Ranking every NFL team's backup QB situation from worst to best for 2017
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Who's the next Dak?
Another year, another ranking of the backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Last year the lowest-ranked quarterback situation was the Cowboys, which worked out well for me. Dak Prescott only managed to win 13 games after Tony Romo went down. I'm not scared and am going to take another stab at the list, but I learn from my mistakes. This time around the top part of the list will be populated by high-upside younger guys. Of course you want someone with a high floor, but if you can mix a top pick with tons of upside in as a backup, it gives you a huge advantage for the future.
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32. Trevone Boykin, Seahawks
Boykin is a homeless man's Russell Wilson clone for the Seahawks, going 13 of 18 last year for 145 yards, one interception and one touchdown. He was an explosive playmaker in college who was a blast to watch, but has largely looked overwhelmed at the NFL level in the short amount of time he has played. If Wilson went down for an extended period of time, the Seahawks offense would crater. His availability is an issue too; after a college arrest resulted in him missing a TCU bowl game, Boykin has been arrested since turning pro. His Google profile pic is a mugshot.
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31. Christian Hackenberg, Jets
This almost feels like picking on the Jets and a guy who was a second-round pick, but New York is already in a horrendous position when it comes to the 2017 season and potentially not winning any football games. It's hard to imagine what would happen if Hackenberg started the majority of the season, given his propensity for hitting reporters during practice. Hackenberg was a second-round pick in 2016 but has been under fire ever since, largely in part because he has not looked the part of an NFL QB and because the Jets kept him hidden all of last year.
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30. Jake Rudock, Lions
If someone bet you $50 that "Jake Rudock" was a tight end in college, would you really feel confident wagering he played quarterback? He did, for Michigan, which got him drafted by Detroit in the sixth round. Rudock has been way ahead of Brad Kaaya all offseason in terms of depth chart performance, but has never attempted an NFL pass. That's good news because it means Matthew Stafford's been healthy but the idea of Stafford suffering an injury and Rudock being pressed into action for a lengthy amount of time is terrifying, even with Jim Bob Cooter coaching.
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29. Kellen Moore, Cowboys
Crazily enough, Moore was supposed to be the top backup to Tony Romo last year until a preseason injury knocked him out for the season. The Cowboys were not confident enough in Dak Prescott to plug him in ahead of Moore (which is what led to us ranking the Cowboys last -- they were desperately trying to acquire Josh McCown!). Moore was a fantastic college quarterback at Boise State and Scott Linehan has all the confidence in the world in him, but he is an undersized lefty quarterback with an arm that can best be described as a pop gun. Not a great combo.
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28. Scott Tolzien, Colts
Undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2012, Tolzien is now on his third NFL team at the age of 30. He appeared in three games for the Colts last year, including a start on Thanksgiving night against the Steelers that was an abject disaster; Indy asked him to throw 36 times against against Pittsburgh in a blowout loss. The really bad news for the Colts? Tolzien projects as the Week 1 starter against a potentially dangerous Rams defense thanks to offseason surgery on Andrew Luck's shoulder. He will have a chance to prove this ranking right or wrong quickly.
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27. Ryan Mallett, Ravens
Another guy who could very well end up starting the season in the starting lineup, Mallett has also bounced around with several teams since being drafted in the third round by the Patriots back in 2012. Any other team and we're not giving Mallett the benefit of the doubt as long as we did. He does have outstanding physical tools, but Mallett is basically Zach Mettenberger with worse facial hair. He flopped badly with the Texans and now serves as the Ravens' only Joe Flacco insurance. Baltimore could be in trouble if Flacco's back acts up.
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26. C.J. Beathard, 49ers
It is dangerous to bet against Kyle Shanahan and his ability to find a quality quarterback in the NFL Draft because, um, he's a good offensive coordinator? Beathard was a third-round pick out of Iowa, but nothing about his stats scream "this guy is going to dominate at the NFL level." His senior year he started 13 games, completed 56.5 percent of his passes, threw for less than 2,000 yards and had 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. If Mitchell Trubisky goes on to be a good quarterback, the 49ers are going to have some explaining to do.
