Post by Danchat on Sept 21, 2020 17:55:12 GMT -6
Welcome back to my comprehensive Ranking of All Backup QBs in the NFL. This is my third year compiling and ranking every single backup QB, including 2 injured backups for a total of 34. I will have a spreadsheet displaying the stats of these QBs below the rankings, and this year I will also provide a list of all of the 3rd / 4th string QBs, practice squad QBs, and even free agent QBs. Without further ado, let’s go!
Note: The “Rating” is an arbitrary number based upon the QB’s past play and/or prospect status. It will give you an idea of how well the QB would play if they ever got a chance to. For reference:
80+ Starting QB / Great Backup
79-77 Good Backup
76-75 Decent Backup
74-73 Mediocre Backup
72-71 Bad Backup
70- Practice Squad caliber
(Also, any part in quotes is pulled from my 2019 Backup QBs article or my QB Prospects Rating article)
(All entries were written before Week 2 happened.)
#1 CHI Nick Foles – Rating: 82
Foles is having one of the most bizarre careers an NFL player can possibly have. He started out as a 3rd round pick who eventually seized the Eagles’ starting job, putting up an insane 27/2 TD/int ratio in his first year, but regressed and was traded in an extremely rare starting QB for QB trade, being sent to the Rams. After his career appeared to have fizzled in St. Louis, he caught on as a backup and suddenly morphed into a Hall of Fame QB for a couple games and won the Super Bowl as the Eagles’ starting QB. He cashed in a $88M deal with the Jaguars, but inexplicably failed and was traded away after just a single season.
The Bears opted to take on most of Foles’ deal and even paid a 4th round pick; which is a massive price to pay for a backup QB. Clearly they don’t believe in Mitchell Trubisky as their franchise QB, and Foles will be starting soon. Nick is capable of becoming a stellar passer when playing for the Eagles, but could not come close with the Rams and Jags. The Bears aren’t on those levels (Jeff Fisher/Doug Marrone coached teams), but Matt Nagy has been a subpar offensive mastermind and the Bears don’t have many playmakers on offense. With all that being said, Foles is still absolutely one of the best backup QBs in the game. He’s just not consistent enough to be a starting QB.
#2 DAL Andy Dalton – Rating: 81
After a nine year career as the Bengals’ starting QB, Dalton descends to the top tier of backup QBs. Dalton went 50-26-1 over his first 5 seasons, but has had a losing record in the previous 4 as the talent on Cincinnati’s roster has eroded. His play was never good enough to elevate them to a playoff win, but he’s generally avoided having bad games. His numbers declined in 2019, but his O-line was horrendous and A. J. Green missed the whole season.
The Cowboys were lucky enough to ink him to a one year $3M deal, and now have one of the best backups in the league. Dallas’ WR trio of Cooper-Gallup-Lamb rivals Dalton’s best group of Green-Jones-Sanu, and I think Dalton would thrive if Prescott were to get injured. But if you ask him to win a playoff game… Andy isn’t likely going to pull a Foles, but he does provide consistency over upside.
#3 NO Jameis Winston – Rating: 80
Jameis descends to the ranks of the backup QBs, and what a season 2019 was for him! He lead the league with 626 pass attempts, 5,109 yards, and 30 interceptions! Winston possesses an arm that can make all the throws, but he has never developed the ability to restrain himself from throwing some truly awful throws. He set the record for pick sixes in a single season with 7!! He’s Ryan Fitzpatrick on steroids. Winston has the ability to move the ball on any defense, but is capable of losing every game on the schedule too. The Saints were able to ink him to a veteran minimum deal ($1M), which was a fantastic value. He’s one of the best backups in the NFL despite his weaknesses.
#4 LVR Marcus Mariota – Rating: 80
(Mariota is currently on the IR with a pec injury, but he is likely to be activated soon.)
Mariota is a hard QB to pin down. He has a career passer rating of 89.6, good for 20th among QBs all time – no, seriously. Not only that, but he would also run for about 300 yards a year and a few TDs too. So why didn’t he work out as a starting QB, and saw the Titans team do on a deep playoff run right after he was benched? From what I can tell, the Titans offense has been underachieving since 2017 with him under center, as in 36 games he’s thrown just 31 TDs (he did run in 7). His accuracy also deteriorated from a healthy 68.9% in 2018 to a poor 59.4% in 2019. Another main reason why the offense suffered despite his positive stats is that he has become very easy to sack – he took 67 sacks over the last two years, which is a 12% sack rate!
Anyways, the Raiders gave Mariota a 2 year $17.6M deal to put a bit of pressure on the similarly underperforming Derek Carr. Mariota reportedly did not do well in training camp, and will likely not get a chance to start barring an injury to Carr. Still, Marcus’ experience and prior play makes him a strong backup. Mariota is only 27, and could potentially improve if placed in a better environment. Not many other backup QBs have won a playoff game before!
#5 MIA Tua Tagovailoa – Rating: 79
Tua has recovered remarkably well from his hip surgery, and he has been medically cleared to play. That being said, they are wisely going forward with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. If things go south for Fitzmagic, which is likely to happen knowing his career, Tua will likely start a few games this year. I expect him to impress when he gets a chance – he may not have the stacked roster Bama had compared to the competition, but he will make some WOW throws and will make Dolphins fans believers in him as their franchise QB.
#6 SF Nick Mullens - Rating: 78
Mullens defeated C. J. Beathard for the backup job in the 2019 preseason, but didn’t get any action as Jimmy Garoppolo completed his first full season without any injury issues. Mullens is firmly entrenched as one of the league’s better backup QBs.
#7 CLE Case Keenum – Rating: 78
Keenum was given one last chance as a starting QB last year with the Redskins, but the team went 1-9 with him as the starter. Case wasn’t terrible, putting up a 1707/11/5 64.8% line while only throwing interceptions in 3 games, but the offense only mustered 20 points or more 3 times. Case now returns to being one of the best backups in the league, as he sits behind a struggling Baker Mayfield. There were reports surfacing that Garrett Gilbert (the Browns’ backup for most of 2019) was outplaying Case, but his contract (cutting him would cost them $8M) locks him in as their backup QB.
#8 IND Jacoby Brissett – Rating: 77
Jacoby got a chance to show that he could be a franchise QB for the Colts, and he failed. He was anointed as the starter when Luck suddenly retired, and was given a 2 year $30M deal. His cap hit for 2020 is now a ridiculous $21.38M just to be a backup. Despite playing behind an elite offensive line, Brissett averaged 1.2 TDs a game, 196 yards per game, and finished the year with a 2-5 record after starting 5-3. He’s great at limiting turnovers, but with him at the helm, the team was simply mediocre at moving the ball. He returns to being one of the league’s better backups with Philip Rivers in town.
