“Fanatics Fest 2025” got underway on June 20, with a host of famous names from sports, music, film, and entertainment taking to its various stages. Kicking off the weekend on one stage were Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, along with young NFL quarterbacks C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Caleb Williams.
Peyton gave his thoughts on the topic of quarterbacks sitting during their rookie season and whether it was beneficial to a player’s development.
Peyton Manning Shares His Thoughts on NFL Quarterback Development
The question surrounding rookie quarterbacks, and whether it’s more beneficial for them to start or sit during their rookie season, continues to divide opinion. Legendary quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tom Brady were all backups during their first season, with Rodgers having to wait three years for a starting role.
Manning, though, a legendary quarterback in his own right, played all 16 games of his rookie season, throwing an NFL-rookie record 28 interceptions. The Indianapolis Colts went 3-13 that year, but stuck with their young quarterback and were rewarded handsomely.
Stroud, Young, and Williams, who were sitting alongside Manning, were all thrown straight into a starting role in their rookie years, with varying degrees of success. Manning was asked for his thoughts on rookie quarterbacks starting in year one, and declared his belief that it was the best way for a young prospect to learn.
“Experience is your best teacher,” he began. “There’s always this debate: do you play as a rookie? Do you not play? Look, there’s arguments for both cases.”
Peyton Manning discusses how on the field experience matters more than anything for a young quarterback pic.twitter.com/3BA2vOKd4L
— Omar Hegazy (@AtlasPharaoh) June 20, 2025
Manning then used Mahomes’ career as an example. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has made the AFC Championship game in all seven of his years as a starter and won three Super Bowls. That hasn’t changed Manning’s opinion, though, which he went on to explain.
“I think the sooner you learn just how fast the game is, how complex these defenses can be, the more reps you get, the more effective you can be going forward.”
Manning pointed to his record-breaking number of interceptions in his rookie year, back in 1998, with his brother reveling in that particular topic of conversation. Manning flipped the script in year 2, winning 13 games and finishing second in MVP voting. “The Sheriff” went on to win Indianapolis its first Super Bowl in 36 years during a 13-year spell as the team’s starter.
Manning eventually finished up on the Denver Broncos and ended his career by becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams. Manning’s No. 18 jersey has been retired by the Indianapolis Colts, and he is universally regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game.
