Best NFL Week 1 rookie debuts since 2000

Quarterbacks

Robert Griffin III
9/9/2012 | @ NO | 19-26, 320 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 9 rushes, 42 rushing yards

A win over Drew Brees and Sean Payton in New Orleans with a near-flawless passing display is a pretty nice way to start out a career, wouldn't you say? That's what Griffin did. Also making his debut that week was Andrew Luck, who went one spot before Griffin as the top pick of that 2012 draft class, but it was Griffin who stole the show while Luck threw three interceptions.

Cam Newton
9/11/2011 | @ ARI | 24-37, 422 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 8 rushes, 18 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD

With the most passing yards ever in a debut and three total touchdowns, there wasn't much more you could ask for out of Newton in his first ever appearance to kick off the 2011 season ... other than a win over the Arizona Cardinals, that is. But besides that, the statistics speak for themselves, and that was just the beginning of a memorable Rookie of the Year campaign.

Marcus Mariota
9/13/2015 | @ TB | 13-15, 209 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT, 2 rushes, 6 rushing yards

Mariota had a perfect 158.3 passer rating in game in his debut and hasn't done it since. Now a backup in Las Vegas, Mariota has had a career that certainly didn't go the way we thought it would after seeing him light up the Buccaneers defense to start his NFL journey. In that same game, fellow rookie Jameis Winston had a debut that was much more representative of the career to come, tossing a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

Running backs

Kareem Hunt
9/7/2017 | @ NE | 17 rushes, 148 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 5 receptions, 98 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs

Never mind the best Week 1 rookie debut at the running back position. How about the best rookie debut ever? With 246 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in an away game against the eventual AFC champions, Hunt completely dominated in his first showing of NFL action. And though he inevitably slowed down, Hunt went on to lead the league in rushing yards and finish with 11 total touchdowns. He's still an effective running back today, though not nearly as bright of a star as we may have thought.

Adrian Peterson
9/9/2007 | vs. ATL | 19 rushes, 103 rushing yards, 1 reception, 60 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

It wasn't the best game of Peterson's rookie season — that came when he ran the ball 20 times for 224 yards and a trio of touchdowns against the Chicago Bears in a tough Week 6 victory — but it was a pretty strong start. That 60-yarder was the longest of the six receiving touchdowns in his career.

Matt Forte
9/7/2008 | @ IND | 23 carries, 123 yards, 1 rushing TD, 3 receptions, 18 receiving yards

Walking into Lucas Oil Stadium and defeating Peyton Manning's Colts, who'd go on to have a 12-4 season, is no small feat, and the Bears largely had Forte to thank for that. After all, quarterback Kyle Orton was largely a non-factor with 150 yards and no scores. And though the defense ultimately helped to put the game out of reach, Forte got the Bears on the board with an awesome 50-yard score in just the fourth carry of his entire career.

Wide receivers & tight ends

Anquan Boldin
9/7/2003 | @ DET | 10 receptions, 217 yards, 2 TDs

After a debut performance like this, who else was going to win Rookie of the Year? Sure, Boldin had to maintain at least some level of production throughout the year after that — which he did quite well — but this prolific effort out of the gate is one that may not ever get outdone.

Eddie Royal
9/8/2008 | @ OAK | 9 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD

Royal only matched or exceeded that yardage output one more time in the 116 games of his career, and it happened nine weeks later against the Browns (164 yards). That's not to say he wasn't an effective player throughout the years, retiring with more than 400 receptions and more than 4,300 yards, but he didn't live up to whatever hype that debut might have brought him.

Marquise Brown
9/8/2019 | @ MIA | 4 receptions, 147 yards, 2 TDs

This was an unbelievable showing for Brown, but it somehow wasn't the performance that had everyone talking. That honor belonged, of course, to Lamar Jackson, who set off on an MVP campaign early and finished Week 1 with 324 yards, five touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Brown is still a big-play threat at any time, but he needs to bounce back after a disappointing sophomore effort in 2020.

T.J. Hockenson
9/8/2019 | @ ARI | 6 receptions, 131 yards, 1 TD

Hockenson accounted for about 19% of his receptions, 36% of his receiving yards and 50% of his touchdowns as a rookie in just his first game. When you select a tight end with the No. 8 overall pick though, those are the numbers you expect to see sooner rather than later. Now in his third year -- and with the loss of both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones from the Lions' receiving corps -- Hockenson could break out in a big way.

Defense

T.J. Watt
9/10/17 | @ CLE | 2.0 sacks, 6 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, 1 interception

It didn't take long for Watt to show that he could be every bit as valuable as his big brother once he made it to the NFL, and the Steelers were immediately pretty happy with their decision to take him with the No. 30 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, it's time for the Steelers to work out how they're going to keep him in their long-term plans for more production like what we've seen ever since his debut.

Fred Warner
9/9/18 | @ MIN | 11 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble

Talk about a do-it-all debut -- Warner contributed in about every way possible, and the 11 tackles that he notched is still tied for the highest figure in his career. Now a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro selection after his incredible 2020 campaign, Warner has asserted himself as one of the league's best linebackers, and his debut was definitely a good indication that that might happen.

Denzel Ward
9/9/18 | vs. PIT | 2 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes defended

Ben Roethlisberger led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards in 2018 and provided the Steelers with a top-10 offense, but he also led the league with 16 interceptions. A pair of those came at the hands of a rookie Denzel Ward in his debut, which led to a frustrating day overall for the Steelers. It's also worth mentioning that Ward was matched up with Antonio Brown, who may have been the most talented receiver in the whole league at the time. The Browns pulled out a tie, which was expected by very few, and it was a sign of things to come for the turnaround of this Cleveland team.