Top 5 rookie quarterback seasons in NFL history

When NFL teams draft quarterbacks in the first round, it comes with the hope that this young player will be the backbone of their franchise for the next decade or longer. As the NFL becomes more and more quarterback centric, those picks need to show they are ready for the moment sooner rather than later or they’ll be shipped elsewhere while their former team tries again. 

In these cases, though, rookie quarterbacks shined and either helped their teams get back to the postseason or showed they are one of the best at their position from Day 1 - these are the top five rookie quarterback seasons in NFL history.

5. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (2018)

The Browns surprised many when they made Mayfield the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he quickly made people believe in his abilities and gave Cleveland fans hope in his first season. After going 1-31 over the previous two seasons, Mayfield entered the Browns’ Week 3 game against the New York Jets after Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury and led the Browns to their first win since 2016. He then set the then-rookie record for passing touchdowns in a season with 27 and went 6-7 as a starter.

4. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (2004)

Ben Roethlisberger took the Steelers on a magic carpet ride in 2004. He entered the Steelers’ Week 2 contest against the Ravens after a Tommy Maddox injury, and the Steelers just kept winning. He went 13-0 as a starter in the regular season, helped the Steelers defeat the New York Jets in the divisional round of the playoffs before finally suffering his first defeat in the AFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. While Big Ben was deservingly awarded the Offensive Rookie of the Year, he sits at No. 4 because he had a lot of advantages that the other names in front of him did not, including the NFL’s best defense and three very good receivers in Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antwaan Randle El.

3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (2008)

Matt Ryan came into Atlanta in 2008 after one of the most disastrous years in the history of the franchise. The Michael Vick era came to an abrupt and ugly end, and the Bobby Petrino era was short-lived and brutal for Falcons fans. However, after going 4-12 in 2007, Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record and a berth in the wildcard round as a rookie. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and began a string of five consecutive winning seasons to start his career.

2. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (2023)

Had Stroud not suffered a concussion and missed two games, you could have made a real case that he was the MVP of the NFL (I still would have given it to him over Lamar Jackson, but that’s neither here nor there). Stroud took over a franchise that had a black cloud over it for two years. The Deshaun Watson situation, the rotating door at quarterback and head coach - the franchise was in disarray. From 2020-23, Houston went 11-38-1 - Stroud had them nearly equal that three-year total of wins as a rookie, helping Houston go 10-7. He threw for over 4,100 yards and 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions and had a passer rating of 100.8 while leading the Texans to their first playoff win since 2019.

1. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (2020)

Herbert was inserted into a Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in light of Tyrod Taylor (again) being injured, this time by the team’s medical staff who accidentally punctured his lung. Herbert then proceeded to go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes, throwing for 311 yards and taking the game to overtime where the Chiefs ultimately left victorious. Herbert finished with NFL rookie records in yards (4,336) and touchdowns (31).