{"id":182551,"date":"2025-08-28T14:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/182551\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T14:18:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:18:15","slug":"the-nfls-10-worst-quarterback-situations-where-do-giants-browns-saints-rank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/182551\/","title":{"rendered":"The NFL\u2019s 10 worst quarterback situations: Where do Giants, Browns, Saints rank?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quarterback is the most important position on the field. NFL<\/a> teams routinely invest heavily in their starting quarterback but injuries are part of football. The Dallas Cowboys have the highest-paid player in the NFL<\/a> in quarterback Dak Prescott<\/a>. Dallas<\/a> has had a losing season twice in the last five years, and they were both years in which Prescott missed at least half the season due to injury.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the importance of having a quality insurance policy behind the starter. It\u2019s easy to say that any team with a bona fide starter is in big trouble if the starter goes down, but that isn\u2019t always the case. When Prescott missed five games in the 2022 season, backup Cooper Rush<\/a> came in and went 4-1 to keep the Cowboys afloat en route to a 12-5 season.<\/p>\n

Before we take a look at the 10 worst quarterback situations in the NFL<\/a>, a couple of housekeeping things to keep in mind about the rankings. This isn\u2019t just about the starter, but the starting quarterback will weigh more heavily than the backup. The starter was weighed against other starters in the league and the backups were weighed against other backups. Teams with rookie starting quarterbacks were not included because the starter still weighs heavily and there is no NFL<\/a> track record to consider. The Tennessee Titans<\/a>, with this year\u2019s No. 1 pick Cam Ward<\/a>, fell into this category, as did Minnesota<\/a>, even though J.J. McCarthy<\/a> isn\u2019t technically a rookie.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, let\u2019s dive in, in descending order.<\/p>\n

Russell Wilson<\/a>, Jaxson Dart<\/a>, Jameis Winston<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The backup situation for the Giants may be one of the stronger ones in the league. The starter situation is where they lose some points and make it on this list. Wilson hasn\u2019t consistently looked like the guy since the end of his days in Seattle. He\u2019s 36, which is old but not ancient, so it\u2019s not out of the realm of possibility that he finds some twilight magic. But is his situation with the Giants that much better, if at all, than what he had last year in Pittsburgh, where he was mediocre? It\u2019s hard to see him rekindling anything close to his prime years.<\/p>\n

Drake Maye<\/a>, Joshua Dobbs<\/a>, Tommy DeVito<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

As a rookie, Maye displayed a lot of the promise that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If he takes the second-year jump the Patriots are hoping for, Maye\u2019s upside could shoot this quarterback depth chart out of the bottom 10. But remember, this ranking is not just about the starter and it\u2019s hard to feel too good about what Dobbs brings to the table, if he\u2019s called upon in game action. Dobbs always seems to have things figured out for the first game or so when called upon, but if the Patriots need him for an extended stretch, they\u2019ll be in trouble. The same can be said about DeVito, whom the Patriots claimed off waivers<\/a>. The spotlight is fun with DeVito, but on the field he\u2019s winless in his last four starts, and two of his three career wins came against bad teams in 2023.<\/p>\n

Tua Tagovailoa<\/a>, Zach Wilson<\/a>, Quinn Ewers<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to feel good about the possibility of Tagovailoa getting through a full season unscathed. If he misses time, neither Wilson nor Ewers provides much of a safety net to keep things afloat.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Tua Tagovailoa<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Dolphins<\/p>\n

\n \u25c2 Worse
\n Better \u25b8\n <\/p>\n

Geno Smith<\/a>, Kenny Pickett<\/a>, Aiden O\u2019Connell<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s never a glowing indication of your quarterback situation when you have to trade for your backup<\/a> less than two weeks before the start of the regular season, but that\u2019s the position the Raiders were in after O\u2019Connell\u2019s injury. On the bright side, at least this year\u2019s starting quarterback battle wasn\u2019t between O\u2019Connell and Gardner Minshew<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Will Sam Darnold still thrive away from the comfort of Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s offense? (Joe Nicholson \/ Imagn Images)Sam Darnold<\/a>, Drew Lock<\/a>, Jalen Milroe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

