NFL 2026 backup QB rankings: A look at the five best and worst signal callers — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- The NFL is facing a quarterback depth crisis exposed by injuries to Dart, Daniels, Williams, Darnold, Tagovailoa and Penix Jr., which the article attributes to early sport specialization and coaches failing to teach football IQ at youth and collegiate levels.
- Cooper Rush ranks dead last in the NFL in passer rating (42.5) with 4 interceptions through two weeks as Atlanta's fill-in, prompting Falcons fans to temporarily edit his Wikipedia page into 'Cooper Robert Adolf Hitler Joseph Stalin Kim Jong-Un Rush' — making him the No. 1 worst backup.
- Drew Lock leads the NFL in passer rating (127.3) after unexpectedly starting for Seattle when Sam Darnold went down with a glute injury in Week 1, going 2-0 with 4 TDs and connecting with Jaxson Smith-Njigba 9 times for 155 yards and 3 scores in Week 2.
- Mac Jones profiled as a fringe top-10 quarterback during his 8 starts filling in for injured Brock Purdy last season, ranking in the top 10 in completion percentage, passing yards, and sack rate from Weeks 2-10 and matching Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield in passing touchdowns over that span.
- Trey Lance, once the No. 3 overall pick the 49ers traded three first-rounders to draft, completed just 45.5% of his passes (20 of 44) in his lone Chargers start and was sacked four times, confirming he lacks the seasoning to be a capable NFL passer.
- Joe Flacco, 41, still produced a career-high 470 yards and 4 TDs against the Bears last season and a 342-yard, 3-TD win over Pittsburgh, giving the Bengals a viable bridge if Burrow misses time in 2026.
Why it matters: The gap between best and worst backup situations is enormous — Seattle (Lock, 127.3 rating) and Cincinnati (Flacco, former Super Bowl MVP) can absorb starter injuries, while Atlanta (Rush, 42.5 rating, 4 INTs in 2 weeks), Buffalo (Kyle Allen, just 3 passes since 2023) and New England (DeVito, didn't play in 2025) face season-altering collapse if their starter goes down.
Ask SkimNews
