3 NFL QBs who should be benched for good after Week 5 and why

Week 5 of the NFL regular season is upon us which means that while we're not exactly in the stretch run yet, it isn't early, either. Several teams have played over 25 percent of their games, giving NFL fans an idea of just how good (or bad) they are.

Not every quarterback who struggled in Week 5 deserves to be benched. For example, the New York Jets aren't benching Aaron Rodgers at all. Sam Darnold might've had his first off week as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, but that one rough outing won't force Kevin O'Connell's hand (and they won!)

With that being said, though, three quarterbacks in particular looked so bad on Sunday to the point where their head coaches have little to no choice but to sit them on the bench.

3) Starting Andy Dalton doesn't accomplish anything for the Panthers

After two horrific weeks to begin their season, the Carolina Panthers made the controversial decision to bench the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Bryce Young, in favor of Andy Dalton. Benching Young that quickly wasn't what they had in mind, but it did make a lot of sense.

Dalton's first start saw him put together one of, if not the best quarterback performance of the year at the time, making Young's struggles that much more jarring for Panthers fans. Dalton even followed that electric showing up with another solid performance in a tough loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In Week 5, however, Panthers fans saw why Dalton is nothing more than a high-end backup quarterback at this stage of his career. The 36-year-old completed just 18 of his 28 passing attempts for 136 yards and threw an interception. The Panthers managed just 10 points all day, and the game was virtually out of reach by halftime.

With the game out of hand, the Panthers turned to Young for a series in garbage time. The Panthers ended up turning the ball over on downs in that last drive, but Young did convert a couple of first down completions along the way.

At this point, the Panthers are 1-4 and sitting comfortably in last place in the NFC South. By all accounts, their season is just about over. Dalton is almost certainly a better option for a team trying to win right now, but what do the Panthers gain by rolling with him, especially after he just had a down week? Let Young try to show that he belongs as part of Carolina's future plans, or at least boost his trade value.

2) The Jacoby Brissett experiment has to come to an end sometime, right?

Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, looked like the best quarterback in the preseason for the New England Patriots, yet it was Jacoby Brissett who got the Week 1 nod under center. As frustrating as that decision might've been for some Patriots fans, it's not hard to see why they made it. Their offensive line is among the worst in the league, and their skill position players leave a lot to be desired.

While the rationale made some sense, it's hard to make the argument that the Patriots are gaining much from starting Brissett with where their offense is right now. They entered their Week 5 matchup against the Miami Dolphins averaging just 13 points per game, and somehow, that average went down after they managed a total of 10 points.

Brissett completed 18 of his 34 passing attempts, barely over 50 percent, and threw for just 160 yards. He didn't throw an interception, but didn't throw a touchdown pass either. He has just two touchdown passes all year. The Patriots have scored 20 points in a game just once.

At this point, it's probably time to see what Drake Maye can do. If they still won't go to Maye, let someone else see what they can do in this offense. It likely won't happen yet, but it's very clear that Brissett is not it.

1) The Browns have no choice but to bench Deshaun Watson after another disgraceful performance

As bad as the Panthers and Patriots looked, expectations weren't high at all for either franchise. The Cleveland Browns, however, had playoff aspirations at the very least, if not higher. They entered the season with one of the best defenses in the sport, and seemingly had enough on the offensive side of the ball to be functional if Deshaun Watson could stay healthy and look anything remotely close to his Houston Texans self. Watson is healthy, but looks like the worst quarterback in the league.

He entered Sunday's Week 5 action completing 61.2 percent of his throws for 727 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. His underwhelming numbers only took a step in the wrong direction after an ugly showing against the Washington Commanders.

Watson completed just 15 of his 28 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He was able to avoid throwing an interception, but that's the only positive takeaway from this game.

The Browns guaranteed Watson a truckload of money which is presumably the only reason why he's still in the starting role, but at this point, there's no justification for continuing to stick with him, especially with a veteran like Jameis Winston on their bench. The Browns are 1-4 with a tough upcoming schedule. Their season is on life support. A QB change could give the team the slightest hope of turning things around. It worked with Joe Flacco last season in place of the injured Watson, right?