Football is back. There will be an NFL game on television tonight as the annual Hall of Fame game kicks off in Canton, Ohio, with the Lions and Chargers matching up. If any notable players play, it will make headlines like it did a few years ago when the Raiders had RB Josh Jacobs taking carries in a game where the No. 1 priority for all involved is avoiding any major injuries.
Priority No. 2 is showcasing the backups, and we’ll jump on that train. In honor of the start of the preseason, here is a ranking of the league’s backup quarterbacks.
Teams have a slightly different job description for the backup quarterback than they do the starter. Expectations are lower of course, with a few exceptions for teams with competitions or unique situations. The backup has to be a background, supporting player for the starter, but also ready to come in on a moment’s notice with no preparation. Managing the game, avoiding turnovers and keeping things steady are more important criteria for teams than arm talent and mobility — though those are obviously nice to have.
To help standardize the comparison, I’ve included win-loss record, touchdown-to-interception ratio and adjusted net yards per attempt — yards per attempt with bonuses for touchdowns and deductions for interceptions and sacks. Success in those three metrics generally encapsulates success in the responsibilities for backup quarterbacks.
W-L record: 83-74-2 (0.528 percent)
TD/INT: 288/126
ANY/A: 6.82
The most expensive backup in football with a $27.5 million guaranteed salary in 2025, Cousins is caught up in the fallout of how Atlanta handled its quarterback situation last year, guaranteeing him $100 million in free agency and using the No. 8 pick on QB Michael Penix Jr. The shift was made to Penix late last year as Cousins’ play waned due to injury, and while the team listened to trade offers, the Falcons ultimately decided they didn’t want to pay Cousins to play elsewhere.
It’s unusual to have a quarterback as decorated as Cousins No. 2 on the depth chart, but the veteran hasn’t agitated for his exit like some others might and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of awkwardness between the two. Penix has a notable injury history from college, so the Falcons might actually get some significant benefit from having Cousins as an insurance policy, albeit a pricey one. He was a pretty clear No. 1 on this list.
W-L record: 43-21 (0.672 percent)
TD/INT: 96/51
ANY/A: 6.96
Garoppolo has some eye-popping numbers here after piling up a lot of wins, yards and touchdowns with the 49ers. His numbers in his lone year with the Raiders were a lot less impressive, but the good news for the Rams is HC Sean McVay’s system has a lot of overlap with the one Garoppolo thrived in during his San Francisco years. He got one start at the end of last year and completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a loss to the Seahawks. Not too shabby.
Right now Rams QB Matthew Stafford is sidelined with a back injury that the team says isn’t a big deal right now, but still feels ominous for a 37-year-old passer. If Stafford does end up missing time, the Rams are in about as good of shape as they could be at the backup spot.
W-L record: 84-82-2 (0.506 percent)
TD/INT: 253/150
ANY/A: 5.95
Dalton got the nod over former No. 1 pick Bryce Young after just two weeks last year and immediately sparked Carolina’s offense. He averaged a shade under 250 yards passing in five starts but he and the team cooled off, and after a freak thumb injury in a car accident, Dalton relinquished the job back to Young. He’s one of the most accomplished and tenured backups in football with 166 career starts and 253 career touchdowns. Out of all the quarterbacks listed here with at least 100 career attempts, Dalton ranks seventh in ANY/A and is one of just 10 who have a career winning record.
W-L record: 34-40 (0.459 percent)
TD/INT: 97/55
ANY/A: 6.13
Mariota didn’t start any games for Washington last year but he got significant playing time in two and was effective. He completed an efficient 77 percent of his 44 pass attempts for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, adding another 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It’s unsurprising for a player who has one of the best TD/INT ratios and ANY/A of any backup on this list. Mariota’s playing style is a picture-perfect fit for Washington’s offense behind star QB Jayden Daniels, and his mobility means the team doesn’t lose that aspect of the playbook with Daniels off the field.
