NFC East backup quarterback panic meter

On a scale of one to five, with one being the highest level of panic, here's where NFC East teams stand at backup QB.

Dallas Cowboys

BACKUPS: Cooper Rush, Will Grier | Know who won’t panic if Dak Prescott goes down? Owner Jerry Jones. When Prescott went down with a hand injury last September, Rush stepped in to win four of his next five starts, prompting Jones to fan the flames of a QB controversy.

"Wouldn’t it be something if you had a dilemma as to which way you go? You do that if he gets 10 wins," Jones explained.

Rush became the first quarterback in franchise history to win his first four starts, but his numbers were mediocre at best. In five starts, he threw for only five touchdowns and completed just 10 passes for 102 yards in a win against the Rams. With the league’s third-toughest schedule, per NFL Research, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose their starting quarterback. Rush will do in a pinch, but without Prescott, the team’s playoff chances are dead. Sorry, Jerry. (PANIC METER: 2)

New York Giants

BACKUPS: Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito | The Giants couldn't do much better at backup than Taylor, who has played in 81 games (53 starts) over 12 seasons, throwing for 60 touchdowns and 10,794 yards. His best years came with Buffalo, where he threw for 8,857 yards and 51 touchdowns in three years as a starter.

But he last played with Buffalo in 2017. Last season, Taylor threw eight passes with the Giants, one for a touchdown and another for an interception. Luckily for Giants fans, RB Saquon Barkley is back in the fold. Taylor may be rusty, but as long as Barkley is on the field, the team should remain competitive if starter Daniel Jones goes down. (PANIC METER: 3)

Philadelphia Eagles

BACKUPS: Marcus Mariota, Ian Book | In Mariota, the Eagles have the most experienced backup quarterback in the NFC East. Since joining the league as the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the former Oregon Duck has appeared in 87 games and thrown for 15,656 yards.

In 13 games with the Falcons last season, Mariota had 15 touchdown passes and four more rushing. But after losing four of his last five starts, he was benched for Desmond Ridder, prompting him to leave the team and have knee surgery.

Mariota’s sudden exit from Atlanta wasn’t a good look, and according to multiple reports, he has looked bad in training camp, throwing four interceptions in his first four practices. But that’s expected for a player learning a new system. Assuming new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson gets him up to speed, Mariota is an upgrade over the previous backup, Gardner Minshew. (PANIC METER: 3)

Washington Commanders

BACKUPS: Jacoby Brissett, Jake Fromm | What do you do when you have the most inexperienced quarterback in the NFC East? You back him up with a veteran player like Brissett. Former fifth-round draft pick and presumed starter Sam Howell has just 19 pass attempts in his NFL career —1,567 fewer passes than Brissett. Brissett also has 75 more games than Howell, including 11 starts with the Browns last season.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin ranks the seven-year veteran as the NFL’s fourth-best backup QB, which should reassure Commanders fans worried about Howell’s lack of experience. Washington has high hopes for Howell in 2023, but if he gets injured or can’t get it done, Brissett should be seen as a lateral move. (PANIC METER: 5)