The NFL hasn't had a rookie quarterback drafted in the seventh round start a playoff game in over 70 years. The league may have two accomplish the feat on Super Wild Card Weekend.
With Tua Tagovailoa being ruled out for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills as he remains in concussion protocol, the Miami Dolphins are preparing for Skylar Thompson to start while regular backup Teddy Bridgewater continues to nurse a finger and knee injury. If Thompson starts, he'll join San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy as the only seventh-round picks to start a postseason game in their rookie seasons since 1950.
Purdy has been the 49ers' starting quarterback for five weeks, forced into action after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a season-ending ankle injury. He completed 68.5% of his passes in his five starts, throwing for 1,098 yards with 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions for a 119.0 passer rating. The 49ers went 5-0 in Purdy's five starts.
Thompson didn't have the same success as Purdy in his two career starts, completing 61.4% of his passes for 241 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 76.0 passer rating (Dolphins went 1-1 in those starts, which include the Week 18 victory over the New York Jets to clinch a playoff spot). In seven games played, Thompson has completed 57.1% of his passes for 534 yards with one touchdown to three interceptions for a 62.2 passer rating. He owns the worst passer rating in the NFL amongst the 47 quarterbacks with 100-plus pass attempts. His 5.1 yards per attempt is also the worst amongst those quarterbacks while the 57.1% completion rate is the second worst.
These are the lowest-round rookie quarterbacks to start a playoff game in their rookie seasons:
| Year | QB | Draft pick | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Brock Purdy | 262 | 7 |
2022 | Skylar Thompson | 247 | 7 |
2015 | AJ McCarron | 164 | 5 |
2011 | T.J. Yates | 152 | 5 |
2016 | Dak Prescott | 135 | 4 |
2016 | Connor Cook | 100 | 4 |
Among the players on this list, only Yates has won his playoff debut.
Purdy still hasn't lost a start and will join McCarron and Prescott to make his playoff debut at home (the 49ers host the Seahawks as the No. 2 seed). Thompson has to go on the road against the Bills (the Dolphins are the No. 7 seed).
The NFL never had a rookie quarterback drafted in the seventh round or later start a playoff game. History will be made this weekend once Purdy and/or Thompson take the field.