LAC #9 Justin Herbert – Rating: 76
I wasn’t super high on Herbert, as I am wary to rave about a QB who played at Oregon. Marcus Mariota did some superb things there, and simply didn’t have what it took to be a franchise QB, and I don’t think Herbert’s as strong of a prospect. Without any preseason play, my rating will be a total shot in the dark.
#10 HOU A. J. McCarron - Rating: 76
McCarron returns as Houston’s backup for a second straight season. We’ve never gotten a long look at him, though he did get a start in Week 17 in 2019. The playoff game he started for the Bengals in 2015 seems like it happened an eon ago, and he no longer has the upside he once did.
#11 PHI Jalen Hurts – Rating: 76
I was high on Hurts in the draft process, and he was drafted about where I thought he should have, late in the second round. The Eagles shocked everyone when they made the pick; they had several other needs and opted to draft a high-end backup QB. This isn’t totally unheard of, as the Broncos spent a 2nd on Brock Osweiler and the Patriots spent a 2nd on Jimmy Garoppolo even when they were in the midst of Super Bowl runs, but Wentz is a young QB who is a year away from starting his 4 year, $128M extension. So the plan seems to be to have Hurts sit and potentially do what Nick Foles did in 2017. And maybe play a bit of wildcat on occasion. Perhaps they will trade him in the future.
As for the present, the Eagles went with Nate Sudfeld as their backup Week 1, but switched to Hurts Week 2. I think he would do well if forced to start, and would be able to use his legs to get first downs more often than not.
#12 WAS Kyle Allen - Rating: 75
We learned a lot more about Allen than anyone thought we would in 2019, as Allen took over as the Panthers starting QB Week 3 with Newton getting Lisfranc surgery. He started off hot with a 4 win streak and a 901/7/0 line, but cooled off quickly, losing 7 games in a row and having a 2421/10/16 line over his last 9 games. For a second year UFDA who did nothing in college, it was an impressive run, and solidifies his role in the NFL as a backup QB.
As a part of the Panthers’ total rebuild, they shipped Allen off to the WFT (Washington Football Team) for a 5th rounder. Alex Smith was cleared to play, but isn’t in position to be a backup QB yet. Allen can beat up a bad defense and put some quality film on tape, but has the potential to throw 3-4 picks and sputter against a good defense.
#13 DET Chase Daniel - Rating: 75
Daniel got another start in 2019, making 5 starts over his 10 year career. He looked good in a win over the Vikings (counted as Trubisky’s start and win), but then blew a winnable game against the Raiders, where he tossed 3 interceptions (1 was called back due to roughing). The Lions scooped him up in free agency, handing him a 3 year $13M deal so they wouldn’t have to use Jeff Driskel or David Blough again. Daniel is a very accurate passer who tends to throw plenty of short passes. He’s not your guy if you want someone who will mount a comeback by throwing every down, but he’ll work well as a game manager who can get your team a win if the defense does the heavy lifting.
#14 BAL Robert Griffin III - Rating: 74
RG3 started Week 17 and got a win with the backups, despite throwing 2 picks. I won’t hold that against him as it was more of a preseason game. Now 30 years old, I have to wonder how fast he is at this point. I will keep his rating the same this year.
#15 ATL Matt Schaub – Rating: 74
Matt Ryan got injured for a game, and Schaub made his first start since 2015. He put up a ridiculous 460/1/1 75% line, but only scored 20 points. For a 38 year old backup who hasn’t been a consistent starter since 2013, it was somewhat impressive, despite the garbage time padding. The Falcons have no plans to replace him anytime soon. Schaub gets a bump up as he looked better than expected.
#16 NYJ Joe Flacco – Rating: 74
(Flacco is currently recovering from an injury, but is fully expected to be the backup when ready.)
Another longtime starter joins the backup QBs list for the first time. He was trusted to be a starter for too long; why the Broncos thought it was smart to trade a 4th rounder for him was not a good idea. Joe went 2-6 for Denver before injuring a disc in his neck. In those 8 games, he cleared 250 yards only 3 times and had just a single game with more than 1 passing TD. The best way to describe his playing style is “anemic”. Flacco was always best when he had a couple deep threats to throw to, and he could use his strong arm to nail them deep. However, he has lately become a checkdown QB who rarely takes any risks. 2014 was the last year when Flacco was legitimately good. So with all that being said, Flacco is not one of the better backup QBs in the league, especially not with Adam Gase’s feeble offensive system in New York.
#17 PIT Mason Rudolph - Rating: 74
We got a full look at Rudolph in 2019 as the potential QB of the future, and we learned that he’s not that guy. One glance at Mason’s stat line would make you think he was a very good backup – and at times, he was. He threw 13 TDs over 8 starts and had a 5-3 record. However, Pittsburgh’s defense was doing the heavy lifting for most the season, and late in the season, Rudolph had a catastrophic meltdown against the Browns, tossing 4 interceptions and scoring 7 points, got benched the next week mid-game against the pathetic Bengals, and couldn’t score a point in the second half of the Jets game. A little better play from him and the Steelers would have made the playoffs.
Pittsburgh did nothing to upgrade their backup QB position, content with having him and Devlin Hodges compete for the job. Rudolph won, but now Joshua Dobbs, their backup from 2018 is back on the roster. Rudolph is not an ideal backup, but I believe he can still improve his game.
#18 NE Brian Hoyer – Rating: 74
The Colts landed Hoyer on a three year deal, and I really like this move. Hoyer has usually played well, and the Colts offense seems to be competently coached, so Hoyer remains one of the best backup QBs in the NFL.
Hoyer is back with the Patriots once again, and he’s beaten out Jarrett Stidham for the backup job this time. This is despite the Colts releasing him just one year into his three year deal, as his only start in 2019 went off the rails. They faced the pathetic Dolphins Week 9, and Hoyer was simply awful, with a 204/1/3 line with 46% completion. They could only put up 12 points. I must knock Hoyer down, as it has been since 2016 when he started games and looked good.
#19 SEA Geno Smith – Rating: 74
The Seahawks brought Smith back again, which makes him the first backup to stay for multiple seasons since Tarvaris Jackson in 2013-15 (rest in peace). Geno has started 2 games since 2015, so it is hard to give him a rating that feels accurate. I will stick with what I gave him last year.
#20 KC - Chad Henne - Rating: 74
Henne fractured his ankle in the 2019 preseason, which caused the Chiefs to sign Matt Moore, who went on to start 2 games and looked really good (659/4/0 65%). However, once Henne was activated off the IR, they went with him as their backup over Moore. The two veterans sparred over training camp, and Henne won again. Moore looked great in his small sample size, so clearly the Chiefs must really like Henne for some reason. I trust the Chiefs’ system to coax better play from him; as compared to his play from his Jaguars/Dolphins days.
