PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger set the standard for rookie signal-callers when he won his first 13 starts in 2004 after an early-season injury thrust him into the starting lineup.
Despite his enormous success as a rookie -- the first quarterback to go 13-0 in a regular season -- Roethlisberger said it is best for most quarterbacks to watch for a season before becoming a starter in the NFL.
"My situation was different than most because I had an older team," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "Look at what [Green Bay Packers quarterback] Aaron Rodgers did. He sat behind Brett Favre for a while. I think it helps those guys to sit for at least a year to kind of see and get a feel of what you want to do, because this is a much faster game than college."
That is not all that is fast when it comes to quarterbacks, especially ones drafted in the first round.
Teams aren't nearly as patient as they once were with young quarterbacks because of the pressure to win, and the Jacksonville Jaguars already have handed over their offense to rookie Blake Bortles, the third overall pick of the 2014 draft.
The Jaguars had hoped to sit Bortles behind veteran Chad Henne for the entire season, but those plans changed after an 0-3 start. The former University of Central Florida star made his first NFL start Sunday in San Diego and completed 29 of 37 passes for 253 yards in the Jaguars' 33-14 loss to the Chargers.
Bortles' 78.4 completion percentage against the Chargers set an NFL record among rookies who threw at least 30 passes in their first start.
Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater has joined Bortles as a rookie starter, and on Sunday, Bortles will try to beat the quarterback he is often compared to when the Steelers visit the Jaguars for a 1 p.m. ET game.
Bortles and Roethlisberger threw together in California during the offseason, when Bortles was preparing for the draft, and they have stayed in touch. The two share an agent, similar builds, similar paths to the NFL and similar playing styles.
Roethlisberger and Bortles were each high draft picks despite playing for schools outside of the major conferences. Both are tall, sturdy quarterbacks who can move around in the pocket, and Roethlisberger said he sees a younger version of himself in Bortles.
"He can extend plays, he can throw the ball on the run, he is an impressive young player," Roethlisberger said. "I liked him coming out [of UCF]. I thought he was the most [NFL]-ready and the guy that I thought could be the best."
As much as Bortles embraces comparisons to Roethlisberger -- and wants to emulate the early success he enjoyed -- the rookie acknowledged there is a big difference between the two.
"He's won two Super Bowls," Bortles said, "and I've played a game and a half, so I don't know how much comparison is there."