This rookie quarterback class wasn’t spectacular by any means, but it doesn’t mean they can’t develop into true NFL quarterbacks if given the chance. Jaxson Dart has already turned heads in his rookie season and Dillon Gabriel, who will be making his second start this week, can certainly silence some doubters as well. They aren’t the only ones that could shine either.
Shedeur Sanders was just promoted to second string, mainly because the Browns had no other option, but if he gets the chance, he could have his Baker Mayfield moment and give Cleveland Browns fans what they want, which is Sanders on the field. Here’s three other rookies aside from Sanders that could benefit from a shot at playing this season.
Kurtis Rourke, San Francisco 49ers
Kurtis Rourke had a phenomenal collegiate career, where he started at Ohio University, named MAC offensive player of the year, before he transferred to Indiana University to finish out his eligibility. He reached the College Football Playoff in his lone year in Bloomington and ultimately got drafted. If there’s one team he could absolutely thrive with in the NFL it’s the San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan has made Mac Jones relevant this year, so I have no doubts he could take Rourke and turn him into a solid NFL quarterback. Once Rourke gets healthy, he could be a serviceable backup in San Francisco, who could eventually get some time as Brock Purdy inevitably will miss time as he’s always hurt.
Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Sanders is in an interesting situation. He could actually see time this year now that the Cleveland Browns have rid themselves of both Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, if things don’t work out with Gabriel in the interim, Sanders is the next option. The Browns proved they were going to be patient with him and now it seems they could be leaning toward giving him a shot.
If he plays this season, it could go one of two ways: He either plays poorly and every fan that’s not a Browns fan has their “I told you so moment”. Or Sanders shines in his debut and kickstarts his trajectory to becoming a starter in the NFL. If he’s given a real chance this year, he has everything in front of him to succeed. The biggest problem will be he’s not in the best system for him to thrive.
The Browns have a weird situation where they have to decide how they want to move forward with their quarterback situation. They have no reason to be committed to Gabriel at this point and honestly playing both this year will help them decide if they take a flier on a quarterback in the upcoming draft or not as well.
Will Howard, Pittsburgh Steelers
Will Howard gets the chance to learn from Super Bowl winning quarterback and probable future Hall of Famer so if things go awry, he could be in a good position to succeed in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have no reason to turn to a rookie right now, but if Rodgers either gets hurt or things get bad, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see what they have in Howard.
Last year, Howard led Ohio State to a national championship before declaring for the NFL Draft. He just might be in a good position to take over either this year or next after having a rookie season absorbing the mental side of the game.
Jalen Milroe, Seattle Seahawks
This is a longshot, but it’s not outlandish to think that Jalen Milroe could actually be a decent rookie quarterback this year. Sam Darnold is playing well so for now, he’s learning from the bench but his dual threat ability makes him a dangerous player if the Seahawks can game plan around him. Milroe has some questions about his arm and accuracy, but the way he can create with his legs could help him out tremendously as a rookie.
Not likely he gets a chance this year, but if he did have the chance, like we’ve seen with Dart, it could be what helps him succeed as he gets started in the NFL.