NFL Trade Rumors
Football is back. There will be an NFL game on television tonight as the annual Hall of Fame game kicks off in Canton, Ohio, with the Lions and Chargers matching up. If any notable players play, it will make headlines like it did a few years ago when the Raiders had RB Josh Jacobs taking carries in a game where the No. 1 priority for all involved is avoiding any major injuries.
Priority No. 2 is showcasing the backups, and we’ll jump on that train. In honor of the start of the preseason, here is a ranking of the league’s backup quarterbacks.
Teams have a slightly different job description for the backup quarterback than they do the starter. Expectations are lower of course, with a few exceptions for teams with competitions or unique situations. The backup has to be a background, supporting player for the starter, but also ready to come in on a moment’s notice with no preparation. Managing the game, avoiding turnovers and keeping things steady are more important criteria for teams than arm talent and mobility — though those are obviously nice to have.
To help standardize the comparison, I’ve included win-loss record, touchdown-to-interception ratio and adjusted net yards per attempt — yards per attempt with bonuses for touchdowns and deductions for interceptions and sacks. Success in those three metrics generally encapsulates success in the responsibilities for backup quarterbacks.
W-L record: 83-74-2 (0.528 percent)
TD/INT: 288/126
ANY/A: 6.82
The most expensive backup in football with a $27.5 million guaranteed salary in 2025, Cousins is caught up in the fallout of how Atlanta handled its quarterback situation last year, guaranteeing him $100 million in free agency and using the No. 8 pick on QB Michael Penix Jr. The shift was made to Penix late last year as Cousins’ play waned due to injury, and while the team listened to trade offers, the Falcons ultimately decided they didn’t want to pay Cousins to play elsewhere.
It’s unusual to have a quarterback as decorated as Cousins No. 2 on the depth chart, but the veteran hasn’t agitated for his exit like some others might and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of awkwardness between the two. Penix has a notable injury history from college, so the Falcons might actually get some significant benefit from having Cousins as an insurance policy, albeit a pricey one. He was a pretty clear No. 1 on this list.
W-L record: 43-21 (0.672 percent)
TD/INT: 96/51
ANY/A: 6.96
Garoppolo has some eye-popping numbers here after piling up a lot of wins, yards and touchdowns with the 49ers. His numbers in his lone year with the Raiders were a lot less impressive, but the good news for the Rams is HC Sean McVay’s system has a lot of overlap with the one Garoppolo thrived in during his San Francisco years. He got one start at the end of last year...
