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USA Today
12-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Preseason Week 1 rookie QB rankings as 16 make NFL debuts
The NFL preseason: the best time of the NFL calendar for overreactions. Naturally, quarterbacks – and rookie quarterbacks, specifically – are the best targets for these overreactions. Sixteen rookie quarterbacks made their NFL game debuts in the first week of preseason action over the weekend, and there was plenty of variance in the quality of their performances. There was also plenty of room for questions as they played differing amounts of time against differing levels of opposing defenses. In exhibition action, these young gunslingers play limited snap counts and get in reps against defenders that run the full spectrum of opponents' depth charts. While early projections are possible after preseason action, the best evaluations can't truly start until the "real thing" – when the regular season starts and games matter more. Nevertheless, USA TODAY Sports is here to rank the 17 rookie quarterbacks – including Chargers rookie DJ Uiagalelei, who debuted in the Hall of Fame Game July 31 – to throw a pass in the first week of preseason exhibition games in 2025. Rookie QB rankings after Week 1 of the NFL preseason Seventeen rookie quarterbacks threw a pass in the first week of the NFL preseason. Sixteen of them were making their pro debut – the aforementioned Uiagalelei played in his team's Hall of Fame game matchup with the Lions. Here's how they all rank after the first week with a full slate of preseason action: An NFL debut to forget for the former Florida Gator. One play into Mertz's first NFL appearance, he threw an interception. Rolling out to his left, Mertz appeared to double clutch his first pass attempt before letting it sail over the head of Xavier Johnson an into the arms of a diving Ambry Thomas. Things didn't improve from there as Mertz threw two more interceptions – both to Kahlef Hailassie – to end his outing. Every Texans possession in the fourth quarter featured Mertz under center and all three ended with an interception before the team had advanced the ball 15 yards. From his first snap, Ewers looked out of sorts in his NFL debut. His first pass attempt was air-mailed, intended for a receiver running a quick out to his left. His second pass attempt also ended up too high for his target, who got crunched by a defender on both sides. When Ewers dropped back a third time, his left tackle got pancaked, and the quarterback scrambled out of the pocket as he felt the pressure. The rush eventually got home with a strip sack and another Bears defender recovered to secure the turnover. For the rest of the game, Ewers' poor ball placement on his throws left his receivers largely unable to make plays. When he wasn't throwing too high, defenders were able to break up many of his throws because he'd leave the ball within reach of the defensive back. Even on several of Ewers' completions, his receivers had to stop to make the catch before a swift tackle rather than catching on the run and turning upfield for extra yardage. Much like Ewers, McCord appeared unprepared for NFL action in his first game as a pro. The Eagles' backup only completed one of his five pass attempts, which meant he had as many completions as he had interceptions. McCord never looked comfortable in the pocket. On most of his dropbacks, his feet were chopping at the turf, preventing him from making a good base to get set and make a throw. Whenever his feet stopped moving, it started to telegraph that he intended to throw. McCord's long time in the pocket – his time to throw of 3.24 seconds was second-longest of rookie QBs over the weekend, per PFF – allowed defenders to get pressure as well, which didn't do him any favors. Leonard's outing was less overtly bad compared to those of Mertz, Ewers and McCord. He played the entire second half for the Colts and showed off some of the tools he has as a passer and runner that made him worthy of a late-round flier pick. Leonard ran into trouble a few times because he wasn't able to put enough touch on his passes to avoid getting them batted down – both at the line of scrimmage and downfield. Occasionally, poor ball placement let defenders get in on his receivers and gave them a chance to make a play on the ball. Leonard's