For this question, let’s pretend that you’re the head coach on the hot seat. Your GM demands you make the playoffs, or you’re getting fired. You need to win NOW (not in 2-3 years.) What backup QB do you trust to get that job done?
Here would be my personal top 10, although it’s obviously subject to debate. Comment below with your own rankings.
Brett Hundley is extremely highly-regarded in Green Bay.
(10) Brett Hundley, Green Bay
The talented 24-year-old hasn’t played meaningful snaps yet, but he’s entering Year 3 in the NFL. As a result of that, I’d trust the unknown with Brett Hundley slightly more than other rookies like Mitch Trubisky, Pat Mahomes, or Deshaun Watson in terms of being ready to win right this second. Someone like Trubisky or Mahomes may be Pro Bowlers down the road, but it’s hard to imagine they’d be effective as rookies.
(9) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
Chad Henne may not be the “backup” for long in Jacksonville, although his place in the NFL is pretty secure: he’s a high-end backup, but a very low-end starter if he gets that job. In 65 games, he’s logged a QB rating of only 75.5.
(8) Matt Moore, Miami
Matt Moore and Chad Henne are closely linked throughout their whole career: you’d love them as a backup, but only consider them as starters as bridges or stopgaps. Henne has a little more physical talent and college pedigree, but Moore‘s been more productive and efficient in the NFL so far. Their completion percentages are a matching 59.3%, but Moore’s QB rating is higher at 82.
(7) Colt McCoy, Washington
Every once in a while, Colt McCoy enters a game and provides an immediate spark. However, he tends to be more effective in short bursts than over the long haul, when teams start adjusting to his lack of size and arm strength. Overall his NFL numbers are modest (60.3%, 78.9 QB rating), although he could probably improve on those now that he’s more experienced.
(6) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay
This is a tough one to judge, because it’s hard to tell if FitzMagic has completely disappeared or not. Chances are, his actual skills are somewhere in between his career year in 2015 (31 TDs, 15 int) and his flop in 2016 (12 TDs, 17 ints.) There’s a chance he’s entered the Jake Delhomme/Matt Schaub stage where he’s too much of a turnover machine to trust.
(5) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
Nick Foles days as a starter are behind him, but he does have a few nice moments to look back on, including that one great stretch under Chip Kelly. He has size, a good arm, and experience, which makes him a backup that you may be able to win with if you have a great supporting cast.
(4) Cody Kessler, Cleveland
Apparently Hue Jackson and Cleveland have soured on Cody Kessler, but the kid has produced well given his opportunities. Always overlooked and counted out due to physical limitations, he was highly productive in college and actually fared reasonably well as a rookie (92.3 QB rating, 65.6% completion percentage). I hope that he gets another chance because I can see him developing into a competent game manager.
(3) Chase Daniel, New Orleans
At the very least, Cody Kessler can develop into the next Chase Daniel, one of the more well-paid backups in the league despite hardly any starts to his name. Daniel has his own limitations, but he’s a smart veteran who projects as another Alex Smith Lite game manager who could be all right with strong talent around him.
(2) A.J. McCarron, Cincinnati
As an Alabama QB, A.J. McCarron tends to get that same “game manager” label, but I believe he shows more upside than that. He has solid size and decent arm strength: combine that with a winning attitude/swagger, and you have a QB who could reasonably start in the NFL. His stats so far (97.1 QB rating, 66.4% completion) are a little inflated, but it’s not unreasonable to think he can be Andy Dalton Lite.
(1) Jimmy Garoppolo, New England
If A.J. McCarron’s stats are a little inflated based on a strong team and a soft schedule, then Jimmy Garoppolo’s are a lot inflated based on the system in New England. If he’s actually as good as he looked in limited time (67.0% completion, 106.2 QB rating) you may have a Pro Bowler on your hands. Over the long haul, you worry about how well he’d do outside of New England, and how well his frame would hold up from a health perspective.
So given the parameters (win NOW), those would be my picks. What are yours? Are you ready to trust Trubisky? Do you see someone special in an unheralded talent like Sean Mannion? Or you hopping on the Cooper Rush or Brandon Allen bandwagon? Let us know.
