2021 Rookie QB Rankings: Hair we go again

It’s Week 12 of the NFL season, and rookie quarterbacks are always front and center, with some living up to the hype and others not as much. With that, let’s look at how the 2021 rookie class fared in Week 12.

The 49ers improved to 6-5 after their 34-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. So, any hope of Trey Lance taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo at this point has all but vanished into thin air. The Niners have climbed their way into contention for the postseason and currently sit in sixth place in the NFC. If they continue to win, we’ll continue to see Lance on the sideline, and that’s about it.

I’m still not sure why the Texans won’t just throw Mills back into the mix and let him play out the season under center. You aren’t winning with Tyrod Taylor, so let’s see what Mills has, and if he can take hold of this position heading into next year. If you’re Houston, you literally have nothing to lose as you’ve already lost damn near every game this year anyway.

Fields sat out Week 12 nursing a rib injury that turns out isn’t as serious as was once thought. The Bears hope Fields will be ready to go in Week 13 at home against the Cardinals. We should know more about Fields’ potential return by Wednesday.

The Jets got their third W of the year in Zach Wilson’s return to the field, but he didn’t have much to do with it. On one play in the first quarter, Wilson had a shovel pass to his unsuspecting running back bounce off his back and into the hands of a Texans player. That’s the kind of year it’s been for Wilson. But if he stays healthy, he is the guy for the Jets. Sorry, Jets fans.

Lawrence had a TD and an INT in Jacksonville’s 21-14 loss to the Falcons. The Jaguars climbed back into this game in the second half outscoring Atlanta 11-7. They needed another TD and couldn’t come through in the end. That sounds like the history of this franchise, too little, too late.

It’s still not clear who had the worse day, Lawrence or Jags mascot, Jaxson De Ville.

It’s been clear since Draft Day that Mac Jones was going into the best situation of any rookie QB, especially of those drafted in the first round. Bill Belichick seems to have hit on this pick, as it looks like Jones can be that franchise cornerstone that every organization searches high and low for. And all it took was one year after Tom Brady’s departure for Belichick to find Brady’s replacement. Jones keeps doing what’s asked of him, and the Patriots keep winning. That sounds like the right formula to me.