Facebook Pixel

    Ranking the Best Rookie Season Quarterbacks of All-Time: Robert Griffin III, Dan Marino, and C.J. Stroud Among Best Debuts Ever

    Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has lit up defenses in 2024. But with lots of season left, there’s a long way to go before we can consider including Daniels among the best rookie quarterbacks of all-time.

    Below is a statistical look at the 10 best rookie quarterback seasons ever.

    PFN Playoff Predictor
    Try out Pro Football Network’s FREE playoff predictor, where you can simulate every game of the NFL season and see how it all shakes out!

    10) 2004 Ben Roethlisberger

    By pure wins and losses, Big Ben belongs much higher on this list. Roethlisberger took over in Week 3 for an injured Tommy Maddox and proceeded to win his first 14 games, including the playoffs. It remains the longest win streak to begin a career by a starting quarterback.

    Of course, Roethlisberger also benefited from playing with a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that led the league in points per game (PPG) allowed. Big Ben’s stat line was not historically impressive (17 Pass TDs, 11 INTs), but he did deliver in the clutch. Roethlisberger led the league with five game-winning drives and four fourth-quarter comebacks, helping provide timely plays to extend the win streak.

    9) 2008 Matt Ryan

    Ryan turned around a moribund Atlanta Falcons team that had gone 4-12 the prior season in the wake of Michael Vick’s legal troubles and separation from the franchise. Ryan came in and led the Falcons to a 11-5 record, throwing for 3,440 yards with 17 TDs. To date, he is the only Falcons player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

    8) 2016 Dak Prescott

    Prescott wasn’t even supposed to start as a fourth-round rookie for the Dallas Cowboys. But following a preseason injury to Tony Romo, Prescott took over and led Dallas to a NFC-best 13-3 record.

    The future franchise QB was extremely efficient that year, passing for 23 TD to just four interceptions. That allowed him to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, the first Cowboys player to win that award since Emmitt Smith in 1990.

    7) 2020 Justin Herbert

    Herbert started all but one game in 2020 for the Los Angeles Chargers and put up one of the most prolific rookie seasons ever. He passed for 4,336 yards – second-most ever by a rookie behind Andrew Luck – while also throwing a rookie-record 31 passing TDs.

    The Chargers only went 7-9 as a team, but Herbert’s stellar season made him the second player in franchise history to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (joining RB Don Woods in 1974).

    6) 1983 Dan Marino

    Marino’s record-breaking campaign would come one year later, but the sixth and final first-round QB in the legendary 1983 NFL Draft made his mark early. Marino started nine games and led the Miami Dolphins to a 7-2 record, throwing 20 TDs to just six interceptions. His first impression was so impressive that he supplanted David Woodley, who had started in the Super Bowl just one year earlier.

    5) 1969 Greg Cook

    The most obscure name on this list, Cook is one of the great “what-ifs?” in NFL history. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback was a revelation under Paul Brown (who led a coaching staff that included Bill Walsh as wide receivers coach). Cook led the AFL with 9.4 yards per attempt, throwing 15 TDs in his 11 starts.

    Unfortunately, a right shoulder injury forever altered his career. Cook missed the next three seasons recovering from the injury, and a short-lived comeback attempt in 1973 lasted a single game.

    4) 2012 Andrew Luck

    Luck had massive shoes to fill as Peyton Manning’s successor for the Indianapolis Colts. And while Luck’s long-term future was cut short by injuries, his first impression couldn’t have been more promising.

    Luck still holds the single-season rookie record with 4,374 pass yards. The Colts, who had gone 2-14 in 2011, improved to 11-5 and earned a Wild Card berth. It was the first of three straight playoff appearances for Indy under Luck.

    3) 2011 Cam Newton

    Newton and the Carolina Panthers experienced less team success than many quarterbacks on this list, going just 6-10. Still, Newton’s rookie season can’t be ignored – he posted one of the best dual threat campaigns ever, let alone for a rookie.

    Newton passed for 4,051 yards and ran for 704 on the ground. He scored 21 passing TDs  14 more as a rusher. His mark of 14 rushing scores remains a rookie quarterback record, and he was also the first rookie to pass for 4,000 yards in a season.

    2) 2023 C.J. Stroud

    Stroud’s numbers are up there with any rookie quarterback season. His 4,108 pass yards are third-most by a rookie behind Luck and Herbert, and his 23 passing TDs are tied for sixth-most. In addition, he led the NFL in both passing yards per game and interception rate.

    But Stroud ranks so high on this list in large part due to how quickly he helped turn around one of the league’s most hapless franchises. Houston had gone a league-worst 11-38-1 in the three seasons prior to Stroud’s arrival and nearly equaled that win total in one year with a 10-7 record and AFC South title. Coupled with a decisive playoff win over the Cleveland Browns, Stroud put together a résumé that immediately established him as a franchise cornerstone.

    1) 2012 Robert Griffin III

    RG3 did not shine very long due to injuries, but he burned as brightly as any rookie quarterback ever. Griffin III passed for 20 TDs and rushed for seven more, while also becoming the only rookie in league history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 800 yards. In addition, he was one of the league’s most efficient passers, leading the NFL in yards per pass attempt, yards per rush attempt, and interception rate.

    Unfortunately, a torn ACL in Washington’s Wild Card loss against the Seattle Seahawks forever altered the trajectory of his career. But that doesn’t change that RG3’s rookie season remains one of the most influential in recent history.

    2025 NFL Mock Draft Simulator

    The PFN Mock Draft Simulator features hundreds of prospects, scouting reports, and free trades -- jump into the FREE mock draft machine and get ready for the 2025 NFL Draft.

    2025 NFL Season & Playoff Predictor

    PFSN's 2025 NFL Season and Playoff Predictor is a tool that allows you to play out various weekly scenarios to see how the NFL playoff picture changes with each scenario.

    NFL Offseason Manager: Salary Cap, Free Agency, and More

    Do you think you can manage your favorite team’s roster better than the real-life general managers? PFN's Offseason Manager is here to help you prove it.

    Guess the NFL Player

    Test your NFL knowledge with PFSN's Guess the NFL Player game, the ultimate NFL player guessing game for football fans!

    Steelers Insider Reveals One Non-Negotiable Detail of Pittsburgh’s Offer to Aaron Rodgers

    A team insider brought the latest on the non-negotiable demand in the contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers have placed in front of Aaron Rodgers.

    Former NFL QB Reveals His Pick for the Most Improved Team During the 2025 Offseason

    NFL analyst Chase Daniel and former quarterback argued the Denver Broncos are the most improved team after the first week of the free agency.

    Former Chiefs Star Justin Reid Gets Brutally Honest About Kansas City’s Super Bowl Meltdown Against Eagles

    New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid didn't mince words when explaining why he felt the Kansas City Chiefs got destroyed in Super Bowl 59.

    Seahawks Predicted To Replace DK Metcalf By Selecting 6’4”, 28-TD WR in 2025 NFL Draft

    With an eye on maximizing Sam Darnold, one analyst has the Seattle Seahawks forming a deadly wide receiver trio in the 2025 NFL Draft.
    Join the Conversation!

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here