2024 NFL Rookie QB Class Early Season Struggles
The 2024 NFL season is just a few weeks into the books, and to be fair to the young men who have been put in charge of the offense for their respective teams, the quarterback position is arguably the toughest to take over as a rookie. Coaches, management, and fans also need to pump the brakes a bit, realizing that the high drafted rookie quarterbacks have been thrust into a role on teams that have plenty of other issues besides their signal caller.
This spring, the top three picks in the NFL Draft were quarterbacks, including two Heisman winners, with six of the total eleven quarterbacks being selected in the first round.
Of the six first-rounders, only Michael Penix Jr. (drafted eighth by the Atlanta Falcons) had little chance of starting with the team signing Kirk Cousins to a massive free agent deal. Minnesota Vikings’ prized rookie, J.J. McCarthy, the tenth pick in the draft, was tagged to be QB1 after an award-winning college season with the Michigan Wolverines but tore his meniscus during the preseason and is sidelined for his rookie year.
While being a top pick comes with the obvious perks, the pressures to succeed and find their footing quickly often place unfair expectations on these young players to the point in which even the great Tom Brady has noted that teams have oversimplified their playbook so much that a player’s growth and development become impacted negatively. Rather than providing their future stars with a proven mentor, and accepting the expected growing pains, the league and fans provide little in the way of patience, with a “what have you done for me lately” and “win now” attitude.
Caleb Williams – Chicago Bears, 1st Overall
The hope was that Williams was going to come in and take the Bears to the promise land, or at least the playoffs, which Chicago has missed the last three seasons. After squeaking out an opening day 24-17 victory, the Bears have dropped two straight with Williams struggling to make a significant impact. While Chicago’s offensive line has more holes than a crocheted sweater. However, as the first pick overall, Williams has to do better at recognizing the pressure defense closing in on him while in the pocket. With just 630 yards and 59.3% completion, the Bears need more from their future star if they plan on making the postseason. A pre-season favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Williams has seen his stock drop quickly when it comes to claiming the first-year player award.
Jayden Daniels – Washington Commanders, 2nd Overall
Speaking of Offensive Rookie of the Year and of first year QBs who have received official NFL minutes, Daniels has had the most success early this season. Scoring a pair of touchdowns and rushing for 80 yards in his first game, Daniels has guided the Commanders to a 2-1 record. While Washington played the short game during the first two games of the season, Daniels opened up in the third game against the Cincinnati Bengals, showing his arm strength and ability to hit the long target as the team pulled out an upset victory in a record setting performance. While odds are slim that the Commanders will remain ahead of the Eagles and the Cowboys as the schedule progresses, Daniels’ early season success makes him the frontrunner for the best of the 2024 rookie QB draft class.
Drake Maye – New England Patriots, 3rd Overall
The Patriots have struggled to maintain the level of success that Tom Brady and company once set while they were in New England. Fair enough it’s next to impossible to replace a team that dominated the NFL for nearly fifteen years, especially a player like Brady. After giving Mac Jones three seasons to try, the team moved on to the former North Carolina Tarheel QB, drafting Maye with the third pick this spring. While Maye showed some flash during the preseason, he would be sidelined behind veteran Jacoby Brissett, who is now on his second tour of duty with the Pats. After being demolished in the third game of the season, one that saw Maye struggle during the fourth-quarter minutes he received, it may be a long season for the rookie and the Patriots.
Bo Nix – Denver Broncos, 12th Overall
Drafting Nix early in the first round raised a lot of questions in the Mile High City and around the league, which is more of the fault of the Broncos’ management than of the former Oregon Duck. Named the starting QB, the first rookie to do so in Denver since John Elway suited up in 1983, Nix has struggled since day one. With four interceptions and no thrown touchdowns in his first three games, and one of the worst QB ratings in the league, it doesn’t look good for Sean Payton and the Broncos who are on pace to post another losing season since winning the Super Bowl in 2015. To be fair to Nix, it’s not like Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson would fare any better, but at least they have a few NFL seasons on their resume.
Much like NFL rookie quarterbacks who are still finding their footing, the emergence of new betting sites has added an element of unpredictability to how fans engage with the game. Betting on a rookie quarterback can feel like a gamble; both are exciting yet fraught with uncertainty. When you place your bets on a first-round draft pick, there’s often a high risk involved. Throw them into the starting role too soon, and they might become overwhelmed; keep them on the sidelines too long, and fans and media will question the rationale behind the move.
Just as new betting sites offer fresh opportunities for risk and reward, the fortunes of these young quarterbacks can swing wildly based on their early performances. Three games do not make or break a rookie’s career, but the small sample size and ongoing struggles of first-year quarterbacks remind management and the league of the need to help ease these potential stars into the game for the betterment of all involved.