W-L record: 28-28-1 (0.500 percent)
TD/INT: 68/29
ANY/A: 5.86
The durability concerns that have plagued Taylor his entire career haven’t gone away now that he’s almost 36, and while he can still move, he’s not the dynamic dual-threat option he was earlier in his career. Regardless, Taylor is one of the most experienced backups in football and protects the football better than 95 percent of the rest of this list. He’s elusive in the pocket and good at throwing the ball deep down the field. For a run-heavy offense like the Jets, Taylor is an excellent backup.
W-L record: 4-3 (0.571 percent)
TD/INT: 12/7
ANY/A: 6.34
Browning didn’t attempt a pass last year, which the Bengals will take as a win given starting QB Joe Burrow’s injury history. But he proved himself the year before by taking over for Burrow and nearly getting the Bengals into the playoffs. All of his stats above are from that seven-and-a-half game stretch, and Browning’s ANY/A is No. 3 of all the backups on this list with at least 100 attempts. Browning played a ton at Washington and bounced around the league for five years before getting his first career pass attempt, though he’s technically considered just a third-year player in years of accrued experience by the NFL. He’s an interesting candidate to monitor in two years when he’s finally eligible for unrestricted free agency.
W-L record: 19-34 (0.358 percent)
TD/INT: 53/24
ANY/A: 5.47
Brissett has a nice little feather in his cap compared to the rest of this list. He’s currently No. 1 in NFL history for interception percentage among players with enough attempts to qualify, all the way down at 1.4 percent for his career. He protects the ball extraordinarily well, though the sacrifice is the offense becomes less dynamic in the passing game. Still, most coaches will gladly take a backup who doesn’t turn the ball over, and Brissett has also drawn rave reviews for his leadership and locker room presence from each of his five previous teams.
W-L record: 36-51 (0.414 percent)
TD/INT: 154/111
ANY/A: 6.16
The polar opposite of Brissett, Winston would probably be a starter somewhere if he could curb the turnovers. An ANY/A of over 6.0 is great for a backup and Winston’s one of the few in the league who checks that box. He’s also one of the few quarterbacks in NFL history with a 5,000-yard passing season under his belt — unfortunately he’s also the only quarterback in NFL history to throw both 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. The turnovers are reflected in his poor record as a starter but many backups struggle to keep the offense moving when they enter the lineup. At least with Winston, there will be fireworks.
W-L record: 17-29 (0.370 percent)
TD/INT: 68/34
ANY/A: 5.93
Minshew Mania did not go well in Las Vegas last year, with a 2-7 record, more interceptions than touchdowns and an ANY/A of 4.71 that was a full yard below his previous career-low. It was another data point reinforcing that Minshew is best suited to being a backup, not a starter. With his Air Raid background, he’s a great fit for the Chiefs behind QB Patrick Mahomes, though it’s a bit of a luxury as Mahomes is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league when it comes to playing through injuries.
W-L record: 8-7 (0.533 percent)
TD/INT: 11/13
ANY/A: 5.10
I’ve included both Colts quarterbacks here because at least one of them will be the backup come Week 1 and at this point it still feels like a 50-50 race. Richardson’s potential obviously gives him a higher ceiling than No. 10 among all backup quarterbacks, which by transitive property would be as low as No. 42 among all signal callers. But the numbers so far are rough. Richardson’s accuracy and decision-making have been major negatives, with the lows equaling the highs so far in his career.
Strictly as a backup, Richardson would be a lot more inconsistent and inexperienced than most coaches would prefer, and both his TD/INT ratio and ANY/A suggest he belongs even further down the list. He can also do things with his arm and his legs that almost no other quarterbacks can do, so I’ve split the difference in a way.
W-L record: 24-44-1 (0.355 percent)
TD/INT: 70/47
ANY/A: 5.12
Jones didn’t profile as well against the other backup quarterbacks as I might have expected. He ranked 20th in ANY/A compared to the other backups on this list, a number which seems to be weighed down heavily by his penchant for sacks and turnovers. Jones also has 50 career fumbles, 26 of which were recovered by opponents, and that’s not accounted for in ANY/A. On the positive side, Jones is a legit threat as a rusher, which adds another dimension to the playbook that a lot of backups can’t bring. For the Colts specifically, it’s a nice little wrinkle to have the QB run game available no matter who wins the competition.
