Best NFL Backup QBs

Nick Foles served as a sturdy, reliable NFL backup quarterback for over ten years, playing for six teams. Foles's 2018 season showed his skill. After Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury, Foles stepped in and led the team to a 4-1 record as the starter. Foles guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl and won the Lombardi Trophy and the Super Bowl MVP award. Injuries later forced Foles back to the backup role.

Kurt Warner has one of sports' greatest Cinderella Stories. Warner worked as a grocery store clerk before his NFL start. Warner became a backup for the St. Louis Rams when starting quarterback Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury early in the season. Warner started and changed how the game played forever. The "Greatest Show on Turf" began, and Warner earned league MVP and the franchise's first Super Bowl win. Over ten years, Warner had an up-and-down career; five of his next ten seasons saw him as a backup, but his Cinderella run remains legendary.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a journeyman. Fitzpatrick played for nine teams across his seventeen-year career. Fitzpatrick always shocked people when given a chance. Nicknamed Fitzmagic, the Harvard product showed incredible NFL highlight plays. However, his inconsistency kept him as a backup. Fitzpatrick remained a fan favorite everywhere he played; he will be remembered as one of the most beloved backup quarterbacks in NFL history.

Earl Morrall played for six teams during his twenty-one-year career. Morrall stayed with each team, becoming a key player for every one. He always showed a willingness to win, even accepting the backup role. In the seasons he started, Morrall was stellar, winning MVP, earning two Pro Bowls, and helping the Indianapolis Colts win a Super Bowl. Up-and-down play kept Morrall on the bench, but he won two more championships there and played on the Miami Dolphins' 17-0 season.

Doug Flutie had one of the weirdest backup quarterback careers on this list. His first four years in the league went badly. Thus, he played for the Canadian Football League for almost a decade. Flutie returned to the NFL in 1998 and shocked everyone. He took over the Buffalo Bills and guided them to playoff success. This success lasted only a few seasons. By then, Flutie was nearly 40. He became a backup for the next few years. Playing until age 43 is the most impressive part; few quarterbacks achieve that.

Jim Plunkett's career was very mixed. The legendary quarterback had only three winning seasons. He never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. His statistics were poor. However, Plunkett won two Super Bowls and earned Super Bowl MVP. Devastating injuries ended his bright career. These injuries made him a backup for the latter half. During that time, he made his best accomplishments. Plunkett's Hall of Fame case gets much talk among serious NFL fans.

Jeff Hostetler sat on the bench for his first six years. By the 1991 season, he planned to quit. Hostetler wanted to retire after that season, tired of being a bench warmer. After a bad injury to Phill Simms, Hostetler got a chance to start for the New York Giants. Hostetler led the team to win the 1991 Super Bowl. He started for the next four years. In his final season, he went back to the bench. Still, Hostetler showed everyone he could be an NFL quarterback.

Doug Williams was a talented, promising quarterback in 1978. Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams did not lead them to a winning record as a starter. He kept growing and showing potential. Williams felt he deserved more money; ownership did not agree. After missing a season, he left for the USFL. After four years, Williams returned to the NFL as a backup for the Washington Redskins. His time with the team was quiet. Then, something shocking happened. Williams helped lead the team to a Super Bowl after starter Jay Schroeder got injured. Williams also won Super Bowl MVP in 1988!

Teddy Bridgewater was ready for his teams. He was a journeyman who moved around more than he wanted after a bad leg injury in 2017. Bridgewater's best year happened with the New Orleans Saints in 2019. After Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in Week 2, Bridgewater took over. He led the Saints 5-0 to keep playoff hopes alive. This was an all-time backup performance. Bridgewater recorded 10 total TDs against 2 interceptions. When Brees returned in Week 8, he gave the job back to the great. However, he made the league pay attention, earning Bridgewater more stops in his NFL career.

Trent Dilfer showed great talent when the NFL drafted him in 1994. During his six years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team made no progress. In 2000, Dilfer signed with the Baltimore Ravens as backup. After a weak start, Dilfer started and led the team from 0-4 to the playoffs as a wild card. Dilfer took his team to the Super Bowl, beating the Giants 34-7. The team's defense helped Dilfer's amazing run. Dilfer then signed with the Seattle Seahawks, starting hot but becoming a backup again.

Charlie Batch started three seasons as the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions. He led the team to an 8-7 playoff birth. Batch had the worst start in NFL history, leading the Lions to a 0-9 record in 2001. The team drafted Joey Harrington, making Batch expendable. Batch then began one of the longest backup quarterback stints in NFL history. Batch signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002 and played backup for the team for 11 years. Batch remained professional and showed he had what it took for the NFL, even without starting.