#21 DEN Jeff Driskel – Rating: 73
The Broncos have been making some curious decisions with backup QBs lately. Last year they went with Brandon Allen, a practice squad who looked terrible when forced to start, and now they handed their backup job to Jeff Driskel. Jeff failed to make the Bengals’ roster in 2019 but got a chance with the Lions and ended up starting 3 games. They lost all three, and he looked overmatched as a passer (685/4/4 59%), but ran for 50 yards a game. Scrambling is Driskel’s best bet to move the football when he’s under center, but he’s also been sacked 27 times in 8 career starts. There are worse options out there, but Driskel isn’t a prospect anymore and I don’t see why Denver gave him zero competition for the job.
#22 NYG Colt McCoy – Rating: 73
Most Cleveland Browns QBs that have failed don’t make it this long, as Colt is still employed in his 11th year in the NFL. The Giants have scooped him up after a 6 year stay with the Redskins. Colt actually started a game despite beginning the year as Washington’s 3rd string QB, but was left to die in a tough matchup against the Patriots. He passed for a mere 122 yards and was picked, fumbled twice, and sacked 6 times. It’s hard to say much positive for a guy with a 25% win rate and poor passing stats… once upon a time he was a decent runner, but he’s 34 now. The Giants should look to develop a better option behind Daniel Jones.
#23 JAX Mike Glennon – Rating: 73
The Raiders let Glennon go and looked elsewhere for a new backup QB, and so Glennon signed with Jacksonville. Glennon competed with Joshua Dobbs and UDFA Jake Luton and was cut at the deadline, but has since been brought back through the practice squad and then was promoted. It is clear his job is not stable, as it seems the Jags want Luton to be their backup eventually. I can’t blame them, since Glennon has accomplished very little since signing a $45M deal with the Bears.
#24 LAR John Wolford – Rating:72
The Rams opted not to re-sign Blake Bortles, as he remains a free agent. They instead go with John Wolford, an undrafted non-prospect who flunked out of the NFL in the 2018 preseason with the Jets. The undersized (5’ 11”) QB won the starting job of the Arizona Hotshots in the AAF and put up some impressive numbers (1617/14/7 63.1%). He then spent all of 2019 on the Rams’ practice squad. Wolford was capable of making some big throws in the AAF, so I can at least understand how he won the backup job, but I am surprised they didn’t want Bortles back on a minimum salary deal.
#25 GB Tim Boyle – Rating: 72
Despite the Jordan Love selection, Tim Boyle is still the backup QB for the Packers. I would imagine Love will pass up him next year, if not sooner. I still can’t believe Boyle’s college statline is real!
#26 MIN Sean Mannion - Rating: 72
Mannion got another Week 17 start, and had to face the Bears’ 1st-string defense all while having the Vikings backups at his disposal. It should be no surprise he put up a 126/0/2 line throwing to the likes of Treadwell, Alexander Hollins, and Mike Boone (who was responsible for one of the picks), but he’s still the same guy I described before; he’s a statue in the pocket and a very poor backup. The Vikings signed up for one more year of him, possibly because he might have some of that Sean McVay pixie dust left on him.
#27 BUF Matt Barkley - Rating: 71
Barkley did not start in 2019, but subbed in twice when Josh Allen was injured. He put up an awful 359/0/3 53% line, alongside 3 fumbles in a tiny sample size. Barkley has one good start to his career, and needs to be given a lower rating. The Bills would be in very big trouble if Allen missed several games, and it doesn’t look like 5th round rookie Jake Fromm is ready to take over the backup job quite yet.
#28 TB Blaine Gabbert – Rating: 71
Come on Bucs, did you really need to bring Gabbert back? Blaine spent the entire 2019 season on the IR, but was given another one year deal and beat out Ryan Griffin for the backup job. There’s just so little upside with Gabbert, I don’t understand why Bruce Arians keeps bringing him back (this is the 3rd time an Arians-coached team has signed him). The Bucs do have Josh Rosen on the practice squad, but he’s the 4th string QB, stuck behind two 31-year-olds with little upside.
#29 CIN Ryan Finley - Rating: 71
I ranked Finley highly here last season, as I liked him as a prospect, and I was pleasantly surprised when the Bengals benched Dalton after their Week 8 matchup. Unfortunately, Finley’s play was abysmal, and he was only given 3 starts before he was given the hook. He only completed 47.1% of his passes, as he had a terrible time making throws, and had a 11.2% sack rate behind Cincy’s non-existent O-line. It’s even worse for Finley, since he’s already 26 and should be hitting his prime soon, so it’s not like he’s a young prospect who needs time to learn. His rating will be appropriately reduced.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, though, as the Bengals chose to keep only him on the roster behind Joe Burrow. For now, he’s the clear backup, and we will need to see improved play next time out, or we won’t be seeing him in my rankings in the future.
#30 CAR Will Grier – Rating: 70
I was fully expecting to write about Phillip “P. J.” Walker as the Panthers’ new backup, but Grier has seized the job for now. The Panthers spent a 3rd round pick on him to be the long term backup to Cam Newton, but now finds himself as the longest tenured QB on the roster with Newton’s and Allen’s departures. Grier did get a chance when Allen was benched, but his play was far below Allen’s caliber. He lacked accuracy and panicked when pressure came, and despite his prospect status, I can’t be confident about his ability to improve. I would have liked to see what he could have done over the 2020 preseason to get a better idea how he might play if he is forced to start.
#31 TEN Logan Woodside – Rating: 69
The Titans didn’t have much of a backup competition, as 7th rounder Cole McDonald faced Woodside, a late round pick from 2018, with Trevor Siemian joining the group late, but still failing to win the job. Woodside’s only experience past college was a 7 game stint for the AAF San Antonio Commanders. He put up a 1353/7/7 58.3% line for them, in what I’d equate with preseason play. I watched some tape of him, and while he has a nice arm and likes to be aggressive and throw downfield, he made very poor decisions when the pressure came. Woodside can be considered an unknown, as he’d make more sense to keep as a 3rd stringer or practice squad player.
#32 NYJ Mike White – Rating: 69
I was under the impression that the Jets were going to use 4th rounder James Morgan as their backup until Flacco is healthy, but they activated White from the practice squad to be Darnold’s backup. Apparently they were impressed with his play in training camp, but White had previously failed in 2018 and 2019 to push Cooper Rush for the Cowboys’ backup job and looked like a camp arm in the preseason. He will be rated as such.
#33 ARZ Chris Streveler – Rating: 68
I had already finished my entry on Brett Hundley, and the Cardinals instead used Streveler as their backup, so it’s time to do some research. Chris played football at Minnesota, but failed to win the starting QB job for the Golden Gophers. He went undrafted in 2018 and was signed to play in the CFL. He won the Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but was a very poor passer (1564/8/14 66% in 7 starts), acting more as a running QB (127 carries for 726 yards and 12 TDs). He appears to be a Taysom Hill-esque QB, who can play HB and WR. Streveler’s story of beating the odds to become an NFL backup QB is great, but I don’t see any way he can thrive as a passer. I would have loved to see him play in the preseason.
