It was a fun opening week of NFL preseason action. Rookie quarterbacks finally took the field in their new uniforms, giving fans their first glimpse of some of the young passers who could shape the future of their franchises. While preseason results shouldn’t be overreacted to, a strong debut can help ease the minds of fans who are anxious to see them take the field.

With the first week of action in the books, here are the top five rookie quarterback performances from Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

1. Ty Simpson – Los Angeles Rams

Statline: 21 for 25, 190 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns

The reality is that Ty Simpson is part of the Los Angeles Rams. Whether you like the process or not, it doesn’t matter. He’ll likely be backing up Matthew Stafford by the time the regular season rolls around. Simpson took the field for the first time in his preseason debut and showed promise.

Running a Sean McVay offense isn’t easy. Stafford has made it look easy, but it requires a strong arm and an ability to digest defenses in a hurry. In addition to all that, you have to be able to make throws on the run in the play-action boot game, and Simpson got his fair share of it all in his snaps.

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He looked comfortable, in control, and confident in an offense that takes time to learn. Simpson took snaps under center and operated proficiently in the play-action game. It was a great first outing, and the biggest thing I noted was his arm strength. Something that tailed off as the college football season went on in 2025. Injuries impacted Simpson heavily, and by the Rose Bowl he just didn’t look like the same player he was early on with Alabama. You saw the arm come back a little bit at the NFL Combine, but against Kansas City it was alive. The ball was coming out fast.

2. Fernando Mendoza – Las Vegas Raiders

Statline: 10 for 16, 97 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown

The No. 1 overall pick didn’t have as many passing opportunities as Simpson, but Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza showed why he was taken No. 1 overall. Not only did he sustain hits, showing off his toughness, but his arm strength to push the ball in tight windows was also outstanding.

Mendoza did a great job operating under center (something many were skeptical he could do). Not only did he operate from under-center well, but he also read the entirety of the field. Something young quarterbacks struggle with, but Mendoza did it with ease. There were some hiccups. It’s his first NFL action, but it was a good enough performance to be No. 2 on this list.

3. Joe Fagnano – Baltimore Ravens

Statline: 22 for 28, 224 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception

Probably one of the biggest surprises from this weekend’s performances was Baltimore Ravens’ undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano. Fagnano looked comfortable and in control of the Ravens’ offense, dealing the ball all over the field. His favorite target was fellow rookie Elijah Sarratt, and he looked comfortable throwing over the middle.

One of Fagnano’s biggest throws of the day came over the middle to training camp standout Ja’Kobi Lane. He did miss a couple of throws and threw one interception to Philadelphia corner Kelee Ringo, but it was still a promising start to his career.

Fagnano has a chance to be the third quarterback on the Ravens’ roster or the practice squad. The first two spots on the depth chart are clearly taken by Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

4. Drew Allar – Pittsburgh Steelers

Statline: 10 for 13, 153 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown

Just looking at how Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar is built, you’d wonder why he wasn’t taken in the first round. The issue is his mechanics; he struggled tremendously at Penn State. Consensus agreed that he’d be a project in the NFL, and Mike McCarthy looked excited for the challenge.

Allar’s first outing was exciting for Steelers fans. His highlight was an accurate dig route to Kaden Wetjen, who ran for 74 yards. The footwork looked like it’s improved since his last time on the field for Penn State, which is the biggest reason to be excited. The statline was nearly perfect, but watching the film back, there were a lot of hiccups. Allar didn’t have to make any crazy throws on the night, but still had some questionable reps that are littered in his Penn State tape.

It’s his first time on the field, so let’s just take the positives. It’ll be exciting to see Allar grow from week to week in the preseason.

5. Jalon Daniels – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Statline: 10 for 15, 111 passing yards, 1 rushing touchdown

Kansas fans know the type of playmaker Jalon Daniels can be. The issue was that he just stayed on the field in college, but he showed flashes of that playmaking ability in his preseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Daniels showed arm strength, pushing the ball into tight windows and scanning the entire field.

Daniels likely won’t win the backup job in Tampa Bay, but is in contention for the third spot behind Jake Browning.