The Worst Debuts By Rookie Quarterbacks in NFL History
Here are some of the worst stat lines ever put up by rookie quarterbacks in their first NFL game.
Image via Complex Original
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It has become increasingly popular in the NFL to hand the reins of your team over to a rookie quarterback, and the results have been decidedly mixed. While the league as a whole has become more pass-heavy and quarterback friendly, even with this shift some QBs simply aren’t ready to handle the rigors of running an NFL offense full-time.
Whether it’s because of maturity, poise, or simply a lack of skill, many young players try to step into the starting quarterback role and fail miserably. For every wild rookie success like Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck, there are many others like Brandon Weeden or Quincy Carter. Even some of the all-time greats struggle at first, falling even below low standards of mediocrity as they attempt to prove themselves at the professional level.
While some pregame jitters before a QB’s first start are totally normal, these guys allowed it to affect them (and their teams) in a most profound way. As we gear up for the likes of Derek Carr (and inevitably Johnny Manziel) making their first career starts, here are the Worst Debuts By Rookie Quarterbacks in NFL History.
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15.Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Date: 9/13/2009
Opponent: New Orleans Saints
Stats: 16-for-37, 205 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT
The Detroit Lions didn’t really have a choice but to start No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford, given that his main competition for the gig was a washed up Daunte Culpepper. Becoming the first Lions rookie quarterback to start a season opener since 1968, Stafford did not have his finest performance throwing the ball as the hapless Lions got off to a losing start following their 0-16 debacle the previous year. Stafford has been solid since then, though, even getting the team to the playoffs in 2011.
14.Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys
Date: 9/10/1989
Opponent: New Orleans Saints
Stats: 17-for-35, 180 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
No. 1 picks always come with huge expectations, and that is especially true when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. Troy Aikman had a lot of pressure on him heading into his first career start, and the former UCLA Bruin did not respond especially well. The 1989 season was an unequivocal disaster for all parties involved, as Aikman lost all 11 games in which he started and the Cowboys finished 1-15 for the worst single-season record in franchise history. It didn’t take long for things to turn around for both Aikman and the team, however; they went 7-9 in 1990, reached the playoffs at 11-5 in 1991, and then won three of four Super Bowls from 1992 through 1995.
13.Bert Jones, Baltimore Colts
Date: 9/16/1973
Opponent: Cleveland Browns
Stats: 6-for-22, 56 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Bert Jones was drafted at No. 2 overall by the Baltimore Colts with an express purpose in mind: replace Hall of Famer and living legend Johnny Unitas. Yikes. Jones clearly was feeling the weight of those expectations during his first game, as he struggled badly against the Browns and set an ominous tone for the post-Unitas era in Baltimore. He turned things around pretty quickly, winning the AFC East three years in a row from 1975 through 1977 (and capturing NFL MVP honors in 1976) before a shoulder injury limited his playing time and effectiveness for the rest of his career.
12.Jeff Komlo, Detroit Lions
Date: 9/1/1979
Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats: 5-for-21, 45 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
It’s safe to say that the Detroit Lions did not plan on naming ninth round pick Jeff Komlo as their starting quarterback on opening day. However, when starter Gary Danielson and backup Joe Reed both went down with injuries, Komlo was pressed into duty against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He posted a pretty brutal stat line after Reed was injured, although at least he avoided turning the ball over despite completing less than 25 percent of his passes. After a rookie season in which he threw just 11 touchdowns against 23 interceptions while playing in all 16 games, Komlo would never again be a regular starter in the NFL and would be out of the league by 1983.
11.Mike Kirkland, Baltimore Colts
Date: 9/4/1978
Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
Stats: 9-for-20, 116 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Mike Kirkland was window dressing for the Baltimore Colts, a player meant to simply fill out the depth chart and little else. However, when top quarterbacks Bert Jones and Bill Troup both went down with injuries, the rookie fifth round pick was forced to start on the road against a Cowboys team that went 12-4 that season and reached the Super Bowl on the strength of their vaunted “Doomsday Defense.” As you might expect, things did not go well for Kirkland. In fact, this would be one of only two career starts in what would be his only NFL season.
10.Art Schlichter, Baltimore Colts
Date: 9/12/1982
Opponent: New England Patriots
Stats: 6-for-18, 103 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
The name Art Schlichter is synonymous with serious gambling problems rather than football, and it’s easy to forget that as the No. 4 overall pick of the 1982 NFL Draft he was expected to be the Colts’ quarterback of the future. After failing to win the starting job, Schlichter took part in the team’s first game because their other two quarterbacks were equally bad. His career never got better after that, and as his gambling problems (and the subsequent suspensions) mounted, Schlichter would soon find himself out of the league entirely after just 13 appearances and six starts.
