Ranking All Teams' Backup QBs - 2023
Sept 21, 2023 21:56:30 GMT -6
Reignman, Funkytown, and 1 more like this
Post by Danchat on Sept 21, 2023 21:56:30 GMT -6
Welcome back to my comprehensive Ranking of All Backup QBs in the NFL. This is year number six compiling and ranking every single backup QB, including 2 injuries for a total of 34. I will have a spreadsheet displaying the stats of these QBs below the rankings, along with 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
79-78 Good Backup
77-76 Decent Backup
75-74 Mediocre Backup
73-72 Bad Backup
71- Practice Squad caliber
#1 – Saints: Jameis Winston, Jake Haener
In a pinch, give me a backup QB who is a near guarantee to move the ball in the passing game, and none do that as well as Winston does. Yes, he has a low floor due to a mind-boggling amount of interceptions, but he’s probably the only QB who I could see go on a tear and routinely throw for 300+ yards and multiple TDs per game. That’s the thing, all backup QBs come with a low floor, but few have this upside.
Haener is a 4th round rookie of whom I had a 5th round grade on. He profiles as a career backup and is a fine 3rd QB.
#2 – Panthers: Andy Dalton
Dalton seized the starting job from Winston partly due to injury, but I was surprised to see how efficient he played (7.6 Y/A, which was the 2nd highest in his career). He is the current best “safe” backup.
#3 – Colts: Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger
If you only look at QB wins then you may consider Minshew to be a bad backup, but when viewed under the proper context (the Jags went 7-13 when he started, compared to 0-12 when he didn't, scored 34 points against the Cowboys defense in 2022 and somehow lost), he’s clearly one of the best. He’s thrown 30 more TDs than picks and consistently keeps his team in the game, even when the players around him stink.
Ehlinger got a rare chance as a former 6th rounder to replace Matt Ryan last year and was bad, and a downgrade from even the decrepit Ryan. I don’t see much upside here but I anticipate he’ll compete for #2 jobs in the future.
#4 – Falcons: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside
It’s been a wild ride for Heinicke, but he’s settled down as a backup again. The former Vikings UDFA has had a plucky career and a quality .500 record, but he was benched after a couple awful performances in a row. Now 30 years old, he has many years left of being high up in my rankings.
Woodside served as the Titans’ backup in 2020 and 2021 before getting demoted, and has followed Arthur Smith to Atlanta. I’d put him around the Joshua Dobbs / Mike White range of backup.
#5 – Commies: Jacoby Brissett
Washington has settled on giving a year to Sam Howell as the starter, and Brissett got paid well as a backup after a much better than expected run in Cleveland. Brissett looked bad playing for Miami in 2021, but posted career best numbers in Cleveland and frankly outplayed DeShaun Watson. This is Brissett’s 4th appearance in the top 10 of backup QBs since 2018.
#6 – Broncos: Jarrett Stidham
Stidham got two games at the end of 2022 to show his quality, and he showed enough to land a 2/$10M deal with the Broncos within an hour of free agency opening. I believe Denver sees Stidham as a solid fallback option in case Wilson proves he is cooked. Still relatively young (27) and possessing a strong arm and decent mobility, Stidham has the ceiling of a low-end starter and top-notch backup. He could enter bridge QB territory in the coming years… I’d bet for a team with a former Patriots coach.
#7 – Lions: Teddy Bridgewater, Nate Sudfeld (IR), Hendon Hooker (NFI/IR)
Old friend Teddy has gotten plenty of action, starting at least one game the past 5 years in a row, but he begun to break down physically in 2022. He got injured multiple times despite starting just 2 games, once was a flare-up in his bad knee that happened when Tua was healthy, causing him to miss 5 games. He would have started the playoff game as well. Because of this, NFL teams were not as interested in bringing him in and he will earn $3.5M less compared to 2023. Even as the least durable QB in my rankings, his play was still good enough to put him in the top 10.
Sudfeld was originally going to return as Detroit’s backup, but the Lions opted to upgrade. He then got hurt in the preseason, landing on the IR.
Hendon Hooker was a hot prospect until the draft happened and he “fell” to the 3rd round, but the late 2nd/early 3rd is where I always had him pegged. He will get a full year to recover from the injury and likely inherit the backup job in 2024. I predict Goff gets an extension and Hooker does not see the field outside of injury.
