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NFL Rankings: Top 10 seasons by a rookie QB

By Phil Watson

Dan Marino might have been the last of the first round picks in the famous 1983 quarterback draft, but he was the first to shine in the NFL.
Dan Marino might have been the last of the first round picks in the famous 1983 quarterback draft, but he was the first to shine in the NFL. /
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Jeff Garcia was thrust into the fire as a rookie in 1999, even though he came to the NFL with five years under his belt in Canada.
Jeff Garcia was thrust into the fire as a rookie in 1999, even though he came to the NFL with five years under his belt in Canada. /

10. Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers, 1999

Jeff Garcia was not your average rookie when he came to San Francisco to back up Steve Young in 1999.

He was a Grey Cup winning quarterback in the Canadian Football League, having spent five years with the Calgary Stampeders after being undrafted out of San Jose State in 1994.

After five years north of the border, Garcia made the 49ers roster in training camp behind Young.

However, disaster struck for the 49ers in their third game. Young sustained a concussion in a Monday night victory over the Arizona Cardinals and Garcia was thrust into the spotlight.

Young never took another snap in the NFL, leaving Garcia to take over the reins.

He made his starting debut the following week against the Tennessee Titans and led the 49ers to a 24-22 win, completing 21-of-33 passes for 243 yards and two scores.

It went downhill from there as the 49ers lost Garcia’s next four starts before he was knocked out of a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 7.

He reclaimed the job in December and played better, throwing for at least 300 yards in three of the 49ers’ final five games—including 437 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-30 loss at Cincinnati on Dec. 5.

Garcia started 10 games in 1999, with the 49ers managing just two victories in those games. But Garcia wasn’t the reason why. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,544 yards and 11 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and ran for 231 yards and two scores.

His 77.9 passer rating was slightly better than the league collective of 77.0 and earned him the final spot on this list.

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