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25. EJ Manuel, Raiders
The former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills washed out badly and lost his only savior in Doug Whaley, leaving Manuel to fend for his own and try to find a backup job. He landed in Oakland, where he'll be behind Derek Carr, which means that, yes, if Carr were to get injured late in the season during 2017 like he did last year, Manuel could very well start a playoff game. The gambling gods cannot be so generous. Manuel is another tragedy from the horrific 2013 NFL Draft class.
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24. Kellen Clemens, Chargers
It is impossible to think about Kellen Clemens without also thinking about Jeff Fisher's claim the Rams would "Give Em Hell with Kell" after Sam Bradford went down with an injury several years ago. Hell was not wrought. Clemens went 4-5 and completed less than 60 percent of his passes. What will make this interesting is if Clemens actually wins the backup job -- in theory Cardale Jones could snag the position as one of Anthony Lynn's favorite guys, but that feels like a very dangerous bet on Philip Rivers staying healthy for the entirety of the 2017 season.
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23. Sean Mannion, Rams
Mannion is already headed into his third season and is already 25 years old, so there might be a limited amount of upside for this third-round pick in 2015. He sat behind Case Keenum and is now behind Jared Goff, although there was a brief moment where rumors flew about Mannion actually becoming the Rams' version of Kirk Cousins, the unheralded backup who ran Sean McVay's system better than the highly drafted starter (Robert Griffin, Goff) did. That has disappeared with Goff looking good, and Mannion just remains an unknown quantity.
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22. Geno Smith, Giants
This job could also go to Josh Johnson, but it is difficult to imagine the Giants going in that direction instead of putting Geno behind Eli Manning. That also sets up Geno to be the only quarterback in recent memory (since at least 2004) to have a shot at starting games for both the Giants and Jets. Which would be a nightmarish scenario for Giants fans, since it means that Eli's lengthy streak of starts crashes to a halt. Geno always flashes a little bit but usually reveals his true turnover-prone self fairly quickly.
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21. Matt Schaub, Falcons
You could win a lot of money at the bar when doing trivia and pointing out that Matt Schaub once led the NFL in passing yards. No one will really believe it, because it seems so far fetched after seeing his career fall off a cliff. Schaub was once a third-round pick by the Falcons before being traded to the Texans because Michael Vick was on the roster. Now he backs up the guy, Matt Ryan, who was drafted to replace Vick. He is pick-six prone but certainly a serviceable backup in terms of someone with experience.
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20. Landry Jones, Steelers
This is the "we have seen these guys start some games" portion of this program. Jones, who starred at Oklahoma, is not the type of backup you want to step in and play for any random team at any random time. He just happens to have a lot of experience with the Steelers system. You could also give a little bit of credit to the Steelers' situation as a whole, with them bringing in Joshua Dobbs to groom as an eventual backup to replace Jones, who has started off and on for Ben Roethlisberger over the last few years.
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19. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buccaneers
You probably are not aware of this, but Ryan Fitzpatrick once went to Harvard. No, it's true. I swear. The bearded legend has found a solid backup landing spot after serving as a starter for both the Bills and the Jets. Let us never forget the Bills once gave him a $76 million contract and the Jets once spent an entire offseason engaging in the dumbest game of chicken we have ever seen over like $5 million in Fitzpatrick's contract. Nicknamed the "Helium Balloon" by Pete Prisco, he is no longer starting material but a decent backup here.
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18. Case Keenum, Vikings
The only reason Keenum is this high on the list is basically recency bias. Because Jeff Fisher (who keeps coming up a lot in this exercise) decided not to start Jared Goff out of the gate last year, we were treated to a half season of Keenum playing as the starter for the Rams. You also saw this drama unfold during "Hard Knocks" and "All or Nothing" (spoiler: nothing). Keenum can start if needed, but Minnesota doesn't want that to happen. A healthy, cleared Teddy Bridgewater would move the Vikings up this ranking very quickly and into the top 10 or five.
