The future is bright at the position as more than half of the league’s projected Week 1 starters (64.5 percent, 20 of 31*) enter the season under 30 years old.
Among the expected Week 1 starting quarterbacks, four will be making their first career start. Two are rookies – DAK PRESCOTT of Dallas and CARSON WENTZ of Philadelphia – appearing in their first NFL game while the other two will make their first starts in primetime – Denver’s TREVOR SIEMIAN (Thursday, September 8, 8:30 PM ET, NBC) and New England’s JIMMY GAROPPOLO (Sunday, September 11, 8:30 PM ET, NBC).
Meanwhile, veteran quarterback DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints is the league’s most experienced Week 1 starter as he enters his 16th NFL season.
A by-the-numbers look at the 31* projected starting quarterbacks for Kickoff Weekend:
|
5 |
Rookie or Second-year |
Prescott, Dal |
|
19 |
1st-round Draft picks |
Palmer, Ari; Ryan, |
|
4 |
6th-Round Draft picks |
Taylor, Buf (Round 6); |
|
7 |
No. 1 overall picks |
Palmer, Arz; Newton, |
|
7 |
Drafted No. 75 |
Taylor, Buf; Prescott, |
|
20 |
Younger than 30 years |
Taylor, Buf; Newton, Car; |
|
7 |
From Texas, most of |
Dalton, Cin; Griffin |
*Does not include Minnesota
There are currently 85 quarterbacks on active NFL rosters. And while 26 were drafted in the first round (30.6 percent), 14 went undrafted (16.5 percent).
A breakdown of active NFL quarterbacks by Draft round:
|
ROUND |
ACTIVE |
|
ROUND |
ACTIVE |
|
1st |
26 |
|
5th |
4 |
|
2nd |
11 |
|
6th |
7 |
|
3rd |
10 |
|
7th |
4 |
|
4th |
9 |
|
Undrafted |
14 |
Following is a listing of each team’s active quarterbacks:
(* Expected Week 1 starter; ** 2016 NFL Draft choice; ~ Veteran new to team)
2016 NFL QUARTERBACKS
|
QUARTERBACK |
COLLEGE |
NFL EXPERIENCE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ARIZONA |
|
|
|
|
Carson Palmer |
Southern |
14 |
* |
|
Drew Stanton |
Michigan |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATLANTA |
|
|
|
|
Matt Ryan |
Boston |
9 |
* |
|
Matt Schaub |
Virginia |
13 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BALTIMORE |
|
|
|
|
Joe Flacco |
Delaware |
9 |
* |
|
Ryan Mallet |
Arkansas |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BUFFALO |
|
|
|
|
Cardale Jones |
Ohio State |
R |
** |
|
EJ Manuel |
Florida State |
4 |
|
|
Tyrod Taylor |
Virginia Tech |
6 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAROLINA |
|
|
|
|
Derek |
Oregon State |
12 |
|
|
Cam Newton |
Auburn |
6 |
* |
|
Joe Webb |
Alabama-Birmingham |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO |
|
|
|
|
Jay Cutler |
Vanderbilt |
11 |
* |
|
Brian Hoyer |
Michigan State |
8 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CINCINNATI |
|
|
|
|
Andy Dalton |
Texas |
6 |
* |
|
Jeff Driskel |
Florida |
R |
|
|
AJ McCarron |
Alabama |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLEVELAND |
|
|
|
|
Robert |
Baylor |
5 |
*~ |
|
Cody Kessler |
Southern |
R |
** |
|
Josh McCown |
Sam Houston |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DALLAS |
|
|
|
|
Dak Prescott |
Mississippi |
R |
* ** |
|
Tony Romo |
Eastern |
13 |
|
|
Mark Sanchez |
Southern |
7 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DENVER |
|
|
|
|
Austin Davis |
Southern |
5 |
~ |
|
Paxton Lynch |
Memphis |
R |
** |
|
Trevor Siemian |
Northwestern |
2 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DETROIT |
