The importance of the backup quarterback position in the NFL shouldn't be understated. Without a season ago, the ' season might've collapsed when mi sed five starts with a thumb injury. With Bridgewater, the Saints went 5-0 and eventually, won the NFC South. Without a season ago, the might've lost too much ground in the playoff seeding when mi sed nearly three full games with a knee injury. With Moore, the Chiefs went 2-1 in those three games and eventually, captured the second seed in the AFC. Without a few years back, the wouldn't have won the with on the sidelines. Backup quarterbacks matter, and their limited availability
Derrick Henry Jersey makes them matter all the more. There aren't even 32 starting-caliber quarterbacks in the , which means most teams aren't able to roster a starting-caliber backup quarterback. There's only a lucky few. The rest of the lot is usually forced to ride out the season with a veteran who has an understanding of the league and system, but lacks the attributes to execute the offense at a high-enough level, or a young quarterback who has never really played in the NFL, which is why most teams can't survive the lo s of their starting quarterback. With all that in mind, now that most of the quarterbacks in free agency have been signed with the notable exception of , we decided now would be an appropriate time to rank all 32 teams based on their backup quarterback situations. First, a couple notes: Only the immediate backup was considered. The third-string quarterback on each and every team, for those that are carrying more than two quarterbacks, were not factored into the rankings. Neither were the starting quarterbacks. We're only looking at the second quarterback on the depth chart. In the event where the lines between a team's starter and backup are blurred (looking at you, Chicago), I did my best to make a judgement call on who I think will be the team's backup come Week 1 (looking at you, Trubisky). When it comes to highly drafted rookies, like Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts, their long-term value to their respective teams was given additional weight. They might not be as good of a backup right now as some established veterans, but the fact that they have the potential
Rodger Saffold Jersey to morph into something more gave them added value whereas we already know established veterans like Brian Hoyer and Chase Daniel are solid backups at their absolute best. Onto the list. 32. ' durability has made the Seahawks' backup quarterback position irrelevant over the years. He's never mi sed a game in his career. The Seahawks better hope Wilson stays healthy again in 2020 because as it stands, it will be Gordon, an undrafted free agent from Washington State, who takes over. Don't expect him to be another Gardner Minshew. As NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote on his pre-draft profile of Gordon, He throws with touch but doesn
LeShaun Sims Jersey 't have the arm strength or eye discipline to keep NFL coverages from closing his throwing windows." The Seahawks are one of those teams that would make a ton of sense for Cam Newton in a backup role. 31. ' For the Rams' sake, better rebound after a difficult 2019 season and stay healthy, because the options behind him are limited. Who is John Wolford? He played collegiately at Wake Forest, where he threw for 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2017. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent who signed with the . He started for the Arizona Hotshots in And he's been with the Rams ever since. He's yet to play in an NFL game. 30. ' The seventh-round pick of the two years ago still hasn't thrown a pa s in the NFL. At Toledo, he posted gaudy numbers, his lack of size and elite arm strength should hamper his ability to thrive in the NFL if he ever gets the chance. Woodside will battle for the backup job with seventh-round rookie . If it's McDonald who wins the job, don't expect the Titans' ranking to change much. There's a reason he was taken in the seventh round: He's a developmental prospect lacking a lot of the traits shared by NFL-caliber quarterbacks. In short, there's not that much of a tangible difference between the two. They're both unproven with clear limitations. 29. ' After starting for 12 seasons at Oregon State, Mannion has made a nice career for himself as a backup. In five seasons, he's started only two games with 13 total appearances, during which he's averaging 5.2 yards per attempt and a 57.5 pa ser rating. OK, I lied: Mannion
Earl Campbell Jersey only started at Oregon State for four seasons and while he's made a career for himself as a backup, I wouldn't exactly call it "nice." 28. ' Hundley has just never developed into the kind of quarterback many thought he could become when he was at UCLA. The fifth-round pick of the now finds himself in Arizona, where he'll support . If Hundley is thrust into action, the Cardinals are likely doomed. He's thrown four more interceptions than touchdowns in his career (13-9), has averaged 5.6 yards per attempt, and owns a 67.6 pa ser rating. 27. Jets' Adam Gase certainly has a thing for Fales. The pair first teamed up in Chicago, again in Miami, and now in New York, where Fales will once again fit in behind . What's remarkable is that in six profe sional seasons, Fales has only attempted 48 pa ses. His numbers aren't at all impre sive (6.0 yards per attempt and a 79.1 pa ser rating), but with that small of a sample size, it's hard to know just how bad or just how good he is. But being around for six seasons and only getting a chance to throw the ball 48 times does not exactly bode well for Fales or the Jets if he is forced to step in under center during the upcoming season. 26. ' My favorite Matt Barkley fun fact is thatas a member of the Bears to stave off the cold. He actually played halfway decent football in that game too considering his lack of experience
Logan Ryan Jersey as an NFL starting quarterback and the fact that he was wearing a wetsuit under his uniform during a real live NFL game. Unfortunately, I don't have many more great things to say about Barkley as an NFL quarterback. There's a reason he's a backup; he carries a career 65.7 pa ser rating. It wouldn't be entirely surprising to see rookie usurp him at some point during the upcoming season. In fact, I flirted with the idea of ranking Fromm here instead of Barkley. 25. ' Dobbs. He majored in aerospace engineering at the University of Tenne see. I bring this up because Dobbs appears to have a very bright future after football. As for his future in football, it's still unclear. He's only thrown 12 pa ses in his entire career. That makes him better than the options list