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17. Matt Cassel, Titans
It's pretty hard to believe that Matt Cassel once won 10 games for the Patriots (who missed the playoffs) and later led the Chiefs to a division title and a close playoff loss to the Ravens. He was a Pro Bowl starter for Kansas City one year! He has since slid back to the position of backup, which is where he is a better fit. For Tennessee, Cassel represents a capable guy behind Marcus Mariota who can step in if the former top pick ends up battling an injury at any point. The Titans represent a nice spot to be a backup too, with their strong running game.
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16. Nathan Peterman, Bills
This is pure Madden bias, with my simulation projecting Peterman to come in midway through the season for Tyrod Taylor. He played really well in fake video game reality. Peterman was just a fifth-round pick, but it was somewhat of a surprising fall, with folks believing he could go as high as the second round during the early draft hype process. There's enough upside here that it is a situation where you would probably rather have a guy like Peterman long term, although it's hard to imagine him taking the Bills job and winning a bunch of games.
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15. Colt McCoy, Redskins
There is no chance the Redskins were going into this season with Colt McCoy as their starting quarterback ... except there was a small chance. At one point Kirk Cousins was a trade candidate, with the Redskins unable to work out a deal for the quarterback and forced to franchise tag him for a second straight season. If the 49ers had been interested in landing Cousins (as was rumored), McCoy could have been the starter for the season. It would have been a bold choice, but it would have felt oddly comfortable, although it probably would have ended poorly.
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14. Chase Daniel, Saints
Signed for major backup money just two years ago by the Eagles, Daniel was a guy who many believed might be capable of doing similar things as Alex Smith in Kansas City when he sat behind Smith for Andy Reid. He never got a chance to play thanks to Sam Bradford being traded and Carson Wentz looking sharp and taking the Eagles job. Daniel has the skill set to slide in quickly and not see too huge of a dropoff, I think, although replacing Drew Brees is no easy feat. The good news is Sean Payton would be coaching him up.
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13. Nick Foles, Eagles
True story: once upon a time, Nick Foles threw 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in an NFL season. That was the record for best TD:INT ratio until this unheralded quarterback named Tom Brady broke the record in 2016. Foles, who was a third-round pick and Andy Reid's consolation prize when he missed on Russell Wilson, has looked promising at times, but has a pretty capped ceiling as a quarterback. Still, he's not a terrible backup option for a guy like Carson Wentz who seems intent on taking plenty of big hits during games.
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12. Paxton Lynch, Broncos
This feels like it will get me yelled at online, but that's nothing really new at this point. And Lynch, for as horrible as he's looked during stretches of his regular season career and this year during the preseason, still has a ton of upside. John Elway drafted this guy in the first round. Blind belief! I also liked Lynch a lot coming out of Memphis, and he has the physical ability to be a starter. He just hasn't put everything together, or much of anything together really. This is me banking on young upside after being burnt last year.
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11. Matt Moore, Dolphins
Now this is me recovering from banking on upside and betting on the safe, solid floor of Matt Moore. If Paxton Lynch is a red convertible that needs a new nav system and possibly an additional wheel, Moore is a Honda Civic. Not remotely sexy but he will get the job done in most spots. When Ryan Tannehill went down against the Cardinals late last year, Moore was able to keep the Dolphins afloat enough to get them in the playoffs before they careened out of control in the wild card round. He will be 88 years old and still the Dolphins backup.
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10. Chad Henne, Jaguars
This is a tough one because Henne might actually be the starter for Jacksonville! Which says that he is a very good backup or potentially that Blake Bortles is a very bad starter. It might be both, honestly. Bortles was horrific during the 2016 season and also horrible during the 2017 preseason. It's led to Henne getting the nod as the Week 3 preseason starter, which could lead to Henne getting the nod as the Week 1 starter in the regular season. The reality is that Henne is just a better option for Jacksonville at this point, which is why he is considered such a good backup option.
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9. Derek Anderson, Panthers
Do people get excited about Derek Anderson? Absolutely not. Most folks probably don't remember that time he went to the Pro Bowl and managed to take the Browns to the playoffs. That was Hall of Fame worthy on its own. Anderson is far from a flashy backup, and if Cam Newton goes down for the season the Panthers are in trouble. But Anderson has shown an ability to fill in for Newton during a pinch and at least make the Panthers competitive. That is a pretty important trait when it comes to a backup quarterback.
