As a Giants fan, I've been diving deep into research on which quarterback in this year's upcoming draft has the potential to become a star in the NFL quickly. This curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of great rookie quarterbacks, and I started looking back at some of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. So let's look at the top three that impressed me the most.
3. Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins (1983)
Marino threw for 2,210 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions during his rookie campaign. After the starter, David Woodley, struggled in the first five weeks of the season Majaydrino took over and went 7-2 in nine starts. The Dolphins went on to go 12-4 during the regular season, winning the AFC East. After earning a first-round bye, they lost in the divisional round to the Seattle Seahawks. Had Marino played the whole season he likely would be higher on my list, and although the 20 TDs in 9 starts is impressive, it’s not as spectacular as what the other two guys did.
Rookie Accomplishments: 2nd Team All-Pro, 3rd in MVP voting, 2nd in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, and a Pro Bowl appearance.
2. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (2024)
In his first NFL season, Jayden Daniels threw for 3,538 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions. Washington entered the season with minimal expectations, coming into the year with a new head coach and a rookie quarterback. Despite this, Daniels led the squad to an impressive 11-6 record and won two playoff games. He consistently carved through defenses throughout the season, and even took down the number one seed Detroit Lions, making an NFC Championship appearance in his first season
Rookie Accomplishments: Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowler, most rushing yards by a rookie QB, highest completion percentage.
 |
| (image via AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) |
1. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (2011)
After being drafted first in the 2011 draft Cam set the league on fire passing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also broke the record (at the time) for rookie QB rush yards with 706, and still holds the NFL record with 14 rushing touchdowns. Although Newton did not have as many wins as Stroud and Marino in his first season, his complete dominance of NFL defenses both on the ground and through the air is something we had never seen before and have yet to see since.
Rookie Accomplishments: Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl appearance, record for rushing touchdowns and yards as a rookie QB.
Comments
Post a Comment