Ranking the Top 10 backup quarterbacks after the 2024 NFL Draft

Over the course of the 2023 season, 66 quarterbacks started at least one game in the NFL. That is a stunning number and it stresses the need for teams to pay special attention to who not only who is their starting quarterback, but who is backing that starter up.

The Vikings and the Browns each started four quarterbacks and Joshua Dobbs started for two different teams over the course of the season. This is all due to injuries and a lack of overall quality depth in talent at the position.

Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is over, what teams have the best backup quarterbacks? That's extremely hard to answer because teams with an eye on a championship will want a more experienced backup. Teams building toward an eventual championship may want to develop their younger signal callers. Others may choose to start their youngsters and want a backup with some experience in case things go awry.

Since there is no data on the freshly drafted rookies, and an undecided immediate future for some of them as to whether they will start or not, they won't be considered for the list. What other teams have backups they can trust to jump under center in case their starter goes down, either for a few plays, the rest of the game, or for a more extended absence?

10. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets

Tyrod Taylor isn't going to ever earn any MVP votes, but it is going to be very difficult to surprise him on the field. With 13 seasons under his belt, he will be playing this season with his seventh franchise. He's played in 92 games and started 58. He has to have the ability to adapt to any system and he's seen just about every defense possible over those seasons.

No team is going to want Taylor to play a lot of games and he won't lead anyone to the playoffs at this point in his career, but if you need someone to play a few snaps, or finish a game, or even start for two or three contents if Aaron Rodgers gets dinged up, Taylor can keep things together for brief stints.

The more he plays in any system, the more his weaknesses will be exposed, but in short doses, he can hold an offense together. He's 28-28-1 as a starter and has two seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards. He has 2,268 rushing yards in his career, including 197 last year, so he can still move around a bit.

He's a proven, seasoned commodity and over short periods of time, he can help a team tread water.

9. Joshua Dobbs, San Francisco 49ers

If you think Taylor is well-traveled, he doesn't have much on Joshua Dobbs. San Francisco is his fifth team in his sixth season. Last year, he had the rare distinction of starting 12 games, but with two different teams -- eight with the Cardinals and four with the Vikings.

After going to Minnesota mid-season, he provided the Vikings with a big boost of energy. Like Taylor, he can fill in for short spurts, but there is a reason he is a journeyman. He's only 3-11 as a starter, and he has almost as many interceptions (13) as touchdowns (15).

If he has to fill in for small amounts of time, he can add real value to a team. He plays with a high degree of energy and courage, which can be valuable in certain situations.

Last year was by far his most productive as a pro. He had 2,464 passing yards and 417 rushing yards. Yet, neither team for which he started games last season, held on to him. This year, it will be the 49ers' turn to roster him. His experience with numerous teams and systems should help him be able to adjust with the Niners, and if he's only needed rarely, he can fill in without ruining a season.

8. Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns

There aren't going to be many backup quarterbacks with over 22,000 passing yards, or any with over 5,000 yards passing in one season. There are also few backups with 141 career touchdowns.

Jameis Winston is entering the 10th season of his career as the new backup in Cleveland for the fragile Deshawn Watson. He is experienced, has a big arm, and a propensity to throw interceptions. Those thrown picks are a big reason he's started 80 games in his career, but has only 34 wins in those games, and the biggest reason he's been relegated to a backup role, despite his obvious talents.

If something were to happen to Watson, the Browns have plenty of weapons at the skill positions to help Winston succeed over an extended period of time. This unit won games with the ancient Joe Flacco at the helm down the stretch last season, going 4-1. Those weapons are a luxury most backups won't enjoy.

Winston's career has been an odd one. From being the youngest Heisman Trophy winner ever to throwing for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2019 to a career backup in subsequent seasons. Even in 2021, when he threw 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions in seven starts with the Saints, it didn't lead to a starting role. Winston has the skillset, and talent around him to be successful if the need arises for the Browns.

7. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts

Speaking of Flacco, who knew he still had it in him to step in and be so successful? In just five games with the Browns, he went 4-1 as the starter and threw for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. The downside was he also threw eight interceptions.

As experienced as Winston is, Flacco has double the passing yards (43,936) and 245 touchdowns. He's 103-82 in 182 career starts. He hasn't been a full-fledged starter since 2017, but he's carved out a pretty nice second career as a backup. The big question now is if, at 39, he can still be effective. After his finish to the 2023 season, the answer is probably yes, but maybe not for a longer stretch.

The Colts have a youngster as their starter in Anthony Richardson, whose rookie season was cut short when he was injured and knocked out for the season during week four. It was a bad break for both the Colts and Richardson, as it stalled the latter's development, and it brings up questions of Richardson's durability.

Adding an established and accomplished backup, one with Super Bowl experience like Flacco, is a great move. Flacco is going to have a wealth of knowledge he can pass along to the youngster that can help him moving forward. Backing up Richardson with a guy like Flacco was a smart decision by the Colts that should help them into the future.

6. Carson Wentz, Kansas City Chiefs

It is easy to forget that in 2017 Wentz was third in voting for NFL MVP. In 13 starts that season, the Eagles went 11-2 and ended up winning the Super Bowl. People forget because Nick Foles stepped in when Wentz got hurt late in the season, and not only led them to the ultimate win but also took home Super Bowl MVP honors.

Wentz, for whatever reasons, has not been able to fully resurrect his career after that and the Chiefs will be his fifth team in as many seasons. In Kansas City, there will be no pressure whatsoever as there will never be a quarterback controversy as long as Patrick Mahomes is running the offense.

In Philadelphia, Wentz played for Doug Pederson, an Andy Reid disciple. There is no way the Chiefs sign Wentz for the role of backup without checking in with Pederson first. Reid must feel comfortable with Wentz if he was willing to bring him into the fold.

Reid obviously prefers experienced backups at quarterback. He's looking for guys who can learn playbooks and can read defenses. Mahomes has been fairly durable and shown an ability to play through injuries, but the Chiefs should be more than comfortable with a veteran who's shown the ability to play at an MVP level during his career.

5. Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams

For a quarterback who was once a quarter away from winning a Super Bowl, Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't seem to get much respect. The fact is, he's won 68 percent of his 63 starts. That's pretty good!

Garoppolo is oft-injured and is considered merely a game manager, despite all of his success. Game management has to be a prime skillset coaches want in a backup quarterback, especially one as successful as he's been.

Things went all kinds of wrong for Garoppolo over the last two seasons. The 49ers were off to a good 7-3 start in 2022 when he got hurt. Brock Purdy stepped in and pretty gave Garoppolo the old Wally Pipp treatment. Purdy played so well and so dynamically, the Niners were comfortable handing over the reins to him permanently and letting Garoppolo walk.

Jimmy G. signed with the Raiders to be their starter, but things just didn't work out for him. In seven games, he threw nine interceptions to seven touchdowns and was replaced. He moved on again; now he's with the Rams. He has to serve a two-game suspension, but he will settle into Matt Stafford's backup after that.

Stafford is 36 and has had some injury issues himself, but the Rams should feel comfortable with someone who started in a Super Bowl as their backup in 2024. If game management is a strength, then Garoppolo should shine in his new role in LA.

4. Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks

It didn't really feel like Sam Howell got a fair shake in Washington last year. He started off fairly well, throwing for 3,339 yards over his first 12 games, and completing two-thirds of his attempts, all the while, running for his life. In those 12 games, he was sacked an unfathomable 55 times. Considering the pressure he was under, the 13 interceptions he threw seem like an acceptable total.

Playing behind an offensive line that bad can ruin a quarterback (see Jim Everett or David Carr) and over the next three games, Howell understandably fell apart. In those contests, he had just 285 passing yards, completed an abhorrent 41 percent of his attempts, launched four interceptions, and connected on just one touchdown.

