Less than a month into the season, six NFL teams have already been forced to swap out their starting quarterback for at least one game. That’s a huge number, man, and it just screams how quickly a season can flip. We’re already seeing the chaos firsthand. The Falcons and Bears both had to go two deep at QB, and the difference between their outcomes? Wild. Cooper Rush pretty much straight-up sabotaged a talented Falcons offense, which then immediately blew up once Michael Penix Jr. got back in the game. In Chicago, though, the Bears offense didn’t even blink with Case Keenum stepping in for Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. Turns out, having Ben Johnson dialing up the plays really made things easier for Keenum. It’s wild, but the best backup quarterback might actually just be a good play-caller. Every single NFL season hammers home how crucial a solid backup is, and this one’s no different.
The ‘Please No!’ Tier and the ‘It Might Be Fun, But Oh No!’ Guys
So, with all that in mind, let’s talk about who could actually keep a team alive and who would absolutely crater it. First up, we’ve got Tier 5, what we’re calling “We’re Losing This Game.” You’ve got guys like Cade Klubnik and Kyle McCord who *might* develop into decent backups down the line, but honestly, we just haven’t seen enough to get a real feel for their ceiling. Then there are the guys we’ve seen *too much* of: Tommy DeVito and Kyle Allen. If either of those dudes is starting, your offense is in deep trouble. They can’t consistently make routine throws and then they just pile on the issues with some truly questionable decision-making. Yikes.
Next, we roll into Tier 4, which is officially titled “It Will Be Bad, But It Might Be Fun!” Whether you enjoy watching these guys comes down to your taste in quarterback play. If you’re into signal-callers frantically trying to escape pressure and occasionally pulling off some miracle completions, these are your guys. Kenny Pickett’s got the most experience here, Tyler Huntley is more well-rounded thanks to his running ability, and Sam Howell has the best arm but a seriously shaky pocket presence. If you somehow mashed all their skill sets together, you’d end up with Baker Myfield. We also saw Jalon Daniels rip off some tight-window throws in preseason, which was a blast. But that tape also had a ton of sprayed passes, so don’t expect an efficient stat line from that Day 3 pick as he fills in for an injured Baker Mayfield. Shedeur Sanders is another one; if he had Daniels’ arm and athleticism, he’d be way higher, but he plays like he does, and that gets him into trouble. Long sacks and throws into coverage totally cancel out his good plays. Then there’s Trey Lance and Justin Fields. They’re just one bad preseason away from officially losing that “high potential” tag, if they haven’t already. Lance made some dreadful decisions and had a few frustrating misses in his preseason run. Fields is still wrestling with the same issues that plagued him as a rookie. Both can absolutely drop a jaw-dropping throw or two per game, but neither of them is reliable snap-to-snap. Fields, at least, has Andy Reid and Ken Walker in his corner, so he’d have a fighting chance if he had to play. Lance? He’d just be completely overwhelmed by the Chargers’ offensive dysfunction.
The Cut-Off Point: Game Managers Who Need a Perfect Plan
Finally, we hit Tier 3: “Can Execute A Game Plan , But It Better Be A Good One.” The truth is, at their absolute athletic peaks, these three guys would’ve probably been in the top tier. The issue now is their erratic throwing ability.
This early season chaos just screams one thing: a good backup isn’t a luxury, it’s a flat-out necessity. Your team’s season can legit disappear in one hit to the starter. Every snap, man, every single snap means something. And right now, some teams are rolling the dice with guys who could unravel it all.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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