#8 – Patriots: Bailey Zappe
This probably comes off as a hot take despite Zappe getting waived and claimed by no other NFL team, but I can’t overlook Zappe’s play in 2022. Despite being what I considered to be a 7th round prospect at best, Zappe had a passer rating over 100 and a Y/A of 8.5, as he made a bad Patriots offense look competent for a couple games. Mac Jones got his job back and since then O’Brien has taken over and Zappe had a bad training camp and has lost favor. Even so, I’d take him over all of the other names to be listed.
#9 – Eagles: Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee
Normally you would expect Marcus to be in the top 5 like he was in 2021 and 2020, but his play as the Falcons starter in 2022 was discouraging enough that he’s being demoted to this level. Marcus was plugged into a run-first offense with a strong OL that run the ball better than almost everybody else, and the passing game was still anemic. Mariota failed to get the ball to London and Pitts, as he was one of the least accurate passers in the NFL. He looked slower than expected, even at age 29. In the 2023 preseason games, he was sounded outplayed by 6th round rookie Tanner McKee. Going from Hurts to Mariota would be a much bigger drop than some think it is.
Tanner McKee was a PFF darling but dogged upon by the other draftniks. Despite being a 3rd rounder on my board he fell to the 6th. While he is rightly billed as a statue in the pocket, he showed promise and I can see him ending up as a multi-year backup.
#10 – 49ers: Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen
Darnold defeated Trey Lance and is the unquestioned backup. He looked fairly competent for the first time in his five year career in six starts for the Panthers, though there were still some warts. He’s still got poor accuracy and consistently goes under 60% completion which is a given these days, but he’s improved his ability to use his tools (knows when to scramble, hits on more deep balls than his Jets days). I’d take him over Baker Mayfield right now.
After serving as Cincy’s backup for two years, Brandon Allen found a cold market and signed late with the 49ers. It was an odd choice with Lance still in town, but now it makes more sense – he can be their emergency third QB. It’s puzzling why the Bengals moved on from him, but I’d still rank him as a low tier backup.
#11 – Texans: Davis Mills, Case Keenum
Mills got two full years as the Texans’ starter and busted, to nobody’s surprise. He was a high 3rd round pick who stood little chance with zero talent around him, but even then his play considerably regressed from year one to year two. He should remain a backup for a long time.
Keenum lost the backup battle to Mills despite getting a $6.25M deal. Now 35 years old, he’ll likely be a cap casualty next March, but I could see another team trading for him to be a backup (looking at you, Jets).
#12 – Giants: Tyrod Taylor
Taylor has successfully hung around the NFL a long time for a 6th round pick. He’s started in just 6 games the past 5 years and didn’t look particularly good, and he’s far from his prime where scrambling was a big part of it. But if Josh Johnson (37!) is still around and kicking, then Taylor should have a few more years left.
#13 – Seahawks: Drew Lock
Lock’s failure to defeat Geno Smith in training camp 2022 makes more sense now, though Lock has never played close to what Smith did last year. He remains in the same tier as he was in 2022.
#14 - Browns: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Get triggered! Despite being a 5th round rookie, I love everything I’ve seen from DTR. A five year starter in college, he’s far more experienced than the average rookie and has a zippy arm and is a crazy tough runner. He began to rise up draft boards late in the process and dominated Cleveland’s preseason games, prompting them to feel alright trading Dobbs away and axing Mond. With how poorly Watson has played, it may be a matter of time until we see DTR unleashed. I’ve stashed him in my dynasty league… and now we wait.
#15 – Vikings: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall
Mullens jumps from #21 to #15 due to a few retirements and a couple promotions. He now finds himself dead average, far superior to the Sean Mannion ilk, but lacking upside. Still only 28, Mullens has the potential to hang around for many more years to come.
Hall was a 5th round pick, the 13th QB selected, and I had a 6th round grade on him. The BYU product had a shaky camp and preseason, and I profile him as a 3rd string QB at best. I don’t think he will crack the ranks of a backup for a sustained period of time.
#16 – Cowboys: Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
Rush went 4-1 in five starts last year, helping the Cowboys earn a playoff spot… but he hit the open market and return on a measly 2/$5M deal, and now Dallas has traded a 4th rounder for Lance, essentially his replacement. Why is he being treated like this despite the 5-1 record? Because the defense totally carried the team as Rush posted passable stats, but the passing game wasn’t anything special as his completion rate dipped under 60% and his Y/A under 7.0. He is a below average backup being hoisted up by his defense… and he’d be lower if the NFL had better backups.