Taysom Hill was one of the most intriguing players in the NFL.Taysom Hill was one of the most intriguing players in the NFL.ever, and arguably one of the most valuable backup quarterbacks the league ever saw. Hill played quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end. Hill was a jack of all trades and a valuable member of the New Orleans Saints. Hill began as a special teams player, doing whatever was needed to play. He became a phenomenal gadget player through his menacing rushing and gamebreaking speed. People questioned Hill's passing ability during his league time, but the record shows he went 7-2 in games as a starting QB.

In 2008, Tom Brady tore his ACL in Week 1, thrusting Matt Cassel under center for the New England Patriots. Cassel guided the team to 11 wins, though the team missed the playoffs due to a conference record tiebreaker. By the 2008 season's end, Cassel held the NFL record for a quarterback with at least 10 wins, 325 completions, a 63% completion rate, 3,600 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, 11 or fewer interceptions, and 250 rushing yards in one season. Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers remain the only other players with this feat. Cassel later started for KC before injuries sent him back to backup.

Jimmy Garoppolo began as Tom Brady's backup. In 2016, after Brady's 'deflate-gate' suspension, Jimmy G started for the Pats, going 2-0. A year later, the Eastern Illinois player moved to SF for a second-round pick, a massive haul for a backup QB. Jimmy G became the starter for the 49ers, helping them reach the Super Bowl 31-14 across five injury-plagued seasons. This led the franchise to draft Trey Lance as their future QB, eventually pushing Garoppolo back to backup in 2022. Lance got hurt in 2022, and Jimmy G took over as starter, achieving a 7-2 record before another injury sidelined him.

Chase Daniel never started or played more than two games as a starter for any of the six teams he played for. Each year, Daniel secured healthy contracts, making him arguably one of the league's most valuable backup quarterbacks. Daniel achieved a 67.7 completion percentage. Daniel proved knowing and mastering your role matters most. Daniel is an all-time locker room chemistry guy; he never disrupted his team.

Zeke Bratkowski entered the NFL as a backup quarterback. For the next 14 years of his career, he excelled in his backup role. Bratkowski always prepared the young players. He was most notable with the Green Bay Packers, where he helped the team win 3 NFL Championships and 2 Super Bowl MVPs from the bench. Bratkowski played 132 NFL games, started 49, and threw 65 touchdowns over his career.

Bubby Brister ranked among the top backup quarterbacks the league offered during the 80s and 90s. Brister always played ready, doing what the team needed to win. He became a fan favorite with the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing seven years with the team. Brister's best backup play came with the Denver Broncos. He replaced John Elway for a month when Elway was injured, and he led the team to a 4-0 record. Elway returned, sending Brister back to the bench, but Brister kept the Broncos afloat, helping them win Super Bowl XXXIII.

Virgil Carter was a sixth-round NFL pick. No one expected the young quarterback to get much playing time. A career-ending injury to franchise quarterback Greg Cook moved Carter into the starting lineup for the Cincinnati Bengals in his third year. After a poor 1-5 start, Carter helped the Bears make the playoffs during an NFL turnaround. Carter started one more season with the Bengals before becoming a backup again.

After a season as the backupquarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Derek Anderson entered the starting lineup after only one game the next season, shocking the NFL. Anderson led the struggling Browns to a 10-5 record. He earned a Pro Bowl selection and brought the Browns to the playoffs for the first time in years. Anderson got another chance to lead the Browns; that season resulted in a 3-6 record and eventual benching. Anderson then moved to the Carolina Panthers to play backup for MVP Cam Newton, helping the team stay competitive during their 2014 season with a 7-8-1 record.

Gary Danielson played 11 NFL seasons. Danielson established himself as a top backup quarterback during his time. Danielson had an 81 to 78 touchdown to interception ratio. Danielson handled the ball well, especially as a backup in the 70s and 80s when passing was less structured. Danielson even led the Detroit Lions to the playoffs.

Todd Collins played 16 years as an NFL backup quarterback for many teams. Collins took over for injured quarterbacks in many seasons and led several teams to the playoffs. Collins did not achieve high-level success, but he showed the value of being ready and prepared without ego.

Cody Carlson played seven years in the NFL. Carlson became an impactful player when given opportunities. Carlson started his career with the Houston Oilers as a backup to Warren Moon. Carlson achieved his most productive season in 1992 because Moon got injured. Moon passed for 1,710 yards in eleven games (six starts). Carlson held a 10–4 record as a starter during his time backing up Moon. Moon left after the 1993 season, and Carlson became his starting replacement.