5 NFL QBs should be benched or cut after Week 4 and who should replace them

Week 4 is no longer the exact quarter mark of the NFL season, but it's still a handy guidepost. Four games may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things. In a 17-game season, though, they can tell us a lot — including when early-season struggles stop becoming a small-sample-size blip and start becoming a real cause for concern.

Several teams experienced that particular pain on Sunday afternoon, including a couple of preseason Super Bowl favorites. We're not in September anymore; every week counts, and the rubber needs to start hitting the road. That should put these five quarterbacks on a very hot seat for the week ahead.

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Replacement: Carson Beck

For anyone who was on the fence about whether it was time for Brissett's stint as Arizona's QB1 to come to an end, this felt like the exclamation point:

The Cardinals had four cracks at the end zone to win the game in the closing seconds against a mediocre New York Giants secondary, and Brissett went 0-for-4 with a pick-six on fourth down. Final stat line: 21-of-35, 166 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Is Carson Beck the long-term answer? Almost certainly not; very few fourth-round picks are, and he had serious holes in his profile coming out of college. But Arizona would be well-served to get an answer before next spring's all-important draft, and there's enough talent here to support a young quarterback with a pulse. What is being served by allowing Brissett to deliver middling play on a weekly basis? He's a valuable backup, but nothing more.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Replacement: Spencer Rattler

The Colts beat up on the lowly Commanders in London, 30-13, but boy was it uglier than the final score suggests. For starters, Washington was down to third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and had no answers offensively, handing Indy short fields to cash in on. And even with all that help, Jones finished 19-of-34 for just 143 yards and a pick — and that was after a serious boost to his numbers in the fourth quarter.

Maybe Jones just needs a bit more time to knock off the rust from his Achilles injury. But this Colts offense is looking dead in the water outside of Jonathan Taylor, with Jones reverting back to his worst Giants habits, and that's not good news for a team that has a lot riding on contention this season. There's precious little draft capital left in Indy, but if Riley Leonard isn't ready, maybe Shane Steichen can take on a reclamation project who can at least raise the ceiling a bit? Spencer Rattler is just withering away in New Orleans.

Jameis Winston, New York Giants

Replacement: JJ McCarthy

Say hello to your NFC East-leading New York Giants! Of course, they've gotten to 3-1 on the back of a pair of very shaky home wins against the lowly Titans and Cardinals, and anyone who watched Winston's performance in those two games should not feel great about this team going anywhere serious as long as Jaxson Dart is sidelined.

Sunday was vintage Winston, with some explosive plays more or less canceled out by tons of sacks and a pair of interceptions. It's clear that he's not enough for this team to make serious noise, so why not turn things over to McCarthy — both to find out what you have before his rookie deal runs out, and to engage the tank for next year's draft? It's not even like Winston raises your floor at all; the last thing New York needs is a roller-coaster ride to 7-10.

Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens

Replacement: Joe Fagnano

There's a chance that this is a moot point, with Jesse Minter saying that Lamar Jackson's ankle is "hopefully" fine and adding that there were discussions about the two-time MVP returning to the game in the second half. But the way Baltimore's offense collapsed against a middling defense with Jackson out — and Jackson's own injury history — should have the Ravens looking to upgrade over Huntley at the QB2 spot.

Fagnano may or may not be that, but he at least deserves a look after a promising preseason. Yes, preseason football usually isn't worth much of anything, but Huntley's conservatism as a passer and penchant for taking sacks is death to this offense. Baltimore is likely sunk if Jackson has to miss extended time no matter what, but they should give Fagnano a crack against the Falcons next week just to see if he's an improvement.

Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Bucs

Replacement: Mason Rudolph

It's not Daniels' fault, really. He struggled in his first NFL start, with just 148 yards on 19-of-27 passing with one touchdown and two picks, but he showed some fun athleticism as a runner and was largely hamstrung by a shaky offensive line and a questionable offensive plan from Zac Robinson.

Still, this is a make-or-break season in Tampa, and it should be clear now that Daniels isn't good enough yet to dig this team out of what is now a massive hole. There's still talent here, but they need a floor-raiser under center, and a veteran like Rudolph could come cheap and at least provide the ability to get the ball into the hands of the Bucs' playmakers.

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