Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye led a historic week for rookie quarterbacks, as they collectively showcased their talent on the field. This past weekend, five rookie starters — Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels, New England’s Drake Maye, Denver’s Bo Nix, and New Orleans’ Spencer Rattler — combined to throw an impressive 12 touchdown passes.
This remarkable achievement matches the total number of touchdown passes they had thrown during the first five weeks of the season and sets a new record for the most touchdown passes thrown by rookie quarterbacks in a single NFL weekend. The previous record of 11 was established in Week 16 of 2019, when Daniel Jones threw five touchdowns for the Giants, while Dwayne Haskins added two for Washington. Four others — Kyler Murray, David Blough, Drew Lock, and Gardner Minshew — contributed one each.
In this historic weekend, Williams led the charge with four touchdowns, followed by Maye with three, while Daniels and Nix each threw two, and Rattler contributed one. This marks only the second instance in NFL history where four rookie quarterbacks have thrown multiple touchdown passes in the same weekend, the first being in 2011 with stars like Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert.
The success of this year’s rookie quarterbacks is further highlighted by their teams’ performances. Daniels’ Commanders are surprisingly leading the NFC East with a 4-2 record, while Williams’ Bears also boast a 4-2 mark, catching many off guard. Nix’s Broncos stand at 3-3, while the other rookie quarterbacks are still striving for consistency in their wins.
Could this be a defining class of rookie quarterbacks? They are projected to reach 68 touchdown passes, just shy of last year’s rookies, who were led by C.J. Stroud with 23 touchdowns. The all-time record for a single rookie class is 101 touchdowns, set in 2012 by notable quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, and Robert Griffin III. However, early success does not guarantee long-term greatness; the 2019 class had 90 touchdowns, yet only Daniel Jones and Trevor Lawrence remain as NFL starters from that group.
Historically, rookie quarterbacks often struggled to make an impact. The 2004 draft produced three of the top 11 quarterbacks in career passing yards — Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger — yet they combined for only 36 touchdowns that season, with Manning throwing just six and Rivers only one.
Chargers rookies step up vs. Broncos
The Los Angeles Chargers made headlines in Week 6, recording the most offensive and defensive snaps by rookies, totaling 283 in their victory against the Broncos. First-round tackle Joe Alt has become a reliable presence, while second-round receiver Ladd McConkey ranks among the top six in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Third-round linebacker Junior Colson has also made his mark with eight tackles over three games.
Among the notable contributions were three late-round picks: fifth-round corners Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, who both started and played 105 of 110 defensive snaps, and sixth-round running back Kimani Vidal, who made his NFL debut with a 38-yard touchdown reception from Justin Herbert.
Fourth-round backs shine as injury replacements
— Buffalo’s Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick from Kentucky, stepped in for the injured James Cook on Monday, rushing 20 times for 97 yards and catching three passes for 55 yards in a narrow win over the Jets. Davis shone on the opening drive, with six carries for 48 yards, and added a 42-yard catch to set up another touchdown.
— San Francisco’s Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick from Louisville, excelled in the absence of Christian McCaffrey, rushing for 99 yards on 10 carries, highlighted by a 76-yard run — the second-longest run in the NFL this season — during a crucial moment in the game against Seattle.
— Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving, another fourth-round pick from Oregon, made his first NFL start with Rachaad White sidelined, contributing to the Bucs’ impressive 277-yard rushing performance. He rushed 14 times for 81 yards and a touchdown in a 51-27 victory over the Saints, taking the lead among NFL rookies in rushing yards with 328.
Cooper DeJean finally gets to make an impact
Eagles second-round corner Cooper DeJean made his first start on Sunday after logging only eight defensive snaps previously. He performed admirably against the Browns, recording six tackles and sharing a sack of Deshaun Watson. DeJean also made a mark on special teams with 51 yards on four punt returns.
Tykee Smith keys Bucs’ defense vs. Saints
Only two rookies have both an interception and a forced fumble this season, and Bucs’ third-round nickel Tykee Smith achieved both in Tampa Bay’s win over the Saints. His forced fumble led to a touchdown by safety Antoine Winfield, while his interception played a key role in a strong fourth quarter for the Bucs. Smith’s interception marked his second consecutive year picking off Rattler, having done so previously when he was at Georgia and Rattler was at South Carolina.
The other rookie with an interception and a forced fumble this season is Packers safety Evan Williams, a fourth-rounder from Oregon.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
