The NFL’s Most Important Backup Quarterbacks Entering 2026

Nobody wants to talk about the backup quarterback in August.

By November, somebody always wishes they had.

Last season offered both sides of the argument. San Francisco and Houston survived stretches without their starters and still reached the playoffs. Indianapolis wasn’t nearly as fortunate: an 8-2 start unraveled after Daniel Jones went down, and the Colts eventually finished 8-9.

That’s why I don’t rank backup quarterbacks simply by asking, Who’s the best player?

I’m asking something different:

Which QB2 could have the greatest impact on the 2026 NFL season?

The quality of the starter matters. So does the team’s championship potential, the likelihood of the backup actually playing and whether the offense can function without completely changing its identity.

Here are the ten I believe matter most.

1. Mac Jones — San Francisco 49ers

This is what quarterback insurance is supposed to look like.

Jones already had to replace Brock Purdy for eight starts last season.

San Francisco went 5-3.

Jones posted a 97.4 passer rating.

That’s not theoretical evidence that Kyle Shanahan can win with his backup. We just watched it happen.

The 49ers reportedly value Jones accordingly, with The Athletic reporting that San Francisco would want a second-round pick to move him.

That’s significant.

Jones isn’t as dynamic as Purdy, and there is a reason he’s no longer viewed as a franchise quarterback. But within this particular offense—with its play-action concepts, defined reads and collection of skill-position talent—he doesn’t have to be.

If Purdy misses three games, San Francisco can survive.

If he misses six?

They might still survive.

That’s why Jones is my most valuable QB2 entering the season.

2. Joe Flacco — Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow’s injury history makes this position more important in Cincinnati than it is for most contenders.

The Bengals know that.

They also know Flacco can still throw the football.

When Burrow missed time last season, Flacco threw 13 touchdown passes in six starts and posted a 91.0 passer rating. Cincinnati went only 1-5 during those starts, but its defensive problems were a substantial part of that record.

At 41, nobody is pretending Flacco represents Cincinnati’s future.

That’s irrelevant.

If Burrow misses two Sundays in October, can Flacco get the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins well enough to keep Cincinnati from falling two games behind in the AFC North?

Absolutely.

That’s the job.

3. Justin Fields — Kansas City Chiefs

Now things get interesting.

Patrick Mahomes enters the season after rehabilitating the torn ACL he suffered last year. He’s been cleared and is expected to start Week 1.

Kansas City nevertheless has one of football’s most fascinating insurance policies behind him.

Justin Fields doesn’t play quarterback anything like Mahomes.

That’s not necessarily a problem.

Andy Reid would have to alter portions of his offense, but Fields gives Kansas City an explosive running component that can fundamentally change how defenses play the Chiefs.

Nobody replaces Mahomes.

That’s an absurd standard.

But if Kansas City needs its backup for a couple of games, I’d rather give Reid an exceptionally talented athlete with extensive starting experience than ask an inexperienced quarterback to imitate Mahomes.

And given Mahomes’ return from major knee surgery, QB2 matters a little more in Kansas City this year.

4. Davis Mills — Houston Texans

Davis Mills may be the perfect example of how our perception of quarterbacks changes based on their surroundings.

Early in his career, Mills went 5-19-1 as Houston’s starter.

Last season?

He went 3-0 while filling in, throwing for 915 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception.

Did Mills suddenly become a different quarterback?

Not entirely.

The Texans became a different football team.

Now Mills has a good defense, legitimate receiving options and a coaching staff that isn’t asking him to rescue the franchise.

Houston gave him a one-year, $7 million extension in 2025.

That’s money well spent.

If C.J. Stroud misses time during another playoff chase, Houston already knows its backup can win games.

5. Tyrod Taylor — Green Bay Packers

Malik Willis was excellent insurance for Green Bay.

Then Miami paid him like someone capable of becoming much more than that.

The Packers responded by signing one of the NFL’s most experienced backups.

Taylor has 62 career starts, has appeared in 100 games and owns an 87.7 career passer rating.

He’s 37.

He’s not going to become Green Bay’s next long-term quarterback.

But that’s precisely why the arrangement makes sense.

Taylor remains mobile enough that Matt LaFleur doesn’t have to throw away half his playbook if Jordan Love misses a Sunday. He understands NFL defenses, protects the football reasonably well and won’t be overwhelmed by suddenly entering a meaningful game.

Green Bay wants another deep postseason run.

Taylor is there to make sure a short Love absence doesn’t derail it.

6. Joshua Dobbs — Detroit Lions

Jared Goff deserves more credit for his durability.

He’s started all 17 regular-season games in four consecutive seasons.

Detroit hopes that continues.

But Teddy Bridgewater’s August retirement forced the Lions to reconsider their backup plan, and they landed on Joshua Dobbs. Detroit ultimately kept Dobbs as its lone backup on the initial 53-man roster.

