5 Epic Rookie QB Debuts that Shocked the NFL— And 5 Disastrous Flops You Have to See to Believe

Starting your NFL career as a rookie quarterback comes with enormous pressure and some players shine under the spotlight, while others completely crumble. From record-breaking first games to unforgettable flops, we break down the five best and five worst rookie QB debuts in NFL history. Which NFL rookie QB had the best and worst debuts? Best NFL Rookie Debut: Cam Newton vs. Arizona Cardinals, 2011Sept. 11, 2011; Glendale, AZ, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback (1) Cam Newton against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Panthers 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Let’s start things off with one of my personal favorites—and maybe the most jaw-dropping debut in NFL rookie history.  Cam Newton was fresh off a Heisman and a national title at Auburn—yet he was still the subject of intense media scrutiny as the number 1 pick in 2011.  The takes at the time were rough. Half the media called him “the next big thing.” The other half said, “Nah, his game won’t translate to the pros” in spite of his undeniable talent. So, what did Cam do? He walked into Arizona in Week 1, lined up against Patrick Peterson and company, and casually dropped 422 passing yards—still the most in a QB rookie debut. Add in two touchdowns through the air, a rushing score, and managed to nearly drag a bad Carolina roster to a win. Four hundred yards as a rookie, in your very first NFL game, is not supposed to happen, but Cam came in with the critics breathing down his neck and proved them all wrong and then some. Then, the icing on the cake—he followed it up the next week with another 400-yard performance. Back-to-back—putting egg on the face of the skeptics and haters. Sure, Cam’s career had ups and downs, but that debut was the perfect mic-drop moment for a guy who spent draft season defending himself. Worst: Alex Smith vs. Indianapolis Colts, 2005Dec. 11, 2005; Seattle, Wash, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback #11 Alex Smith passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter at Qwest Field. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Mark J. Rebilas Alex Smith, better known as the guy San Francisco took instead of Aaron Rodgers as the number 1 pick in 2005, still came into his QB rookie season with sky-high expectations. Fair or not The 49ers were down, but had a long tradition of quarterbacking excellence, and fans wanted their savior. Instead, they got one of the ugliest first starts you’ll ever see from a top pick. Smith got thrown in during garbage time twice before and looked okay, but it all came crumbling down when he became “the guy” against the Colts in Week 5. Smith looked like he was trying to throw to everyone in the building except his own receivers. He finished 9 of 23 for 74 yards and four interceptions. That’s right, four. And it wasn’t just tipped balls or unlucky breaks.  It was as if the Colts’ defense was out there running routes for him. San Francisco lost 28 to 3, and by the end of it, the fanbase was already questioning everything, while Rodgers was somewhere in Green Bay, smirking. Now, to Smith’s credit, he eventually rebuilt himself into a solid starter—heck, even made a Pro Bowl and had a long career. But that debut was brutal.  Best: Marcus Mariota vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2015Aug 14, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) attempts a pass in the first quarter of their preseason NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports While the rest of his career didn’t exactly pan out like everyone expected, Marcus Mariota had himself one heck of a debut performance in 2015 as a rookie QB against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected Jameis Winston 1 pick ahead of him, first overall, no less! And he walked straight into Raymond James Stadium and embarrassed the Bucs defence and front office. The game was hyped as “the showdown of the top two draft picks.” And Mariota didn’t just win it—he annihilated Winston. Mariota threw just 15 passes and four of them went for touchdowns. Talk about efficiency! That is Madden-level stuff. 13 of 15, 209 yards, four TDs, zero picks, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating in his first NFL game… Something that hadn’t been accomplished in 50 years. Meanwhile, Winston’s first NFL pass was a pick-six—that juxtaposition made Mariota look like a franchise saviour. Titans fans were convinced they’d finally found their guy. Of course, Mariota never really became that star. Injuries, inconsistency, and scheme changes slowed him down. Now, he’s a backup for Jaylen Daniels in Washington. But that first Sunday, man, he was flawless.  