Conveniently, the three rookie quarterbacks tabbed as starters made their regular-season debuts during the early window of Sunday’s slate of games for Week 1 in the NFL.
At times, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson appeared overwhelmed, but the three first-round picks brushed off slow starts and flashed high potential in their respective games—some more than others.
Young, the Panthers’ No. 1 pick, wasn’t rattled by an early mistake against the Falcons; Stroud, the Texans’ No. 2 pick, went to a reliable veteran to gain a rhythm vs. the Ravens; and Richardson, the Colts’ No. 4 pick, displayed his versatility and scored an early touchdown on the ground against the Jaguars.
With all three rookies playing at the same time, we kept a close eye on their debuts. Here’s how they fared, with rankings and analysis of the Week 1 performances.
1. Anthony Richardson, Colts
Stat line: 24-of-37 (64.9%), 223 yards(6 yards per completion), 1 TD, 1 INT; 10 carries for 40 yards, 1 TD
Final score: Jaguars 31, Colts 21
Analysis: Richardson’s confidence in his elite skill set led to him having the best performance among the three quarterbacks.
He calmly stood in the pocket and decisively took what the defense gave him, starting the game 6-of-7 for 56 yards and one rushing touchdown. Richardson was the third quarterback taken in the 2023 draft, partly because he struggled with accuracy at Florida and only had 13 collegiate starts. But the 6'4", 244-pound Richardson showed improvement as a passer and didn’t rely on his legs to move the chains.
If I’m nitpicking, there is some concern with Richardson trying to do too much at times. He took a nasty hit late in the fourth quarter attempting to gain a few yards with his team down 10 points. Richardson managed to get up, but he was forced to leave the game. Also, in the third quarter, Richardson tossed the ball as he was being tackled by a Jaguars defender. Luckily for the rookie, he didn’t commit a turnover on the reckless throw, but he might have been better off taking a sack.
The Colts likely don’t want to tell their quarterback to tone it down, but it would be wise for him to avoid needless hits. Richardson is a showman, whether he’s doing backflips on the practice field or unleashing his cannon of a throwing arm in a game. It’s only Week 1, but the Colts might have found the next Cam Newton.