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8. Drew Stanton, Cardinals
Over the years, Bruce Arians has made it clear that he appreciates the skillset that Drew Stanton brings to the football field. And that's not even counting his sideline dancing skills. Stanton has started nine games since joining the Cardinals in 2014 and has managed to go 6-3 in those starts, although the numbers are not that impressive. Stanton has completed less than 52 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions with Arizona. He can definitely do in a pinch, but he's being pushed by Blaine Gabbert this offseason, which is not a good sign.
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7. Cody Kessler, Browns
When the Browns invested a third-round pick in Cody Kessler during the 2016 NFL Draft, Hue Jackson said to "trust" him about his quarterback selection. Oddly enough, the Browns still invested a second-round pick in DeShone Kizer this past draft, with Jackson distancing himself from Kessler during the offseason. But Kessler, who started eight games and went winless, was quietly more effective than people think, completing more than 65 percent of his passes, throwing six touchdowns, two interceptions and for more than seven yards per passing attempt. He's a sleeper in this Browns quarterback contest.
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6. Brett Hundley, Packers
Absolute blind faith here in the ability of Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff to develop quality backup quarterbacks. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, who might be the most talented quarterback in the league but who has missed some time over the past several years with various ailments. He hasn't missed anything since Hundley was taken with a fifth-round pick in 2015, and Packers fans hope they never see Hundley during a regular-season game over the course of his rookie contract. But his physical skillset coupled with learning at the heels of Rodgers makes him an intriguing prospect as a backup quarterback.
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5. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Because of last year, I'm absolutely paranoid about not ranking a talented rookie high enough. And having seen what Patrick Mahomes can do from a physical standpoint, it's hard not to love his upside as a backup quarterback. Even Michael Vick admits Mahomes can do things on the run with his arm that Vick couldn't do. Michael Vick! Alex Smith is a high floor, low ceiling quarterback and Mahomes is the opposite. It's a nice combination, and letting Mahomes sit and learn in Andy Reid's system bodes well for the possibility of him developing into a stud starter one day.
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4. Deshaun Watson, Texans
Thanks in large part to starting a ton of games at Clemson, including a pair of College Football Playoff championship games, it is not difficult to rank Deshaun Watson high here. He will start the season behind Tom Savage, but it's also not difficult to see Watson leapfrogging Savage at some point should the veteran falter. Watson has to adjust to the NFL level, but he's a straight gamer, a guy who has shown an ability to perform at the highest level of competition. It wouldn't be surprising to see him end up starting half the Texans games this year.
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3. Mitchell Trubisky, Bears
A strong preseason from Trubisky, albeit one against second- and third-team defensive players, has vaulted him really high up this list. Trubisky's status here isn't about Mike Glennon, who should be the starter for at minimum half the games for the Bears in 2017. But Trubisky is a No. 2 overall pick -- that is a really nice luxury to have as a second quarterback on the depth chart. When you factor in Trubisky's athleticism and arm strength, plus his apparent ability to adjust to the NFL level at a quick pace, he has to be one of the best backups in the league. And he might not be one long.
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2. AJ McCarron, Bengals
McCarron's decision to repeatedly compare himself to Tom Brady is a bizarre one, because it draws unnecessary attention. Brady already won a Super Bowl at this point in his career -- McCarron is still looking for his first playoff win (which does not make him a unique person in the Bengals organization). But he has a really nice floor as a backup quarterback and maybe a sneaky amount of upside too. When Andy Dalton went down in 2015, McCarron was able to step in and help keep the Bengals afloat, going 2-1 over three starts before losing in the playoffs.
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1. Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots
What do you get the coach who already has everything? The best backup quarterback in the league. Bill Belichick likes Jimmy Garoppolo so much that he is unwilling to trade his backup quarterback for multiple first-round picks, according to some reports, and would rather hold onto Jimmy G as insurance for Tom Brady and a possible future franchise quarterback. Garoppolo was injured during the four-game replacement stretch for Brady last year but when he played, he looked excellent. The Patriots don't just have the best starting quarterback in football, they also have the best backup. Of course they do.
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