Exclusive: Drew Brees' 1st impression of Caleb Williams, rookie QBs after Week 1
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl champion Drew Brees thinks very highly of the three rookie quarterbacks who started Week 1. The 2024 NFL Draft was obviously notable because it saw a record six quarterbacks selected within the first 12 picks of the draft. As we enter Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, three of those quarterbacks — Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix — are starting.
Those three quarterbacks expectedly saw mixed results in their NFL debuts, with both Daniels and Nix losing and Williams emerging as a winner despite an extremely off game — 93 passing yards with a 48.3% completion rate, 3.2 yards per attempt and a 55.7 passer rating.
Brees on Caleb Williams' Bears debut
While Williams struggled in the first game , Brees mentioned just prior to Week 1 that the No. 1 overall pick will go through growing pains in his rookie season.
"Everybody's waiting to see what Caleb Williams is going to do," said Brees in an interview with ClutchPoints on behalf of his investment in Sports Illustrated Tickets. "He's made some splash plays in the preseason, I think there's going to be plenty of that during the season. I think there's going to be some struggles. It's just the nature of the beast. He's on a team that still has some holes to fill, quite honestly. He plays in a top division, they're going to play the Detroit Lions twice. They're going to go out and play the Packers twice. Its going to be tough sledding, but certainly the upside for him is pretty remarkable."
The Bears play in one of the tougher divisions in all of football, with the Detroit Lions coming within a game of advancing to the Super Bowl last season. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers nearly defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round and the Minnesota Vikings are a respectable team just two seasons removed from a playoff berth.
First impressions of Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels
As far as the other rookie quarterbacks are concerned, Brees also thinks highly of both Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels — whom he considers to be two of the top three rookie quarterbacks this season.
"I think Bo Nix is in a perfect situation, with Sean Payton, with that team, with his level of experience," says Payton. "I can't wait to see Jayden in Washington. I think that's going to be exciting to see. Those are probably my top three at this point."
After an impressive preseason, Nix struggled drastically in his NFL debut. The 24-year-old struggled to complete passes down the field and averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt and posted a 47.5 passer rating while throwing two interceptions. However, he did show off his speed and athletic ability by rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown to keep the Broncos within striking distance before losing 26-20.
Meanwhile, Daniels was the most impressive rookie in Week 1 in a losing effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Daniels not only showed off his passing prowess — 70.8% completion rate, 7.7 yards per attempt and a 93.1 passer rating — he also ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
It's no coincidence that Nix and Daniels are two of the most experienced rookie quarterbacks, having started a number of games during their collegiate careers. Nix started a record 61 games during his stints with the Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers. Meanwhile, Daniels started 55 games with the Arizona State Sun Devils and LSU Tigers .
Benefits of sitting out for rookie QBs
Brees singles out experience as a key determinant in whether or not a rookie quarterback will play well out of the gates. He also says sitting for a year — Michael Penix Jr. and Drake Maye are currently backups, while JJ McCarthy is out for the season due to injury — can also be beneficial for a rookie quarterback. He mentions Patrick Mahomes' situation with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he sat behind Alex Smith during the 2017 season.
In other words, Brees is preaching patience when it comes to expectations for rookie quarterbacks.
"You just have to be more patient," says Brees. "The NFL is not a patient league. Fan bases are not patient. Everybody wants to win. They want to win now and the coach's job is on the line to do it. I think that's the formula if you're coming into the NFL, there's this desire to throw him out there in the fire anyway and see what you got. It's OK to sit a guy, let him sit for a year. Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith. He's with Andy Reid, learning the system, learning this team, learning kind of the next level, developing his habits and his structure. Learning behind a great quarterback in Alex Smith, a playoff team. When he gets his opportunity, he's ready."
The top three rookie quarterbacks will all look to continue to develop in Week 2, with Caleb Williams facing a big-time matchup in the Houston Texans, Bo Nix matching up against a tough Pittsburgh Steelers defensive unit, and Jayden Daniels going up against the NFC East rival New York Giants.