W-L record: 9-5 (0.643 percent)
TD/INT: 20/10
ANY/A: 5.71
Rush has acquitted himself well every time he’s been pressed into the starting lineup with Dallas over the last few years, as his winning percentage and solid stats attest. He has good command of the offense and generally has avoided mistakes while still preserving enough of an element of aggressiveness to make plays. Rush has a clutch gene, too, with three game-winning drives in his 14 starts. Dallas elected to go cheap at backup quarterback this offseason, opening up a path for Rush to land with the Ravens.
W-L record: 7-10 (0.412 percent)
TD/INT: 20/11
ANY/A: 5.77
While O’Connell’s numbers don’t leap off the page, the situation around him the last two years in Las Vegas has been bad. Given that context, O’Connell profiles a lot better. He’s a throwback pocket passer with cement feet but moxie to attempt and complete throws that he probably shouldn’t. O’Connell’s made it clear in his first two years that while he probably doesn’t have the ceiling of a starter, he’s going to be a backup in the NFL for a very long time.
W-L record: 30-36 (0.455 percent)
TD/INT: 74/51
ANY/A: 5.70
At 37 years old with 11 years and 66 starts under his belt, Keenum is one of the more accomplished backups in the league. The Bears sought him out to have an experienced, veteran voice in the quarterback room with former No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. That’s his primary expected contribution, with no pass attempts last year and just 60 over the past three seasons. Still, the veteran has some savvy if he’s pushed into the lineup.
W-L record: 13-15-1 (0.466 percent)
TD/INT: 39/28
ANY/A: 5.42
Heinicke is not playing in tonight’s game while fellow QB Trey Lance is set to play into the third quarter. That should tell you that the veteran Heinicke has already sewn up any competition for the No. 2 job behind Chargers QB Justin Herbert, though it’s also true that Lance needs the developmental reps more. A former UDFA out of Old Dominion who has been close to washing out of the league multiple times, Heinicke is a terrific success story of grit and perseverance. He’s not particularly big or fast and the ball doesn’t wow coming out of his hand, but there aren’t a lot of quarterbacks that play with more heart.
W-L record: 31-26 (0.544 percent)
TD/INT: 74/48
ANY/A: 5.54
An under-the-radar competition to watch in Bills camp is QB Mike White nipping at Trubisky’s heels for the No. 2 job. But for now, the former top pick has the edge. This is his second stint as the backup in Buffalo after the Bills were Trubisky’s first stop after his time in Chicago, and he seems to have settled into a niche as a career backup for however long he decides to play (he turns 31 next month). On paper, Trubisky checks all the boxes teams want to see from their backup — winning record, solid at protecting the football, can keep the offense moving. Trubisky is also probably in the top half of the league’s backups when it comes to mobility.
W-L record: 9-8-1 (0.528 percent)
TD/INT: 28/20
ANY/A: 5.60
In an alternate reality where veteran QB Aaron Rodgers decided to retire instead of play one more season, there’s a real chance Rudolph ends up as the Week 1 starter for Pittsburgh, though there’s a fair chance the Steelers were bluffing. It’s one thing to say that in April, it’s another to be in August staring down the barrel of a 17-game season. Regardless, Rudolph’s perfectly qualified as the backup. In all three of the comparison categories, Rudolph came out with respectable numbers, which puts him ahead of some other notable names.
W-L record: 20-29 (0.408 percent)
TD/INT: 54/44
ANY/A: 5.39
Last year with the Jaguars was supposed to be a reset for Jones ahead of a contract year after a sour ending with the Patriots. Instead, an injury to QB Trevor Lawrence pushed him into the starting lineup for seven games and the 2024 Jaguars were as big of a disaster as any of the Patriots teams Jones played for. All the bad habits in his game remained. Jones is a pocket passer with limited mobility and arm strength who has seen his decision-making rapidly deteriorate over the past few seasons.
