As training camp continues for all 32 teams across the league, many organizations are taking stock of their current quarterback room, particularly those with rookie signal-callers at their disposal.
As practices continue, and teams begin to see which of the rookies from the 2024 NFL Draft class are ready to start, it’s time to take stock of the current group of young passers.
Latest on Rookie QBs in NFL Training Camp
There were 11 quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and 12 others who were signed afterward as undrafted free agents. Among those on the list is an NFL-record six players selected in the first round for the position.
As we go down the list, though, not everyone from this historic class is having the same kind of success.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams remains the team’s starting quarterback going into the regular season, but that doesn’t mean he’ll appear in the first preseason game. As the Bears prepare for Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game, Chicago announced that Williams and the rest of the starting offense will not be playing.
No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams will not make his preseason debut Thursday night in Canton, Ohio vs. the Texans. Bears do not plan to play their starters Thursday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 30, 2024
Bears coaches have also been impressed with the first-overall pick with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron saying on the team’s website: “Caleb’s got great big-field vision. If the play is in rhythm, he’s doing a good job of learning the rhythm of the offense.”
As Williams continues to progress, so too do the Bears’ chances of reaching the playoffs in 2024.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
After years of coaching and quarterback changes, have the Washington Commanders finally found a signal-caller to make them contenders once again in the NFL?
The early returns on Jayden Daniels say yes.
While Washington has been pretty quiet regarding the second-overall pick potentially starting the season, Daniels is clearly making the decision quite easy for new head coach Dan Quinn.
The more Daniels plays, the more likely it is fans will see him as Washington’s quarterback for Week 1.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
It’s been a quiet time for most New England Patriots quarterbacks in the first year of the post-Bill Belichick era. Drake Maye hasn’t necessarily looked bad, but it’s pretty obvious that the Patriots are allowing him to grow at his own pace more than anything else.
Speaking to SiriusXM NFL Radio after practice, new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo touted Maye and remained steadfast in the belief that New England has found its future at quarterback.
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“Going back to Drake, I would say, look, this guy is ultra, ultra-competitive,” Mayo said. “That was one the traits that I was like, ‘Man, this guy — he’s gonna be good.’ He’s always here all day, and he’s getting better.”
As Maye continues to battle Jacoby Brissett for the starting job, it appears New England is more than comfortable allowing the rookie to grow before throwing him out on game day.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. is in a rare situation; unlike Maye or a player behind him, he may be a first-round pick, but the veteran in front of him is a proven star in this league.
Kirk Cousins has taken all of the first-team reps with the Atlanta Falcons offense and has put Penix in the developmental stage with the second team. The Washington star continues to look solid overall despite the fact that he won’t see the field in 2024 — or at least isn’t expected to.
The longer Cousins dominates, though, the longer it will take for Penix to actually see the field at this point.
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
It’s been a touch-and-go time for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings to this point. While he has begun taking reps with the first-team offense, the organization is remaining patient with the Michigan quarterback and is allowing Sam Darnold to get the bulk of the reps.
“I don’t want J.J. to feel like he’s got any kind of preset ceiling or floor to where he’s at,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “That’s the excitement that I know he feels showing up to go to work every day.”
McCarthy has looked solid at times but has been inconsistent overall.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
The final first-round quarterback is in a heavy competition with Jarrett Stidham and former second-overall pick Zach Wilson. Despite the excitement that the Oregon quarterback was able to bring at times over the first week of camp, some of the top reporters still believe there’s a ways to go before he is actually playing on NFL Sundays.
While he’s had his moments, Bo Nix is still a work in progress.
Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler has been one of the bigger surprises at the quarterback position this training camp. He has been on target with his throws and has competed well behind Derek Carr to this point.
This THROW by Spencer Rattler 😳
Rattler has reportedly been “turning heads” at Saints training camp.
Rattler and Chris Olave reportedly have an “early chemistry,” with Olave saying Rattler’s already a “really good” player.
Some NFL scouts reportedly believe Rattler could be… pic.twitter.com/kx8HWqlaHP
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) July 29, 2024
Early chemistry with the New Orleans Saints’ top receiver, Chris Olave, is always important, but the more Rattler plays and gets reps, the more it seems likely that New Orleans has stumbled upon a late-round steal at the quarterback position.
Jordan Travis, New York Jets
Jordan Travis is still recovering from his broken leg to end the 2023-24 college football season. Had he not suffered the injury, he probably would’ve gone much higher than the fifth round with the New York Jets. He has currently been stashed on the non-football injury list to this point.
Joe Milton III, New England Patriots
To start training camp, the Patriots offense has been very ineffective to this point.
Joe Milton III has been an exception, though.
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The former Tennessee product has used his big arm to make plays deep in the passing attack with the third-team offense — and even some of the reps with some first-team players.
Milton appears penciled in as the third quarterback for the Patriots this season behind Maye and Brissett, but this is a developmental piece that could look more like Kirk Cousins vs. Robert Griffin III than anyone else.
Devin Leary, Baltimore Ravens
Unlike many rookie quarterbacks on this list, Devin Leary has been thrust into a role that has him getting a lot more reps than originally thought. That’s because Lamar Jackson was away from the team to start training camp with the flu.
In his absence, Leary has performed relatively well and even has thrown touchdown passes to different receivers in red-zone work.
Leary won’t be seeing the field this year in Baltimore but appears to be surprising some of his new coaches.
Michael Pratt, Green Bay Packers
Michael Pratt was taken in the seventh round of the 2024 draft and is the Green Bay Packers’ third quarterback on the roster. He leaped over Sean Clifford as he continued to improve and show solid leadership, according to Ohana Packers. He’s someone who will probably be the third quarterback and an inactive player on the team in 2024.
Updates on the Undrafted Rookie QBs
The 12 additional undrafted rookie signal-callers are all fighting for spots on their 53-man roster — and in many cases, fighting for reps as well.
Some are like undrafted free agent quarterback Andrew Peasley, who is taking a majority of snaps during the third-team work for the New York Jets. Peasley is currently seeing time while Travis is recovering from his leg injury.
There are also those like former Notre Dame star Sam Hartman (Washington) and Louisville’s Jack Plummer (Carolina) who appear to be currently locked in with their current teams as the third QB and expect to be inactive on most game days.
For the most part, though, there haven’t been any major movers along the UDFA list.