Curiously, Trey Lance ended up in Dallas. Dak Prescott is locked in through 2024 and is more likely than not to get a $50M+ deal come March 2024. It’s unclear if Lance will pass up Rush in 2023, but he certainly has more upside. He could be a top 10 backup due to his scrambling ability alone, but his ability in the passing game was bad enough to get the 49ers to give up all hope on him.
#17 – Jaguars: C.J. Beathard
It’s been three years since Beathard had a two game stretch of competent play, so it’s difficult to earmark any progression or regression from him.
#18 – Steelers: Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
Trubisky is another first round bust with extensive experience, but he’s not even a good backup like some of the others. He was quickly benched for Pickett last year, and the Steelers may have went to the playoffs if they were to have benched him faster. He’s sorely lacking in multiple departments as a passer and isn’t quick enough to be a real threat as a runner.
Rudolph remains in Pittsburgh despite them not wanting to give him a chance at the backup job. He re-signed for the vet minimum, and likely would have been better off competing for a backup role elsewhere.
#19 – Bills: Kyle Allen, Matt Barkley
Allen has received a bump down after he got another two starts in 2022 in Houston, where he was dreadful and considerably worse than Davis Mills. He was benched for Jeff Driskel of all people. Allen retains some goodwill from his previous playing time in Washington and Carolina, but he’ll have to do better next time he receives a chance.
Barkley was Buffalo’s backup in 2020, and will stay on as the emergency QB. With how Josh Allen plays, I find that to be a wise idea.
#20 – Ravens: Tyler Huntley, Josh Johnson
Huntley has worked his way from UDFA to backup and even started in a playoff game last year… but he was awful. He posted a sub 6.0 Y/A and sub 80 passer rating has he throws more picks than TDs despite having strong completion rate numbers, indicating he throws short too often. But worst of all was the running stats – he ran for 73 rushing yards a game in 4 starts in 2022, but that dropped to 34 in 4 starts in 2023. That’s his ticket to success, and without that he is a bottom tier backup.
Somehow, Josh Johnson is still hanging around at age 37 despite rarely ever holding down a backup job. He must be a great guy in the locker room! He was the 49ers’ 3rd string QB and threw a few passes in the championship game but got injured, leading to the new 3rd QB rule. Even with him fully healthy they weren’t beating the Eagles.
#21 – Dolphins: Mike White, Skylar Thompson
White stepped in as the Jets starter with Zach Wilson flubbing it up, and his play was shaky, but not quite terrible. He showed enough to get backup level money from the Dolphins and is in a spot to spell Tua if needed. I think he could put up better numbers in McDaniel’s system, but then again wouldn’t most QBs?
For a 7th round pick, Thompson played admirably last year and reportedly outplayed Mike White in training camp. I think it is a matter of time until he is a true #2 QB in this league.
#22 – Cardinals: Joshua Dobbs, Clayton Tune
I’m going to include Dobbs as he is Kyler Murray’s backup, even if the rumors are true that they’re going to hold Murray out the whole year. Dobbs was a long-time 3rd string QB who finally got a chance in Tennessee to start after Malik Willis flopped. Dobbs wasn’t good, but he could at least complete passes to his receivers. This was enough to get a backup level deal from the Browns, but then the new Cardinals regime was willing to pay a 5th rounder to start him right off the bat. He has the potential to rise up as a mid-level backup.
Tune is a 5th round prospect of whom I had a 6th round grade on. From what I’ve seen, I anticipate he’ll be more of a 3rd string QB rather than a backup.
#23 – Jets: Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle
I am including Wilson as he was the Week 1 backup despite being the starter with Rodgers down. I’ve already mentioned Wilson’s incompetence, which is stunning how truly bad he is after being the 2nd overall pick. The big-time throws and mobility he showed in college has not transferred over whatsoever, he still appears to be far behind NFL speed, and he lacks leadership qualities. He has some tools, but no heart or “it” factor.
Boyle is now the backup to Wilson, which is something they should rectify. Boyle has no business being in the NFL, with how poorly he has played at both the college level and the NFL. Combining his college and NFL stats puts him at 1811 yards, 4 TDs, and 21 interceptions!!