The good news for him is that he’s landing in an ideal system in San Francisco with HC Kyle Shanahan, who reportedly coveted him in the lead-up to the 2021 draft before being talked into taking Lance. Jones wouldn’t be the first quarterback to turn a stint with the 49ers into more opportunities elsewhere, and his rookie year remains an example of what’s possible for Jones.
W-L record: 10-18 (0.357 percent)
TD/INT: 34/28
ANY/A: 5.36
The Seahawks love Lock, so much that there was some saltiness from GM John Schneider last year when he elected to take a contract from the Giants that offered the potential for more playing time. Lock did indeed get his shot, starting five of the final six games of the season. He finished with a 1-4 record, six touchdowns and five interceptions. Both he and New York were done with each other, and he’s landed back in Seattle.
Lock’s more physically talented than a couple of the quarterbacks ahead of him but he’s been held back by inconsistency his whole career. The neat thing about that, though, is he’s capable of some real highs in limited samples. He had a brilliant game-winning drive against the Eagles in 2023, and four of his six passing touchdowns last year came in a win over the Colts.
W-L record: 3-2 (0.600 percent)
TD/INT: 3/3
ANY/A: 4.99
The Titans dumped Willis in a preseason trade to the Packers as they moved ahead with Will Levis last year. It showed how little they thought of Willis because the two sides were slated to play in just a few weeks. Willis ended up starting two games because of an injury to Jordan Love and beat both the Titans and Colts to keep Green Bay afloat early in the year. He was responsible for three touchdowns, two passing, one rushing, in those two games with no interceptions.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur certainly deserves a lot of credit for getting Willis ready to play and be effective on such short notice. Green Bay intentionally didn’t ask a ton of him, keeping his pass attempts under 20 in both games and taking advantage of his skills as a rusher. But Willis looked vastly more competent than he did at any point during his tenure with the Titans. It’s a small sample size but notable nonetheless.
W-L record: NA
TD/INT: 1/0
ANY/A: 9.00
Milton is the second of three quarterbacks who have been intriguing in tiny sample sizes. He got the lion’s share of the playing time in a game against the Bills’ backups in Week 18 that the Patriots won despite an effort to lock up a higher draft pick. Even though it was closer to a preseason game than a regular-season contest, Milton was sensational. At 6-5 and nearly 250 pounds, he can do a credible impersonation of Cam Newton and Josh Allen, and Milton’s highlight tape from that day was impressive. He finished with a 22-29 day for 241 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while rushing for another touchdown.
That game allowed the Patriots to flip Milton just a year after drafting him in the sixth round when it was clear he didn’t fit in with new HC Mike Vrabel. Dallas rolled the dice and Milton will be the primary backup to starting QB Dak Prescott for the next three seasons on his rookie deal.
W-L record: 1-0 (1.000 percent)
TD/INT: 4/0
ANY/A: 8.21
A sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford, McKee has spent his first two seasons as the third-string quarterback for Philadelphia, but has impressed enough behind the scenes to be given pole position in the competition for the No. 2 job against sixth-round QB Kyle McCord and former Browns third-stringer Dorian Thompson-Robinson. A classic pocket passer, McKee piled up four passing scores on just 45 attempts last year, getting a start in Week 18 as the Eagles rested their starters against the Giants. In that game, he completed 27 of 41 attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. The sample size is limited but it’s easy to see how the Eagles have been encouraged.
W-L record: 5-19-1 (0.220 percent)
TD/INT: 35/25
ANY/A: 5.19
The bulk of Mills’ playing time came from his first two seasons in the league when the Texans were floundering about trying to rebuild and find a successor to disgruntled and disgraced QB Deshaun Watson. Those teams weren’t good and that’s reflected in Mills’ record. He also made plenty of mistakes as a young signal caller. That said, he was decently productive and has a good skillset for a backup with prototypical size and arm strength. The Texans elected to re-sign him and let Keenum walk after last year, as Mills is still just 26.
