The NFL preseason is all about getting eyes on the second unit. We'll see a few series from the starters across the board, but nobody really cares what Joe Burrow does in Week 2 of a meaningless August schedule. It's all about what the backups can show, and which players stand out enough to challenge those ahead of them on the depth chart.
That includes quarterbacks. While most QB battles around the league are settled, a select few teams are still sifting through their options at football's most important position. Most of these teams are riddled with incompetence and difficult to purchase stock in, but hey — that's life. It's still fun to theorize about which starting quarterbacks are feeling the heat.
Here are a few backup signal-callers leaving a strong impression on their coaches and teammates through two weeks of preseason action.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts technically have not settled on a definitive starter, but the widely accepted leader in the clubhouse is Anthony Richardson. He's a former first-round pick with a ton of natural talent, and thus he's worth an extended trial period for a team with zero realistic expectations of contention.
That said, the Colts paid good money to pry Daniel Jones away from Minnesota. Jones saw a path to QB1 reps in Indianapolis and was granted the opportunity to make his case in training camp. Jones has not been overly impressive in the preseason, but Richardson got hurt a few plays into Week 1 and was quiet in Week 2. Jones turned the football over way too often in New York, to the point where our lasting memory of his Giants career might be him playing scout team safety after getting benched. And yet... he still feels more stable than Richardson, whose inability to read the defense at this stage of his career is utterly stupefying.
Both Richardson and Jones will turn it over. Richardson has a better arm and he's a genuinely special runner. Jones has more starting experience. He probably turns it over a little bit less, too. How Indy weighs the risks and rewards of each quarterback will be fascinating, if also a bit depressing. This team is set up for disappointment either way. Richardson is still the more exciting option, but Jones feels better designed to win over a skeptical coaching staff.
Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders is probably the most fascinating quarterback in the NFL right now. He has such a bright spotlight on him despite falling to the fifth round of the draft. The rookie has also aced every test in training camp and the preseason, doing what's necessary to stick, despite the odds being stacked so deliberately against him.
There is such a wide array of potential outcomes here. Sanders could get cut before Week 1. He's the fourth quarterback on the depth chart by conventional wisdom, even though it's widely accepted that he is better than his draft position. He could also end up second in line to Joe Flacco, as Sanders was easily the most impressive of the Cleveland Browns' younger quarterback generation this summer.
Sanders set the NCAA record for completion percentage behind a makeshift offensive line, which isn't talked about enough. He's a genius processor with enough arm talent to get by at the next level. He took a lot of sacks in college, but that felt more circumstantial than a referendum on him as a pocket presence. His preseason debut featured some of the best passes we've seen all summer, threading the needle through tight red zone windows and spreading the wealth among his receivers with the confidence of a day-one starter.
Did we all overrate Sanders pre-draft? Maybe we did. Maybe the Browns just are not convinced. Dillon Gabriel, himself quite impressive in his preseason debut this weekend, came off the board 50 spots earlier in April. But it's hard to quit Sanders, and I don't think this is the hype machine talking. If Flacco struggles and the Browns collapse, a young quarterback will assume the reins. The question is... which one?
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Speaking of rookies, none have impressed more emphatically than Jaxson Dart. Like, what are we even doing with this Russell Wilson nonsense? The New York Giants committed to Russ as QB1 early in the process, but after disappointing stints in Denver and Pittsburgh, one can only wonder what the coaching staff and front office earnestly expect. If he couldn't make it work with Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin, how on earth can we believe Brian Daboll is the answer?
Dart, whom New York traded up to select in the first round, has dazzled in back-to-back preseason games. He's dropping gorgeous passes into traffic and navigating the pressures of NFL defense even better than expected coming out of Ole Miss. A somewhat polarizing prospect due to the disparity between his highs and lows in Oxford, Dart has won over Giants fans in record time.
The Giants are still scrapping at the bottom of the heap in the NFC East. That is an impossibly strong division and New York's track record, top to bottom, leaves much to be desired. But it's clear that Dart elevates their ceiling in a way Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston simply do not. It's hardly a debate. Russ is well past his prime, Jameis is too, and Dart is a major talent with boundless confidence. He was arguably the best quarterback in the SEC last season, which is no small feat when we remember how absurdly stacked that conference is.
New York won't be able to stay away from the rookie for long. We're all just biding our time until Russ hits the pine.