Entering the NFL, highly drafted rookie quarterbacks naturally command plenty of attention. They’re the fresh, new faces at the league’s most important position. That comes with intrigue and curiosity.
But don’t forget about the second-year passers. They’re the ones who’ve tasted the league but haven’t yet fully established themselves.
And in the case of 2024’s sophomore class — the Panthers‘ Bryce Young, Texans‘ C.J. Stroud, Colts‘ Anthony Richardson and the Titans‘ Will Levis — we have the full gamut of young quarterback experiences represented.
Here’s what each of them must do in his second season to be considered a success:
C.J. Stroud
2023 stats (15 games): 63.9% completion rate for 4,108 yards, 23 TDs, 5 INTs
Goal: Maintain excellence
The Texans don’t need Stroud to take an astronomical leap in Year 2 (though after a historic rookie season, that doesn’t feel totally implausible). They have enough talent to where even incremental improvement from Stroud should, in theory, keep Houston on track to become an AFC powerhouse.
The team added perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a loaded pass-catching corps that already featured Nico Collins, Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz, all of whom have a year under their belt with Stroud. The Texans run game should also be better with free-agent addition Joe Mixon. Coupled with the defensive reinforcements Houston also added in free agency (Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry), consistency — not exponential growth — should suffice for Stroud, who has become a more vocal presence on the team.
But Stroud won’t catch anyone by surprise in 2024. How will he respond to the adjustments made by defenses that now have a season’s worth of tape of him?
Stroud’s rapport with Diggs will also be one important connection to watch. The quarterback must figure out how to most effectively split the target distribution between three No. 1-caliber receivers (Diggs, Collins, Dell). According to reports from local media, Diggs has been Stroud’s most-targeted wideout in training camp practices.
C.J. Stroud “wants to be like Eli Manning and not Aaron Rodgers”
Anthony Richardson
2023 stats (4 games): 59.5% completion rate for 577 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 25 carries for 136 yards, 4 TDs
Goal: Stay healthy
Due to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, Richardson played just 173 snaps as a rookie. Having him on the field for all 17 games (and potentially more in the playoffs) is objective No. 1 for the Colts. That’s when they’ll truly know what they have in Richardson, the most athletic quarterback prospect to ever test at the NFL Combine.
Despite a poor completion rate in limited action last season (59.5%), Richardson’s upside was evident. The arm strength was there. The dual threat prowess was, too. He put the Colts on his shoulders in last season’s Week 4 showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, engineering a 23-0 run to force overtime in what was an eventual loss. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in his first three career starts.
Staying healthy could mean rapid growth for Richardson, too. He has started just 17 games since high school. He showed league observers as a rookie that he wasn’t as raw as initially believed, but he’s still very inexperienced. More playing time could do wonders for his development and confidence — possibly more so than any other quarterback on this list.
Richardson’s upside is as great, or greater, than that of any passer in the league.
[Arthur: Trainer: Colts QB Anthony Richardson looks ‘better than he’s ever looked’]
Bryce Young
2023 stats (16 games): 59.8% completion rate for 2,877 yards, 11 TDs, 10 INTs
Goal: Get in sync with new coach Dave Canales
For Young’s season to be considered a success, and to avoid speculation in spring 2025 that the Panthers could move in a different direction after just two years, he must be in lockstep with Canales.
Of course, there was a lot out of Young’s control as a rookie. Coach Frank Reich was fired after just 11 games. The offensive line play, particularly on the interior, was terrible. The wide receiver room was below average. The former Alabama star wasn’t in a situation conducive for a rookie quarterback to have success. But Young also took a lot of bad sacks and was one of the league’s least-efficient passers.
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator last season, Canales guided Baker Mayfield to a career season, which resulted in the veteran QB’s three-year, $100 million extension in March. The year prior, Canales was the Seattle Seahawks quarterback coach, helping Geno Smith to a resurgence and big-money deal of his own.
Young’s goal should be to follow in the footsteps of Mayfield and Smith. He needs to gain mastery of Canales’ system in a way that enables him to rediscover the greatness that made him the consensus No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.
Will Levis
2023 stats (9 games): 58.4% completion rate for 1,808 yards, 8 TDs, 4 INTs
Goal: Take advantage of revamped supporting cast
Levis, entering his first season as the full-time starter, has the opportunity to show the Titans brass that he can be the long-term solution at quarterback. To do so, he must maximize what’s at his disposal: new coach Brian Callahan’s pass-friendly scheme and a significantly improved cast of weapons and protection.
Gone are the excuses that the Titans have a DeAndre Hopkins-dependent wide receiver room and a subpar offensive line. Tennessee added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd as targets, giving it one of the top wide receiver trios in the league on paper. The floor of the Titans’ O-line has also improved significantly with the additions of No. 7 overall pick J.C. Latham and free-agent center Lloyd Cushenberry, as well as position coach Bill Callahan, one of the most respected offensive-line coaches in NFL history.
The early hiccups of Levis’ connection with Ridley is one thing that must be shored up come the regular season for the quarterback to earn the trust of the franchise.
Can Will Levis lead the Titans to the playoffs?
[Arthur: Titans QB Will Levis, new WR1 Calvin Ridley struggling to connect consistently]
Last season, Levis’ completion rate ranked the worst among all qualified quarterbacks. But Tennessee’s wide receiver talent and having two running backs who can catch out of the backfield in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears should help the former Kentucky star improve his completion numbers — if he properly takes advantage of them.
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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