Worst: Peyton Manning vs. Miami Dolphins, 1998 Yes, believe it or not, Peyton Manning belongs on the “worst debuts” list. In fact, his entire rookie season was a bit of a struggle. There were flashes where you saw the talent, but he did end up setting the rookie record for interceptions in the process of kicking off one of the greatest QB careers ever.  But his first NFL game was ugly as it gets it came against Miami in 1998, and the first overall pick went 21 of 37 for 302 yards, one touchdown, and… three interceptions. Now, to be fair, 302 yards is nothing to sneeze at. But those turnovers buried the Colts.  Manning forced throws, misread coverages, and basically looked like a rookie getting tossed into the deep end Which to be fair—he was. But that didn’t stop the narrative from starting once the final whistle blew and Indy lost 24 to 15… The critics immediately started asking, “Did the Colts pick the wrong guy? Should they have gone with Ryan Leaf?” Ha—laughable looking back, but that was a real conversation. Of course, Peyton turned out just fine—five MVPs, two Super Bowls—on route to establishing himself as the Sheriff.  Leaving his debut in fans’ distant memories, though, it should serve as a reminder—sometimes the ugliest first game means nothing long-term. But if you were an Indy fan that Sunday? You had to be sweating hard. Best: Robert Griffin III vs. New Orleans Saints, 2012Aug 18, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports Few debuts ever matched the electricity of RGIII in New Orleans. Heck, his whole rookie season was the stuff of legends. Especially when you factor in the small fortune that Washington had traded to move up and get him in the draft, he was the Heisman winner, the guy with Olympic speed and a rocket arm. And in his very first game, he looked unstoppable. Full stop. Griffin went 19 of 26 for 320 yards, two touchdowns, no picks, and added 42 rushing yards. He walked into the Superdome, lit up the Saints’ defence, and left with a 40–32 win. His passer rating was an astronomical 139.9, almost perfect. It wasn’t just the athleticism that jumped off the screen either… his passing looked sharp, highlighted by the 88-yard bomb to Pierre Garçon that silenced the crowd. And against the blitz—when rookie QBs usually panic—he went 8 of 9 for 188 yards and two scores. He looked like a ten-year vet. That debut was so impressive that Washington fans started throwing around words a few too many “S” words like “savior” and “Super Bowl.”  Sadly, injuries derailed his career way too early. But for one game, RGIII was everything he was hyped to be—and more. But don’t feel too bad for him. He’s been doing extremely well since retiring. Worst: Matthew Stafford vs. New Orleans Saints, 2009Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford warmed up for their Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers in Detroit, Thursday, November 26, 2009. JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press ORG XMIT: 6764733W Sports Fbn Lions Stafford De Well, this was one was a bit of foreshadowing for his challenging days in the Motor City… but—hey, at least he got to Los Angeles to salvage his legacy and win a ring. Yes, folks—we are talking about another former number one overall pick in Matthew Stafford, who had a very challenging start to what will likely be a Hall of Fame career. Stafford was drafted to save the Detroit Lions after their infamous 0-16 season, but his debut against the Saints in 2009 wasn’t exactly the fresh start fans were dreaming of. Stafford went 16 of 37 for 205 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. He did score a rushing touchdown, but it barely mattered in a 45-27 blowout loss. It was rough. Especially for a fanbase that had just suffered through a 0 and 16-season, only to then see its shiny new QB throw three picks in Week 1, that’s the kind of pain only Lions fans truly understand. Best: Frank Tarkenton vs. Chicago Bears, 1961Minnesota Vikings tackle Frank Myers (74) tries to block Green Bay Packers defensive end Ezra Johnson (78) as he chases the quarterback Fran Tarkenton (10) on Oct. 22, 1978, at the Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 21-7. Gpg Throwback Packers Vs Vikings 11052022 0021 Alright, let’s take it way back for this one.  