The NFL trade deadline is behind us. The Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens were the only teams to pull off an upgrade at quarterback, acquiring Kirk Cousins and Jacoby Brissett, respectively. For the rest of the league, any QB changes will need to be made internally.
Let's dive into four quarterbacks on the hot seat after Week 10 — and their in-house alternatives.
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Replacement: Mitchell Trubisky
The Tennessee Titans gave the surging Jaguars a real fight. Their defense simply couldn't hold up in the fourth quarter against Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville's waves of talent. Cam Ward completed 28-of-39 passes for 231 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. It was not the worst performance we've seen from the second-year quarterback.
Therein lies the problem, however. Ward was solid by his standards, which are frustratingly low for a No. 1 overall pick. He still averaged only 5.9 yards per attempt. For a quarterback who generated so many splash plays in college, Ward's inability to stretch a defense defies understanding. We can pin the blame on Tennessee's receiver room and offensive line, but only partially. Ward has been given every lifeline, every opportunity to break this funk and earn the QB1 job. He consistently falls short, and the Titans are now 1-8.
It's hard to get excited about 32-year-old Mitchell Trubisky in the middle of a rebuild, but at a certain point, even a marginal improvement at quarterback could benefit Carnell Tate and Tennessee's other long-term building blocks on offense. Tennessee will have a tough time passing up the opportunity to replace Ward in the 2027 NFL Draft. Trubisky won't rip off a huge win streak, but he can help the Titans scrap for momentum going into a transformative offseason.
Geno Smith, New York Jets
Replacement: Cade Klubnik
The New York Jets are 2-8, so we can bury any latent postseason dreams. This is not really a Geno Smith problem. Honestly, he's been quite solid for an otherwise bad team, showing a strong rapport with Garrett Wilson. Smith has cut down on risky passes without completely tamping down his signature aggression. He's a solid quarterback.
The Jets need to start thinking long term, though. Smith suffered a brutal double-whammy hit in Sunday's loss to Buffalo. Rookie Cade Klubnik took up the mantle in the second half and did... you know, fine. Klubik took three sacks and fired an ugly interception, but he did not look completely overmatched.
Geno Smith is down on the field pic.twitter.com/VITOuHm6J0
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 15, 2026
With the trade deadline behind us, there's no real value to playing Smith. His contract will expire at season's end and the Jets will replace him, probably with an uber-talented rookie near the top of the 2027 NFL Draft. It's worth seeing what Klubnik can do with an extended leash, just to check every box before the offense is turned over to a fresh face. The Jets should've dealt Smith to the Vikings or another QB-needy team, but there's no point in playing the woulda coulda shoulda game.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Replacement: Anthony Richardson Sr.
Daniel Jones has become a weekly staple for this column, so apologies for beating a dead horse. The Indianapolis Colts kept Jones through the trade deadline and head coach Shane Steichen continues to prop up the former first-round pick as their "best option," even when the evidence tells us otherwise.
The Colts eked out the win on Sunday over a Dolphins team starting Kyle McCord at quarterback. Jones didn't help much, completing 11-of-22 for 108 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He now has almost twice as many interceptions (12) as touchdowns (seven) this season, with a sub-60 percent completion rate.
Even with a win, the Colts are four games below .500 and angling for draft position. Their depth is sparse after a fire sale at the deadline. Jones is the worst regular starter in the NFL on balance. Anthony Richardson Sr. is not a magic bullet; he won't fix every problem facing the Colts. He is, however, a god-tier athlete who's 24 years old, with room for growth after two years buried on the depth chart.
The Colts will almost certainly make a change at QB next season, but it's time to see what Richardson has learned in the understudy role. Maybe it's a disaster and Steichen was right all along, but Steichen is the lamest of lame duck coaches, so why not hit the big red button and just see what happens.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Replacement: Jack Strand
We are dangerously close to asking the question nobody wants to ask: Is Tua Tagovailoa the Atlanta Falcons' best option at quarterback? That is probably the only alternative at this point — especially since Atlanta is still, technically, in the division race — but undrafted rookie Jack Strand is more of an unknown. There's an allure to the unknown, especially when the known quantity is either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa.
The Atlanta southpaws are impossible to endorse at this point. Penix at least has youth on his side, but it feels like NFL defenses have him figured out. He can't handle pressure and he mislikes the middle of the field. Tagovailoa can get the ball out quicker, but placing the football on a receiver's hands with velocity and accuracy can be a challenge.
Strand has some fun dual-threat qualities and he shined all the way back in preseason. The Falcons are out of good options, but the 2027 NFL Draft or free agency will offer a solution eventually. Why not embrace chaos and take a shot in the dark on Strand before he fades into obscurity.
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