worst plays came when he was under pressure. Though he sometimes was able to scramble his way out of it for a gain, there were too many times that he panicked, let his eyes drop and was unable to make any play. The worst two instances of this led to an intentional grounding and his interception. Still, there were a couple of really nice throws, and Leonard made a good showing of what he can do with his legs. Not a ton to take away from Elgersma's quick outing with the Packers. He completed three of his four pass attempts for 24 yards and looked decent enough. One thing that ticks a couple of points off for Elgersma is his tendency to "fade away" on his passes. On a couple of his completions, the Canadian drifted backwards after making a throw, giving the impression that he could add more zip to his throws if he had his momentum driving forward through his passes rather than backward. Bazelak looked really nice in his short outing with Tampa Bay. Similar to with Elgersma, it was hard to take too much away from just nine pass attempts – though completing six of them for a 67% completion rate is always a good touch. There weren't any deep bombs or highlight-reel plays, but he showed off his quick release on short throws, nice touch on some medium throws to beat zone coverage and some good zip against man coverage to find his open receivers. Shough had a couple of "welcome to the NFL" moments but also had some really notable parts of his Sunday performance that indicated he is worthy of being an NFL quarterback. The Saints and head coach Kellen Moore threw their rookie second-rounder right into the fire with a two-minute drill to close the first half. Shough managed to string together a 10-play, 52-yard drive – with some help on 10 yards of defensive penalties – in just over a minute and a half to get New Orleans into the red zone and in field goal range. Shough's performance coming out of the half is best described as "up-and-down." The Saints' second half-opening possession was a 3-and-out that ended with a sack. Their second possession, Shough threw a pick-6 after staring down his receiver from the moment he took the snap. On the following drive, Shough completed an impressive, 54-yard touchdown pass. After that, another sack, this one on a play he should have just thrown the ball away on second down. Shough didn't quite crack the top 10, but his two-minute drive to end the first half and long touchdown pass were good signs in his debut. The best word to describe Cook in his debut outing with the Jets is comfortable. The moment didn't seem too big for the undrafted free agent, who looked poised in the pocket throughout his outing after coming in on the Jets' second drive of the game and playing until halftime. He made easy throws with zip on quick passes, made on nice throw on the move to hit a receiver on the boundary despite a bad snap and showed off some nice touch on deeper passes downfield. His best throw given the situation was a third-down play where he hit a receiver over the middle as the pocket collapsed toward him. Cook got hit shortly after throwing and it would have been a first down if his receiver had gotten enough depth. Cook also showed off some of his ability with different arm angles on a couple of plays to avoid getting his pass batted at the line of scrimmage. Uiagalelei threw one pass and completed it for a 51-yard gain. It was slightly underthrown and maybe could have been a touchdown, but it's hard to knock him too much given the result of the play. Brosmer didn't play too many snaps for the Vikings in his first preseason game, but there was a lot to love about the plays he made late. Of his eight attempts, Brosmer had five completions, a few of which showcased excellent anticipation and picture-perfect ball placement to get the ball to his receiver in tight coverage. He gets knocked down a spot because of his fumbled snap, but it was an overall impressive day for the UDFA out of Minnesota. Milroe's legs were the true star of his debut outing with Seattle, but he made several good plays with his arm too. Milroe was second on the team with his 38 rushing yards on three attempts and had slightly better marks in his completion rate and passer rating than fellow Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock on Thursday night. The two best throws Milroe made were his