It's Week 12 — the two-thirds point of the NFL season — and there's still plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback position around the league. From underperforming youngsters, to past-prime veterans and flailing backups, this week gave us a whole lot of middling QB play. In some cases, it could merit a change on the depth chart.
At this stage of the campaign, a lot of teams are set in their ways. But it's important to remain adaptable. Even if a quarterback change doesn't lead to more wins or a postseason push, it can mean all the difference looking ahead to 2026. As such, here are the quarterbacks in need of a benching.
Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mason Rudolph picked up his first start of the season as Aaron Rodgers dealt with a fractured wrist. The Pittsburgh Steelers put up an admirable fight against a quality opponent, jumping out to a 21-17 halftime lead before falling, 31-28, to the Chicago Bears in the end.
By and large, the Steelers deserve credit for pushing Chicago to the brink at Soldier Field. But this wasn't a great performance for Rudolph individually. He only managed 5.5 yards per pass attempt, completing 24-of-31 throws for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also lost a fumble. Pittsburgh leaned on 186 rushing yards and a few clutch defensive plays to keep the Bears within reach.
Rudolph made a strong impression in place of the injured Rodgers last week, but his first start was confirmation that Rodgers is Pittsburgh's quarterback of choice moving forward. There was never too much doubt on that front — Mike Tomlin was never going to bench Rodgers unless absolutely forced to — but this game rendered that particular truth immutable.
Rodgers has struggled of late, but he's still the best option in Pittsburgh. That is a hole the Steelers won't dig out of until next season, at the earliest.
Replacement: Aaron Rodgers
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals put up a fight against the first-place New England Patriots, but fell 26-20 in the end. After a quick start, the Bengals offense found itself stuck in mud, with Joe Flacco putting together one of his least inspiring starts of the season. Cincinnati is now 3-8 and a far cry from playoff contention.
Flacco completed 19-of-37 passes for 183 yards, a touchdown and an interception, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. His lone interception was an ultimately fatal pick-six in the second quarter.
Joe Flacco’s fault. That’s about as telegraphed as an interception could be pic.twitter.com/RCnd97lhEh
— NFL Interceptions (@interceptnfl) November 23, 2025
Flacco qualifies as a competent backup at this stage in his career, but at this point, the Bengals shouldn't view him as a starting lock the rest of the way. Frankly, there's no point. Is Jake Browning a "better" quarterback than Flacco? Probably not, but he's more than a decade younger and he's far more likely to stick around beyond 2025. It's time for the Bengals to start mapping out their future.
Browning has performed in Joe Burrow's stead before (4-3 record, 70.4 percent completion rate, 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 2023). He wasn't especially reliable in three starts this season, tossing eight interceptions before Cincy replaced him with Flacco. Now that their season is cooked and the postseason is out of reach, however, there's no point in the Bengals hanging Flacco out to dry every Sunday. See what Browning can accomplish with a long runway, stack a few more losses, and angle for a high draft pick. Then hope to rebuild around Burrow as a contender in 2026.
Replacement: Jake Browning
Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
The New York Jets officially turned the offense over to Tyrod Taylor in Week 12. The result? Another defeat, falling to 2-9 on the season. Taylor completed 17-of-28 passes for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception in their 23-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens defense isn't a joke and Taylor was hardly disastrous by the usual QB standards in New York. But at the end of the day, it's clear that Justin Fields should command this offense the rest of the way.
Is this because Fields has "earned" it? No, of course not. The dude threw for 170 yards combined over the Jets' previous two games. Fields adds a special dynamic as a runner, but he's too gun-shy as a passer to lead a contending offense, especially when the supporting cast around him is so lacking.
Here's the essence of the situation, though: New York is tanking for a high draft pick. There will be a new QB1 in the building in mere months. For now, the Jets can't worry about winning games. The goal should be doing what's best for the future. That means doing everything possible to get Fields even a little bit comfortable, to build even a little bit of positive momentum, before the season ends.
That could a) increase Fields' trade value, whereas Taylor is a free agent at season's end, and b) give Fields a chance to better establish himself as the organization's long-term QB2. He carries a $23 million cap hit for next season, so he's not going anywhere unless a team coughs up draft capital. Fields, whether the Jets like it or not, means something to the Jets beyond this season. Just let him finish it out.
Replacement: Justin Fields
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings continue to spiral out of contention as the J.J. McCarthy era begins in full. One has to wonder how long the so-called "J.J. McCarthy era" actually lasts.
It's way too early to close the book on McCarthy, a 22-year-old operating at an extreme experience deficit for his position. That said, the results right now are ugly. He completed 12-of-19 passes for 87 yards and two interceptions in Sunday's 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings offense, among the most potent and explosive in the NFL a year ago, just couldn't get out of the gate.
McCarthy looks completely overmatched. He took five sacks in the loss. He almost lost a fumble in addition to his two turnovers. The Vikings are built like a contender on paper. This offense is juiced — Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones are all big time at their respective positions. It's one thing for a young quarterback to struggle on a bad team (see: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans). But for McCarthy to look this inept when he's in such an optimal situation certainly raises alarm bells.
The Vikings aren't going to cut or trade McCarthy or anything so drastic. But it's time to adapt their approach. McCarthy needs more time on the back burner, learning in practices and from the sideline, rather than having his world rocked every Sunday. The Vikings aren't exactly equipped with a great backup QB after Carson Wentz's season-ending injury, but McCarthy simply cannot learn when he doesn't have a second to breathe.