#24 – Chiefs: Blaine Gabbert
Another year, another backup gig for Gabbert. He must essentially be a QB coach. It’s been five years since he last started a game and was awful even back then, and now he’s into his mid-30s. While the Chiefs did manage with Chad Henne for a hot minute last, testing fate by having Gabbert start games if Mahomes goes down is a bad idea. However, he rises in these rankings because so many bad QBs have entered the fray below him.
#25 – Bucs: Kyle Trask
A late 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft, Trask failed to win the backup job over Blaine Gabbert two years in a row, and then lost the main job to Baker Mayfield. It is apparent that Trask is not up to the task and it’s hard to rate him any higher as he’s had zero experience.
#26 – Chargers: Easton Stick
A 2019 5th round pick, Stick has inherited the backup job from Chase Daniel. We’ve never seen Stick play in the regular season, but in the preseason he was erratic and missed a lot of passes. He did also show off his wheels and ran past some defenders.
#27 – Raiders: Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell
Inexplicably the Raiders have chosen Hoyer as their gameday backup, choosing the washed up 38 year old over the rookie who dominated the preseason. Hoyer was once a top notch backup but when he was needed last year after Mac Jones went down, he lasted all of 6 pass attempts before getting injured. He’s beyond slow and a statue, and is basically at the Shaun Hill stage of QB where he has no business playing the game anymore. Hire him as the QB coach if you like him so much!
O’Connell, a 4th round pick, clearly outplayed Hoyer and will eventually become Vegas’ backup QB. The Purdue product was a solid college QB with an NFL caliber arm, but a streak of making really dumb throws. He is on the right track if they can clean that up.
#28 – Titans: Malik Willis, Will Levis
Having spent 3rd and 2nd round picks on QBs, the Titans are preparing to move on from Ryan Tannehill. Willis was abysmal as can be last year (50.8%, 4.5 Y/A, 0 TDs / 3 picks!!), but he was always going to be raw as sushi coming out of Liberty, where he was basically playing backyard football. He showed some amount of improvement over the preseason and his ability to run is on par with the best running QBs in the league, but he needs a lot more reps before even being a decent backup.
Levis is the classic big QB who fits the “big arm” archetype. He’s got all the tools a franchise QB needs, but lacks the ability to read a defense and make quick decisions, plus some accuracy issues. Normally NFL teams would gobble him up with a top 10 draft pick, but team after team passed on him. Usually this type of QB ends up busting more often than not, but the jackpot on this gamble is high.
#29 – Rams: Brett Rypien, Stetson Bennett (IR)
Initially I was going to rate Bennett, but he suffered an injury in practice and is going to be out for a while. This puts in Rypien, who had been Denver’s backup for a couple years. There had been a bit of hype for the 2020 UDFA, but the tape he has put up so far has been dreadful. He’s old for a 5th year QB (27) and doesn’t have any notable tools that would lead me to project him to be more. Rypien is a practice squad QB at best.
#30 – Packers: Sean Clifford
The purpose of this ranking isn’t to hate on the Packers, it’s simply that Clifford had no business being a 5th round pick. He wasn’t even remotely on my radar of being draftable, as his four year career at Penn State was fine at best, not too different from any other random UDFA QB. I can’t remember the last NFL QB who had previously gotten an extra year of eligibility to play a 2nd year as a senior. He’s already 25 and did show a bit of juice in the preseason, so he’s not at rock bottom.
#31 – Bengals: Jake Browning
What are the Bengals doing? Browning was a Vikings UDFA who wasn’t anything special and was nearly guaranteed the backup job in 2021 due to being vaccinated… but his play in the preseason was so atrocious that he didn’t even make the team. His accuracy is abysmal, and from what I’ve seen with the Bengals, it’s not that much better as he still looked rough in 2023 preseason action. He won the job only because Trevor Siemian was worse. Will Grier, who’s on their PS, would be a superior option.
#32 – Bears: Nathan Peterman / Tyson Bagent ??
The Bears have signed Peterman three separate times this year, and cut him twice. I have no idea what they’re doing, as Peterman doesn’t belong on an NFL roster. He somehow got a start last year and showed nothing, being forced to rotate with Tim Boyle. He does not even belong on a practice squad.
Bagent is a UDFA who unlike Clifford was on my radar. Hailing from Shepherd University, a Division II school, it is hard to see him making such a massive transition from beating up on untalented defenses to making NFL plays. It’d make for a great story, though.