W-L record: 5-15 (0.250 percent)
TD/INT: 34/31
ANY/A: 6.26
You might notice that Mullens’ ANY/A is outstanding relatively speaking— far better than any other player in the tiers around him and one of the best marks for any backup on this list. He’s also got an aggressive amount of interceptions and a poor win-loss record. Mullens has certainly been aided by most of his extensive playing time coming in QB-friendly systems like Shanahan in San Francisco or Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in 2023. He’s willing to challenge defenses over the middle of the field on the anticipation throws Shanahan and O’Connell both rely on as the bread and butter of their schemes, which makes him a good fit. Unfortunately, he gets a little too much dip on his chip. New Jaguars HC Liam Coen runs a similar system to Shanahan and O’Connell, so Mullens is a good fit in Jacksonville as well.
W-L record: NA
TD/INT: NA
ANY/A: NA
Ordinarily a rookie quarterback like Gabriel would be even lower on this list given his relatively modest draft capital and lack of NFL experience. But Gabriel arrives with six seasons and the NCAA record for quarterback starts under his belt, so he’s a little more seasoned than the typical rookie. He profiled as an excellent backup prospect given his smarts, mobility and moxie. Gabriel is also an excellent fit in Browns HC Kevin Stefanski’s scheme, much like former QB Baker Mayfield in some ways.
W-L record: 15-10 (0.600 percent)
TD/INT: 15/14
ANY/A: 5.00
One of the plethora of quarterbacks the Browns brought in, Pickett is competing with veteran QB Joe Flacco to be the starter and with Gabriel to be the primary backup. He’s younger and more mobile than Flacco and more experienced than Gabriel, but also in a contract year and a questionable part of the long-term outlook if he doesn’t beat Flacco for the starting job. And it’s worth pointing out that Flacco is a much, much better passer based on their resumes to this point. Let’s not even discuss his Super Bowl ring, let’s just look at Flacco’s season with the Colts last year, which ended up with him benched. Flacco threw for 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions and had an ANY/A of 5.88. Pickett has 15 touchdown passes for his career and an ANY/A almost a full yard lower and one of the lowest on this list.
Now he’s still only 27 and the Browns traded for him believing they could get more production out of him than he’s shown to this point. But at this point, it feels like an uphill battle.
W-L record: NA
TD/INT: 0/0
ANY/A: 5.30
Hooker has just nine career passing attempts and it’s pretty telling that the Lions felt they needed to sign Teddy Bridgewater out of virtual retirement to have a steadier hand at backup for the playoffs. But he was prolific in college and the team did spend a third-round pick on him, so there’s some potential. He has to hold off the next player on this list.
W-L record: 7-12 (0.368 percent)
TD/INT: 26/21
ANY/A: 5.02
Allen has thrown just one pass over the last two seasons as the No. 3 on the depth chart for the Steelers and Bills. His last starting action with the Texans in 2022 didn’t go well, with an 0-2 record and four interceptions. He has some experience and checks some of the prototypical boxes as far as frame, arm strength and mobility for the Lions as they look to make Hooker earn the backup gig.
W-L record: 1-3 (0.250 percent)
TD/INT: 8/8
ANY/A: 5.10
Stidham was a highly-rated recruit once upon a time and was a multi-year starter in the SEC at Auburn. That has helped make him the pet project for multiple offensive mastermind types like Josh McDaniels and Sean Payton, who have employed him at every stop in his career. Stidham’s actual playing time has been much sparser, but he did start two games at the end of the 2023 season that weren’t too shabby. If you throw out his early years with the Patriots, Stidham’s ANY/A rises above the 6.0 mark for his career.
