do too much too soon. “We all know what he can do in terms of his arm talent of throwing on the move and those types of things,” Mr. Eberflus told reporters at Chicago. “During the early parts of the game and early downs, he’s just asked to play point guard, have a great operation, get the ball to our skill players either by handing it off or throwing them and letting them do the running.”Mr. Nix selected 12th overall, will be the first rookie to start Week 1 since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983. Mr. Nix had 61 starts in college at Auburn and Oregon and offers the kind of maturity seldom seen in a rookie.“You just want to get out there and get the first win and compete at a high level,” Mr. Nix said at Denver. “That’s my goal in the beginning is to give our team the best chance to win games every week. Now the expectations and standards are even higher.”Mr. Daniels picked second in the draft, is at the helm of a total rebuild in Washington that includes new ownership, a new front office, and a new coach in Dan Quinn. The Commanders might not be very good this season but hope they’ve found their franchise quarterback in Mr. Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after leading the NCAA in total yards with 3,812 passing and 1,134 rushing.“People trust him,” Mr. Quinn said of Mr. Daniels. “They’ve seen how hard he works. They’ve seen him deliver on that hard work in practice and through the preseason games. As a young player, you’re really trying to earn respect and show ‘I’ll do things you can count on.’ That to me is what he’s demonstrated to teammates over and over again.”Quarterbacks coming out of pro-style offenses in college are better prepared for the NFL. CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Bryce Young started Week 1 as rookies last year, and return with promise. And while Trevor Lawrence, who started Week 1 with Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati/2020), Kyler Murray (Arizona/2019) and Dak Prescott (Dallas/2016) all remain with their teams, there have been plenty of busts including Zach Wilson (Jets/2021), Mac Jones (Patriots/2021), Sam Donald (Jets/2018), and Carson Wentz (Philadelphia/2016).“Historically speaking, those teams at the front end are teams that have been struggling,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “Sometimes the fit is tough that a player winds up with a team that hasn’t had success. They’re all a little different depending on the team and the players.”J.J. McCarthy selected out of Michigan looked like he might start as a rookie at Minnesota before suffering a season-ending knee injury in preseason. Drake Maye, the No.3 overall pick from North Carolina, will sit behind veteran Jacoby Brissett for now in New England.Most rookies have to wait for their chance. Though no rookies started Week 1 in 2022, nine eventually made starts at some point during the year. Rookie quarterbacks who will wait their chance this year in addition to Mr. Maye, include Michael Penix, Jr. at Atlanta, and Spencer Rattler at New Orleans.

The Next Tom Brady? Three Rookie Quarterbacks Are About To Step Into the NFL Spotlight

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