Preseason football results don’t always mean much, but this past weekend was a first glimpse at the 13 quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, with a wide spectrum of success and failure in their first taste of NFL football.
You probably heard about the top two or three and their big debuts, but we’ll run through the entire rookie quarterback class with a sense of whether they’re trending up or down with two preseason games remaining.
Stats: 5 of 8, 67 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
The skinny: The No. 1 overall pick played only two series against Tampa Bay Buccaneers backups, but looked sharp on the second drive, connecting with Calvin Ridley on three straight plays for a combined 50 yards. He added two third-down conversions to set up a Tony Pollard touchdown — a modest debut, but something to build on with more work likely Friday in Atlanta against the Falcons.
Trending: Up
Jaxson Dart had some impressive moments against the Bills. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
Stats: 12 of 19, 154 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
The skinny: Dart came in on the Giants’ second drive and played well, the gem being a 28-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Dart had a 19-yard scramble and ended up the Giants’ leading rusher. Three different Giants quarterbacks threw touchdowns and had passer ratings over 100 against the Buffalo Bills, but Dart’s was perhaps the most encouraging.
Trending: Up
Stats: 15 of 22, 165 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The skinny: A mixed bag for Shough, who threw a pick-six in the third quarter but otherwise played well, executing a two-minute drive before halftime and throwing a nice deep ball to receiver Mason Tipton for a 54-yard touchdown. He was the second quarterback in the game after second-year pro Spencer Rattler, so we’ll be curious if the same is true this week when the Saints play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Trending: Up
Stats: 6 of 10, 61 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
The skinny: Milroe played the second half and showed off his speed as much as his arm, scrambling from his own end zone for a 27-yard gain and finishing with 38 rushing yards on three carries. Seattle only scored on one of his drives, but his athleticism showed up — his immediate future might be as an inactive third quarterback, but you could build a package of plays for him if he dressed.
Trending: sideways
Stats: Did not play
The skinny: Gabriel missed the game with a hamstring injury, though he’s already healthy enough to return to practice. His absence did allow Shedeur Sanders to make a big splash, so the five-wide quarterback competition will continue — what he can do this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles will help Cleveland decide which passers to keep or cut or trade.
Trending: Down
Shedeur Sanders made the most of his opportunity on Friday. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
Stats: 14 of 23, 138 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
The skinny: The biggest headline of the preseason weekend might have been Sanders throwing for two touchdowns Friday night, taking advantage of injuries at quarterback that allowed him not only to start, but also play late into the third quarter. Playing with confidence, especially on two touchdown throws to receiver Caden Davis, was exactly what Sanders needed to assert himself in a wide-open battle for all of Cleveland’s quarterback spots.
Trending: Up
Stats: 1 of 5, 8 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
The skinny: Not a great debut, with a bad throw into traffic picked off what was initially ruled a pick-six, then brought back without the return. McCord is no lock to make the roster — he’s competing with Dorian Thompson-Robinson (career stats: 1 TD, 10 INTs) and it looks like he’s losing. He has two more chances to prove himself before cuts are made, but he’ll need to show more than he has.
Trending: Down
Will Howard suffered a pinkie injury that’s left his status for the rest of the preseason in question. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Stats: Did not play
The skinny: Howard broke a pinkie finger in practice last week, so he didn’t play in the opener and might not play the rest of the preseason. To make matters worse, Skylar Thompson, competing with him for the No. 3 job, threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns. Would Pittsburgh be able to get Howard through waivers and on their practice squad if they cut him?
Trending: Down
Stats: 12 of 24, 92 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
The skinny: The injury to Anthony Richardson meant Leonard got to play the entire second half, and he wasn’t bad, leading the Colts on a touchdown drive and nearly ending the game with another. He got Indianapolis to the Baltimore 23, seeking a game-tying touchdown, before he threw incomplete on fourth down. Leonard also had a nice 8-yard run on third-and-7 and rushed for 34 yards. Do the Colts carry a third quarterback on the 53? You’d think so, but that’s not always the case.
Trending: Sideways
Graham Mertz threw three interceptions in his preseason debut. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Stats: 7 of 14, 27 yards, 0 TD, 3 INTs
The skinny: It doesn’t get much rougher, with three picks in the fourth quarter of a one-score game and less than 2 yards per pass attempt. If the Texans carry a third quarterback on the 53, Mertz has to beat out Kedon Slovis, who spent all of last year on Houston’s practice squad, and Slovis played much better in the preseason opener. This was his first game coming back from a torn ACL last season, so let’s hope he can play better in the remaining two games.
Trending: Down
Stats: 6 of 7, 76 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
The skinny: This is how you make a splash in the second half of a preseason game. Miller entered the game down 10 points in the fourth quarter, threw a pump-fake 41-yard touchdown to Shedrick Jackson, led the Raiders to a tying field goal and then set up another kick as time expired that ended up blocked, so it’s just a tie for Las Vegas. In your first game after playing at North Dakota State, it’s an impressive debut and something to build on.
Trending: Up
Stats: Did not play.
The skinny: Rourke has yet to practice in training camp as he’s still on the non-football injury list as he recovers from a torn ACL last season. Hard to see him getting cleared to practice and play in the next two weeks, so his future is uncertain, though another potential No. 3 quarterback, Carter Bradley, was underwhelming in the preseason opener, and Tanner Mordecai was waived.
Trending: Down
Stats: 5 of 18, 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
The skinny: Ewers also had two lost fumbles, so this was a rough debut. It’s hard to complete only 28% of your passes in any context. If fans were surprised that the guy who kept Arch Manning on the bench at Texas went in the seventh round, this helped understand why. If Miami only carried two quarterbacks on the 53, would Ewers even get claimed if they waived him?
Trending: Down
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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