Ranking the best rookie quarterback seasons ever, with C.J. Stroud joining elite company

It's not easy to be a rookie quarterback, contrary to what C.J. Stroud is showing.

The Ohio State product has taken the NFL by storm since debuting for the Houston Texans in September. He began his career with a record 177 pass attempts without an interception, as Houston won three of its first six games as underdogs.

Stroud, 22, had his finest performance in Week 9, breaking the rookie record for passing yards (470) and completing a comeback win in the final seconds on his fifth touchdown pass. Even though the 2023 season is only halfway complete, Stroud is already cementing his place as one of the NFL's top rookie quarterbacks ever.

With that in mind, here are the 10 best rookie seasons in the Super Bowl era (listed chronologically):

Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins – 1983

Season stats: 11 games (9 starts, 7-2), 2,210 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 96.0 QB rating, two rushing touchdowns, Second-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, third in MVP voting, second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Season story: With the Dolphins at 3-2, Marino was named starter over the struggling David Woodley in Week 6. The No. 27 overall pick never surrendered the job back. He led the Dolphins to a 7-2 record, winning the AFC East before falling in the divisional round. Marino was third in MVP voting behind Joe Theismann and fellow rookie Eric Dickerson despite only starting for just over half the season (nine of 16 games).

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – 2004

Season stats: 14 games (13 starts, 13-0), 2,621 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 98.1 QB rating, one rushing touchdown, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Season story: Roethlisberger entered 2004 as the Steelers' No. 2 quarterback, but was quickly thrust into the lineup in relief of the injured Tommy Maddox in Week 2. He started the next 13 games, winning each one before sitting out the season finale with seeding locked up. The 15-1 Steelers won in the divisional round but lost to the eventual-champion New England Patriots in the AFC title game, with Roethlisberger totaling two touchdowns and three interceptions in the game. By making the conference title game, Big Ben matched the deepest playoff run ever for a rookie quarterback.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers – 2011

Season stats: 16 games (16 starts, 6-10), 4,051 passing yards (rookie record at the time), 21 passing touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 84.5 QB rating, 706 rushing yards (rookie record at the time), 14 rushing touchdowns (rookie record), Pro Bowl, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Season story: Superman set the NFL on fire immediately, with 422 and 432 passing yards in his first two games. As a true dual-threat QB, Newton went on to break the rookie record for passing yards and rushing touchdowns in a season. While the Panthers didn't turn things around in the win-loss column right away, it was instantly clear that they drafted a star with the No. 1 overall pick.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts – 2012

Season stats: 16 games (16 starts, 11-5), 4,374 passing yards (rookie record), 23 passing touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 76.5 QB rating, five rushing touchdowns, Pro Bowl, second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Season story: The Colts, without the injured Peyton Manning, plummeted to a 2-14 record in 2011. Luck was the prize after a year of pain, and he quickly changed their fortunes. Indy went 11-5 with the Stanford alum, who broke the rookie record for passing yards that was set by Newton one year prior. The Colts went on to lose in the wild card round to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens.

Robert Griffin III, Washington – 2012

Season stats: 15 games (15 starts, 9-6), 3,200 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 102.4 QB rating (rookie record at the time), 815 rushing yards (rookie record), seven rushing touchdowns, Pro Bowl, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Season story: Griffin, the No. 2 overall pick behind Luck, actually outplayed the top pick in their rookie seasons. The Baylor product looked like a future superstar, leading Washington to the playoffs by using his arm and legs. RG3's season ended on a sour note when he was suffered a torn ACL, LCL and meniscus in Washington's wild card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Even though he returned the following season, Griffin's play never reached the same level as his dazzling rookie campaign.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks – 2012

Season stats: 16 games (16 starts, 11-5), 3,118 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns (rookie record at the time), 10 interceptions, 100.0 QB rating, 489 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, Pro Bowl, third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Season story: Wilson was far from guaranteed to get any playing time in Seattle. He was a third-round pick and the Seahawks had just signed Matt Flynn to a $20.5 million deal. But Wilson earned the starting job after a strong preseason. He set the rookie record for passing touchdowns and earned his first playoff win over Washington before losing in the divisional round. Wilson was third in OPOY voting behind the aforementioned Griffin and Luck in what was a loaded quarterback class.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys – 2016

Season stats: 16 games (16 starts, 13-3), 3,667 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 104.9 QB rating (rookie record), six rushing touchdowns, Pro Bowl, Offensive Rookie of the Year, sixth in MVP voting

Season story: A preseason injury to Tony Romo forced Prescott into the starting lineup, and the third-rounder didn't disappoint. Over the first nine games with Romo out, the Mississippi State product had 14 touchdowns and two interceptions while going 8-1. Dallas opted to stick with the rookie, who finished the season as OROY. Prescott had 302 passing yards and three touchdowns in the No. 1 seed Cowboys' divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns – 2018

Season stats: 14 games (13 starts, 6-7), 3,725 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns (rookie record at the time), 14 interceptions, 93.7 QB rating, second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Season story: The Browns went 0-16 before drafting Mayfield at No. 1, but they didn't immediately give him the keys. Veteran Tyrod Taylor started the first two games before getting injured early in Week 3. Mayfield entered and led the Browns to their first victory in 635 days. He started the remainder of the season, leading Cleveland to a 7-8-1 season while setting the rookie record for passing touchdowns.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers – 2020

Season stats: 15 games (15 starts, 6-9), 4,336 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns (rookie record), 10 interceptions, 98.3 QB rating, five rushing touchdowns, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Season story: Herbert is another rookie who got his first starting opportunity due to a Tyrod Taylor injury. He took over for the Chargers on short notice in Week 2, going shot for shot with Patrick Mahomes before losing in overtime. That was the start of a monster season where Herbert broke Mayfield's rookie record for touchdowns and came 38 yards shy of Luck's passing record.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans – 2023

Season stats (through Week 9): Eight games (eight starts, 4-4), 2,270 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, one interception, 102.9 QB rating, one rushing touchdown

Season story: Stroud's inaugural campaign is only eight games in, but he's on pace with those nine players. The Texans have already surpassed their 2022 win total and matched their 2021 and 2020 win totals. Stroud is the difference maker with his remarkable touchdown-to-interception ratio. Next up is a test against Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Cincinnati.