If Darnold\u2019s 2024 season was the start of a career revival instead of a fluke, he could elevate the Seahawks out of this ranking. But it remains to be seen if Darnold can be successful without Kevin O\u2019Connell and Justin Jefferson<\/a>. Lock isn\u2019t a terrible option for a game or two, as evidenced by his big Week 17 performance for the Giants last season, but if Darnold reverts back to his pre-Minnesota days, the Seahawks won\u2019t have anywhere good to turn at the position.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers<\/a>, Mason Rudolph<\/a>, Will Howard<\/a>, Skylar Thompson<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Was Rodgers\u2019 disappointing 2024 season a product of being in a Jets<\/a> uniform or because Father Time finally caught up, especially after an Achilles injury? Rodgers is only three years removed from winning league MVP honors, but he\u2019ll turn 42 in December. There\u2019s virtually no chance the Steelers look elsewhere at quarterback if Rodgers is healthy, so the backup situation only comes into play if he is forced to miss time. But if that happens, it\u2019s a collection of players in line who wouldn\u2019t register in the top half of the league of backup quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Steelers<\/p>\n

\n \u25c2 Worse
\n Better \u25b8\n <\/p>\n

Joe Flacco<\/a>, Dillon Gabriel<\/a>, Shedeur Sanders<\/a>, Deshaun Watson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Entering training camp, Cleveland\u2019s quarterback depth chart could be best summarized as a couple of guys you wouldn\u2019t mind having as your backup (Flacco and Kenny Pickett), a couple of guys you hope to develop (Gabriel and Sanders) and the worst contract in the NFL. Flacco can still play well enough to make it not look like a complete circus, and that may be the bar for quarterbacks in Cleveland, but it\u2019s not great.<\/p>\n

3. New York JetsJustin Fields<\/a>, Tyrod Taylor<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for that Smith-Darnold arc, where a quarterback drafted in the first round or two falters in his first spot but finds some of his magic in a better situation, Fields is probably the player who best fits the description. He had some early flashes of potential in Chicago and played decently in his one year in Pittsburgh. The problem is, Fields has gone to the place where quarterbacks leave in order to find their game. There was a time, after his era as a starter, that Taylor was thought of as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. However, he\u2019s 36 now and hasn\u2019t played inspiring football in recent years.<\/p>\n

Daniel Jones<\/a>, Anthony Richardson<\/a>, Riley Leonard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is another team looking for its version of the Smith-Darnold story. The problem is, Jones hasn\u2019t flashed much recently that would make one believe that he fits that mold, and the Colts certainly don\u2019t have a roster that could help facilitate that. And if you don\u2019t really feel great about Jones leading the charge, what does that say about Richardson, who lost that quarterback battle in training camp? Andrew Luck\u2019s abrupt retirement was an unfortunate blow to the franchise, and it doesn\u2019t feel like this is the year the quarterback position gets solved.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Daniel Jones<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Colts<\/p>\n

\n \u25c2 Worse
\n Better \u25b8\n <\/p>\n

Spencer Rattler<\/a>, Tyler Shough<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The timing of Derek Carr<\/a>\u2019s retirement this offseason did the Saints no favors. Even if they were aware of Carr\u2019s injury situation, it\u2019s tough when your expected starter announces after free agency and the draft that he\u2019s going to retire. The Saints drafted Shough in the second round, so they clearly feel like they could have something there with the young quarterback out of Louisville. If they\u2019re trying to protect Shough until he\u2019s ready for the NFL, that\u2019s understandable. But it never inspires much confidence when you\u2019re in a \u201creally, really close\u201d quarterback competition with Spencer Rattler, and eventually lose.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Spencer Rattler<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Saints<\/p>\n

\n \u25c2 Worse
\n Better \u25b8\n <\/p>\n

(Top photos of Russell Wilson and Spencer Rattler: Sarah Stier and Ronald Martinez \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Quarterback is the most important position on the field. NFL teams routinely invest heavily in their starting quarterback…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":182552,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[1544,9002,535,9003,533,9004,4716,5287,1232,1545,7149,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-182551","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-cleveland-browns","9":"tag-indianapolis-colts","10":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","11":"tag-miami-dolphins","12":"tag-new-england-patriots","13":"tag-new-orleans-saints","14":"tag-new-york-giants","15":"tag-new-york-jets","16":"tag-nfl","17":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","18":"tag-seattle-seahawks","19":"tag-sports","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115106827797968714","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}