At the beginning of the preseason, it was a real possibility that no NFL team would start a rookie quarterback in Week 1 of the regular season.
2 rookie quarterbacks are climbing up NFL depth charts and inching toward starting
Sam Darnold and Josh Allen took big steps forward in Week 2 of the preseason, though how it happened was completely different for the rookies.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
But what were the chances of that happening? Not high. The last season that didn’t feature a rookie quarterback starting in Week 1 was all the way back in 2007. The Raiders made JaMarcus Russell the No. 1 overall pick that year and the Browns selected Brady Quinn at pick No. 22. Russell didn’t start a game until Week 12 and Quinn didn’t make any starts as a rookie. Both ended up being busts.
This year, we saw four quarterbacks selected in the first 10 picks of the draft, which hadn’t happened in nearly 70 years, and five quarterbacks selected in total in Round 1. Two weeks into the preseason, it now seems like two rookies have a legitimate chance of starting in Week 1.
Those two players are Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (the No. 3 overall pick) and Bills quarterback Josh Allen (the No. 7 overall pick).
Darnold has impressed this preseason. In his first game against the Falcons, the former USC captain went 13 of 18 for 96 yards and one touchdown. He had a passer rating of 103.0 in the game while playing with the Jets’ third-string offense. In his second preseason outing, Darnold started the game and went 8 of 11 for 62 yards and one interception while compiling a lackluster rating of 48.3. Honestly, he looked better than the stats let on while facing Washington’s starting defense. Gang Green Nation broke down all of Darnold’s first-quarter throws here. Football Outsiders is projecting a lot of turnovers for Darnold, but not a terrible season for the Jets if the rookie is to start this year. But with Teddy Bridgewater also impressing, it’s still possible Darnold does not start in Week 1.
Bridgewater, who the Jets signed in free agency, went 10 of 15 for 127 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the second week of the preseason. One week prior, he went 7 of 8 for one touchdown, impressing equally as much (if not more) in his first game in green. The Jets also have Josh McCown who is what he is and doesn’t need further evaluation from the Jets’ coaching staff at this point.
The Jets have about two more weeks to assess their quarterback situation and decide if Darnold will start when New York takes on the Lions in Detroit on Monday Night Football in Week 1.
As for Allen, it seemed the Bills were going to take their time with the former Wyoming quarterback who the team traded up to select in the draft. But then during AJ McCarron’s first start of the preseason on Friday night, the former Bengals backup suffered what was originally thought to be a hairline collarbone fracture. But, on Monday night, it was revealed McCarron did not actually break his collarbone and now is day-to-day in his recovery. That’s a big change from prior reports, so the Bills will need to see how things play out with McCarron.
For now, Allen has been promoted to practice with the first-team offense and has been named the starter for the third week of the preseason, in which the Bills take on the team who helped end Buffalo’s postseason drought, the Bengals.
In Allen’s second preseason outing, he led the Bills’ offense to three consecutive scoring drives against the Browns (a touchdown and two field goals) after the starters went three-and-out four straight times. Through two weeks of preseason action, Allen is 18 of 32 for 176 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, good for a passer rating of 92.7. He’s also added 47 rushing yards on six attempts. Is the enough for the Bills to trust him as their Week 1 starter? Beyond McCarron (if healthy) the other option in Buffalo is Nathan Peterman, who has gone 17 of 20 for 231 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in two preseason contests. Peterman actually hasn’t been bad, so the Bills may have a tough decision to make in deciding who starts this year.
If Monday’s practice is any indication, it seems like Buffalo is willing to turn to the rookie before making Peterman the starter.
Both Darnold and Allen have work to do before being named starters, but it seems more likely now than it did two weeks ago that we see a rookie quarterback on the field in Week 1.
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