Young quarterbacks around the NFL are making opponents take notice and are establishing themselves as stars in the making.
"There's a good group of young quarterbacks in the league right now," says CBS Sports analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach BILL COWHER. "It's very encouraging to see the development of these guys."
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was named the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press after a record-breaking season.
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft passed for 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns and a 102.4 passer rating as he led Washington to its first division title since 1999. Griffin and Seattle's Russell Wilson (100.0) are the only qualifying rookies in NFL history with a 100+ passer rating. Griffin also accounted for 815 rushing yards, surpassing CAM NEWTON (706 in 2011) for the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
Griffin is one of the many young quarterbacks taking the NFL by storm. Fourth-year quarterback Sam Bradford of St. Louis, third-year quarterbacks Andy Dalton of Cincinnati, Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco and Newton of Carolina and second-year quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Indianapolis, Ryan Tannehill of Miami and Wilson of Seattle also hope to build on their experience going into 2013.
A few of the rising stars at quarterback who were drafted since 2010:
Sam Bradford, St. Louis
"He is one of the purest throwers in the NFL. If you give him time and he gets somebody even remotely open down the field, he will hit them. Very seldom does he miss an open receiver when the conditions are good." -- CBS Sports analyst and former NFL quarterback Phil Simms
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
"We obviously have a strong belief in the ability of Andy Dalton to continue playing well and to be the leader of our offense. We know he has tremendous potential to be even better. Our players believe in him and have faith in the way he goes about everything he does. He's a tough young man." -- Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis
Robert Griffin III, Washington
"He's got a unique skill set. He has the ability to throw, drop back, play-action and put a threat on a defense with his running ability. He will just get better and better. He's just scratching the surface. And the reason I say that is because he works at it." -- Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
"With Colin, it's always just appropriate. He's got the appropriate amount of competitive fire when you need competitive fire. He's got the appropriate amount of happy and joy when it's the right time to have that. I really believe that's how people should play the game. It's genuine and it's honest of a guy who's out there playing the game and competing." -- San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
"He's such a mature kid and understands the game. He prepares so well, and his focus is unbelievable. We know the physical talent is there. He's extremely intelligent. The great thing about Andrew is he is unflappable. He's gotten better, and he's his own critic." -- Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano
Cam Newton, Carolina
"I actually played against him in high school. He just keeps building on his game. He's always had a cannon of an arm and he's really accurate. I feel like he's one of the elite guys in the league. Just being from where we're from and seeing where he is now is cool."-- Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry
Ryan Tannehill, Miami
"He's a gym rat. He loves football. Those are all good indicators that somebody wants to be good. That's kind of step one. If you don't have players that want to be great, it's hard for them to keep climbing and keep accelerating their development. That's point number one that we're excited about." -- Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin
Russell Wilson, Seattle
"Russell has so many facets to his game. He can do so much. He can stay in the pocket and throw, he can throw on the run, he can beat you with his legs and he can beat you with his mind. The sky's the limit for the guy." -- Seattle Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson
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Young Quarterbacks on the Rise in 2013