In a league known for valuing veteran leadership and experience, five rookies are set to start at the NFL's most important position in week one of the season.
The five rookie quarterbacks are the most since 1969 when three rookies started season openers for their teams. The starters are Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck, Cleveland's Brandon Weeden, Seattle's Russell Wilson, Miami's Ryan Tannehill and Washington's Robert Griffin III.
On top of those starters, five other teams are staring quarterbacks that are entering their second season. According to ESPN.com, that's the highest amount of quarterbacks with that little experience starting around the league since 2000, when there were seven.
All of the rookies are expected to make a big impact on their teams and coaches are hoping that they can duplicate the success of Cam Newton last year, who was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. Newton passed for over 4,000 yards and had 21 touchdowns.
Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck was drafted No. 1 overall and might have the highest expectations of the group. He is replacing future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and is joining a team that was just 1-15 last season.
As a senior at Stanford Luck finished in the top-two of the Heisman voting and led the team to the 2012 Fiesta Bowl. The Colts have reshaped their team since the departure of Manning and are looking to Luck to help steer the franchise back to prominence. The Colts will take on the Chicago Bears in week 1.
The man who finished ahead of Luck for the Heisman is the new starter for the Washington Redskins, former Baylor star Robert Griffin III.
The No. 2-overall draft pick immediately upgrades the position for the Redskins after last season when they had Rex Grossman and John Beck flip-flop starts through the year. He also brings stability and excitement to a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2007.
In his final season at Baylor, Griffin was electric, passing for 4,293 yards with 37 touchdowns to go along with 700 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Redskins will face the New Orleans Saints on the road.
Cleveland rookie Brandon Weeden is the elder statesman of the group, sitting at 28-years-old as he prepares to make his first NFL start. As quarterback for Oklahoma State last year, Weeden threw for over 4,000 yards and led the team to an 11-1 record.
Before starring at Oklahoma State, Weeden played professional baseball in the minor leagues, but decided to go back to football after 2006. The Browns selected him with the 22nd pick of the first round and hope that his age and experience will help them regain their winning ways. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2002.
The Miami Dolphins have been searching for Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's replacement since the legend retired in 1999. They have used 17 quarterbacks over that time, and since drafting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the No. 8 pick, they hope they can keep that number the same for a few years.
Tannehill started out as a wide receiver in college, but after playing quarterback in 2010, he started all 13 games for Texas A&M in 2011. He led the team to a 7-6 record but had 3,744 yards passing with 29 touchdowns.
The Dolphins have a new head coach this year in Joe Philbin and are looking to improve after four straight years of no playoff appearances. Miami will take on the Houston Texans on the road to open their season.
The final rookie starter is the one who many experts said didn't even have a chance to make the NFL. Standing at only 5'11, Seattle Seahawk's starter Russell Wilson has been told all his life that he was too short to play quarterback, and time after time he proved those doubters wrong.
Wilson played at North Carolina State from 2007 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin for his final year of eligibility. He quickly made an impact on the team and electrified the Big 12 with athletic runs and accurate passes. He threw for 33 touchdowns on the year, which was a single-season record for the school.
He was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round and immediately impressed coach Pete Carroll with his work ethic and determination. Last season the Seahawks suffered from inconsistent quarterback play from starter Tavaris Jackson. Throughout training camp and the preseason he outplayed free agent signee Matt Flynn, who was projected to be the Seahawks starter by many after leaving the Green Bay Packers.
Wilson, like the other four rookies in his class, will have a tough time trying to bring his team in a new direction, but he is a confident passer who should benefit from Seattle's offensive system. The Seahawks will play the Arizona Cardinals in week 1.
Each NFL season can be unpredictable and although these five rookies have zero years of experience between them, based on their past accomplishments it wouldn't surprise anyone if one, two, or heck, all five of them improved their teams' records from last year.
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