It’s a great time to be a backup quarterback in the NFL, or even the backup to the backup.
With the leaves still green, five teams have already had to rely on their second-string quarterbacks due to injuries (Vikings, Packers, Steelers, and Dolphins) or poor performance (Panthers).
There’s a lot of focus on developing a top starting quarterback who can carry the team’s hopes, but it often comes down to the other players in the room.
Last year, 66 quarterbacks started a game in the NFL, and the year before that, 68 did.
Miami is already on its third quarterback after QB1 Tua Tagovailoa (who has another concussion) and QB2 Skylar Thompson (who has a rib injury) got hurt.
Sam Darnold, who has struggled in the past, is getting another chance in Minnesota, which is off to a 3-0 start, just like the Steelers.
In Chicago, Justin Fields has played well in place of an injured Russell Wilson, making a change less likely with each passing week.
The Packers (2-1) have won both games with Malik Willis, whom they picked up from Tennessee less than a month ago. He was called into action right away when Jordan Love, who recently signed a four-year, $220 million contract, hurt his left knee in the season opener.
In Week 3, former starter Andy Dalton took over for last year’s top draft pick, Bryce Young, and led the Panthers to a surprising win in Las Vegas.
Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in 2021, lost his eighth straight game on Monday night when the Jaguars were crushed by the Bills 47-10. He was pulled from the game with 7:45 left, watching from the sidelines as backup Mac Jones was sacked and lost the ball just three plays into his first series.
Things are also going poorly in Miami, where the Dolphins’ Super Bowl dreams appear shaky after Thompson got hurt on Sunday, just over a week after Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion in two years during a loss to Buffalo.
