It was a mixed bag in Week 1 for three of the rookie quarterbacks from this year’s NFL Draft class.
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears were victorious in the early window, but Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) and Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) both came up short in the late afternoon window.
All three quarterbacks had their ups and downs on Sunday afternoon. Let’s look at advanced data to how all three quarterbacks did in their NFL debuts.
Ranking the Week 1 Rookie QB Performances
1) Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Daniels had a decent late afternoon despite the Commanders coming up short 37-20 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The No. 2 overall pick completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards while adding 88 yards on 16 carries. His longest rush was for 17 yards.
But for a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut against a stout Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, he performed admirably. Daniels finished with the highest yards per attempt among the three rookie quarterbacks on Sunday at 7.7 YPA and he was 17th overall in that category through Sunday’s late afternoon games.
Sometimes, with a rookie quarterback, the game plan can be simple and somewhat limited. Checkdowns and getting easy completions can be prevalent in those game plans.
But Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury let Daniels sling it down the field on Sunday.
While the result on the scoreboard may not have been what Daniels and the Commanders were hoping for, the fact that he averaged almost 8 yards per attempt is promising moving forward.
2) Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Of the 28 quarterbacks to play through Sunday late afternoon in Week 1, Nix ranked second-to-last in yards per attempt. Nix averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt as the Broncos fell 26-20 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Nix struggled to push the ball down the field against the Seahawks’ secondary, which intercepted him twice. Nix’s 47.5 passer rating was third-to-last ahead of Sunday Night Football.
A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2023, Nix made up for his lack of explosive passing with 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on five carries.
The Broncos are hoping Nix can ignite an offense that has been dormant and bland for seven straight losing seasons.
Sunday’s performance, though, didn’t offer the promise that he’s going to be able to do that any time soon.
3) Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Williams was the only rookie quarterback to win in his NFL debut on Sunday, but his performance was far from great.
The No. 1 overall pick threw for just 93 yards on 14 of 29 passing. He also only rushed for 15 yards on five carries.
Williams ranked last in yards per attempt at 3.2 for Sunday. It’s a startling stat for Bears fans after their quarterback’s highly-anticipated debut.
The Bears fell behind 17-0 in the second quarter to the Tennessee Titans. Then, in typical Bears fashion, they came back to win the game without an offensive touchdown.
Jonathan Owens returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, and Tyrique Stevenson had a pick-six midway through the fourth quarter.
While the Bears won, Williams didn’t inspire a lot in his debut. His 55.7 passer rating has him in the bottom quarter among all NFL quarterbacks in Week 1.
Williams has the talent — that’s undeniable. His performance on Sunday was just the first game of his career.
But it’s not going to get any easier for Williams and the Bears going forward. The Bears need Williams to unleash the talent that led him to be the top pick in this year’s draft and one of the most coveted quarterback prospects in recent memory.