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No position in football matters more than the quarterback does. Since that's the case, it creates a sizable gap between the starters and backups across the league. Teams can have multiple high-end players at pretty much every position, but not at QB.
Every NFL team enters the season hoping to never have to turn to their backup quarterback, aside from teams with rookies who they plan to let sit and learn for a bit. If you have a solid veteran starting QB, being forced to play the backup is a bad sign for your team unless the goal is to secure a high draft pick for the following season.
Let's take a look at how the backup QBs in the NFL stack up against each other. Note: depth charts can be pretty fluid this time of the year, so some of these guys could end up as starters and others could wind up released before the season begins, so take it all with a grain of salt.
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The "You Don't Want These Guys Sniffing the Lineup" Tier
32. Jake Haener - New Orleans Saints
The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State has never taken an NFL snap and could easily lose this role to Spencer Rattler. It would be surprising if Jake Haener ends up winning the backup job, even with the incumbency advantage.
31. Sean Clifford - Green Bay Packers
It feels like a tradition for the Packers to have a talented, young backup QB who ascends to the starting role after taking over for a really good veteran and then, once that happens, for the team to spend a decade not investing in the backup QB. We just started the latter part of that cycle, with 2023 fifth-round pick Sean Clifford backing up rising star Jordan Love.
30. Nate Sudfeld - Detroit Lions
By the time this article is published, a healthy Hendon Hooker could have surpassed Sudfeld. If that's the case, Hooker would probably rank somewhere around 20th because of his upside. It's kind of amazing that Sudfeld is still in the league after originally getting drafted in 2016 and playing just six regular-season games since then.
29. Easton Stick- Los Angeles Chargers
Easton Stick every time he plays in a Chargers football game pic.twitter.com/8coCzUpa7S
— j 🍪 (@jessisbest_) August 16, 2024
It's wild that Stick has been in the league so long. He'll turn 29 in September but has appeared in just six games. Five of those were last season, with Stick starting four games and losing all four. His numbers weren't awful, but there's just no upside here.
28. Stetson Bennett - Los Angeles Rams
Okay, this is kind of cheating here, because Jimmy Garoppolo will be the backup QB for the Rams once he serves his two-game suspension. I would rank Jimmy G in the top five. For now, though, Stetson Bennett holds the job. He was picked off four times in the team's preseason game against the Cowboys.
27. Kyle Trask - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I think these next two names could be their own in-between tier, because they feel like higher quality backups than the first five guys. Trask was drafted in 2021 and has thrown just 10 NFL passes, but he made a decent run at the starting job last year before Baker Mayfield won the spot.
26. Josh Johnson - Baltimore Ravens
Johnson has definitely had his moments during his NFL career, but there's not much juice left in the 38-year-old passer. A few years back, he might have sat significantly higher in these rankings, but he's thrown just two regular season passes over the past two seasons.
The "Ehh, It Could Be Worse" Tier
25. Jarrett Stidham - Denver Broncos
Stidham has started four games over the past two seasons, going 1-3 in that span. He's not a particularly accurate passer, but you could do worse in a backup quarterback.
24. Nick Mullens - Minnesota Vikings
Here's the thing about Mullens: many used to think he was a capable backup QB, but after he threw eight interceptions in five games last year and the Vikings benched him at one point for Jaren Hall. Well, it's probably time to recalibrate those expectations.
23. Tyson Bagent - Chicago Bears
#Bears QB Tyson Bagent scrambles and makes a nice throw to TE Stephen Carlson.
But after review, Carlson was out of bounds. pic.twitter.com/A7mGIXdslC
— Chicago Bears Updates (@chbearsupdates) August 10, 2024
The Bears had to start Bagent four times last season because of a Justin Fields injury. He had his moments, completing 65.7% of his passes, but also threw six interceptions to just three touchdowns. Bagent's just fine, which isn't the worst thing in the world considering there's still room for him to develop.
22. Cooper Rush - Dallas Cowboys
Rush has been backing up Dak Prescott forever at this point, joining the team in 2017. He's started six games in that span, including five starts in 2022. The good? He went 4-1 as a starter that season. The bad? He completed just 58.0% of his passes. There are positives and negatives, which is why he lands where he is here.
21. Marcus Mariota - Washington Commanders
Mariota's stock has definitely dropped, but the former No. 2 overall pick threw 15 touchdowns while starting 13 games two seasons ago for the Falcons. He's on the wrong side of 30, but he can get things done on the ground still and is a good choice to back up rookie Jayden Daniels.
20. Mike White - Miami Dolphins
Remember the White hype back in 2022 when he threw three touchdowns in a game for the Jets and then promptly stopped throwing touchdowns after that? This is probably too high in the rankings, but White's at least shown he can have big games, and he'll step into a great situation if he plays.
19. Mitch Trubisky - Buffalo Bills
The former No. 2 overall pick has seen his stock drop a lot, but his mobility means that your team won't necessarily bottom out if he's forced to take the field. Turnovers are a huge concern though, with his interception issues knocking him down a tier.
18. Mason Rudolph - Tennessee Titans
A year ago, Rudolph would have been near last place on this list, but his three starts for the Steelers last year were surprisingly good as he completed 74.3% of his attempts with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. You can't trust him enough to put him in the next tier based on his career track record, but he rounds out this group.
