Three quarterbacks passed for over 400 yards in Week 1 of the 2018 NFL season: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Drew Brees, and Kirk Cousins.
Fitzpatrick led the group with 417 passing yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 48–40 victory over New Orleans. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 439 yards in that same game, while Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins passed for 425 yards in a 29–29 tie with the Green Bay Packers.
The wording “over 400 yards” matters because it means strictly more than 400, not 400 or more. No other quarterback reached that threshold during the opening week. Fitzpatrick’s performance was especially notable because he added four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, helping produce one of the season’s most surprising Week 1 results.
The three quarterbacks took very different paths afterward: Brees remained an established star, Cousins completed his first season with Minnesota, and Fitzpatrick’s spectacular start became the opening chapter of his memorable 2018 campaign.