zone-beater pass that he got to Ricky White over the hand of a linebacker and just in front of the cornerback, as well as his play-action bootleg throw to Tyrone Broden Jr to get Seattle in the red zone. Milroe could still learn to trust his arm a bit more than his legs, as there were a few scrambles that felt preemptive and unnecessary, but there's clear dual-threat potential in his game that the Seahawks may be looking to exploit down the road. Not a whole lot to say on Miller either, given he only attempted seven passes. But he completed six of them, including a really nice touchdown throw off of a pump fake. He also got the Raiders into Daniel Carlson's field goal range after starting at Las Vegas' own 32 with 25 seconds left. Carlson's 55-yard attempt got blocked, which soured the conclusion of an otherwise great drive for Miller. The Titans didn't give fans a long look at Ward, the No. 1 pick who is expected to be the team's Week 1 starter. But there were flashes of excellence to go with some mistakes in his debut. The biggest takeaways on Ward's outing is that he's already got a great connection with lead receiver Calvin Ridley, but he just needs to polish up some parts of his game. His drifting from empty pockets without pressure got him into trouble on his first drive, and rushing a throw with poor footwork led to a near-interception on his second drive. The anticipation and good ball placement that made Ward so highly touted were also on display though and should give Tennessee fans a reason to be excited. Sanders was the only rookie quarterback to throw two touchdown passes in his debut, both of which were really nice passes placed where only his receivers could get them. He also showed off some skill as a scrambler when he got into trouble, picking up a couple of first downs with his legs when things got dicey. But Sanders also had more than a few missed opportunities with poor throws to open receivers that hold him back from a higher rank on this list. In addition, he took too much time in the pocket – a rookie quarterback-leading 3.48 seconds to throw, per PFF – which invited pressure and got him into those "dicey" situations. That spin move he loved using to evade pressure at Colorado ended in a near-sack on one fourth down play. Yet the two touchdown throws really stand out as the type of plays that show Sanders' high ceiling as a passer with the anticipation he had and placements he made between defenders. Wooldridge, an undrafted free agent, completed nine of his 12 passes for the Patriots on Friday and was the team's leading passer with 132 yards. His three incompletions: a drop and two batted balls. Unless things go very wrong for New England, Wooldridge won't have much of a chance to play since he's firmly behind Drake Maye on the depth chart. But the zip on his throws and poise in the pocket against Washington will definitely make him a consideration to make the roster out of training camp if he keeps his arrow trending up. Henigan had the best PFF grade of any rookie passer in the first week of the preseason. He completed 11 of his 14 passes for 78 yards and managed to complete a crazy pass to avoid taking a sack with the help of running back LeQuint Allen. PFF also listed two of Henigan's plays as big-time throws, which were tied with Sanders for the lead among all rookie quarterbacks in Week 1 of the preseason. Dart was the rookie quarterback of the week to start the preseason. He was far from perfect, but he did a ton to show why he was worth the Giants' trade up into the first round to draft him. The most notable play of Dart's day was easily his 28-yard touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey, executed with perfect touch to hit the receiver on the run despite having a defender crashing down on him. The rookie took a big hit after the throw but was fired up seeing the completion and touchdown. Dart's ability to avoid pressure despite occasional chaos in the pocket was what won him the weekend. The touches he added as a scrambler – his 24 rushing yards led the team – only added to his strong performance. If he hadn't missed a couple of third-down chances – one of which PFF called a drop – his spot at the top of this list would be even less of a question. As it stands though, Dart's poise and execution on Saturday made him the rookie QB king of preseason Week 1.