Onto practice squad QBs:
And recent free agents:
That's it for another year of a lot of work for an article nobody will read. Or "should" read.
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
79-78 Good Backup
77-76 Decent Backup
75-74 Mediocre Backup
73-72 Bad Backup
71- Practice Squad caliber
#1 – Saints: Jameis Winston, Jake Haener
In a pinch, give me a backup QB who is a near guarantee to move the ball in the passing game, and none do that as well as Winston does. Yes, he has a low floor due to a mind-boggling amount of interceptions, but he’s probably the only QB who I could see go on a tear and routinely throw for 300+ yards and multiple TDs per game. That’s the thing, all backup QBs come with a low floor, but few have this upside.
Haener is a 4th round rookie of whom I had a 5th round grade on. He profiles as a career backup and is a fine 3rd QB.
#2 – Panthers: Andy Dalton
Dalton seized the starting job from Winston partly due to injury, but I was surprised to see how efficient he played (7.6 Y/A, which was the 2nd highest in his career). He is the current best “safe” backup.
#3 – Colts: Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger
If you only look at QB wins then you may consider Minshew to be a bad backup, but when viewed under the proper context (the Jags went 7-13 when he started, compared to 0-12 when he didn't, scored 34 points against the Cowboys defense in 2022 and somehow lost), he’s clearly one of the best. He’s thrown 30 more TDs than picks and consistently keeps his team in the game, even when the players around him stink.
Ehlinger got a rare chance as a former 6th rounder to replace Matt Ryan last year and was bad, and a downgrade from even the decrepit Ryan. I don’t see much upside here but I anticipate he’ll compete for #2 jobs in the future.
#4 – Falcons: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside
It’s been a wild ride for Heinicke, but he’s settled down as a backup again. The former Vikings UDFA has had a plucky career and a quality .500 record, but he was benched after a couple awful performances in a row. Now 30 years old, he has many years left of being high up in my rankings.
Woodside served as the Titans’ backup in 2020 and 2021 before getting demoted, and has followed Arthur Smith to Atlanta. I’d put him around the Joshua Dobbs / Mike White range of backup.
#5 – Commies: Jacoby Brissett
Washington has settled on giving a year to Sam Howell as the starter, and Brissett got paid well as a backup after a much better than expected run in Cleveland. Brissett looked bad playing for Miami in 2021, but posted career best numbers in Cleveland and frankly outplayed DeShaun Watson. This is Brissett’s 4th appearance in the top 10 of backup QBs since 2018.
#6 – Broncos: Jarrett Stidham
Stidham got two games at the end of 2022 to show his quality, and he showed enough to land a 2/$10M deal with the Broncos within an hour of free agency opening. I believe Denver sees Stidham as a solid fallback option in case Wilson proves he is cooked. Still relatively young (27) and possessing a strong arm and decent mobility, Stidham has the ceiling of a low-end starter and top-notch backup. He could enter bridge QB territory in the coming years… I’d bet for a team with a former Patriots coach.
#7 – Lions: Teddy Bridgewater, Nate Sudfeld (IR), Hendon Hooker (NFI/IR)
Old friend Teddy has gotten plenty of action, starting at least one game the past 5 years in a row, but he begun to break down physically in 2022. He got injured multiple times despite starting just 2 games, once was a flare-up in his bad knee that happened when Tua was healthy, causing him to miss 5 games. He would have started the playoff game as well. Because of this, NFL teams were not as interested in bringing him in and he will earn $3.5M less compared to 2023. Even as the least durable QB in my rankings, his play was still good enough to put him in the top 10.
Sudfeld was originally going to return as Detroit’s backup, but the Lions opted to upgrade. He then got hurt in the preseason, landing on the IR.
Hendon Hooker was a hot prospect until the draft happened and he “fell” to the 3rd round, but the late 2nd/early 3rd is where I always had him pegged. He will get a full year to recover from the injury and likely inherit the backup job in 2024. I predict Goff gets an extension and Hooker does not see the field outside of injury.
