Backup quarterbacks are important in the NFL. Sure, they see the field less than any other kind of backup, but if they're pressed into action, they become more important than any other elevated backup would be. So, it's good to have one you can trust. And while a lot of teams already have their answer to this important spot on the field, others are more uncertain.
So, who wins some of the NFL's top battles for backup quarterback jobs? Let's get to predicting. (And no, we're not talking about J.J. McCarthy today, because there's no way he even makes the Vikings roster at this point.)
Green Bay Packers: Kyle McCord
The Green Bay Packers brought Tyrod Taylor in this offseason after Malik Willis moved on to the Dolphins, but his time on this roster might be short-lived. The veteran quarterback has had some good moments in his NFL career, but he's very clearly at the end of his time in this league. That's likely been accelerated by how well Kyle McCord has been playing.
Preseason Stats | Completion Percentage | Passing Yards | Passing Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
Kyle McCord | 65.7 | 446 | 4 |
Tyrod Taylor | 50 | 38 | 1 |
Sure, some of McCord's numbers are because he's taken the majority of the snaps this preseason for the Packers, something that theoretically says he is behind Taylor in the pecking order. However, the gap in their play, even when Taylor's small sample size is factored in, is immense.
McCord's play this preseason has made his ascent to the QB2 role in Green Bay feel inevitable. Taylor is a 37-year-old journeyman whose four starts for the Jets last season didn't go well, and there's not huge upside for him as a potential injury replacement for Jordan Love, considering he's 7-11-1 as a starter since 2018
Dallas Cowboys: Joe Milton
Sam Howell was the NFL's leader in interceptions in 2023, his only year as a full-time starter. He has played well this preseason, posting a completion percentage that's almost equal to Joe Milton's. But Howell's thrown for fewer yards and fewer yards per attempt, with Milton just slightly edging him out.
While Howell's performance has been encouraging, he hasn't quite done enough to dethrone Milton, who also has the advantage of having played for this team last season. Knowing the playbook better might be enough to give him the edge.
You could argue that Howell's previous NFL experience gives him the upper hand here, but that season starting for the Commanders barely counts. He wasn't put in a position to learn much about playing quarterback in the NFL; instead, he was thrown out there and given the green light to just chuck up the ball. Howell wasn't learning how to play winning football, so his past experience isn't that much of an advantage.
Los Angeles Rams: Ty Simpson
This one should be so, so, so obvious. Ty Simpson has been incredibly impressive this preseason. Stetson Bennett is a former late-round pick who doesn't have the upside to be an NFL starter. The Rams took Simpson in the first round this year to be Matthew Stafford's replacement in 2027, so surely they should also make him the primary backup to Stafford in 2026, right?
Well, yes, that is right. Giving Simpson the backup job after how he played in August is the right decision, and it's ultimately the decision that I'd bet Sean McVay makes. I know McVay has seemed wed to the idea of Bennett developing over the last few years, but he's a smart man. He knows that Simpson is the better quarterback, both now and going forward.
While a common refrain with other choices here will be to go with the veteran over the untested rookie, this is just simply a different situation. Bennett's barely established. Simpson was drafted to be a future starter. There's no reason to delay things. Let Simpson serve as the QB2 behind Stafford, then throw him out there as the Week 1 starter in 2027.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jake Browning
This is, uhh...probably the least exciting quarterback battle highlighted in this article: Jake Browning vs. Jalon Daniels.
Browning looked like a potential NFL starter back in 2023, leading the NFL in completion percentage as a rookie at 70.4 percent. But, well...he was a 27-year-old rookie playing in the Bengals offense, so it makes some sense that he looked that good. He then didn't play in 2024 and played poorly in three starts with Cincinnati last season before ending up as Baker Mayfield's backup in Tampa.
Jalon Daniels has gotten a lot of run this preseason and has shown some major positives, especially in his ability to escape the pocket. With that said, Tampa Bay is an NFC South contender this season, and Browning makes significantly more sense than Daniels does when it comes to who is one injury away from the starting role. You can convince yourself that you can win with Browning. The same likely can't be said for Daniels.
Arizona Cardinals: Gardner Minshew
I think there is a very good chance that the question of who the Arizona Cardinals' backup quarterback is doesn't really matter. This will be one of the NFL's worst teams, and all three quarterbacks on the roster could be reasonably expected to start games in 2026. But if we're specifically talking about who is second on the depth chart in Week 1, the edge goes to Gardner Minshew over Carson Beck, solely because I'd imagine that the Cardinals aren't ready to throw Beck out into the frying pan.
I'm...not really sure what else to say here. The Cardinals are just such a boring team for 2026. It would have been so much more intriguing if Jacoby Brissett wasn't here and we just had a straight-up Minshew vs. Beck battle for the starting job. In that situation, Beck very well could have earned the starting role by virtue of the Cardinals just saying screw it and committing to being awful.
Instead, Brissett enters 2026 with a new contract and probably a fairly long leash. Arizona has to know they aren't winning games with Brissett starting, so by entering 2026 with him as the starter, they're also acknowledging that losing games alone won't be the reason they move on. The team plays 13 games before the bye; how many of those will Brissett get before the team sees what else it has?
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mason Rudolph
Drew Allar has looked really, really good in the preseason, and the Pittsburgh Steelers need to trade Will Howard to clear the way for Allar to be the team's potential 2027 starter. However, I still believe that the team will go with Mason Rudolph as the primary backup behind Aaron Rodgers to start the 2026 season. The situation beyond Week 1 is probably a bit fluid, though.
Rudolph's experience puts him in the best position to be a spot starter if Rodgers misses time early and the Steelers are still in the playoff hunt. That's not to say this team could make the playoffs if Rudolph was the full-time starter, but if the Steelers are well positioned and need someone who can tread water for a couple of games — or even for a couple of series in a game — then Rudolph is the safe pick.
That's not say things can't change. If the Steelers struggle in 2026, we could see Allar get the nod over Rudolph to start games late in the season if Rodgers gets injured late in the year, or if the Steelers are eliminated from the playoff race and Rodgers opts to not end his career playing meaningless games.
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