#34 LVR Nathan Peterman – Rating: 68
The Raiders signed Marcus Mariota to a 2 year $17.6M deal, but he was placed on the IR before Week 1. That means Nathan “Petermeme” is now their backup QB. Peterman is notorious for having one of the worst debuts ever – he tossed 5 interceptions against the Chargers in only 29 minutes, all in the first half, earning himself a spot on the bench. His one career win came against the Colts in the midst of a blizzard; he was injured and Joe Webb won the game in his stead, of course.
So now that Jon Gruden has worked on Peterman, perhaps he will improve his game. Ah, who am I kidding? Peterman sucks and everyone knows it! Gruden liked him as a prospect and is trying to show off his non-existent QB development skills. I will say this – if Peterman gets into any game action in 2020, it will be must-see football, for all the wrong reasons.
Stats Spreadsheet
Bonus Content – I wrote up entries for QBs who didn’t end up getting backup jobs. Here’s what I wrote:
#NR ARZ Brett Hundley - Rating: 73
I might have been a bit lenient on Hundley in the past, as his passing stats truly are terrible. The Cardinals gave him another one year deal, but I do think if used correctly in a read-option offense, some decent play could be coaxed from him. He is a talented runner, but doesn’t have the passing skills to be a real threat.
#NR NYJ James Morgan – Rating: 69
Look at that, I actually watched some film on Morgan! The Jets spent a 4th rounder on him, which seems like a waste, but hey, they drafted Christian Hackenburg (2nd) and Bryce Petty (4th), clearly they know what they’re doing! Morgan will back up Darnold until Joe Flacco is activated off the IR. I imagine he’d do poorly if pushed into action this year.
#NR PHI Nate Sudfeld – Rating: 72
Sudfeld hit the IR in 2019 and spent the whole year playing third fiddle to Josh McCown. Things looked bleak for him as the Eagles spent their 2nd round pick on Jalen Hurts, yet the Eagles are going with Sudfeld. I have no reason to change my rating from last year.
3rd & 4th String QBs
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Practice Squad QBs
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Free Agents
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Alright, that's a wrap for this article. Who is your favorite backup QB? Who do you think deserves a backup job but doesn't have one? Let me know what you think!
Note: The “Rating” is an arbitrary number based upon the QB’s past play and/or prospect status. It will give you an idea of how well the QB would play if they ever got a chance to. For reference:
80+ Starting QB / Great Backup
79-77 Good Backup
76-75 Decent Backup
74-73 Mediocre Backup
72-71 Bad Backup
70- Practice Squad caliber
(Also, any part in quotes is pulled from my 2019 Backup QBs article or my QB Prospects Rating article)
(All entries were written before Week 2 happened.)
#1 CHI Nick Foles – Rating: 82
Foles is having one of the most bizarre careers an NFL player can possibly have. He started out as a 3rd round pick who eventually seized the Eagles’ starting job, putting up an insane 27/2 TD/int ratio in his first year, but regressed and was traded in an extremely rare starting QB for QB trade, being sent to the Rams. After his career appeared to have fizzled in St. Louis, he caught on as a backup and suddenly morphed into a Hall of Fame QB for a couple games and won the Super Bowl as the Eagles’ starting QB. He cashed in a $88M deal with the Jaguars, but inexplicably failed and was traded away after just a single season.
The Bears opted to take on most of Foles’ deal and even paid a 4th round pick; which is a massive price to pay for a backup QB. Clearly they don’t believe in Mitchell Trubisky as their franchise QB, and Foles will be starting soon. Nick is capable of becoming a stellar passer when playing for the Eagles, but could not come close with the Rams and Jags. The Bears aren’t on those levels (Jeff Fisher/Doug Marrone coached teams), but Matt Nagy has been a subpar offensive mastermind and the Bears don’t have many playmakers on offense. With all that being said, Foles is still absolutely one of the best backup QBs in the game. He’s just not consistent enough to be a starting QB.
#2 DAL Andy Dalton – Rating: 81
After a nine year career as the Bengals’ starting QB, Dalton descends to the top tier of backup QBs. Dalton went 50-26-1 over his first 5 seasons, but has had a losing record in the previous 4 as the talent on Cincinnati’s roster has eroded. His play was never good enough to elevate them to a playoff win, but he’s generally avoided having bad games. His numbers declined in 2019, but his O-line was horrendous and A. J. Green missed the whole season.
The Cowboys were lucky enough to ink him to a one year $3M deal, and now have one of the best backups in the league. Dallas’ WR trio of Cooper-Gallup-Lamb rivals Dalton’s best group of Green-Jones-Sanu, and I think Dalton would thrive if Prescott were to get injured. But if you ask him to win a playoff game… Andy isn’t likely going to pull a Foles, but he does provide consistency over upside.
#3 NO Jameis Winston – Rating: 80
Jameis descends to the ranks of the backup QBs, and what a season 2019 was for him! He lead the league with 626 pass attempts, 5,109 yards, and 30 interceptions! Winston possesses an arm that can make all the throws, but he has never developed the ability to restrain himself from throwing some truly awful throws. He set the record for pick sixes in a single season with 7!! He’s Ryan Fitzpatrick on steroids. Winston has the ability to move the ball on any defense, but is capable of losing every game on the schedule too. The Saints were able to ink him to a veteran minimum deal ($1M), which was a fantastic value. He’s one of the best backups in the NFL despite his weaknesses.
#4 LVR Marcus Mariota – Rating: 80
(Mariota is currently on the IR with a pec injury, but he is likely to be activated soon.)
Mariota is a hard QB to pin down. He has a career passer rating of 89.6, good for 20th among QBs all time – no, seriously. Not only that, but he would also run for about 300 yards a year and a few TDs too. So why didn’t he work out as a starting QB, and saw the Titans team do on a deep playoff run right after he was benched? From what I can tell, the Titans offense has been underachieving since 2017 with him under center, as in 36 games he’s thrown just 31 TDs (he did run in 7). His accuracy also deteriorated from a healthy 68.9% in 2018 to a poor 59.4% in 2019. Another main reason why the offense suffered despite his positive stats is that he has become very easy to sack – he took 67 sacks over the last two years, which is a 12% sack rate!
Anyways, the Raiders gave Mariota a 2 year $17.6M deal to put a bit of pressure on the similarly underperforming Derek Carr. Mariota reportedly did not do well in training camp, and will likely not get a chance to start barring an injury to Carr. Still, Marcus’ experience and prior play makes him a strong backup. Mariota is only 27, and could potentially improve if placed in a better environment. Not many other backup QBs have won a playoff game before!
#5 MIA Tua Tagovailoa – Rating: 79
Originally considered to be the 1st overall pick, Tagovailoa has been usurped by Burrow thanks to a hip dislocation and Burrow's unbelievable season. Tua's still a top-notch prospect who has the tools necessary to be a franchise QB, and looks well developed as a pocket passer. The only real question will be if he can stay healthy and whether injuries will sap his athleticism.
