- Andrew Luck was taken first overall and the Washington Redskins paid a heavy price to move up and take Robert Griffin III.
- Some teams hit the jackpot in later rounds, including the Seattle Seahawks who grabbed Russell Wilson in the third round.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? All the big-name QBs taken with Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL draft
When it came to quarterbacks, the 2012 NFL draft was one of the most important in the NFL in recent years.
Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck at NFL Draft
Andrew Luck shocked the NFL world by announcing his retirement from the Indianapolis Colts at age 29.
Read more: Andrew Luck is retiring from the NFL at age 29 because he is 'mentally worn down'
Luck was the first pick of the 2012 NFL draft, one that turned out to have a huge impact on several teams. While most of the QBs taken in early in the draft turned out to be disappointments, some teams hit the jackpot in later rounds.
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Below we take a look back at what happened to the QBs taken in the 2012 NFL draft.
The Colts used the first pick of the draft on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
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Luck shocked the NFL world by announcing his retirement after the third preseason game before the 2019 season. Facing another severe injury, Luck said he needed to separate himself from football to live the life he wants to live. The Colts reached the playoffs four times in eight seasons and the AFC title game once.
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The Redskins traded three first-round picks and a second-round selection to the Rams to move up four spots and draft Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. He was a Pro Bowler and Rookie of the Year his first season.
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Things quickly fell apart for RG3 thanks to a series of injuries. He lost his job and was inactive the entire 2015 season. After a brief stint with the Browns, he was out of the league in 2017. He is now a backup QB for the Ravens.
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The Dolphins took Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill with the eighth pick overall. He started the first 77 games of his career.
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Tannehill only once helped the Dolphins reach the playoffs in seven seasons. After a trade before the 2019 season, he is now a backup with the Titans, but some feel he could eventually become the starter.
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The Browns selected Brandon Weeden out of Oklahoma State with the 22nd pick of the first round. The Browns received the pick from the Falcons in a 2011 draft-day trade that gave Atlanta Julio Jones with the sixth pick.
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Weeden lost his job in his second year, and the Browns released him after just two seasons. He was briefly a starter for the Cowboys in 2015 and most recently served as a backup for the Texans. He expressed a desire to return to the Texans in 2019 but is currently without a job.
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The Broncos took Brock Osweiler in the second round with the 57th pick to be the heir to Peyton Manning.
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Osweiler played well when he subbed for Manning for seven games during the Broncos' 2015 Super Bowl run. He turned that into a $72 million free-agent contract with the Texans. Houston gave up after one season, trading a second-round pick to the Browns so that they would take his contract. After one season with the Dolphins, Osweiler was recently re-signed by the Broncos for his third stint as a backup.
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The Seahawks took Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin in the third round with the 75th pick overall.
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Wilson has started every game in his career. He has led the Seahawks to the playoffs six times in seven years, including two Super Bowls, and a Super Bowl XLVIII win. He recently became the highest-paid player in the NFL with a 4-year, $140 million contract extension.
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The Philadelphia Eagles used the 88th pick in the third round to take Nick Foles out of Arizona. Before the draft, the Eagles traded down in the third round to acquire linebacker DeMeco Ryans from the Texans.
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After three seasons as a part-time starter, Foles spent time with the Rams and Chiefs. He contemplated retirement before returning to the Eagles. He subbed for injured starter Carson Wentz in 2017 and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win. After the 2018 season, he signed a 4-year, $88 million contract to become the starter for the Jaguars.
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The Redskins took Kirk Cousins out of Michigan State in the fourth round with the 102nd pick overall. The pick was considered controversial as Washington had already taken RG3 in the first round.
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Cousins took over as the full-time starter for the Redskins in 2015, leading them to a Wild Card berth. He became a free agent after the 2017 season after failing to reach a long-term deal with Washington. He signed a 3-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings. At the time, he was the highest-paid player in NFL history and is now in his second season of that deal.
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The Cardinals drafted San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley in the sixth round with the 185th pick overall. He started four games as a rookie.
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After brief stints with the Chargers, Colts, and Patriots, he played one season in the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks. He is now in his second season as an assistant coach with the Browns, currently serving as the quarterbacks coach.
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B. J. Coleman (Packers, 243rd overall) and Chandler Harnish (Colts, 253rd overall) were drafted in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Tennessee-Chatanooga and Northern Illinois, respectively. Neither player ever played in a regular-season NFL game.
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- Read more on Andrew Luck's retirement:
- Andrew Luck is retiring from the NFL at age 29 because he is 'mentally worn down'
- OJ Simpson is not happy with Andrew Luck for retiring an hour after he drafted the QB in his fantasy league
- Andrew Luck 'hurt' by Colts fans booing him after report of his retirement
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