USA Today
08-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
One player to watch at each position in Texans' preseason opener vs. Vikings
It's almost time for the Houston Texans to take the field for the first time this preseason as they'll travel to U.S. Bank Stadium following a week at The Greenbrier in West Virginia to take on the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT from Minneapolis, pitting two teams who could either take another jump forward or regress after an impressive 2024 season against each other once more. The Texans and Vikings should both take a cautious approach when it comes to their starters, though Minnesota does plan on seeing first-team reps for J.J. McCarthy after watching the first-round pick miss his entire rookie season. That doesn't mean he'll play the entire game, but he'll need to feel comfortable inside the pocket is he plans on making the ideal jump toward frontline starter status. As for Houston? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned that the younger starters would see action. That means that Earsery, the projected starting right tackle, Noel, who's fighting for first-team reps in the slot, and Higgins, the newest name on the outside, are expected to see action. And for everyone else? "Everybody's kind of on their own plan," Ryans said. "We'll have a handful of guys who won't see time at all. Then we'll have a certain group of guys who are limited. So, it's just a lot of different guys in different categories there." Going position by position, we picked one player at each spot that we'll be watching closely on Saturday. Quarterback: Graham Mertz Davis Mills might see some action, but the battle for QB No. 3 is really why Texans fans are signing up for. Mertz might end up being the only quarterback who plays in the second half for the Texans, so of course, he's the player to watch. Even if Mills sees time or the Texans turn to Kedon Slovis for garbage reps, this is an incredibly important moment for the sixth-round pick out of Florida. Coming off a torn ACL, the Texans hope Mertz can take over a QB No. 3 long-term as the new Case Keenum. Slovis spent the majority of last season on the practice squad, but he could hit the open market should Mertz prove to be a more steady option. But health is the biggest factor. An ACL injury can limit a player's progress and overall athleticism, thus leading potentiall setbacks in play. Mertz is the long-term answer at the third-string role should he stay healthy, but can he stay on the field for longer than a drive behind this offensive line? Running back: Woody Marks What is Marks' role on the team? It's a mystery right now since Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce all seem to be ahead of him on the chart. The good news? We could have answer since all three runners aren't expected to play. As a receiver in college, few tailbacks were as potent as Marks. He totaled over 200 receptions between stops and Mississippi State and USC, while utilizing his brute strength to pick up a few extra yards. In practice, he's made some plays with the second-team unit on the ground, but perhaps Marks can be the new Dare Ogunbowale as a receiving threat on thrid downs that keep the sticks moving. If anything, fans will at least get to see the running back Houston gave up a future third-round pick for in April's draft actually play meaningful reps. Wide receiver: Jayden Higgins It's Houston's first pick. Higgins, known for his size, speed and massive catch radius, has flashed at times in training camp, but his counterpart from Ames, Jaylin Noel, has been the more consistent target at camp, so this is an opportunity to ensure he's the better option. With Nico Collins expected to be out, Higgins will have the chance to show off that natural X receiver mentality as a vertical threat with the ability to win contested battles in coverage. He's going to be open, but will the quarterback he's working with connect for an easy gain? That's a mystery, but at least it's a step in the right direction for a player who simply needs NFL reps to get acclimated to the speed of the game. Tight End: Irv Smith Jr. Is there a home for Smith on the active roster? A strong preseason showing could determine that. He's competing with Luke Lachey for reps as the No. 4 option, and anything that makes him stand out should be promising toward his role long-term. Is he a better blocker in run support? How does he fare in the passing game? Can he be effective on special teams? All of the little things that don't bother starters are essential for backups to shore up their chances of making the active roster. Offensive line: Tay Ersery The Texans can't afford to have Ersery play the entire first half since he's already one of their top-five lineman, but he needs reps. Keep in mind that the second-round pick is seeing action on both sides of the line with the first-team offense now that Cam Robinson is out. That means if he's not facing off against Will Anderson Jr., the former Minnesota product is going toe-to-toe with All-Pro Danielle Hunter. That's a top 3 duo in the league and potentially two top 10 defensive ends heading into the regular season, so just because Ersery is struggling against them doesn't mean he's going to be a liability in pass protection. Every rep could benefit Ersery beyond just the repetition factor. It's the confidence meter. Losing against two All-Pro talents can derail