The Indianapolis Colts have had some exceptional quarterbacks in their history.
Two of those went No. 1 overall in their respective drafts: Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
Riley Leonard did not go first overall.
Leonard was the No. 189 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That's in the sixth round.
He led Notre Dame to the national title game last season, but he was viewed as more of a runner and not a sure thing to even make it in the NFL as a backup.
But on Sunday in Week 18, Leonard got to start against the Houston Texans' talented defense. And he was impressive.
Leonard became the third Colts rookie quarterback to have a game with at least 270 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 90, according to NFL researcher Tom Zwiller.
The first two? Manning and Luck.
MORE: Travis Kelce's potential last game before retirement was an absolute bummer
Leonard completed 21-of-34 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 94.0 quarterback rating.
He also ran three times for 21 yards and an additional TD.
Leonard may have a future as the Colts' quarterback, but this also could've been a one-off cameo.
Either way, it's quite impressive to join a list with Manning and Luck. Leonard did well for himself to close out his rookie campaign.
More NFL news:
- Trevon Diggs got off to a bad start with the Packers
- Packers needed a literal tie-breaker to make the playoffs
- Harrison Smith nearly played QB before his retirement decision
- Myles Garrett's Browns teammate high-fived the ref after record
- Falcons would've gone to the playoffs if not for the New York Jets
- Jalyx Hunt makes history never done by an Eagles player before