I like the fit.

Dobbs has made 15 NFL starts and previously worked under current Detroit offensive coordinator Drew Petzing when both were in Arizona.

He isn’t Goff.

But Detroit possesses enough surrounding offensive talent that its backup shouldn’t have to be.

Give Dobbs the offensive line, running game and weapons the Lions can put around him and I’d trust Detroit to remain competitive for a short stretch.

7. Stetson Bennett IV — Los Angeles Rams

This is the strangest quarterback room on the list.

Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP.

Los Angeles then used the 13th overall selection on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, presumably identifying its eventual successor.

Yet if Stafford had to miss Week 2?

I think Stetson Bennett might still be Sean McVay’s first call.

Bennett has spent years inside the offense, and his preseason performance suggested he’s currently more prepared for immediate duty than Simpson. The Rams even held Bennett out of the preseason finale while giving Simpson additional evaluation time.

Los Angeles ultimately kept all three quarterbacks on its initial roster.

Long term, Simpson is the story.

For 2026, Bennett could be the more important insurance policy.

And with the Rams loading up for a championship run, every game matters.

8. Shedeur Sanders — Cleveland Browns

Here’s the opposite situation.

This isn’t primarily about preserving a championship run.

It’s about what happens if the season changes direction.

Cleveland placed Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve with a designation to return because of a back injury, while rookie Taylen Green also survived final cuts.

That leaves Sanders occupying a fascinating position on the depth chart.

If Cleveland’s starter plays well, Sanders can continue developing.

If things go badly?

Every losing streak will create noise.

Every quarterback mistake will amplify it.

And eventually the Browns may need to find out exactly what they have.

Some backups are important because they might save a season.

Sanders is important because playing him could change the direction of the franchise.

9. Drew Lock — Seattle Seahawks

Seattle just won the Super Bowl.

That automatically makes its backup quarterback important.

Sam Darnold has transformed his career and produced consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, but Seattle has kept an experienced alternative behind him.

Lock has 28 career starts and already knows the organization after previously playing for the Seahawks in 2023 before returning last season.

Seattle also has developmental quarterback Jalen Milroe, which gives the coaching staff an interesting secondary option for specialized packages.

Would the Seahawks be the same offense with Lock?

No.

Would I immediately declare their season finished if Darnold missed two or three games?

Also no.

For a defending champion, that’s valuable.

10. Jalon Daniels — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Here’s my wild card.

Daniels wasn’t supposed to be here.

He entered the league as an undrafted rookie.

He finished August as Baker Mayfield’s backup quarterback.

Tampa Bay chose Daniels over veteran alternatives Connor Bazelak and Jake Browning after an impressive preseason.

And there’s legitimate developmental intrigue.

At Kansas, Daniels accumulated 9,282 passing yards while adding another 1,445 yards as a runner across a lengthy college career.

That mobility matters.

If Mayfield misses time, Tampa wouldn’t necessarily have to ask Daniels to operate the offense exactly the same way. His legs could become part of the solution.

There’s obvious risk in entrusting a potential contender to an undrafted rookie.

There’s also upside.

By November, Daniels could look like one of the smartest roster decisions Tampa made all summer.

The Five Just Outside

Mitchell Trubisky, Titans — Fifty-seven career starts make him excellent insurance for Cam Ward.

Kenny Pickett, Panthers — A 16-11 career record as a starter is considerably better than people remember.

Jarrett Stidham, Broncos — Already had to start last season’s AFC Championship Game after Bo Nix fractured his ankle. That’s about as high-pressure as backup experience gets.

Kyle Allen, Bills — Buffalo isn’t replacing Josh Allen with anybody, but 19 career starts provide at least some security.

Joe Milton III/Sam Howell, Cowboys — Dallas kept both, and Jerry Jones has suggested the Cowboys might effectively operate with two backup quarterbacks rather than a firmly established QB2.

The Backup QB Paradox

Here’s what makes this position fascinating.

The best-case scenario is that none of these guys matter.

San Francisco wants Brock Purdy taking every meaningful snap.

Cincinnati wants Joe Burrow.

Kansas City certainly wants Patrick Mahomes.

That’s obvious.

But NFL seasons rarely cooperate with best-case scenarios.

A contender can spend years constructing a championship roster and watch the entire thing become irrelevant because its quarterback misses four weeks.

The difference between going 3-1 and 1-3 during that stretch might determine home-field advantage.

It might determine whether you win the division.

It might determine whether you make the playoffs at all.

That’s why Mac Jones tops my list.

We’ve already watched San Francisco lose its starting quarterback and continue winning with him.

The 49ers aren’t hoping their insurance policy works.

They’ve already filed the claim.

And in a league where one awkward hit can change the Super Bowl picture in seconds, that might make Jones one of the most valuable players nobody in San Francisco wants to see play.

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