This will be a chaotic offseason on the quarterback front. Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith were all cut from ailing rosters; Malik Willis is expected to earn a huge payday despite limited experience, while Aaron Rodgers and suddenly Derek Carr are hoping for one last hurrah.
There are almost too many quarterbacks to go around, even if there's only one projected starter — presumed No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza — in the 2026 NFL Draft class. That leads us to the backup quarterback landscape, which was quite important last season amid countless injuries. Not everyone can start, but sometimes it pays to come off the bench. Here's who could be making the most money in a backup role next season:
Other notable free agents and trade candidates include: Mac Jones, Carson Wentz, Tanner McKee, Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco
JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
2026 Salary: $5.9 million
J.J. McCarthy's second NFL season — his first healthy, available season — was an abject disaster. The Vikings expressed confidence in McCarthy all of last summer, but it quickly became clear he was not prepared to assume Sam Darnold's QB1 mantle. The latter happened to win a Super Bowl with his new team.
We can't discount McCarthy entirely at just 23 years old, but he was woefully inefficient last season. He put up a 57.6 completion percentage with 18 turnovers in 10 starts, to be precise. Those numbers won't hold. The word on the street is that Kyler Murray might be a Viking next season. He should comfortably outperform McCarthy in camp to win the starting job, relegating McCarthy to developmental side project status.
Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos
2026 Salary: $8 million
Jarrett Stidham was thrust into the spotlight when Bo Nix went down with an injury ahead of the AFC Championship Game. Unfortunately, Stidham failed to meet the moment. Denver almost picked Stidham to start over Nix the season before last, but the 12th overall pick won the job as a rookie and never looked back. That leaves Stidham in backup purgatory, despite being handsomely compensated. He will spend one more year as Denver's QB2, then test the open market next spring.
With only four (regular season) starts across six years, Stidham has a career 59.4 percent completion rate with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. There are almost certainly better, cheaper backups around the league, but the Broncos believed in Stidham once and don't seem inclined to jump ship, even if he could function as a bridge quarterback somewhere else.
Marcus Mariota, free agent
Projected 2026 Salary: $8 million
Marcus Mariota experienced something of a career renaissance in Washington last season. After dreadful stints in Atlanta and Philadelphia, Mariota wound up thrust into action in his second campaign with the Commanders. Jayden Daniels missed eight games and Mariota was asked to pick up the slack. Washington was not very competitive, to be clear, but Mariota proved to be steadfast in his production.
The 32-year-old completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season. He's still mobile enough to get outside the pocket and extend plays beyond their usual shelf life. The goal of a backup QB is to be serviceable in a pinch. Mariota was exactly that for Washington. He brings pedigree, with a skill set teams value and clear leadership traits. That should land him a nice payday, either back in D.C. or elsewhere.
Davis Mills, Houston Texans
2026 Salary: $8.1 million
Davis Mills inked a one-year extension with Houston to stick around behind CJ Stroud, whose own future is murkier than ever. Mills was forced into action last season, picking up three starts (and six total appearances) in relief of an injured Stroud. The Texans won all three games with Mills under center; he completed 57.2 percent of his passes for 915 yards, five touchdowns and an interception on the whole.
Mills hadn't started since 2022, when he was the starter for 26 games across his first two NFL seasons. Despite the considerable time in between those center-stage appearances, Mills acquitted himself nicely and looked the part of a winning quarterback — at least when supported by the AFC's No. 1 defense. He's not going to replace Stroud, of course, but Mills did put himself on the radar and earn a nice paycheck. The Texans can feel good about their emergency option if Stroud gets hurt again, or even if his struggles mount.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
2026 Salary: $9.2 million
It's unclear if Jacoby Brissett will actually be a backup next season, but there's enough Malik Willis speculation (and similar smoke around Tua Tagovailoa and others) to at least bookmark the possibility. The Cardinals plainly like Brissett more than they did Kyler Murray, at relative to their price point. He started 12 games for Arizona in 2025, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He was genuinely very good.
The only problem: Arizona didn't win anything. That wasn't really a problem when the end goal was to tank, but the Cardinals hope to start winning games under new head coach Mike LaFleur. He should be a favorable QB coach who can get the most out of Brissett's big arm, but Arizona will probably explore other options to at least set up competition in camp.
Kirk Cousins, free agent
Projected 2026 Salary: $10 million
The Falcons officially cut ties with Kirk Cousins after two tumultuous, sometimes torturous years. He stepped in for an injured Michael Penix down the stretch of last season and won; Atlanta went 5-3 in Cousins' starts, while the 37-year-old completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He didn't look quite like his old self, but Cousins was more comfortable, more productive, and certainly less turnover-prone than he was in 2024.
Cousins will be patient as he looks for a new team. There's even a world in which he decides to hang 'em up and do TV full-time if the right opportunity does not cross his desk. That said, if Cousins wants to stick around a while, he can't be picky about starting or sitting. This is not a great QB market, but it is deep. Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith are all looking for QB1 gigs this offseason — not to mention trade candidates like Mac Jones, Spencer Rattler and Anthony Richardson. So the odds of Cousins, at this stage of his career, landing an uncontested starting job are practically zilch. He's an elite backup, though, and could serve as useful camp competition against less-proven quarterbacks (cough, cough, Vikings).
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
2026 Salary: $10.8 million
Anthony Richardson is on the salary of a fourth overall pick, which naturally lands higher than most backups. The Colts could, in theory, start the upcoming season with Richardson under center as Daniel Jones, fresh off a transition tag, rehabs his torn Achilles. It's clear, however, that Shane Steichen does not trust Richardson whatsoever. It's in the best interest of all parties to trade him, giving Richardson a fresh start and the Colts a chance to target a QB more to their coach's liking. The rampant trade rumors suggest that this will probably happen.
Richardson has not earned a guaranteed starting spot anywhere, but he's certainly worth of a camp battle with equal odds. The lack of polish is an understandable turnoff for folks — he has a career 50.6 completion percentage — but Richardson is also one of the best athletes in the sport, with a springloaded arm and elite open-field agility. He stretches plays outside the pocket, breaks free for highlight runs, and does many of the flashy things we typically associate with the best quarterbacks in the NFL. There is untapped potential here if he lands with a coach who believes in what he can become.