W-L record: 3-12 (0.200 percent)
TD/INT: 17/15
ANY/A: 4.56
Dubbed “The Passtronaut” in some circles because of his training at NASA and his current job, Dobbs is unquestionably a fun player. He’s big and can move at 6-3 and 220 pounds, making him a tough tackle in the pocket and a threat on the ground. Dobbs has eight rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons, which is valuable context that helps prop up his otherwise underwhelming passing numbers.
Paradoxically, Dobbs has also been better with less time in the system. In 2023, he was traded from the Browns to the Cardinals right before the start of the season and entered the starting lineup. Arizona was at its most competitive, both in margin of defeat and actually winning a game, in Dobbs’ first few starts, and he was also at his most effective. Dobbs’ performance eventually waned and he was traded to the Vikings, where injuries pressed him into the lineup. He won his first two starts with little prep time and once again played his best before fading as time went on and eventually getting benched.
Now Dobbs is reunited with Vrabel after playing for him in Tennessee, and gives him the veteran mentorship presence Vrabel was looking to add to the quarterback room around Drake Maye. If Dobbs has to play a short stint for the Patriots this year, odds are it’ll be okay. Anything beyond two games, though, and it likely won’t be pretty.
W-L record: 12-21 (0.364 percent)
TD/INT: 23/25
ANY/A: 4.29
Wilson is in the middle of his attempted redemption arc, as reclamation quarterbacks are the new fad in the NFL. Teams are on the lookout for talented early draft picks who flamed out to start their careers on bad teams, hoping that a better environment and more time to develop can coax out some potential. Wilson was with the Broncos last year after being traded by the Jets and signed with the Dolphins this year. He has a quick, snappy release that fits HC Mike McDaniel’s system but he’ll need to vastly improve his decision-making and penchant for holding onto the ball. There should be some glimpses of that this preseason, but if Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa gets hurt yet again, we’ll find out how much Wilson has really progressed.
W-L record: 5-13 (0.278 percent)
TD/INT: 22/23
ANY/A: 4.27
The Seahawks traded for Howell with high hopes last year after he shredded them in a shootout during his starting year in Washington ( as an aside, you’d be surprised how many trades happen because a player had a great game or practice against a team and they remembered it later). Unfortunately for Seattle, Howell mounted no challenge against former starting QB Geno Smith in training camp, and when he was pressed into action unexpectedly later in the season against the Packers it was a catastrophe. Howell took an NFL-leading 65 sacks in 2023 and he took four in just 40 percent of the snaps in that game. Seattle’s putrid offensive line was a poor mix with Howell’s weaknesses, and he finished the game going just 5-14 for 24 yards and an interception.
Howell was swept up in the Seahawks’ clean sweep of the quarterback room this offseason and traded to the Minnesota Vikings’ Rehabilitation School for Quarterbacks, where as of right now he is set to be the primary backup for first-year starter J.J. McCarthy.
W-L record: 0-6 (0.000 percent)
TD/INT: 4/5
ANY/A: 4.14
Once upon a time, Rattler had Heisman and No. 1 pick hype before his college career took a detour. He still landed in the NFL as an interesting developmental project for teams, as he has a whiplike release and some scrambling ability. Perhaps Rattler will get to put it all together at some point but he was pretty evidently not ready to play last year when pressed into action. He’s competing with second-round QB Tyler Shough and third-year QB Jake Haener for the starting job this summer but Shough is the current favorite.
W-L record: 2-8 (0.250 percent)
TD/INT: 11/8
ANY/A: 4.83
Allen has been a third-string quarterback for most of his career and was slated for that role again in 2025 before Levis unexpectedly elected to have shoulder surgery and go on injured reserve. That pushes Allen into the No. 2 role behind No. 1 pick Cam Ward, and given that this year is all about developing Ward the Titans seem content to let that lie. Allen has pretty solid physical tools and his TD/INT ratio is a little interesting.
W-L record: NA
TD/INT: 0/0
ANY/A: 2.55
Trask is entering his fifth season. He has four career pass completions (on 11 attempts). Tampa Bay kept him around instead of going after a different backup this offseason, which says something, but the lack of track record apart from being a former third-round pick is hard to ignore.
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