Kyler Murray of the Cardinals is one of the NFL quarterbacks who excel on Instagram.
As the NFL regular season comes to a close, fans are honing in on the performances of quarterbacks as they decide on their Arizona NFL betting choices.
Once again, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen proved to be reliable standouts as they effortlessly led their teams to the playoffs. Meanwhile, veteran Tom Brady is preparing for another postseason push. Emerging talents Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence are ready to make their playoff debuts this year.
Success in the NFL season can lead to off-field advantages, as demonstrated by players such as Mahomes and Brady, who have garnered a significant online following.
The team at yengols.com collected data on 15 prominent quarterbacks from the 2022-23 season to analyze the impact of being a quarterback on their Instagram following. They tracked the number of followers and the growth percentage for each quarterback over a one-year period, starting from their first regular season game.
Note that certain quarterbacks currently playing were not accounted for in the analysis as they started their professional careers before the inception of Instagram, including Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
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Kyler Murray Comes Close to Securing No. 1 Spot
After finishing behind Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, Kyler Murray, the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, quickly gained popularity on Instagram. Within a year of becoming a starter, Murray added 244,500 new followers, reaching one million in just 12 months. By January 2023, his follower count had grown to an impressive 1.4 million.
Murray was chosen as the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and had an exceptional rookie season, starting in all 16 games. He received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award for his impressive performance, throwing for 3,722 yards and 20 passing touchdowns, in addition to four rushing touchdowns. These outstanding statistics led to his selection for the Pro Bowl.
Unfortunately, Murray had a lackluster season with the Cardinals, which was further compounded by an ACL injury that ended his season early against the New England Patriots. This injury could potentially affect his performance in the upcoming 2023 season, making it a forgettable year for him.
Following Kliff Kingsbury’s dismissal, Murray will be collaborating with a different play-caller upon his return to the lineup.
If he excels, he could be a contender for the Comeback Player of the Year award at BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona.
How do other quarterbacks compare?
Of course, there are also other quarterbacks who have effectively established a significant presence on social media. For instance, among the 15 most recent NFL rookies who made their debut in the 2022-23 season, there was an average increase of 118.6k Instagram followers one year after their first game, showing a growth of 63%.
Lamar Jackson
Jackson had the highest impact among rookie quarterbacks in the NFL on Instagram, accumulating 252,300 followers in the year after his debut, marking a 31% increase in followers.
Jackson was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 and made his first appearance against the Cincinnati Bengals after starting quarterback Joe Flacco was injured during his rookie year. Jackson had a strong 2018 season, leading the coaching staff to create a new offensive game plan that highlighted his special skills.
One year later, Jackson led the Ravens to a remarkable 14-2 record and was unanimously awarded the MVP for the 2019 season.
Mac Jones
In his debut year, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had the third-largest growth in Instagram followers among all the quarterbacks studied.
Jones, a rookie who debuted in Week 1, rapidly became a social media sensation. His fan base grew from 417,300 on his first career start to around 659,600 a year later, showing a remarkable 58% increase.
Jones ended the year with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and a 67.6% completion rate, which resulted in him receiving Pro Bowl recognition and becoming the first rookie quarterback in Patriots history to accomplish this feat.
While Jones showed promise in his rookie year, his performance in the 2022 season highlighted areas that need improvement, particularly in the absence of former Patriots play-caller Josh McDaniels. The question remains whether Matt Patricia, known primarily for his defensive coaching, will take over as Jones’ play-caller in the next season.
Justin Herbert
Just like Jones, Justin Herbert has seen a significant increase in his following, with a 130% jump from 157,100 to 361,100 within just one year since his first career start.
Herbert’s NFL journey began in 2020 when he was thrust into the role of starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers following Tyrod Taylor’s injury. Despite being a rookie, he made a significant impact by breaking numerous rookie records, such as throwing the most passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396). His outstanding performance throughout the season led to him being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
As the 2022 season begins, Herbert is still performing at a high level and is gearing up for his first playoff appearance this Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at 8:15 PM ET on NBC.
Joe Burrow
As of January 2023, Joe Burrow ranks in the top five with 3.1 million followers. On the day of his first career start, he gained 1.18 million followers and saw a 16% increase within his rookie year, reaching a total of 1.37 million followers.
Burrow’s much-anticipated first season was cut short by a season-ending injury in Week 11, but he made a strong comeback in 2022, leading the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988.
Methodology
During this campaign, the team reviewed the Instagram accounts of the most recent NFL quarterbacks who started the 2022 season, evaluating them by the increase in followers one year after their debut NFL game.
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