#8 – Patriots: Bailey Zappe
This probably comes off as a hot take despite Zappe getting waived and claimed by no other NFL team, but I can’t overlook Zappe’s play in 2022. Despite being what I considered to be a 7th round prospect at best, Zappe had a passer rating over 100 and a Y/A of 8.5, as he made a bad Patriots offense look competent for a couple games. Mac Jones got his job back and since then O’Brien has taken over and Zappe had a bad training camp and has lost favor. Even so, I’d take him over all of the other names to be listed.
#9 – Eagles: Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee
Normally you would expect Marcus to be in the top 5 like he was in 2021 and 2020, but his play as the Falcons starter in 2022 was discouraging enough that he’s being demoted to this level. Marcus was plugged into a run-first offense with a strong OL that run the ball better than almost everybody else, and the passing game was still anemic. Mariota failed to get the ball to London and Pitts, as he was one of the least accurate passers in the NFL. He looked slower than expected, even at age 29. In the 2023 preseason games, he was sounded outplayed by 6th round rookie Tanner McKee. Going from Hurts to Mariota would be a much bigger drop than some think it is.
Tanner McKee was a PFF darling but dogged upon by the other draftniks. Despite being a 3rd rounder on my board he fell to the 6th. While he is rightly billed as a statue in the pocket, he showed promise and I can see him ending up as a multi-year backup.
#10 – 49ers: Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen
Darnold defeated Trey Lance and is the unquestioned backup. He looked fairly competent for the first time in his five year career in six starts for the Panthers, though there were still some warts. He’s still got poor accuracy and consistently goes under 60% completion which is a given these days, but he’s improved his ability to use his tools (knows when to scramble, hits on more deep balls than his Jets days). I’d take him over Baker Mayfield right now.
After serving as Cincy’s backup for two years, Brandon Allen found a cold market and signed late with the 49ers. It was an odd choice with Lance still in town, but now it makes more sense – he can be their emergency third QB. It’s puzzling why the Bengals moved on from him, but I’d still rank him as a low tier backup.
#11 – Texans: Davis Mills, Case Keenum
Mills got two full years as the Texans’ starter and busted, to nobody’s surprise. He was a high 3rd round pick who stood little chance with zero talent around him, but even then his play considerably regressed from year one to year two. He should remain a backup for a long time.
Keenum lost the backup battle to Mills despite getting a $6.25M deal. Now 35 years old, he’ll likely be a cap casualty next March, but I could see another team trading for him to be a backup (looking at you, Jets).
#12 – Giants: Tyrod Taylor
Taylor has successfully hung around the NFL a long time for a 6th round pick. He’s started in just 6 games the past 5 years and didn’t look particularly good, and he’s far from his prime where scrambling was a big part of it. But if Josh Johnson (37!) is still around and kicking, then Taylor should have a few more years left.
#13 – Seahawks: Drew Lock
Lock’s failure to defeat Geno Smith in training camp 2022 makes more sense now, though Lock has never played close to what Smith did last year. He remains in the same tier as he was in 2022.
#14 - Browns: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Get triggered! Despite being a 5th round rookie, I love everything I’ve seen from DTR. A five year starter in college, he’s far more experienced than the average rookie and has a zippy arm and is a crazy tough runner. He began to rise up draft boards late in the process and dominated Cleveland’s preseason games, prompting them to feel alright trading Dobbs away and axing Mond. With how poorly Watson has played, it may be a matter of time until we see DTR unleashed. I’ve stashed him in my dynasty league… and now we wait.
#15 – Vikings: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall
Mullens jumps from #21 to #15 due to a few retirements and a couple promotions. He now finds himself dead average, far superior to the Sean Mannion ilk, but lacking upside. Still only 28, Mullens has the potential to hang around for many more years to come.
Hall was a 5th round pick, the 13th QB selected, and I had a 6th round grade on him. The BYU product had a shaky camp and preseason, and I profile him as a 3rd string QB at best. I don’t think he will crack the ranks of a backup for a sustained period of time.
#16 – Cowboys: Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
Rush went 4-1 in five starts last year, helping the Cowboys earn a playoff spot… but he hit the open market and return on a measly 2/$5M deal, and now Dallas has traded a 4th rounder for Lance, essentially his replacement. Why is he being treated like this despite the 5-1 record? Because the defense totally carried the team as Rush posted passable stats, but the passing game wasn’t anything special as his completion rate dipped under 60% and his Y/A under 7.0. He is a below average backup being hoisted up by his defense… and he’d be lower if the NFL had better backups.
