When the Class of 2021 QBs Will Start Their First Game

There was plenty of hype heading into the NFL draft about how good the 2021 quarterback class was. The draft didn’t disappoint either as the first three selections were all quarterbacks. In total, five were taken in Round 1. Interestingly enough, only five more quarterbacks were selected over the remaining six rounds of the draft.

Now, the big question surrounding all of these rookies is when they will actually start a game in 2021, if they do at all. There are plenty of expectations heading into the new season. Who will start in Week 1? Who will start at least one game? Who won’t start at all?

Week 1 Starters
Last season, just one rookie quarterback – Joe Burrow – opened the season as his team’s starting quarterback. In 2021, there are at least two quarterbacks destined to start in Week 1.

One is the first overall pick in the draft, Trevor Lawrence of Jacksonville. Lawrence was projected as this year’s top pick after a breakout freshman season at Clemson. New Jags head coach Urban Meyer wasted little time in making Lawrence his first-ever NFL draft pick.

The Gardner Minshew experiment was great in Jacksonville, but now it’s time to win some games and the best way to do so is with a guy like Lawrence running the offense. He’s big with a powerful arm and will be a great fit in Meyer’s offense.

The other sure thing is the Jets’ Zach Wilson. At BYU, Wilson had an amazing 2020 season and then opened some eyes with his offseason pro day workouts. He’s baby-faced, but he can make all the throws and will become the face of the Jets franchise. The only way that Wilson and Lawrence do not start for their respective teams in Week 1 is if they are injured.

That leads to the million dollar question. Will there be a third? Currently via Sportsline oddsmakers, the Over/Under on Rookie QBs to Start in Week 1 is set at 2.5.

Over 2.5 (+250)
Under 2.5 (-300)

If there is a third, it won’t be San Francisco’s Trey Lance. Jimmy Garoppolo will remain the 49ers starter while Lance is groomed. Justin Fields is in the same boat in Chicago. The Bears signed Andy Dalton to start and be a mentor for Fields.

The one place where a third rookie starter may enter the mix is in New England. Mac Jones was drafted by Bill Belichick. When Belichick picks a quarterback in the first round, that says something. Sure, Cam Newton is still QB1 in New England, but for how long?

Trey Lance: Week 18
With Lawrence and Wilson locks to start in Week 1, the next quarterback on the list is No. 3 overall choice Lance. The North Dakota State product is still raw as a prospect. He started just 16 games in his college career. He did win them all, by the way.

Trey Lance was the FCS player of the year in 2019

Look for the 49ers to bounce back after an injury-filled 2020. As long as Garropolo can stay healthy, the 49ers will likely be right in the thick of the NFC West race. That will allow Lance to sit back and learn, which is exactly what head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch would prefer.

Lance will get his first start in Week 18 when the outcome of the game won’t matter. The Niners will be looking ahead to a first-round playoff game while Lance gets his first taste of NFL action.

Mac Jones: Week 7
Ideally, Belichick and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would love nothing more than for Newton to handle the load until the bye week and then turn the reins over to the young rookie Jones. Belichick won’t be able to wait that long.

New England’s bye week isn’t until Week 14. By that time, the Patriots season could be over. There’s a Week 4 date with Tampa Bay, which will probably turn some heads. The decision maker will be after a Week 6 date with Dallas.

That would allow Belichick to start Jones in Week 7 against the Jets, who, of course, will start their rookie in Wilson. Starting in Week 7 gives Jones a schedule that includes the Chargers, Panthers, Browns, and Falcons before two tough ones – Tennessee and Buffalo.

New England plays defending AFC East champ Buffalo in Week 13 and then again in Week 16. Those games could determine the division title. Starting Jones in Week 7 would prepare him for the late-season push.

Justin Fields: Week 2
The Bears did sign Dalton before they went and took Fields with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. The intention, of course, is for Dalton to start, Fields to learn the offense, become accustomed to life in the NFL, and then start at some point.

That point is going to come very quickly in Chicago. The Bears open the season with the L.A. Rams and new quarterback Matthew Stafford. Chicago will put the hook in Dalton and bypass Nick Foles after a Week 1 loss and go right to Fields. They didn’t draft him to sit on the bench.