Another week down, another week to evaluate the performances of the three rookie starting quarterbacks in the league. We once again saw a mixed bag from all three rookies, but also saw some flashes.
Let’s take a look at each rookie and rank their Week 5 performances from best to worst:
1. CJ Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
It certainly seems like CJ Stroud has been atop of this list all season, and that is because he has. While not as impressive as previous weeks CJ Stroud was still able to put together a gritty performance against one of the more physical defenses in the league in the Atlanta Falcons. It was a close game that came down to the wire and Stroud looked pretty good given the type of smash mouth game it was. With 249 yards and a touchdown through the air Stroud was able to maintain a quarterback rating of 88.9, which while certainly not his best was still a solid game for the second overall pick.
2. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
It has been a bit bizarre seeing Bryce Young operating behind this offensive line and inept play calling the past few weeks, and it felt like it got as bad as it could get in the first half against the Detroit Lions team that was in the midst of blowing the Panthers out. It’s hardly fair to place all the blame on Young, but his play has not been up to what he showed off at Alabama. Thankfully Young had a much better second half than first half and was able to show off some of that skillset that got him taken number one overall. The two interceptions Young threw were not great, but he countered that with 249 passing yards and three touchdowns. Hopefully Young will look more like his second half self moving forward and this coaching staff can come up with some answers soon.
3. Anthony Richardson, QB Indianapolis Colts
“The best ability is availability” seems like a relevant quote when talking about Anthony Richardson so far this season. When healthy Richardson has looked like an authentic superstar who can march up and down the field at will and looks like an adult playing against children when he runs. That being said Richardson has only complete three full games so far this season and is expected to miss quite a bit of time after his latest injury. We hope to see Richardson back out there soon as he is a truly special talent.
