Quote:I think it would be interesting to go with something pretty simple, like having more than one season with over 30 TDs thrown, or more than 2 starting seasons with a passer rating over 90. You know, real low hanging kind of fruit as far as "franchise" goes.

 

None of the Jaguars would qualify, but a lot of QBs would.

 

Under the 30 TD criteria, you'd have Peyton Manning, who was 3-13 as a rookie, Ben Roethlisberger, who was 13-0 as a rookie.

 

Under the second criteria, you'd add Donovan McNabb (2-4), Eli Manning (1-6), Matt Ryan (11-5), and Matthew Stafford (2-8), and Steve McNair (2-0).

 

However, the players excluded by these criteria listed are noteworthy.

 

Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Rivers and Colin Kaepernick (2 seasons with a 90+ passer rating) and Daunte Culpepper (2 seasons with 30 + TDs and 2 seasons with 90+ passer rating) would not qualify because they did not have any starts as rookies.

 

Andrew Luck would be excluded because he only has one season with a rating above 90 or more than 30 TD passes.

 

But back to the first excluded group for a moment.

 

It's interesting that coaches who have been successful in the NFL (Belicheck, Schottenheimer, Green, and Harbaugh) all had "franchise QBs" as rookies and chose to sit them.

 

Even if you add in the included guys, Andy Reid sat Donovan McNabb for much of his rookie year, T. Coughlin sat Eli Manning, and Fisher sat McNair most of his rookie season.

 

Now in some cases, sitting the rookie was understandable on its face.  Rivers had Brees in front of him.  Rodgers had Favre.  Brady sat behind Bledsoe.

 

But Cowher was not inclined to start Big Ben his rookie year.  It took an injury to the incumbent Tommy Maddox for Big Ben to become starter.

 

But the truth is coaches are reluctant to start rookies at QB for a reason.

 

More often than not, rookie QBs will fail to make the plays that invariably lead to victory, and will make the bad decisions that invariably lead to defeat.

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