BroBible
Quarterback is the most scrutinized and publicized position on the football field. As a result, it is often viewed as the most important.
No other player, outside of the center, touches the ball more. None have a bigger impact on the play calling. Successes and failures of the offense fall at the signal caller’s feet. It is the only position in which wins and losses are attributed.
Great quarterbacks are few and far between. Those that rise to stardom become the faces of their respective franchises.
NFL teams are always on the hunt for their next leader. Many are selected through the draft process. Most struggle to find immediate success.
There are a handful, however, that not only earn a spot in the starting lineup as rookies, but that shine in Year 1. Below, we rank 9 of the best to ever do it.
This list is based on Pro-Football Reference’s AV Rating for each passer. The Approximate Value of these players is “an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year.”
Essentially, it answers the question of, “How important was the player to the team?” The method does so by evaluating production, as well as team performance.
Due to the changing nature of the game, designed to help offensive attacks, all nine of these signal callers entered the league within the last two decades. Players like Dan Marino and Greg Cook did not make the cut as offenses were generally less prolific in seasons’ past.
It may not be a perfect list, but the AV does provide a starting point in identifying some of the NFL’s top rookie passers. We’ll start with No. 9 on the list.
AV: 14
Stroud entered the NFL in 2023 after being the Houston Texans’ first draft pick. He immediately took the league by storm, posting one of the best statistical seasons in history.
Stroud threw for a league-high 273 yards per game while leading the team to an AFC South title. He then picked up a playoff win over the Browns to advance to the second weekend.
His 101.7 passer rating ranks No. 2 all-time for NFL rookie quarterbacks, as do his 4,557 passing yards.
AV: 14
Ryan was a rookie in the 2008 season, making him the oldest player on this list. A first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, he posted strong numbers in an 11-win campaign.
The passer threw for 3,440 yards and 16 scores to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and help his team make the postseason. Unfortunately, it ended with a first round loss to the Cardinals.
Ryan’s first season was just a glimpse of things to come. He’d later achieve accolades to include league MVP, NFC Champion, and Pro Bowler.
AV: 14
Murray had a choice to make given his first-round status as both a football and...
