Rookie QB spotlight: Drew Allar, Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson separate themselves early in preseason Week 1

The first week of the NFL preseason is often less about final stat lines and more about how quickly a rookie quarterback settles into the pace, timing, and decision-making required at the professional level. CBS Sports’ ranking of Week 1 rookie QB performances highlighted several young passers as immediate positives, led by Drew Allar’s productive start and bolstered by performances around the league that shaped how each team viewed its quarterback depth and preseason reps.

Allar’s day anchored the “best of” list. According to the CBS Sports assessment, he led three drives and totaled three touchdowns, a sequence designed to matter because preseason evaluation is built around early rhythm. A rookie who can move the offense through multiple possessions, sustain tempo, and finish drives creates real leverage for coaching staffs when the reps start to narrow later in camp.

The ranking also points to a notable contrast in the Hall of Fame Game. CBS Sports describes Carson Beck’s strong opening performance for the Arizona Cardinals, including a 15-for-19 passing line for 188 yards and a touchdown. Beck was characterized as a “sizzling” starter in that game, underscoring how preseason debuts can arrive with accuracy and early comfort in structure.

But the same Hall of Fame Game produced a final-play twist that CBS Sports used to illustrate why rookies get only one true first impression. The article notes that Haynes King, listed as the Panthers’ opponent in the comparison, ultimately “got the last laugh” by diving in for a game-winning touchdown on the final play. The takeaway is not simply that a rookie scored, but that he made his team’s last sequence matter, even after other quarterbacks had already left their mark.

Alongside those marquee Hall of Fame Game notes, CBS Sports’ ranking included Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson among the top rookie performers from preseason Week 1. While the CBS Sports preview makes clear that Mendoza and Simpson were part of the leading group, the specific performance details for them are not included in the accessible preview text, meaning their exact statistical impact should be verified directly from the full game-by-game context.

For teams, the preseason quarterback conversation quickly shifts from “who can play” to “who can execute consistently under loosening conditions.” A rookie who shows multiple completed drives and touchdown production, as Allar did in the CBS Sports summary, tends to pull coaches toward giving them more situational reps. Meanwhile, strong early accuracy, like Beck’s described line, adds weight to a quarterback’s developmental trajectory even in a game where the offensive scripts may be limited.