9.Steve DeBerg, San Francisco 49ers
Date: 9/3/1978
Opponent: Cleveland Browns
Stats: 16-for-32, 174 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
In terms of career longevity, no quarterback has ever outlasted Steve DeBerg. He played a staggering 21 seasons in the NFL, ranks in the top 20 all-time in several passing categories, and was such a gifted play-action passer that Peyton Manning studies tapes of DeBerg’s technique. But you would never have known all that if you watched him make his debut with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978, as he struggled mightily against the Cleveland Browns. He’d put up a brutal 1-10 record as a starter that year, and wouldn’t reach his apex as a starter until age 36 and 37 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
8.Randy Fasani, Carolina Panthers
Date: 10/27/2002
Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats: 5-for-18, 46 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INT
Randy Fasani did not enter the NFL with high expectations, which is probably a good thing. A fifth round pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2002, he was pressed into duty following injuries to Rodney Peete and Chris Weinke and was quite clearly ill-equipped for the rigors of facing an NFL defense, let alone the best one in the league. The Bucs absolutely eviscerated the rookie, picking him off three times, sacking him three times, and forcing one fumble. While the Panthers actually almost won the game, Fasani would never start again in the NFL.
7.Tony Graziani, Atlanta Falcons
Date: 10/26/1997
Opponent: Carolina Panthers
Stats: 4-for-18, 24 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Tony Graziani spent three years as the Falcons’ backup, and is the answer to the trivia question “who was the last Falcon to wear No. 7 before Michael Vick?” Other than that, though, there wasn’t a whole lot to write home about during his career. He never was able to stick as a starter, and following stints in NFL Europe and the Arena League he decided to call it a career in 2008.
6.Lynn Dickey, Houston Oilers
Date: 9/19/1971
Opponent: Cleveland Browns
Stats: 8-for-20, 144 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT
The name “Lynn Dickey” probably did not strike fear into the hearts of the Cleveland Browns, and it showed when the rookie made his first NFL start. He put up some pretty brutal numbers and was replaced by backup Charley Johnson, who promptly led the Oilers on a stirring fourth quarter comeback. There was good news on the horizon for Dickey, though, as after his tough start he would eventually be traded to the Packers and led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns (and interceptions, it must be said) in 1983.
5.Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers
Date: 9/20/1970
Opponent: Houston Oilers
Stats: 4-for-16, 70 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
For a Hall of Famer with four Super Bowl rings and an MVP trophy to his credit, Terry Bradshaw got off to a pretty terrible start. The No. 1 overall pick was tabbed to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a natural decision given their horrific 1-13 finish the previous season. Bradshaw’s futility extended well past the first game, and he finished the season with six touchdowns and a whopping 24 interceptions on just 218 pass attempts. As you know, however, things got better from there.
4.Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
Date: 10/9/2005
Opponent: Indianapolis Colts
Stats: 9-for-23, 74 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT
It took a long time for Alex Smith to become a functional quarterback in the NFL, and the San Francisco 49ers were already worried about having a bust on their hands when he made his first career start in Week 5 of the 2005 season. The Colts owned one of the league’s best defenses, and Smith never really had a chance after sitting the early part of the season behind the immortal Tim Rattay. Smith has improved as he’s aged, though, making his first Pro Bowl last season and recently signing a huge extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.
3.Quincy Carter, Dallas Cowboys
Date: 9/9/2001
Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats: 9-for-19, 34 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Quincy Carter was a classic Cowboys draft pick. That is to say, he’s a player Jerry Jones fell in love with and foisted upon the rest of the organization. And, just like with many of Jerry’s draft choices, things did not exactly pan out. Carter became the first second round pick in history to start his team’s first game, and it went horribly. After a couple years of competing for the job, Carter enjoyed his finest season under Bill Parcells as the Cowboys went 10-6 and made the playoffs behind Carter’s solid play. He was shockingly released that summer, though, and played just one more season in the NFL.
2.Don Gault, Cleveland Browns
Date: 10/3/1970
Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
Stats: 1-for-16, 44 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Don Gault may be one of the greatest quarterbacks in Hofstra history, but his NFL career was anything by decorated. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 1968, but spent the next two years on the practice squad before finally making the team in 1970. His first action came after starter Bill Nelsen got hurt, and the game was a veritable quarterbacking atrocity. Facing off with fellow struggling rookie Terry Bradshaw, Gault played only a half but managed to record a 0.0 QB rating and lead the Browns to only three first downs. After toiling as a backup for a few years after that, Gault’s career ended without another appearance on an NFL field.
1.Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns
Date: 9/9/2012
Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
Stats: 12-for-35, 118 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT
It’s tough to imagine a debut going worse than it did for Brandon Weeden. Already facing a lot of scrutiny due to his age (weeks away from turning 29), the Browns’ rookie did himself no favors by posting the worst QB rating of any rookie opening day starter since the merger. It didn’t really get much better for Weeden in Cleveland after that, as the Browns went 5-11 in 2012 before posting a 4-12 record last year as Weeden lost the starting job following a thumb injury. After being released in March, he signed a deal with Dallas where he’ll back up Tony Romo this year.