You can’t talk about rookie QB debuts without tipping your cap to Fran Tarkenton—because the man set the standard before most of today’s highlight reels were even filmed in color. September 17th, 1961. It’s the very first game in the Minnesota Vikings franchise history. They’re facing George Halas’ Chicago Bears—a team that had been around since the NFL’s stone age. Nobody expected much from an expansion squad with a 21-year-old rookie quarterback… But the rookie came in and dominated, torching the Bears for 250 yards and four touchdowns. Keep in mind, this was against one of the most respected defenses of the era and Minny didn’t squeak by either, they steamrolled Chicago by a final score of 37 to 13. Tarkenton’s passer rating in that game was a perfect 158.3, something almost unheard of at the time Literally because the stat didn’t exist yet! But with a look back, the stat was replicated by a rookie for over 50 years!  And to his credit, he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. Tarkenton went on to redefine what quarterback play could look like. He was running around, improvising, playing backyard football before it was the thing to do…  By the time he retired, he was the league’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns—and it all started with that epic showing against Chicago. Worst: Don Gault vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1970Nov 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Cleveland Browns helmets on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Don Gault’s one-and-done appearance might be the ultimate “blink and you missed it” career. Except Browns fans who sat through that game probably wish they had missed it… Hofstra legend Gault’s NFL résumé was practically nonexistent heading into 1970. He went undrafted, spent two full years stashed away on Cleveland’s practice squad, and only saw the field because starter Bill Nelsen got hurt. Needless to say, Gault failed to deliver. Gault played just one half of football. In that time, he managed to complete one pass out of 16 attempts. One. For 44 yards. He threw two interceptions, finished with a 0.0 passer rating, and led Cleveland to just three total first downs while he was under center.  Fans in the stands must have been wondering if they accidentally wandered into a practice instead of an actual NFL game. To make the matter all the more painful for Gault, he never got another meaningful shot.  He hung around as a backup for a few years but never threw another regular-season pass. His entire NFL career is essentially remembered for this single disaster. Best: Will Levis vs. Atlanta Falcons, 2023Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) celebrates on the field after defeating the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Every once in a while, a rookie QB comes out of nowhere and drops a performance so outrageous, you can’t even believe what you’re watching… Especially when you look back and compare it to the rest of his career. That was Will Levis in Week 8 of the 2023 season. Four touchdowns in his very first NFL start. He went 19 of 29 for 238 yards, four scores, no picks, and a 130.5 passer rating. Three of his four touchdowns went to Hopkins, and suddenly the Titans’ offense looked like it had life again despite their brutal 2- four start to the season. The guy went out there in his first start and absolutely shredded a good NFL defense like he was waiting his whole life for this exact stage. Too bad he couldn’t keep the act going in the Music City, as he flamed out and the curtains closed on him not too long after. Worst: Brandon Weeden vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 2012Dec 9, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden (3) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports It’s tough to imagine a debut going much worse than the one Brandon Weeden put on tape. Cleveland drafted Weeden in the first round of 2012, even though he was just weeks away from turning 29 years old. An older rookie QB. He was literally older than some of the established quarterbacks already in the league. So the scrutiny was high to say the least… Could a guy who spent most of his twenties playing minor league baseball really be the future at quarterback? The answer came fast. Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Weeden looked completely overwhelmed. He went 12 of 35 for 118 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. That’s a completion percentage barely above 34 percent.  His passer rating? 5.1. Not fifty-one… five point one. For comparison, if Weeden had just spiked the ball into the dirt on all 35 attempts, his rating would’ve been higher. To make matters worse, Cleveland actually managed to stay in the game pretty much until the final whistle! All they needed was some half-decent quarterback play, and they would’ve taken it home… but they chose to go with Brandon Weeden. Classic Browns. Needless to say, things didn’t get much better for Weeden in Cleveland or at any of his other stops—and he was chased out of the league in short order.