The "Okay, Yeah, He Can Start Some Games If Needed" Tier
17. Tyrod Taylor - New York Jets
Taylor isn't a high-volume passer, but he's a guy who can get things done when needed and has largely avoided turnover issues during his NFL career. His days as a starter are long behind him, but he's a steady, veteran presence for the Jets to lean on if anything happens with Aaron Rodgers this year.
16. Carson Wentz - Kansas City Chiefs
If we could guarantee health, Wentz might be top 10, but reliability matters. Still, Wentz looked like he still had some good things going with his arm when he started for the Rams in Week 18 last season, completing 70.8% of his attempts for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
15. Joshua Dobbs - San Francisco 49ers
Dobbs had a weird 2023, starting eight games for the Cardinals and then another four in Minnesota after he was traded there. Overall, he completed 62.8% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and ten interceptions. The 49ers system should make Dobbs look solid if he's pressed into action.
14. Drew Lock - New York Giants
Lock really struggled with the Broncos, but he was serviceable in his limited playing time with Seattle last year. Lock won't set the world on fire if he's asked to start, but outside of his 0-3 record in 2021, he's 9-11 as a starting QB.
13. Mac Jones - Jacksonville Jaguars
It wasn't long ago that people thought Jones was the long-term answer for the Patriots in a post-Tom Brady world. Now, the former No. 15 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft is the backup in Jacksonville. Jones has struggled with throwing interceptions during his three NFL seasons, but he's a relatively accurate QB aside from that with 46 career touchdown passes and 42 starts under his belt. NFL teams could definitely do worse at the backup spot.
12. Kenny Pickett - Philadelphia Eagles
The 2022 first-round pick just never put things together with the Steelers, throwing 13 touchdowns and 13 picks across 25 career games. Still, Kenny Pickett has a winning record as a starter and is still young enough to turn things around in the right spot. Mason Rudolph outplayed him in 2023, but it was more of a reflection on Rudolph than Pickett.
11. Desmond Ridder - Arizona Cardinals
While Ridder comes with turnover issues, he also completed 64.2% of his passes last year with the Falcons and tossed 12 touchdowns. He added five rushing scores as well. With some time to sit and learn, Ridder could still be a serviceable NFL quarterback. He's also a good fit as the backup behind Kyler Murray.
10. Davis Mills - Houston Texans
Okay, call this Texas-author a homer all you want here, but Davis Mills is a top 10 backup QB in the NFL right now. He's thrown 35 touchdowns since entering the league and was impressive in his preseason action.
The "Rookies with Upside" Tier
9. Michael Penix Jr. - Atlanta Falcons
Is there a QB controversy already brewing in Atlanta? Head coach Raheem Morris said the team didn't have Penix suit up for their Week 2 game against the Ravens due to really liking what they saw from Penix in Week 1. If Kirk Cousins struggles, will the fanbase come calling for Penix? It's very possible.
8. Drake Maye - New England Patriots
Let’s just lump these two together. Maye was the higher draft pick while Penix Jr. is in the better spot for immediate success if he’s pressed into action. Maye is higher in a vacuum, but you’re welcome to reverse them if you value context more.
The "Best Backup QBs" Tier
7. Aidan O'Connell - Las Vegas Raiders
Assuming Gardner Minshew starts for the Raiders, O'Connell will be one of the top backup QBs in the league. As a rookie, he started 10 games for Vegas, completing 62.1% of his passes for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's a solid pocket passer who went 5-5 as a starter as a fourth-round rookie and should be even better in 2024.
6. Andy Dalton - Carolina Panthers
Sometimes you just need a reliable veteran QB who isn’t going to win you many games but also won’t lose you many as well. Dalton might be the platonic idea of what a backup QB should be. That doesn’t make him the best one, but a guy with extensive starting experience who can deliver when needed is what you want in your No. 2 guy.
5. Sam Howell - Seattle Seahawks
RB Zach Charbonnet still out for 2nd #Seahawks joint practice at Titans here in Nashville. Geno Smith, Sam Howell work mesh with the backs. @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/JKnYGCJ4AH
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 15, 2024
If you want to call Howell's 2023 production a product of the Commanders system, that's more than fair. He wouldn't have led the league in pass attempts anywhere else. Howell's 21 interceptions were also tops in the NFL. He's a mobile athlete with an active arm and is willing to at least try to make any throw.
4. Jameis Winston - Cleveland Browns
Winston is coming off a rough 2023 season in New Orleans, but it's not often you have a backup QB who once led the NFL in passing yards. In 2021, he made seven starts for the saints, throwing 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions, so he's shown some things beyond that 2019 season in Tampa.
3. Joe Flacco - Indianapolis Colts
A year ago, any of us would have been shocked to see Flacco even on this list. His NFL career looked completely done. Then the Browns needed a QB last year, so they turned to Flacco to start five games. He went 4-1 and threw 13 touchdowns in the regular season then had over 300 yards in the playoff loss to Houston.
2. Justin Fields - Pittsburgh Steelers
There's maybe no better athlete in the league at quarterback than Fields. Okay, there's Lamar Jackson, but it's at least a conversation. Fields is not the most accurate passer, but all the tools are there, and he has the talent to start for some teams in the NFL right now.
1. Jake Browning - Cincinnati Bengals
We’ve arrived at No. 1, and that No. 1 player is Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals. Last season, Browning started seven games for the Bengals and led the league in completion percentage at 70.4%. He is a smart, instinctive player who can more than get the job done when needed.
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