Curiously, Trey Lance ended up in Dallas. Dak Prescott is locked in through 2024 and is more likely than not to get a $50M+ deal come March 2024. It’s unclear if Lance will pass up Rush in 2023, but he certainly has more upside. He could be a top 10 backup due to his scrambling ability alone, but his ability in the passing game was bad enough to get the 49ers to give up all hope on him.
#17 – Jaguars: C.J. Beathard
It’s been three years since Beathard had a two game stretch of competent play, so it’s difficult to earmark any progression or regression from him.
#18 – Steelers: Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph
Trubisky is another first round bust with extensive experience, but he’s not even a good backup like some of the others. He was quickly benched for Pickett last year, and the Steelers may have went to the playoffs if they were to have benched him faster. He’s sorely lacking in multiple departments as a passer and isn’t quick enough to be a real threat as a runner.
Rudolph remains in Pittsburgh despite them not wanting to give him a chance at the backup job. He re-signed for the vet minimum, and likely would have been better off competing for a backup role elsewhere.
#19 – Bills: Kyle Allen, Matt Barkley
Allen has received a bump down after he got another two starts in 2022 in Houston, where he was dreadful and considerably worse than Davis Mills. He was benched for Jeff Driskel of all people. Allen retains some goodwill from his previous playing time in Washington and Carolina, but he’ll have to do better next time he receives a chance.
Barkley was Buffalo’s backup in 2020, and will stay on as the emergency QB. With how Josh Allen plays, I find that to be a wise idea.
#20 – Ravens: Tyler Huntley, Josh Johnson
Huntley has worked his way from UDFA to backup and even started in a playoff game last year… but he was awful. He posted a sub 6.0 Y/A and sub 80 passer rating has he throws more picks than TDs despite having strong completion rate numbers, indicating he throws short too often. But worst of all was the running stats – he ran for 73 rushing yards a game in 4 starts in 2022, but that dropped to 34 in 4 starts in 2023. That’s his ticket to success, and without that he is a bottom tier backup.
Somehow, Josh Johnson is still hanging around at age 37 despite rarely ever holding down a backup job. He must be a great guy in the locker room! He was the 49ers’ 3rd string QB and threw a few passes in the championship game but got injured, leading to the new 3rd QB rule. Even with him fully healthy they weren’t beating the Eagles.
#21 – Dolphins: Mike White, Skylar Thompson
White stepped in as the Jets starter with Zach Wilson flubbing it up, and his play was shaky, but not quite terrible. He showed enough to get backup level money from the Dolphins and is in a spot to spell Tua if needed. I think he could put up better numbers in McDaniel’s system, but then again wouldn’t most QBs?
For a 7th round pick, Thompson played admirably last year and reportedly outplayed Mike White in training camp. I think it is a matter of time until he is a true #2 QB in this league.
#22 – Cardinals: Joshua Dobbs, Clayton Tune
I’m going to include Dobbs as he is Kyler Murray’s backup, even if the rumors are true that they’re going to hold Murray out the whole year. Dobbs was a long-time 3rd string QB who finally got a chance in Tennessee to start after Malik Willis flopped. Dobbs wasn’t good, but he could at least complete passes to his receivers. This was enough to get a backup level deal from the Browns, but then the new Cardinals regime was willing to pay a 5th rounder to start him right off the bat. He has the potential to rise up as a mid-level backup.
Tune is a 5th round prospect of whom I had a 6th round grade on. From what I’ve seen, I anticipate he’ll be more of a 3rd string QB rather than a backup.
#23 – Jets: Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle
I am including Wilson as he was the Week 1 backup despite being the starter with Rodgers down. I’ve already mentioned Wilson’s incompetence, which is stunning how truly bad he is after being the 2nd overall pick. The big-time throws and mobility he showed in college has not transferred over whatsoever, he still appears to be far behind NFL speed, and he lacks leadership qualities. He has some tools, but no heart or “it” factor.
Boyle is now the backup to Wilson, which is something they should rectify. Boyle has no business being in the NFL, with how poorly he has played at both the college level and the NFL. Combining his college and NFL stats puts him at 1811 yards, 4 TDs, and 21 interceptions!!
#24 – Chiefs: Blaine Gabbert
Another year, another backup gig for Gabbert. He must essentially be a QB coach. It’s been five years since he last started a game and was awful even back then, and now he’s into his mid-30s. While the Chiefs did manage with Chad Henne for a hot minute last, testing fate by having Gabbert start games if Mahomes goes down is a bad idea. However, he rises in these rankings because so many bad QBs have entered the fray below him.