Comparison: Russell Wilson
I already made a Wilson comparison last year with Kyler Murray, but Tagovailoa is also on the shorter side (6'1") and Wilson had a monster senior year at Wisconsin like Tua has had. I haven't ever seen a left-handed QB like Tua, and Russell is a better runner, so it's not a perfect comparison. But one thing these two do share is a killer deep ball that somehow finds its way into their WRs' bread-baskets.
Draft Rating: 1st Round
Comparison: Russell Wilson
I already made a Wilson comparison last year with Kyler Murray, but Tagovailoa is also on the shorter side (6'1") and Wilson had a monster senior year at Wisconsin like Tua has had. I haven't ever seen a left-handed QB like Tua, and Russell is a better runner, so it's not a perfect comparison. But one thing these two do share is a killer deep ball that somehow finds its way into their WRs' bread-baskets.
Draft Rating: 1st Round
Tua has recovered remarkably well from his hip surgery, and he has been medically cleared to play. That being said, they are wisely going forward with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. If things go south for Fitzmagic, which is likely to happen knowing his career, Tua will likely start a few games this year. I expect him to impress when he gets a chance – he may not have the stacked roster Bama had compared to the competition, but he will make some WOW throws and will make Dolphins fans believers in him as their franchise QB.
#6 SF Nick Mullens - Rating: 78
Mullens went 3-5 and had a 2277/13/10 64.2% with an astounding 8.3 Y/A. Given that Mullens was a 2nd year UDFA, there's room for improvement, and any steps forward would make him the best backup QB in the NFL and a potential starter. Mullens doesn't have the strongest arm, but he's accurate and had a solid feel for pressure, getting sacked on just 5.8% of dropbacks. He did have a problem getting overaggressive with throwing interceptions, and many of his yards came in garbage time. But with some tweaks and improvements, Nick is among the league's best backups.
Mullens defeated C. J. Beathard for the backup job in the 2019 preseason, but didn’t get any action as Jimmy Garoppolo completed his first full season without any injury issues. Mullens is firmly entrenched as one of the league’s better backup QBs.
#7 CLE Case Keenum – Rating: 78
Keenum was given one last chance as a starting QB last year with the Redskins, but the team went 1-9 with him as the starter. Case wasn’t terrible, putting up a 1707/11/5 64.8% line while only throwing interceptions in 3 games, but the offense only mustered 20 points or more 3 times. Case now returns to being one of the best backups in the league, as he sits behind a struggling Baker Mayfield. There were reports surfacing that Garrett Gilbert (the Browns’ backup for most of 2019) was outplaying Case, but his contract (cutting him would cost them $8M) locks him in as their backup QB.
#8 IND Jacoby Brissett – Rating: 77
Jacoby got a chance to show that he could be a franchise QB for the Colts, and he failed. He was anointed as the starter when Luck suddenly retired, and was given a 2 year $30M deal. His cap hit for 2020 is now a ridiculous $21.38M just to be a backup. Despite playing behind an elite offensive line, Brissett averaged 1.2 TDs a game, 196 yards per game, and finished the year with a 2-5 record after starting 5-3. He’s great at limiting turnovers, but with him at the helm, the team was simply mediocre at moving the ball. He returns to being one of the league’s better backups with Philip Rivers in town.
LAC #9 Justin Herbert – Rating: 76
Herbert is a tough prospect to rate. He's got the tools to be a franchise QB, with the accuracy, arm strength, mobility, and has been a starter for 4 seasons at Oregon. The problems arise when you notice his play dipped after his sophomore year, and the tape is rather mediocre at times. Herbert seems to shrink against tougher competition, and Oregon's system prevented me from seeing what he's capable of. As a likely top 10 pick, it's going to be based on pure projections.
Comparison: Carson Wentz
Similarly 6'6", I wasn't so high on Wentz coming out of North Dakota, but the Eagles were able to tap into his potential with his strong arm and surprising speediness despite his good but not great college stats. Herbert reminds me of him, as teams will be drafting him for his tools, not what he's put on tape. Turning into Wentz would be a best case scenario, but I expect him to fall a bit short of that.
Draft Rating: 2nd Round
Comparison: Carson Wentz
Similarly 6'6", I wasn't so high on Wentz coming out of North Dakota, but the Eagles were able to tap into his potential with his strong arm and surprising speediness despite his good but not great college stats. Herbert reminds me of him, as teams will be drafting him for his tools, not what he's put on tape. Turning into Wentz would be a best case scenario, but I expect him to fall a bit short of that.
Draft Rating: 2nd Round
I wasn’t super high on Herbert, as I am wary to rave about a QB who played at Oregon. Marcus Mariota did some superb things there, and simply didn’t have what it took to be a franchise QB, and I don’t think Herbert’s as strong of a prospect. Without any preseason play, my rating will be a total shot in the dark.
#10 HOU A. J. McCarron - Rating: 76
McCarron returns as Houston’s backup for a second straight season. We’ve never gotten a long look at him, though he did get a start in Week 17 in 2019. The playoff game he started for the Bengals in 2015 seems like it happened an eon ago, and he no longer has the upside he once did.
#11 PHI Jalen Hurts – Rating: 76
Hurts had a unique college career, going from powerhouse Alabama's QB to getting benched in the Championship match, and then transferring to Oklahoma, which has been a paradise for QBs. Hurts has a nice arm and is a speedy scrambler, but has many questions to answer as a pocket passer. Hurts would do well to develop into a game manager who can break free as a runner every once in a while.
Comparison: Brett Hundley
While on the surface this may not be a good look as a comparison, I was high on Hundley when he entered the 2015 NFL Draft. When at UCLA, Hundley was a similar QB who was a solid scrambler and was able to put up some nice passing stats (especially completion %), but needed to prove he could beat NFL defenses from the pocket. Hurts will face similar problems when transitioning to a less gimmicky offense that will involve less QB runs and short passes.
Draft Rating: 2nd Round
Comparison: Brett Hundley
While on the surface this may not be a good look as a comparison, I was high on Hundley when he entered the 2015 NFL Draft. When at UCLA, Hundley was a similar QB who was a solid scrambler and was able to put up some nice passing stats (especially completion %), but needed to prove he could beat NFL defenses from the pocket. Hurts will face similar problems when transitioning to a less gimmicky offense that will involve less QB runs and short passes.
Draft Rating: 2nd Round
I was high on Hurts in the draft process, and he was drafted about where I thought he should have, late in the second round. The Eagles shocked everyone when they made the pick; they had several other needs and opted to draft a high-end backup QB. This isn’t totally unheard of, as the Broncos spent a 2nd on Brock Osweiler and the Patriots spent a 2nd on Jimmy Garoppolo even when they were in the midst of Super Bowl runs, but Wentz is a young QB who is a year away from starting his 4 year, $128M extension. So the plan seems to be to have Hurts sit and potentially do what Nick Foles did in 2017. And maybe play a bit of wildcat on occasion. Perhaps they will trade him in the future.
