Comparing Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels through 4 career NFL games

Matt Alquiza | Oct 5, 2024

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In this story:

Carolina Panthers

The top two picks of the 2023 and 2024 NFL Drafts will be linked for the rest of their careers. The ongoing debates and trade speculations in 2023 around Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are some of the hottest draft discussions in recent memory. The actual trade involving the top picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts has linked Young and Caleb Williams career trajectories for the next decade plus. Lastly, Jayden Daniels shocking, MVP-level start to the 2024 NFL season has tangled the web between the four players even further.

It's complicated, messy, and we should all look forward to the 300+ page book that gets released in 2050 about how these four quarterbacks defined the future of their franchises and the NFL as a whole.

Williams and Daniels are four weeks into their NFL careers, and it feels like a logical checkpoint to compare the statistical resumes of the four signal-callers through their first quarter of their rookie seasons. Lets take a look.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Bryce Young (weeks 1-4 of 2023): 67/103 passing, 503 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions. Seven carries, 61 yards.

Young only played in three of the Panthers first four games of his rookie year (he missed week three with an ankle injury) and lost all three. Through those three games, the warnings signs about Bryce's limited ceiling as a passer were beginning to show. Young failed to move the offense efficiently in his first three starts, mustering a total of 40 points across those games. He would flash potential later in the season (specifically in matchups against Houston, Atlanta, and Green Bay), but the early oughts of his rookie campaign were bleak.

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs out onto the field before playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

CJ Stroud (weeks 1-4 of 2023): 94/151 passing, 1212 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions. 14 carries, 51 yards.

Unlike Young, Stroud came out swinging. He struggled in his first career start, a 25-9 loss at Baltimore, but his next three weeks were sublime. The number two overall pick diced the Colts, Jaguars, and Steelers, winning two of those three matchups, and fully introduced himself to the NFL world as a future MVP candidate that pulled off the rare feat of pushing the ball down field while simultaneously avoiding turnovers.

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Tyquan Lewis (94) tries to tackle Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18)

Christine Tannous USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Caleb Williams (weeks 1-4 of 2024): 87/141 passing, 787 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions. 16 carries, 79 yards.

It's been a slow burn for the Bears' rookie. Williams has been hamstrung by a leaky offensive line and injuries to his pass catching core that pundits were calling "the greatest supporting case for a rookie in league history." Chicago has objectively been, well, not that, and Williams has struggled. Film guru's are still bullish on the former Heisman Trophy winner's long-term potential, but early returns are less than promised.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates against the Arizona Cardinals

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jayden Daniels (weeks 1-4 of 2024): 87/106 passing, 897 yards, three touchdowns, one interception. 46 carries, 218 yards, four rushing touchdowns.

Daniels has been a revelation. The rookie quarterback has singlehandedly brought the good feeling back to a Commanders franchise that is finally rid of Dan Snyder's stink. His stellar play has Washington at 3-1 and in firm control of the topsy-turvy NFC East through the season's first quarter, and every time he takes the field it is must-see-TV. Daniels' blend of short, intermediate, and deep passing paralyed with his electric running ability is reminiscent of Robert Griffin III who once had a magical rookie season in the nation's capital as well.