Three games.
That’s what it took for the NFL to sit up and collectively recognize that C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans were going to be something different than what we expected during the 2023 season. Specifically: Two solid passing games in losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts in the first two weeks of the season, followed by a commanding statement road win over the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. And just like that, Stroud was off and running as one of the most exciting rookie quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.
That’s an important string of games to remember on the heels of the league’s schedule release on Wednesday, which gives us our first look at the path ahead for a record-setting — and hotly debated — rookie quarterback class. A collection of players that could conceivably feature five Week 1 rookie starters, while adding a building sense of intrigue into some pivotal training camps.
With that in mind, we looked over the league’s 2024 schedule and how it’s framing up for the six quarterbacks taken in the draft’s first 12 picks. Each will have their own unique path to being a rookie starter — whether it happens in Week 1 or Week 18 — not to mention a key game on the schedule that will tell us something about where they’re headed at the next level.
Starting with …
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to a throw during the NFL football team’s rookie camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The first three weeks of the season should be an entertaining showcase on where the league is heading at quarterback, pitting Williams and the Bears against the Tennessee Titans’ Will Levis, the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud and the Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson. Throw in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young and you’ve got Williams facing the top four quarterback selections from the 2023 NFL Draft. If…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-nfls-schedule-shines-a-light-on-a-historic-rookie-qb-class-is-the-next-cj-stroud-among-them-045144402.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-05-16 04:51:44
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