As for the present, the Eagles went with Nate Sudfeld as their backup Week 1, but switched to Hurts Week 2. I think he would do well if forced to start, and would be able to use his legs to get first downs more often than not.
#12 WAS Kyle Allen - Rating: 75
Allen couldn't maintain a starting job in college, as he bounced from Texas A&M to Houston and never played that well. It's hard to see him maintaining his play from his one NFL start, but he at least showed some promise with a decent arm and some maneuverability in the pocket. Allen had a rough preseason, completing just 53% of his passes with no TDs, so he's earned a low ranking. He'll have time to improve that, but Grier wasn't drafted in the 3rd round to be a 3rd string QB.
We learned a lot more about Allen than anyone thought we would in 2019, as Allen took over as the Panthers starting QB Week 3 with Newton getting Lisfranc surgery. He started off hot with a 4 win streak and a 901/7/0 line, but cooled off quickly, losing 7 games in a row and having a 2421/10/16 line over his last 9 games. For a second year UFDA who did nothing in college, it was an impressive run, and solidifies his role in the NFL as a backup QB.
As a part of the Panthers’ total rebuild, they shipped Allen off to the WFT (Washington Football Team) for a 5th rounder. Alex Smith was cleared to play, but isn’t in position to be a backup QB yet. Allen can beat up a bad defense and put some quality film on tape, but has the potential to throw 3-4 picks and sputter against a good defense.
#13 DET Chase Daniel - Rating: 75
Daniel got two starts with Trubisky injured. He won one of them, beating the Lions handily, but the loss came against the Giants in OT. While Daniel showed the propensity to check the ball down a lot, he did lead them to a big comeback against the Giants that came up short. But he also tossed 2 interceptions (and a 3rd that was dropped) and fumbled 4 times! Daniel is getting a minor downgrade.
Daniel got another start in 2019, making 5 starts over his 10 year career. He looked good in a win over the Vikings (counted as Trubisky’s start and win), but then blew a winnable game against the Raiders, where he tossed 3 interceptions (1 was called back due to roughing). The Lions scooped him up in free agency, handing him a 3 year $13M deal so they wouldn’t have to use Jeff Driskel or David Blough again. Daniel is a very accurate passer who tends to throw plenty of short passes. He’s not your guy if you want someone who will mount a comeback by throwing every down, but he’ll work well as a game manager who can get your team a win if the defense does the heavy lifting.
#14 BAL Robert Griffin III - Rating: 74
RG3 appears to be locked in the backup role with Lamar Jackson as the full time starter now. I haven't seen any reason to bump his rating up or down yet.
RG3 started Week 17 and got a win with the backups, despite throwing 2 picks. I won’t hold that against him as it was more of a preseason game. Now 30 years old, I have to wonder how fast he is at this point. I will keep his rating the same this year.
#15 ATL Matt Schaub – Rating: 74
Recently, the 37 year old Schaub has begun to fossilize. The Falcons still don’t have a plan behind him, not even a promising UDFA QB. He gets a tick down due to age and looking bad in the preseason.
#16 NYJ Joe Flacco – Rating: 74
(Flacco is currently recovering from an injury, but is fully expected to be the backup when ready.)
Another longtime starter joins the backup QBs list for the first time. He was trusted to be a starter for too long; why the Broncos thought it was smart to trade a 4th rounder for him was not a good idea. Joe went 2-6 for Denver before injuring a disc in his neck. In those 8 games, he cleared 250 yards only 3 times and had just a single game with more than 1 passing TD. The best way to describe his playing style is “anemic”. Flacco was always best when he had a couple deep threats to throw to, and he could use his strong arm to nail them deep. However, he has lately become a checkdown QB who rarely takes any risks. 2014 was the last year when Flacco was legitimately good. So with all that being said, Flacco is not one of the better backup QBs in the league, especially not with Adam Gase’s feeble offensive system in New York.
#17 PIT Mason Rudolph - Rating: 74
It's hard to say how well he'd play in Big Ben's stead, so I'll give him an average rating. He has the upside to eventually become a starter and is an upgrade from many of the veteran retreads that other teams use as backups.
We got a full look at Rudolph in 2019 as the potential QB of the future, and we learned that he’s not that guy. One glance at Mason’s stat line would make you think he was a very good backup – and at times, he was. He threw 13 TDs over 8 starts and had a 5-3 record. However, Pittsburgh’s defense was doing the heavy lifting for most the season, and late in the season, Rudolph had a catastrophic meltdown against the Browns, tossing 4 interceptions and scoring 7 points, got benched the next week mid-game against the pathetic Bengals, and couldn’t score a point in the second half of the Jets game. A little better play from him and the Steelers would have made the playoffs.
Pittsburgh did nothing to upgrade their backup QB position, content with having him and Devlin Hodges compete for the job. Rudolph won, but now Joshua Dobbs, their backup from 2018 is back on the roster. Rudolph is not an ideal backup, but I believe he can still improve his game.
#18 NE Brian Hoyer – Rating: 74
The Patriots drafted Jarrett Stidham in the 4th round this year, but methinks Hoyer is safe for at least another season. I was wrong! New England straight-up released him!
Hoyer is back with the Patriots once again, and he’s beaten out Jarrett Stidham for the backup job this time. This is despite the Colts releasing him just one year into his three year deal, as his only start in 2019 went off the rails. They faced the pathetic Dolphins Week 9, and Hoyer was simply awful, with a 204/1/3 line with 46% completion. They could only put up 12 points. I must knock Hoyer down, as it has been since 2016 when he started games and looked good.
#19 SEA Geno Smith – Rating: 74
Smith is now on to his 4th different backup job in 4 seasons. I seem to be higher on him than your average NFL fan, as I think he's better than he was back when he was a Jet. He wasn't bad this preseason, though his completion % was rather low. I think the Seahawks would be alright if he had to start a game or two.
The Seahawks brought Smith back again, which makes him the first backup to stay for multiple seasons since Tarvaris Jackson in 2013-15 (rest in peace). Geno has started 2 games since 2015, so it is hard to give him a rating that feels accurate. I will stick with what I gave him last year.
#20 KC - Chad Henne - Rating: 74
Henne's been on some terrible Dolphins and Jets teams, and it shows on the stat line. He's a veteran QB who's more name than game. I do think he'd put up better stats with a stronger offense, but it's hard to claim that Henne's a good backup. I think the Chiefs would be able to coax out some decent play from him with the weapons that they have, if it ever came to that.
