Last season, it seemed like we had a million rookie quarterbacks starting games. Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix led their teams to the playoffs. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye played early. Michael Penix Jr. eventually got his shot.
Even quarterbacks drafted outside the first round got their chances. While no quarterbacks were taken in Round 2, 3 or 4, the Saints took Spencer Rattler in Round 5, and he ended up starting six games for a struggling New Orleans team.
While some rookie quarterbacks like Seattle's Jalen Milroe won't see the field in 2025, a number of first-year passers will, even if it's not immediately like it usually is. Let's take a look at when to expect these rookie quarterbacks to make their first NFL start.
Cam Ward - Tennessee Titans
When he'll make his first start: Week 1
Let's just get this one out of the way. The Titans go on the road in Week 1 to face the Denver Broncos, and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will be out there under center.
This has probably always been the outcome since he was drafted, but Will Levis landing on the IR ended any chance of a quarterback competition, even if it has wound up just being a perfunctory competition. There will be one rookie quarterback starting to open the season and that player is Ward.
Jaxson Dart - New York Giants
When he'll make his first start: Week 17
I think the Giants are going to ride out the Russell Wilson thing as long as they can, but after losing to the Commanders in Week 15 and the Vikings in Week 16 to officially put the team out of contention, the coaching staff will finally make the move and bring Dart in to start the final two games of the year, starting with a road visit to the Raiders.
While Jameis Winston is technically the No. 2 guy and would be in line to start if Wilson is injured, the depth chart goes out the window once the Giants are firmly out of the playoff race. At that point, there's no reason to play Winston in a meaningless game when you already know that the 31-year-old isn't your future. That's when the G-Men can give Dart, who had a promising preseason, a chance to show if he can be the 2026 starter.
Tyler Shough - New Orleans Saints
When he'll make his first start: Week 12
If you'd asked me a month ago, I would have penciled Tyler Shough in as the Week 1 starter for the Saints, but a strong preseason from Spencer Rattler has allowed him to wrest the starting job away from the rookie.
But let's be 100 percent for real here: Spencer Rattler isn't the answer in New Orleans. He'll get a chance to show he is, but at some point, this coaching staff is going to want to see what Shough can do.
The best time for that? Week 12, as the Saints come off a bye and play a home game against the Falcons. It's possible that Rattler just winds up being so bad that the Saints pull the plug on him early, but the Saints face a fairly easy schedule.
Of course, this is assuming things don't go off the rails, which they very much could in Week 4 with a road contest against the Bills ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Giants. I think Kellen Moore will be patient, but that's the second-most-likely time for a change to happen.
Dillon Gabriel - Cleveland Browns
When he'll make his first start: Week 12
The Browns face a nightmare start to the year, facing the Bengals, Ravens, Packers, Lions and Vikings over the first five games of the season. There's a good chance that we reach Week 6 and the team is just an absolute disaster, but I really think Joe Flacco has enough left in the tank to keep the team looking competitive. Not necessarily winning games, but passing the eye test enough to keep his job.
But by Week 10, the team's first game post-bye week, it will be time to make a change. And maybe that change will be bringing Kenny Pickett in at quarterback, but I just can't imagine Pickett lasting more than two games. The Week 11 Ravens loss is going to destroy his shot at keeping the job.
So Week 12 against the Raiders will roll around, and Kevin Stefanski will give Dillon Gabriel a shot to prove he can be an NFL quarterback. And then...
Shedeur Sanders - Cleveland Browns
When he'll make his first start: Week 14
I mean, come on. The narrative writes itself. Gabriel comes in and looks horrendous for two games, and Stefanski looks at the bench and sees Shedeur Sanders still sitting there, waiting for a chance to show he can be the quarterback of the future for the Browns.
And who do the Browns host in Week 14?
Cam Ward's Tennessee Titans.
I mean, you have to start Sanders in that one, right? The two passers were closely linked all throughout the early parts of the draft process before Ward pulled ahead and Sanders suffered his shocking draft fall. That could be the kind of emotional moment Sanders needs, a real chance to go out there and prove he should have been a first-round pick.
(If the Browns don't care about narratives, Week 17 against the Steelers after Gabriel was just humiliated by the Bills the previous week would be another prime spot for the team to turn to its fourth quarterback of 2025.)