#25 – Bucs: Kyle Trask
A late 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft, Trask failed to win the backup job over Blaine Gabbert two years in a row, and then lost the main job to Baker Mayfield. It is apparent that Trask is not up to the task and it’s hard to rate him any higher as he’s had zero experience.
#26 – Chargers: Easton Stick
A 2019 5th round pick, Stick has inherited the backup job from Chase Daniel. We’ve never seen Stick play in the regular season, but in the preseason he was erratic and missed a lot of passes. He did also show off his wheels and ran past some defenders.
#27 – Raiders: Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell
Inexplicably the Raiders have chosen Hoyer as their gameday backup, choosing the washed up 38 year old over the rookie who dominated the preseason. Hoyer was once a top notch backup but when he was needed last year after Mac Jones went down, he lasted all of 6 pass attempts before getting injured. He’s beyond slow and a statue, and is basically at the Shaun Hill stage of QB where he has no business playing the game anymore. Hire him as the QB coach if you like him so much!
O’Connell, a 4th round pick, clearly outplayed Hoyer and will eventually become Vegas’ backup QB. The Purdue product was a solid college QB with an NFL caliber arm, but a streak of making really dumb throws. He is on the right track if they can clean that up.
#28 – Titans: Malik Willis, Will Levis
Having spent 3rd and 2nd round picks on QBs, the Titans are preparing to move on from Ryan Tannehill. Willis was abysmal as can be last year (50.8%, 4.5 Y/A, 0 TDs / 3 picks!!), but he was always going to be raw as sushi coming out of Liberty, where he was basically playing backyard football. He showed some amount of improvement over the preseason and his ability to run is on par with the best running QBs in the league, but he needs a lot more reps before even being a decent backup.
Levis is the classic big QB who fits the “big arm” archetype. He’s got all the tools a franchise QB needs, but lacks the ability to read a defense and make quick decisions, plus some accuracy issues. Normally NFL teams would gobble him up with a top 10 draft pick, but team after team passed on him. Usually this type of QB ends up busting more often than not, but the jackpot on this gamble is high.
#29 – Rams: Brett Rypien, Stetson Bennett (IR)
Initially I was going to rate Bennett, but he suffered an injury in practice and is going to be out for a while. This puts in Rypien, who had been Denver’s backup for a couple years. There had been a bit of hype for the 2020 UDFA, but the tape he has put up so far has been dreadful. He’s old for a 5th year QB (27) and doesn’t have any notable tools that would lead me to project him to be more. Rypien is a practice squad QB at best.
#30 – Packers: Sean Clifford
The purpose of this ranking isn’t to hate on the Packers, it’s simply that Clifford had no business being a 5th round pick. He wasn’t even remotely on my radar of being draftable, as his four year career at Penn State was fine at best, not too different from any other random UDFA QB. I can’t remember the last NFL QB who had previously gotten an extra year of eligibility to play a 2nd year as a senior. He’s already 25 and did show a bit of juice in the preseason, so he’s not at rock bottom.
#31 – Bengals: Jake Browning
What are the Bengals doing? Browning was a Vikings UDFA who wasn’t anything special and was nearly guaranteed the backup job in 2021 due to being vaccinated… but his play in the preseason was so atrocious that he didn’t even make the team. His accuracy is abysmal, and from what I’ve seen with the Bengals, it’s not that much better as he still looked rough in 2023 preseason action. He won the job only because Trevor Siemian was worse. Will Grier, who’s on their PS, would be a superior option.
#32 – Bears: Nathan Peterman / Tyson Bagent ??
The Bears have signed Peterman three separate times this year, and cut him twice. I have no idea what they’re doing, as Peterman doesn’t belong on an NFL roster. He somehow got a start last year and showed nothing, being forced to rotate with Tim Boyle. He does not even belong on a practice squad.
Bagent is a UDFA who unlike Clifford was on my radar. Hailing from Shepherd University, a Division II school, it is hard to see him making such a massive transition from beating up on untalented defenses to making NFL plays. It’d make for a great story, though.
Onto practice squad QBs:
And recent free agents:
That's it for another year of a lot of work for an article nobody will read. Or "should" read.