Henne fractured his ankle in the 2019 preseason, which caused the Chiefs to sign Matt Moore, who went on to start 2 games and looked really good (659/4/0 65%). However, once Henne was activated off the IR, they went with him as their backup over Moore. The two veterans sparred over training camp, and Henne won again. Moore looked great in his small sample size, so clearly the Chiefs must really like Henne for some reason. I trust the Chiefs’ system to coax better play from him; as compared to his play from his Jaguars/Dolphins days.
#21 DEN Jeff Driskel – Rating: 73
The Broncos have been making some curious decisions with backup QBs lately. Last year they went with Brandon Allen, a practice squad who looked terrible when forced to start, and now they handed their backup job to Jeff Driskel. Jeff failed to make the Bengals’ roster in 2019 but got a chance with the Lions and ended up starting 3 games. They lost all three, and he looked overmatched as a passer (685/4/4 59%), but ran for 50 yards a game. Scrambling is Driskel’s best bet to move the football when he’s under center, but he’s also been sacked 27 times in 8 career starts. There are worse options out there, but Driskel isn’t a prospect anymore and I don’t see why Denver gave him zero competition for the job.
#22 NYG Colt McCoy – Rating: 73
Most Cleveland Browns QBs that have failed don’t make it this long, as Colt is still employed in his 11th year in the NFL. The Giants have scooped him up after a 6 year stay with the Redskins. Colt actually started a game despite beginning the year as Washington’s 3rd string QB, but was left to die in a tough matchup against the Patriots. He passed for a mere 122 yards and was picked, fumbled twice, and sacked 6 times. It’s hard to say much positive for a guy with a 25% win rate and poor passing stats… once upon a time he was a decent runner, but he’s 34 now. The Giants should look to develop a better option behind Daniel Jones.
#23 JAX Mike Glennon – Rating: 73
Glennon is mediocre in his own right, but he's at least a passable backup. He spent the 2018 season as the 3rd stringer until the Cardinals dumped Sam Bradford off in a ditch on an Arizonan highway. Before then, the Bears gave an embarrassing amount of money to Glennon so that he could humiliate himself for 3 starts and then get benched for Mitch Trubisky. Glennon actually looked good back when he was a rookie for the Bucs, but that was a long time ago. Most of the QBs on this list have improved with age, at least until hitting their early 30s. Glennon is the opposite, as he's gotten worse as he hit his prime. I think he still has upside to play better if he gets a better system put in place around him, but I can't say I think Oakland is the place where that's going to happen.
The Raiders let Glennon go and looked elsewhere for a new backup QB, and so Glennon signed with Jacksonville. Glennon competed with Joshua Dobbs and UDFA Jake Luton and was cut at the deadline, but has since been brought back through the practice squad and then was promoted. It is clear his job is not stable, as it seems the Jags want Luton to be their backup eventually. I can’t blame them, since Glennon has accomplished very little since signing a $45M deal with the Bears.
#24 LAR John Wolford – Rating:72
The Rams opted not to re-sign Blake Bortles, as he remains a free agent. They instead go with John Wolford, an undrafted non-prospect who flunked out of the NFL in the 2018 preseason with the Jets. The undersized (5’ 11”) QB won the starting job of the Arizona Hotshots in the AAF and put up some impressive numbers (1617/14/7 63.1%). He then spent all of 2019 on the Rams’ practice squad. Wolford was capable of making some big throws in the AAF, so I can at least understand how he won the backup job, but I am surprised they didn’t want Bortles back on a minimum salary deal.
#25 GB Tim Boyle – Rating: 72
Boyle was the starting QB for Connecticut, but couldn't even keep his job due to a truly abysmal 1237/1/13 48.4% line. Yes, you read that right, that's 1 TD to 13 interceptions. After spending a year on the practice squad, Boyle looked much better than Kizer in the preseason with a 356/6/0 59.6% line. He's at least learned how to play QB, but he's a non-prospect with zero NFL experience. He would be in big trouble if/when Rodgers goes down.
Despite the Jordan Love selection, Tim Boyle is still the backup QB for the Packers. I would imagine Love will pass up him next year, if not sooner. I still can’t believe Boyle’s college statline is real!
#26 MIN Sean Mannion - Rating: 72
The Vikings decided to move on from Trevor Siemian and settled for a downgrade in Mannion. They opted to give Mannion the job since he was Sean McVay's backup QB for a couple years, ousting the more exciting option, Kyle Sloter. Mannion at least had a much better preseason and completed some good-looking passes. He's still a statue in the pocket and neither has experience nor talent, so despite climbing the ladder a bit, he's still not a good backup.
Mannion got another Week 17 start, and had to face the Bears’ 1st-string defense all while having the Vikings backups at his disposal. It should be no surprise he put up a 126/0/2 line throwing to the likes of Treadwell, Alexander Hollins, and Mike Boone (who was responsible for one of the picks), but he’s still the same guy I described before; he’s a statue in the pocket and a very poor backup. The Vikings signed up for one more year of him, possibly because he might have some of that Sean McVay pixie dust left on him.
#27 BUF Matt Barkley - Rating: 71
Barkley competed with Jeff Driskel for Cincinnati's backup job in 2018 and he failed to win it. He ended up in Buffalo after the Bills' QB group went haywire - Nathan Peterman was exposed as a sentient dumpster fire, Josh Allen got injured, and Derek Anderson was awful and quickly re-retired. Barkley was asked to start one game, and it went incredibly well - they crushed the Jets 41-10, as Barkley had a solid (232/2/0 60% 9.3 Y/A) performance. Just this was enough for the Bills to give him a 2 year $4M extension as their new backup.
Barkley did not start in 2019, but subbed in twice when Josh Allen was injured. He put up an awful 359/0/3 53% line, alongside 3 fumbles in a tiny sample size. Barkley has one good start to his career, and needs to be given a lower rating. The Bills would be in very big trouble if Allen missed several games, and it doesn’t look like 5th round rookie Jake Fromm is ready to take over the backup job quite yet.
#28 TB Blaine Gabbert – Rating: 71
Now 30 years old, Gabbert is still hanging onto an NFL roster, somehow. You might have noticed that Gabbert started 3 games last year for the Titans, and he had a 2-1 record. Then you might remember that the NFL is a team game, and in those 3 games Gabbert and the offense mustered just 13, 0 (he left the game with an injury and the team won 9-6), and 10 points in those games. The Titans did not want him back, and for good reason. Hopefully this is the last year the NFL will have to endure Blaine Gabbert.
Come on Bucs, did you really need to bring Gabbert back? Blaine spent the entire 2019 season on the IR, but was given another one year deal and beat out Ryan Griffin for the backup job. There’s just so little upside with Gabbert, I don’t understand why Bruce Arians keeps bringing him back (this is the 3rd time an Arians-coached team has signed him). The Bucs do have Josh Rosen on the practice squad, but he’s the 4th string QB, stuck behind two 31-year-olds with little upside.