a young player's confidence, but having better reps against weaker competition only boosts the ego. That's what fans should want to see out of Ersery during his brief stay. Should he struggle against the backups in Minnesota, that might be a major telling sign of where he is entering live reps at next week's practice. Defensive line: Solomon Byrd Four defensive end spots are locked up with Hunter, Anderson, Darrell Taylor and Derek Barnett. Denio Autry could play either defensive end or shift inside on some plays to defensive tackle, so the position flexibility makes him hard to ignore. The last spot will likely come down to either Dylan Horton or Byrd. As a former practice squad player, Bryd has the tougher challenge to make the active roster, but he has made several plays in one-on-one drills at training camp. Last week, he won't get multiple reps against former second-round pick Blake Fisher, thus setting up what would have been sacks against Graham Mertz. We'll be taking a look at which positions he plays up front and how he does as a pass rusher compared to Horton. The deeper the Texans are on the D-line, perhaps it shows how much more promising the team can be in the front seven. Linebacker: Jamal Hill Hills was another 2024 rookie who had high expectations to compete for more than special team reps, but never sw immediate action on the field. Neville Hewitt is no longer around, so the race of the sub-package linebacker is on, and given Hill's former time as a defensive back, he could have a slight edge since his coverage skills are better than adverstised. Christian Harris would be the better answer, but he's likely sitting this week after only practicing once during the team's trip to The Greenbrier. Defensive Back: Jaylin Smith With C.J. Gardner-Johnson's injury, the Texans could be making a switch to the personnel. Who is on the move? Well, Jalen Pitre does have experience at safety, and while it wasn't ideal, having a player like Smith as a solid option in the slot could end up helping out all sides. Throughout camp, Smith has bounced around from both the slot and outside corner roles as the new No. 3 option. Could he see reps at strong safety just in case Gardner-Johnson is done for over two months? This is one of those times to see the Swiss-Army knife players step on up and prove that versatility in the preseason so they can be used in live reps. Smith doesn't look overwhelmed going up against the second-team receivers. That will be the same type of talent he sees on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, so he could fit in while seeing reps at a position he's barely played since college.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix taps Airbnb CFO Mertz for board
This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Netflix has appointed Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz to serve on its board of directors, the streaming giant said Tuesday. 'Ellie's tenure at Airbnb, combined with her deep understanding of Netflix, makes her uniquely positioned to contribute to our strategic vision,' Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, said in a press release. 'Her experience as a public company finance professional and leader will be invaluable as we accelerate innovation and continue to entertain the world.' Mertz previously served in various finance roles at Netflix from 2006 to 2013. She currently serves on the boards of DoorDash and Faire Wholesale. The news comes amid a broader leadership shakeup at the Los Gatos, California-based streaming company. Netflix announced in January 2023 that its founder, Reed Hastings, was stepping down as co-CEO and would serve as executive chairman instead. Peters was promoted from chief operating officer to become a co-CEO with Sarandos. 'Our board has been discussing succession planning for many years (even founders need to evolve!),' Hastings said in a statement at the time. About two months ago, Hastings pulled back further from his Netflix role, transitioning to non-executive chairman of the board. At the time, the company said the change was 'part of the natural evolution of our leadership structure and succession planning.' Mertz was appointed to the Netflix board on June 22 effective immediately for a term expiring at the company's 2026 annual meeting of stockholders, 'or until her earlier resignation or removal,' according to a Tuesday securities filing. Like other non-employee directors, she will receive stock options pursuant to the company's director equity compensation plan, the filing said. Mertz has spent the past 12 years at Airbnb, according to her LinkedIn page. She became CFO in March 2024 after serving as vice president of finance and head of global financial planning and analysis. Prior to joining Airbnb, she spent seven years at Netflix, serving in various finance roles, including vice president of finance. Recommended Reading Salesforce alum takes on CFO role for Frontdoor Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix Board Rejects Jay Hoag's Resignation and Taps Ellie Mertz, Airbnb CFO and Former Netflix Exec, as New Director
