When Should a Rookie Quarterback Start?

There were 6 quarterbacks selected in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. So a big topic of discussion this offseason has been around when each one should start.

It’s different for each quarterback and each situation, and there is data to support either side of the argument (playing immediately vs. waiting). But my personal belief is that a player drafted to be a team’s quarterback of the future should start as soon as possible.

Sure, time on the bench can allow a rookie to see how all the little things are done at the NFL level if he can sit behind a wily veteran who can show him the ropes. Time on the bench can also spare a quarterback some of the embarrassing early-career moments that may have fans, media, and even some coaches doubting their abilities.

But time on the bench also keeps them from gaining valuable experience that leads to real growth. There is no substitute for learning by doing, especially at the quarterback position. And in football, in-game experience is needed for that type of learning.

Because the quarterback can’t get touched in practice, the reps he gets while wearing a red jersey aren’t quite the same as game reps. You can’t replicate the pressure and urgency a quarterback feels while navigating a live pass rush knowing he can potentially get hit.

It’s not the same reading defenses and processing coverages in practice when the consequences of doing so too slowly don’t involve getting smoked by an angry defender.

A quarterback also can’t learn about how his talent translates to the NFL level by watching the game from the sidelines. He can’t get a feel for the throws that he can and can’t get away with, or the defenders he can outrun.

Conditions shouldn’t have to be perfect for a quarterback to play right away. Adversity is good. Being over-matched by the defense is fine. Getting your butt kicked (figuratively) is important.

If I was a GM or coach, I’d want to see how my quarterback responds to adversity. I’d want to see how he deals with failure in a year where there are low expectations. If he can’t handle the pressure then, how’s he going to do it when expectations are high and he isn’t meeting them? I want to learn how mentally tough he is as soon as possible.

I can’t do any of that if he’s holding a clipboard on the sidelines.

The Green Bay Example

For about 15 years now, the counter argument to playing a young QB right away has been, “But look what the Packers did!” That argument got an added jolt last year as Jordan Love emerged as one of the better young quarterbacks in the game.

I’m sure most of you are aware, but I’ll recap just in case. What the Packers did was sit Aaron Rodgers for 3 years behind Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre before giving him the starting job in year 4. They then did the same thing with Jordan Love sitting behind Rodgers for 3 years.

The Packers should be given some credit for planning well and getting their quarterback of the future before they needed one. But their situation has been a unique one.

First, most teams don’t have a Hall-of-Famer at quarterback to begin with. Most of the young QBs drafted to be the face of a franchise tend to go to teams that are in need at the position. So not every franchise, GM, or head coach has the luxury of waiting for that long to start the player most important to their success.

Not to mention, Packers brass didn’t plan on Rodgers and Love sitting for three seasons. You don’t use a 1st-round pick on a quarterback who isn’t expected to play until year 4. Instead, circumstances dictated that they wait for 3 years as Brett Favre kept returning instead of retiring and Aaron Rodgers kept winning MVPs.

Regardless, can you honestly say that Rodgers or Love wouldn’t have been better off by the time they got to their fourth season in the league if they had three full years of starts under their belts? That’s roughly 50 games of experience. Although it’s a moot point considering how well both turned out anyway.

Exceptions To My Rule

Of course, there are exceptions to my “as soon as possible” rule. The first is the situation described above (having a good, veteran QB that is still helping the team compete for Super Bowls).

The second exception is if a quarterback just isn’t ready to comfortably run the system to a point where it’s too limiting for the offense.

Perhaps he isn’t ready to operate from under center. Perhaps he’s not familiar enough with the audibles and checks at the line. Or maybe he doesn’t have a good enough grasp of the protections and when a blitzing defender is his responsibility instead of a blocker’s.

The third exception is if the offensive line is so bad that it’s going to get the quarterback killed.

There is absolutely no benefit to a rookie quarterback taking a physical beating because the O-line is terrible. There’s nothing good about a quarterback spending his first full offseason rehabbing from an injury to get back to 100% instead of spending his time becoming a stronger, better quarterback between years 1 and 2.

There is also no benefit to a quarterback having to run for his life every time he drops back. He won’t improve his post-snap processing and decision-making skills when he can rarely get past his first or second read before getting crushed by a pass rusher. The more likely outcome is that he’ll start pre-determining throws based on pre-snap looks instead of reading it out post-snap, which is not something any quarterback should do regularly.

Bad reps lead to bad habits.

The 2024 Class

When it comes to this year’s rookie QBs, the decisions about who should start right away seem pretty straight forward for most. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have enough around them to feel comfortable. Bo Nix showed he’s ready in Denver. J.J. McCarthy is done for the year and Michael Penix is stuck behind Kirk Cousins.

Drake Maye is the only player where there’s a question. His performance this preseason is irrelevant, partially because it’s preseason, and partially because of the situation he has around him in New England.

The offensive line has looked bad thus far. And the word out of the Boston media is that joint practices where the O-line has actually faced the #1’s of an opponent have been downright ugly.

With that being the case, the Patriots would be crazy to let Maye start right away. Not to mention, New England’s schedule is especially brutal right out of the gate. They start the season with the Bengals and Seahawks, teams that happen to have two of the more complex defensive schemes in the NFL under Lou Anarumo and Mike MacDonald respectively. It’s a near guarantee that there will be confusion and miscommunications across the offensive line, and there will be free rushers.

Then New England plays the Jets on a short week followed by the 49ers on the road, two teams with dynamic defensive lines.

That would be quite the intro to the NFL for Maye. But he shouldn’t have any part of it. New England should stick to their original plan and let Jacoby Brissett navigate a schedule that appears to have few wins on it all season.

The goal for the Patriots should be getting Maye ready for next year. That means not playing him until that O-line has its stuff together. It’s not the ideal situation, but if that means Maye doesn’t play until midway through the season (or even if he doesn’t play at all in 2024), so be it.