When Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury, it hurt his team’s chances of winning. But losing Burrow is better than not having a capable backup quarterback. In fact, many teams struggle to find reliable backups, which is why ranking the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL can be challenging.
Let’s take a look at the top 12 backups:
1. Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) – Cousins has an impressive QBR of 47.0 and is coming off a disappointing season where he was benched late in the year.
2. Jake Browning (Cincinnati Bengals) – Although Browning had limited playing time, he has shown promise and could be a solid backup for the Bengals.
3. Jaxson Dart (New York Giants) – As a highly drafted rookie, Dart has high upside but also a lower floor than many other backups.
4. Marcus Mariota (Washington Commanders) – Mariota is 31 years old but has been very solid as a fill-in quarterback in recent seasons.
5. Tanner McKee (Philadelphia Eagles) – McKee may not have a solid track record, but he has shown promise in the preseason and has strong vibes from coaches.
6. Jacoby Brissett (Arizona Cardinals) – Brissett played well as the Browns’ starter before joining the Commanders, where he signed a one-year deal.
7. Gardner Minshew (Kansas City Chiefs) – Minshew struggled with turnovers and sacks but showed accuracy and success in 2023 for the Colts.
8. Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints) – With a small sample size, Shough is being given a benefit of doubt due to his draft status.
9. Anthony Richardson Sr. (Indianapolis Colts) – Richardson has extreme accuracy issues but also offers high upside and variance in the NFL.
10. Andy Dalton (Carolina Panthers) – Dalton recorded a 1-4 record as a bridge quarterback last season but still has a respectable QBR of 52.0.
11. Carson Wentz (Minnesota Vikings) – Wentz is expected to start this week due to an ankle injury, and he’s been given another chance by coach Kevin O’Connell.
12. Jameis Winston (New York Giants) – Despite struggles with interceptions, Winston has never recorded a QBR under 50 in a season where he started at least five games.
These rankings are based on the players’ past performances, sample sizes, and upside, but also acknowledge the unpredictability of quarterback play.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46271838/top-nfl-backup-quarterback-rankings-2025-season-jake-browning