Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams (18) - Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The NFL season is less than a week away, and all eyes will be on the 2024 first-round quarterbacks. Six quarterbacks are heading into their rookie seasons. While many of them are getting the start, not all of them will be seen this season. Here is a look at the status of the 2024 first-round quarterbacks this year.
2024 First-Round Quarterbacks Outlook
This year’s quarterback draft class is one with high potential. 2024 was the draft class where teams simply unknown about their current state of the position had to at least take note of who was available. There are currently six rookie quarterbacks in the league taken in the first round. The status of how they are starting the 2024 season is now known. Here is a look at all six 2024 first-round quarterbacks.
Pick 1: Caleb Williams – Bears
The top pick in this year’s draft is Caleb Williams. The Chicago Bears drafted Williams from USC with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams is a Heisman winner and expected to be the franchise quarterback of the Bears for years to come. He is one of the 2024 first-round quarterbacks to be named a starter this year.
The Bears have been saying they have their new franchise quarterback for years now, but this one may actually be true. They built a strong team around him, but now only time will tell. Williams and the Bears will open up the regular season on Sunday, September 8th against the Tennessee Titans.
Pick 2: Jayden Daniels – Commanders
Former LSU player, Jayden Daniels was the second quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Washington Commanders selected him with the second overall pick. Daniels is another Heisman winner, earning it last season. He is also going to be a starter this year for Washington.
While the general consensus was that Williams would be the number one overall pick, some believed Daniels had a shot to be it. It was fairly clear that he would be the second overall pick though. Daniels had a strong 2023 college football season. While he is on a team under a true rebuild, he has a high upside and a bright future ahead of him. Daniels and the Commanders will open up their season on Sunday, September 8th against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pick 3: Drake Maye – Patriots
As said, this was a big quarterback draft. Three quarterbacks were taken in a row, including UNC quarterback Drake Maye. Maye was taken by the New England Patriots. The Patriots also drafted Joe Milton III late in the draft, boosting some competition, and now having insurance at the position for a couple of years. Despite a strong preseason performance, Maye is one of the quarterbacks who will not be starting this year. New head coach Jerod Mayo made the official decision on Thursday, August 29th. It will be Jacoby Brissett, the veteran, starting this year.
Quarterbacks who have sat on the bench in their first year to learn have had a strong success rate. They did not spend their first year in a rebuild and had the chance to train under veterans. While the first time fans will see Maye in the regular season is unknown, the New England Patriots will kick off their season on Sunday, September 8th against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pick 8: Michael Penix Jr. – Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons selecting quarterback Micheal Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft is still surprising. In a way, it does make sense to want to draft a quarterback for the future. Still, it being just a month after signing Kirk Cousins, it was a surprise. Fans have not seen much of Penix in the preseason. Head coach, Raheem Morris, explained that he had seen enough of Penix and no longer needed to play him. This did cause speculation that he would get playing time this season, but the expectation is that Penix will not be starting this year. This decision does come down to the health of Cousins this year.
Cousins signed a four-year deal with the Falcons during the off-season, which is why this pick was such a surprise. When Penix begins to start for the Falcons is unknown, but at least the team has a safety net if something happens to Cousins. The Atlanta Falcons will kick off their season on Sunday, September 8th against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pick 10: J.J. McCarthy- Vikings
With the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings lost Cousins in free agency and signed Sam Darnold. The expectation was that there would be a quarterback competition and the debate of letting the rookie sit for a bit to learn. That all changed when the team found out that McCarthy would require knee surgery. This means that the rookie quarterback will be missing the entire 2024 season.
The most challenging part about this is that McCarthy will not just be sitting for the season. He will not be practicing. He does at least have the chance to still attend meetings and be around the team. Hopefully, McCarthy will heal up well and can make a strong debut in 2025. The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their season on Sunday, September 8th against the New York Giants.
Pick 12: Bo Nix – Broncos
The final one of the 2024 first-round quarterbacks to discuss is Bo Nix. Nix was taken with the 12th overall pick. While there was a competition between Nix, Zach Wilson, and Jarrett Stidham, Nix had a strong preseason performance. This has earned him the starting role with the Broncos.
Nix fell a bit in the draft, but with the depth of this draft class, someone has to fall. As for the Broncos, they had the opportunity to have their quarterback fall right to them. Nix is another quarterback with a high upside. The Broncos struggled at the quarterback position in 2023, but now hopes are much higher. Nix and the Denver Broncos will kick off their season on Sunday, September 8th against the Seattle Seahawks.
