We haven’t been without a Week 1 rookie starting quarterback since 2007, and we haven’t been without at least one rookie starting pivot for a full week of the regular season since Week 10 of that year. In other words, we’ve had 143 consecutive weeks with at least one rookie starter, dating back nearly nine years.
Fifteen quarterbacks were drafted last week, which is more than twice as many as were taken in 2015, so you’d certainly expect that streak to continue at the start of the 2016 season. But when you look at little bit closer you realize that Jared Goff might be the only legitimate hope when it comes to that.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has said that the goal is for the No. 1 overall pick to start Week 1, which makes sense considering how much the team has invested in him. That said, nothing’s written in stone and if Goff can stay healthy he’ll still have to fight off veterans Nick Foles and Case Keenum, as well as 2015 third-round pick Sean Mannion.
Neither Goff nor No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz are considered to be as pro-ready as Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, both of whom started Week 1 last season after being selected 1-2. And the raw Wentz will be fighting an uphill battle with highly-paid veterans Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel already on the Philadelphia Eagles roster.
Wild cards are Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg, neither of whom appear to be set to start but both of whom join teams — the Denver Broncos and New York Jets — who don’t have clear-cut starters under center. Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick are factors in New York, while Mark Sanchez should still probably be considered the favorite to start early in Denver.
Beyond that, you have obvious backups in Connor Cook (Derek Carr is the starter in Oakland), Jacoby Brissett (Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo take precedent in New England), Dak Prescott (Tony Romo is the man in Dallas), Cardale Jones (Tyrod Taylor was a Pro Bowler for the Bills in 2014), Cody Kessler (Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown will probably compete to start early in Cleveland), Brandon Allen (Blake Bortles will start in Jacksonville) and Kevin Hogan (Alex Smith is the guy in Kansas City).
So it might fall on Goff. Let’s hope he comes through, because it’s fun to watch rookie quarterbacks.
