Rookie Quarterbacks Who Shined Brightest in Preseason Debuts

Preseason often provides the first glimpse of highly anticipated rookie quarterbacks, with some making immediate impacts that generate significant buzz.

The top 3

  1. Top 3 Rookie QBs by Passer Rating in Preseason Week 1 (2026): In Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Drew Allar led all rookie quarterbacks with an impressive 154.8 passer rating. Carson Beck of the Jacksonville Jaguars was second with a 125.4 rating, followed closely by Ty Simpson of the Los Angeles Rams at 125.0.
  2. Rookie QBs Who Turned Preseason Buzz into Stardom: Some rookie quarterbacks have used strong preseason performances as a springboard to successful NFL careers, such as Dak Prescott in 2016, who had an excellent preseason and went on to win Rookie of the Year. Baker Mayfield also showed similar preseason and regular season PFF grades in 2018, finishing as Rookie of the Year runner-up.
  3. Most Anticipated Rookie QB Classes of All Time: Historically, some NFL Draft classes have been highly anticipated for their quarterback talent. The 1983 class, featuring John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino, is often cited as one of the greatest, with three Hall of Famers. The 2004 class with Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger also stands out, producing multiple Super Bowl winners and Pro Bowlers. More recently, the 2018 class (Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson) and 2020 class have been highly regarded.

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