3 QBs who deserve to be benched after Week 4 and who could start instead

The majority of Week 4 of the 2024 season is in the books and we are getting a clearer picture of which teams are contenders and who are pretenders. A team's success mostly hinges on how well the quarterback plays.

This year, we are seeing the Minnesota Vikings thrive thanks in part to the play of Sam Darnold. Yes, that Sam Darnold, who didn't pan out with the New York Jets as the No. 3 overall pick in 2018. Then there are the expected signal callers playing well on good teams like C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans and Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.

But when it comes to the quarterbacks who have played poorly in Week 4, these three stand out and could use a trip to the bench.

3 QBs who deserve to get benched after Week 4 and who could start in their place

3. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Replacement: Drew Lock

It was the worst kept secret in the NFL that the New York Giants were doing extensive homework on the quarterback prospect in this year's draft class, and were trying to move up in the first round to select one. Ultimately, when there was no path to get a Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, the Giants opted to stick with Daniel Jones and give him a top wide receiver in LSU's Malik Nabers.

Yes, Jones has played better since his disastrous season opener, including in last week's win over the Cleveland Browns. But when the Giants needed him to make a bit play the most in Week 4, he couldn't.

The Giants faced off against the Dallas Cowboys, who are far from the powerhouse they were last season. The defense is a disaster and the rushing offense is non-existent. The Cowboys gave the Giants multiple opportunities to take the win, and they couldn't. Yes, drops from wide receivers did play a role in it, as did head coach Brian Daboll's play-calling. Yet, when it comes to deep passes, Jones just can't do it.

At the end of games when you are within a score of taking the lead, you need a signal caller who can take shots downfield and accurately connect with his wide receiver. The thing is, Jones' throw power, which was a positive of his coming into the NFL in 2019, is gone.

As ESPN's Jordan Raanan points out, Jones was two-for-seven for 67 yards and an interception on passes of at least 20 yards. On the year, Jones is 4-for-16 this season on those throws.

Jones stats were good in Week 4, but he was playing a relatively safe game. In a winnable game versus a team that tormented them for a long time, Jones did nothing to help the Giants get their second victory on the year. It's time to give Drew Lock a shot to try and salvage the season, especially with how poorly the NFC East (besides the Washington Commanders) has played.

2. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Replacement: Jarrett Stidham

It was a disgusting day in the Meadowlands. Oh, and it was raining too. The Denver Broncos were on the road to take on the New York Jets. Let's just say that the offenses on both teams were sloppy throughout. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix hasn't had the greatest of starts to his first season. He isn't in Oregon anymore, and not in a Dan Lanning offense.

By halftime, Nix had completed 7-of-15 pass attempts for negative seven passing yards. That's right. Negative seven passing yards .To put it another way, imagine zero passing yards, now subtract seven from that. And there we have Nix’s first half.

But late in the third quarter, Nix did give the Broncos a lead on an eight-yard pass to Courtland Sutton. It was enough, as the Broncos held on to narrowly defeat the Jets 10-9. Nix finished his day going 12-for-25 on his throw for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Let's be real here, the Bronco's defense and the Jet's inability to do anything positively on offense gave them the win. Nix, thus far, has struggled. With the team moving up the standings, head coach Sean Payton may have to consider seeing what Jarrett Stidham can do on offense.

1. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hypothetical replacement (we don't see this happening): Kenny Pickett

Let's preface this by saying this is based on performance alone. There is no way that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to bench quarterback Jalen Hurts. No way, no how. But in Week 4, Hurts was a disaster in the team's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sure, the Eagles were without their top two wide receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson, but Hurts is one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. He made history in the team's Super Bowl 57 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs two seasons ago. It's on him to carry the team. Instead, he hurt them.

Overall, Hurts completed 18-of-30 pass attempts for just 158 yards and one touchdown in the 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers. Hurts also fumbled the football twice and lost possession once. That lost fumble happened with Philadelphia on Tampa Bay's own 19 yard line. Hurts didn't notice linebacker Lavonte David approaching, who knocked the football out of his hands, and Tampa Bay recovered. Tampa Bay marched down the field immediately after and nailed a field goal to extend their lead to 33-16.

As bad as Hurts played, he isn't getting benched for Kenny Pickett. Let's be real here. The Eagles are going to keep playing Hurts throughout the season as long as he's healthy. The thing is, he isn't playing well this season under head coach Nick Sirianni and new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. It's on Hurts to turn things around and help put Philadelphia back into the win column. Come on, this is a team that was expected to make the Super Bowl entering this season. So far, they look far from contenders.