#29 CIN Ryan Finley - Rating: 71
Finley had a strong preseason and easily won the backup QB job away from the incompetent Jeff Driskel. He should become one of the best backups QBs in the NFL and perhaps get a crack at a starting job in the distant future.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, though, as the Bengals chose to keep only him on the roster behind Joe Burrow. For now, he’s the clear backup, and we will need to see improved play next time out, or we won’t be seeing him in my rankings in the future.
#30 CAR Will Grier – Rating: 70
Will Grier should end up as one of the NFL's better backup QBs. He has the passing accuracy of an NFL QB in all parts of the field, but his weak arm and penchant for falling apart under pressure keeps him from being a franchise QB in my book.
Comparison: A.J. McCarron
Like McCarron, I profile Grier as a backup who will get into games and some point and flash potential, but never quite live up to it. I do think Grier has a little more play-making ability to him, but they're both similar with their below average arm strength and are nearly the same size.
Draft Rating: 2nd-3rd Rounder
Comparison: A.J. McCarron
Like McCarron, I profile Grier as a backup who will get into games and some point and flash potential, but never quite live up to it. I do think Grier has a little more play-making ability to him, but they're both similar with their below average arm strength and are nearly the same size.
Draft Rating: 2nd-3rd Rounder
I was fully expecting to write about Phillip “P. J.” Walker as the Panthers’ new backup, but Grier has seized the job for now. The Panthers spent a 3rd round pick on him to be the long term backup to Cam Newton, but now finds himself as the longest tenured QB on the roster with Newton’s and Allen’s departures. Grier did get a chance when Allen was benched, but his play was far below Allen’s caliber. He lacked accuracy and panicked when pressure came, and despite his prospect status, I can’t be confident about his ability to improve. I would have liked to see what he could have done over the 2020 preseason to get a better idea how he might play if he is forced to start.
#31 TEN Logan Woodside – Rating: 69
The Titans didn’t have much of a backup competition, as 7th rounder Cole McDonald faced Woodside, a late round pick from 2018, with Trevor Siemian joining the group late, but still failing to win the job. Woodside’s only experience past college was a 7 game stint for the AAF San Antonio Commanders. He put up a 1353/7/7 58.3% line for them, in what I’d equate with preseason play. I watched some tape of him, and while he has a nice arm and likes to be aggressive and throw downfield, he made very poor decisions when the pressure came. Woodside can be considered an unknown, as he’d make more sense to keep as a 3rd stringer or practice squad player.
#32 NYJ Mike White – Rating: 69
I was under the impression that the Jets were going to use 4th rounder James Morgan as their backup until Flacco is healthy, but they activated White from the practice squad to be Darnold’s backup. Apparently they were impressed with his play in training camp, but White had previously failed in 2018 and 2019 to push Cooper Rush for the Cowboys’ backup job and looked like a camp arm in the preseason. He will be rated as such.
#33 ARZ Chris Streveler – Rating: 68
I had already finished my entry on Brett Hundley, and the Cardinals instead used Streveler as their backup, so it’s time to do some research. Chris played football at Minnesota, but failed to win the starting QB job for the Golden Gophers. He went undrafted in 2018 and was signed to play in the CFL. He won the Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but was a very poor passer (1564/8/14 66% in 7 starts), acting more as a running QB (127 carries for 726 yards and 12 TDs). He appears to be a Taysom Hill-esque QB, who can play HB and WR. Streveler’s story of beating the odds to become an NFL backup QB is great, but I don’t see any way he can thrive as a passer. I would have loved to see him play in the preseason.
#34 LVR Nathan Peterman – Rating: 68
The Raiders signed Marcus Mariota to a 2 year $17.6M deal, but he was placed on the IR before Week 1. That means Nathan “Petermeme” is now their backup QB. Peterman is notorious for having one of the worst debuts ever – he tossed 5 interceptions against the Chargers in only 29 minutes, all in the first half, earning himself a spot on the bench. His one career win came against the Colts in the midst of a blizzard; he was injured and Joe Webb won the game in his stead, of course.
So now that Jon Gruden has worked on Peterman, perhaps he will improve his game. Ah, who am I kidding? Peterman sucks and everyone knows it! Gruden liked him as a prospect and is trying to show off his non-existent QB development skills. I will say this – if Peterman gets into any game action in 2020, it will be must-see football, for all the wrong reasons.
Stats Spreadsheet
Bonus Content – I wrote up entries for QBs who didn’t end up getting backup jobs. Here’s what I wrote:
#NR ARZ Brett Hundley - Rating: 73
The Seahawks did not want Hundley to return as the backup, so Hundley found himself in Arizona on a one year deal to backup Kyler Murray. It makes sense as both Murray and Hundley are explosive scramblers. I won't change his rating this year.
I might have been a bit lenient on Hundley in the past, as his passing stats truly are terrible. The Cardinals gave him another one year deal, but I do think if used correctly in a read-option offense, some decent play could be coaxed from him. He is a talented runner, but doesn’t have the passing skills to be a real threat.
#NR NYJ James Morgan – Rating: 69
Morgan started out at #8 on my preliminary list, but dropped here. After a solid 2018 campaign, posting a 2727/26/7 65.3% line, Morgan slumped hard as his accuracy dropped to 58% and he only threw 14 TDs in 12 games. I ended up watching one full game and I had enough - while he has a strong arm in which he dropped a couple nice deep passes, he panicked as the game went on and made some boneheaded throws. He also has mediocre mobility and is no threat to scramble. He would be quite the project, even as a potential backup QB.
Draft Rating: 7th Round
Draft Rating: 7th Round
Look at that, I actually watched some film on Morgan! The Jets spent a 4th rounder on him, which seems like a waste, but hey, they drafted Christian Hackenburg (2nd) and Bryce Petty (4th), clearly they know what they’re doing! Morgan will back up Darnold until Joe Flacco is activated off the IR. I imagine he’d do poorly if pushed into action this year.
#NR PHI Nate Sudfeld – Rating: 72
Sudfeld injured his wrist in the preseason, leading to the McCown signing. Sudfeld appears to be the favorite once he's healthy, but I don't really see the upside here. Eagles fans keep telling me he's going to be a good backup, but I don't see it. His preseason stats were fine, and he's 6'6" with a big arm, so he can make some sexy plays, but I'm unsure whether he has the accuracy to do the job. I just never saw him as a draftable QB in the first place, and I'm sticking to my guns.
Sudfeld hit the IR in 2019 and spent the whole year playing third fiddle to Josh McCown. Things looked bleak for him as the Eagles spent their 2nd round pick on Jalen Hurts, yet the Eagles are going with Sudfeld. I have no reason to change my rating from last year.
3rd & 4th String QBs
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Practice Squad QBs
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Free Agents
(note: "Rating" refers to the QB's rating in a past article. It has not been updated for 2020.)
Alright, that's a wrap for this article. Who is your favorite backup QB? Who do you think deserves a backup job but doesn't have one? Let me know what you think!