|
|
|
|
Dan Orlovsky |
Connecticut |
11 |
|
|
Matthew |
Georgia |
8 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
GREEN BAY |
|
|
|
|
Joe Callahan |
Wesley |
R |
|
|
Brett Hundley |
UCLA |
2 |
|
|
Aaron Rodgers |
California |
12 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOUSTON |
|
|
|
|
Brock Osweiler |
Arizona State |
5 |
*~ |
|
Tom Savage |
Pittsburgh |
2 |
|
|
Brandon |
Oklahoma |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INDIANAPOLIS |
|
|
|
|
Andrew Luck |
Stanford |
5 |
* |
|
Scott Tolzien |
Wisconsin |
6 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE |
|
|
|
|
Brandon Allen |
Arkansas |
R |
** |
|
Blake Bortles |
Central |
3 |
* |
|
Chad Henne |
Michigan |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KANSAS |
|
|
|
|
Tyler Bray |
Tennessee |
4 |
|
|
Nick Foles |
Arizona |
4 |
~ |
|
Alex Smith |
Utah |
12 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOS ANGELES |
|
|
|
|
Jared Goff |
California |
R |
** |
|
Case Keenum |
Houston |
4 |
* |
|
Sean Mannion |
Oregon State |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MIAMI |
|
|
|
|
Brandon |
Western |
R |
** |
|
Matt Moore |
Oregon State |
9 |
|
|
Ryan |
Texas A&M |
5 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINNESOTA |
|
|
|
|
Sam Bradford |
Oklahoma |
7 |
~ |
|
Shaun Hill |
Maryland |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW |
|
|
|
|
Jacoby |
North |
R |
** |
|
Jimmy Garoppolo |
Eastern |
3 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW ORLEANS |
|
|
|
|
Drew Brees |
Purdue |
16 |
* |
|
Luke McCown |
Louisiana |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK GIANTS |
|
|
|
|
Josh Johnson |
San Diego |
7 |
~ |
|
Eli Manning |
Mississippi |
12 |
* |
|
Ryan Nassib |
Syracuse |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW |
|
|
|
|
Ryan |
Harvard |
12 |
* |
|
Christian |
Penn State |
R |
** |
|
Bryce Petty |
Baylor |
2 |
|
|
Geno Smith |
West Virginia |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OAKLAND |
|
|
|
|
Derek Carr |
Fresno State |
3 |
* |
|
Connor Cook |
Michigan State |
R |
** |
|
Matt McGloin |
Penn State |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PHILADELPHIA |
|
|
|
|
Chase Daniel |
Missouri |
8 |
~ |
|
Carson Wentz |
North Dakota |
R |
* ** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PITTSBURGH |
|
|
|
|
Landry Jones |
Oklahoma |
4 |
|
|
Zach |
Louisiana State |
3 |
~ |
|
Ben |
Miami (Ohio) |
13 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN |
|
|
|
|
Kellen |
Oregon |
11 |
|
|
Philip Rivers |
North Carolina State |
13 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO |
|
|
|
|
Blaine |
Missouri |
6 |
|
|
Colin |
Nevada |
6 |
* |
|
Christian |
Florida State |
5 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SEATTLE |
|
|
|
|
Trevone |
Texas |
R |
|
|
Russell |
Wisconsin |
5 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA BAY |
|
|
|
|
Mike Glennon |
North |
4 |
|
|
Ryan Griffin |
Tulane |
3 |
|
|
Jameis |
Florida State |
2 |
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TENNESSEE |
|
|
|
|
Matt Cassel |
Southern |
12 |
~ |
|
Marcus |
Oregon |
2 |
* |
|
Alex Tanney |
Monmouth |
2 |
~ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON |
|
|
|
|
Kirk Cousins |
Michigan |
5 |
* |
|
Colt McCoy |
Texas |
7 |
|
|
Nate Sudfeld |
Indiana |
R |
** |
# # #
