NFL starting five rookie quarterbacks this season
- Sep. 5, 2012
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The most rookie quarterbacks to ever debut in a NFL season opener was three, and that was back in the 1960s. This year it has been announced that five rookie quarterbacks will get the starting job for their given teams. In the past, coaches and management believed that rookie quarterbacks couldn’t just come straight into the league out of college and start. This method has changed lately with the success of Cam Newton and Andy Dalton last year. This leaves the question: If a quarterback demonstrates talent out of college, understands the new system and is able to read defenses, why not start the rookie?
Here are the five rookies that are going to start this year:
1. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) — Luck has been one of the most talked about quarterback in the last decade and has sky high potential. Luck was taken by the Colts as the first overall pick in this year’s 2012 draft. He replaces the legacy of the great Peyton Manning as he tries to build his own legacy now. It should take some time for Luck and the Colts to rebuild from last year’s disappointing 2-14 team, but Luck looks to be the new face of the Colts, and we’ll see how he’s developed later down the road. Luck’s first game as a pro will be quite a test as the Colts take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday.
2. Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins) — Griffin won the Heisman last year, and he is the player featured on multiple commercials this offseason who gets the starting job for the Redskins this year. Griffin hopes to display all of his talents as the Redskins take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.
3. Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) — Wilson, who played his college ball at Wisconsin, will get the starting job for the Seahawks this year. Wilson is probably the biggest underdog on this list because not many believed he would get the starting role this year. Many people thought Matt Flynn, who got a 3-year, $26 million deal this off-season, would get the nod, but the undersized 5-foot-11 Wilson outperformed Flynn. Wilson’s talents were overlooked by many NFL teams as he fell deep into the third round of the 2012 draft. In college Wilson was unstoppable and looks to be sharp at the next level, too. In the preseason games, Wilson has shown his versatility as he was able to make plays with his feet when a play broke down, and also with his ability to throw the ball with accuracy on the run. The Seahawks’ first game is this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
4. Brandon Weeden (Cleveland Browns) — The 28-year-old Weeden will get the start for the Cleveland Browns after beating out Colt McCoy. Weeden, who is from Oklahoma State, was drafted by the Browns second after taking Alabama’s Trent Richardson as the 3rd overall pick. This look to be a rebuilding year for the Browns, but hopefully Weeden and Richardson will prove to be an effective duo for years to come. Weeden and the Browns kick off the season this Sunday against the tough Philadelphia Eagles.
5. Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) — Tannehill, who came out of Texas A&M, looks to lead a depleted Dolphins team. The Dolphins had a 6-10 record in 2011 and will most likely have a worse record in 2012. Tannehill will not have star wide reciever Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Bears, and the Dolphins recently cut Chad Johnson. Tannehill will most likely struggle in his first year with a weak receiving core and bad defense. Look for the Dolphins to get blown out in their first game of the season, which is this Sunday against the Houston Texans, who some experts think could make the Super Bowl this year.
— Edited by Ryan McCarthy