Netflix's board has decided to keep venture-capitalist Jay Hoag as a director — after shareholders had voted to oust him — and is adding a new board member: Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz, who previously spent seven years as a finance executive at Netflix. As a member of the Netflix board, Mertz will serve on the audit committee. Leslie Kilgore, a former CMO of Netflix, is moving from the audit committee to the compensation committee, where she will serve as chair. More from Variety 'Hades,' 'Monument Valley' and More Indie Mobile Games Leaving Netflix as Streamer Continues Strategy Shift 'Ransom Canyon' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix 'Bodyguard' Creator Jed Mercurio Sets Netflix Thriller Series 'Trinity' Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden At Netflix's June 5 annual meeting, 78% of the shares that were voted on Hoag's reelection to the board were against him. As such, Hoag — Netflix's lead independent director — 'offered his resignation from the board, conditioned upon board acceptance,' Netflix said. Prior to the meeting, proxy advisory firm ISS recommended shareholders vote against Hoag, citing his poor attendance at board meetings (with an attendance rate of 50% in 2024). On Tuesday, Netflix disclosed in an SEC filing that the board's nominating and governance committee 'recommended that the Board reject Mr. Hoag's resignation offer.' 'Mr. Hoag's continued service as a member of the Board is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,' Netflix said in the 8-K filing. 'The Board determined that his absences in 2024 did not indicate a lack of commitment to his duties, noting that Mr. Hoag possesses an otherwise exemplary attendance record. Mr. Hoag's attendance rate was 97% in the five years prior to 2024.' The board's nominating and governance committee said that Hoag 'remained engaged with the Company and Board activities by attending meetings with senior management, engaging in pre-Board meeting memos, and helping to set agenda topics for meetings.' Hoag, an early investor in Netflix, has served as a founding general partner at VC firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) since 1995. Mertz's term as a Netflix director became effective June 22, 2025, for a term expiring at the company's 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. Her addition to Netflix's board as its 13th member comes after previous board member Timothy Haley, co-founder of VC firm Redpoint Ventures, did not stand for reelection at the 2025 annual meeting. 'We are very pleased to welcome Ellie Mertz to the Netflix board,' Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, who are also board members, said in a statement. 'Ellie's tenure at Airbnb, combined with her deep understanding of Netflix, makes her uniquely positioned to contribute to our strategic vision. Her experience as a public company finance professional and leader will be invaluable as we accelerate innovation and continue to entertain the world.' Mertz, in a statement provided to Variety, said, 'I'm honored to be joining the board of Netflix, a company that played a formative role in my career. I've always held a deep respect for Netflix's product and culture, and I look forward to working with the team to continue scaling the business and delighting consumers globally.' Mertz has served as CFO at Airbnb since March 2024, where she leads the global finance team and is responsible for the company's financial management, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, tax, treasury and investor relations. She was previously Airbnb's VP of finance. Prior to joining Airbnb in 2013, Mertz served as VP of finance at Netflix, where she held various finance roles from 2006 to 2013. She currently serves on the boards of DoorDash and Faire Wholesale. Mertz holds a bachelor's degree in science, technology and society from Stanford University, a master's degree in history from Stanford University, a master of international affairs from Columbia University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. At the 2025 Netflix shareholders meeting, 11 of the company's board members were reelected: co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, chairman Reed Hastings, Richard Barton, Mathias Döpfner, Leslie Kilgore, Strive Masiyiwa, Ann Mather, Susan Rice, Brad Smith and Anne Sweeney. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans agree to terms on new rookie deal with Florida QB Graham Mertz
Texans agree to terms on new rookie deal with Florida QB Graham Mertz Will Graham Mertz be cleared to play in 2025? That remains a question, but at least he'll be under contract with the Houston Texans. According to KRPC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson, the Florida rookie quarterback and Houston have agreed to terms on a four-year deal, keeping him in the AFC South through 2026. A sixth-round pick, Mertz will earn $4.93 million on his deal that included a $228,484 signing bonus. A former four-star talent from Kansas, Mertz began his college career at Wisconsin and later transferred to Florida. He impressed in 2023, leading the SEC in completion percentage while throwing for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns against three interceptions. Mertz was expected to start all of the 2024 season, but a torn ACL limited him to just six games. He put together a 76.6 percent completion percentage while throwing for 791 yards and six touchdowns, against just two interceptions, before being sidelined for the rest of the year. During his final season with the Badgers, he passed for 2,136 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Texans return to the practice fields for rookie minicamp starting Friday.