He bounced back somewhat in the last two games but still threw four interceptions, two against both the 49ers and Cowboys and he was sacked five times. He did completed 63 percent of his passes in these two games, as well. All of this does make one wonder how good he might have been if he hadn't been under almost constant pressure the whole season.

65 sacks is a lot of sacks in one season, In fact, it is the fourth most ever. David Carr has the record and two of the top three most sacked seasons ever. That constant pressure ruined his his career.

Howell was done a favor. He has a chance to prove himself again with a team that allowed far fewer sacks. He'll have a chance to fully develop in a backup role, but the talent is there, and if the Seahawks call on him, there shouldn't be a lot of drop-off.

3. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

People seem divided on Justin Fields and what his talent level is, but in his career, he's been sacked on 12.4 percent of his dropbacks, and that doesn't count how many he eluded with his feet. Like Howell, he hasn't had the opportunity to develop behind a good offensive line. The jury is STILL out on how good Fields might be.

There is no doubt that Fields can offer a big spark off the bench if called upon. Spending this season as a backup behind Russell Wilson could go a long way toward furthering his development. After the 2024 season, he could re-sign with the Steelers, or he might be a great option for other teams looking for a starter in 2025.

For now, he provides a terrific option for the Steelers. He's experienced and he's athletic. His accuracy is still unproven at this point because of his previous situation. It will be interesting to see if that improves if he gets the chance to play at all this season.

Wilson is 35 so there might be opportunities for Fields to show what he can do. On just his ability to run the ball, he could provide enough consternation for defenses if he has to fill in. If Russell's play slips at all, there could be a push for Fields to take over, but it's merely speculation for now. The Steelers quarterback situation is much better this year than last, and Fields is much better than the options the team had last year as backups.

2. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders

It might be arguable if Gardner Minshew will be the starter or the backup. ESPN, CBS Sports, and RotoWire all have him listed behind Aidan O'Connell, so here we are. It does say a lot about him, however, for it to be a discussion.

The fact is, Minshew has started 37 games in his five-year career but only won 15 of them. Statistically, there isn't anything glaring that says he can't or shouldn't start, other than his winning percentage as a starter. He completes nearly 63 percent of his attempts (62.6), has way more touchdowns (59) than Interceptions (24), and has more than 3,200 yards passing in two of his five campaigns.

For whatever reason, he just does not project as someone who can lead a team to the Super Bowl. Nothing about his game screams that he is a star. His biggest attributes may be that he doesn't make a lot of mistakes and that he offers a lot of energy on the field. Those are two huge positives for any backup quarterback.

If the Raiders end up starting O'Connell, they know they have a seasoned veteran who understands how to stay prepared at all times. He is also one they can trust to be productive if he has to play for extended periods of time. Last year with the Colts, when Anthony Richardson was injured for the season in week 4, Minshew won seven of his 13 games as a starter and threw for 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns. That's pretty good for a backup.

1. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

No one could have predicted how well Jake Browning, a 27-year-old career practice squad player for the Vikings and Bengals, would perform when he took over after Joe Burrow was inured in 2023. He seemingly came out of nowhere, though last year was his fifth year in the NFL.

He threw for over 12,000 yards and nearly 100 touchdowns (94) in college for the Washington Huskies and was good enough to hang on with Minnesota, then Cincinnati, on the practice squads before getting his chance to shine. He passed for more than 300 yards twice, and he played very well, except for back-to-back games late in the season against Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

He threw seven interceptions, but three came in the game against the Steelers. The Chiefs sacked him six times and those two teams were the only ones that held him under 69 percent in completion percentage as a starter. The Bengals went 4-3 in his seven starts and none of the games were against pushovers.

He emerged as a talented game manager who could avoid mistakes for the most part. The Bengals offense hardly skipped a beat with him under center. Though it was an incredibly small sample size, Browning did not look overwhelmed and he proved he belonged.

He obviously learned a lot from watching Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow over the years and was able to step in with poise and authority. He was someone the Bengals had confidence in and even though he lacks actual game experience, he does have plenty of time in the league and he learned very well.