Quarterback is the toughest job in the National Football League. That was my opinion before I became a deputy.
Last season at this position, I took a deep dive into what it takes for a backup to step into a starting role. It’s an incredibly difficult position, from preparing every week to coming up with a game plan and executing it on Sunday.
Through six weeks of the 2023 NFL season, eight backup quarterbacks have started and several others have stepped up in the middle of the game. I have experienced both of these scenarios in my career. After being the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans for five seasons, I moved to a backup role in Carolina in 2007. I started the campaign as Jake Delhomme’s backup, but started in Week 4 when Delhomme suffered a season-ending elbow injury. his period. I ended up with four starts in six games and picked up a back injury which unfortunately cut my own campaign short. I spent the next five seasons as a backup elsewhere, including four with the Giants (2008-09, 2011-12) and one with the 49ers (2010). I played minimally during that time, thanks in large part to Eli Manning’s ability to stay healthy and available — he started 210 straight games for the Giants from 2004-2017.
There’s certainly a lot of pressure on a starting quarterback to perform and hold one of the 32 QB1 jobs in the NFL — believe me, I’ve felt the pressure. But that pales in comparison to how hard it is to be a QB2. The hardest part for me was being locked in and ready to go at any moment, as well as being ready to lead and execute the offense even though the game plan didn’t fit my specific skill set and I wasn’t getting reps. in practice. Finding ways to stay mentally sharp and visualize success without being a man is very important. Each player must find what works best for them to be ready when their name is called.
There is no one way to approach the QB2 position, and teams value it differently. Some teams sign travelers (Brian Hoyer in Las Vegas or Teddy Bridgewater in Detroit). Some work with an established veteran to help develop a potential QB of the future (Andy Dalton in Carolina). Some end up with a guy who lost the QB race early (Kyle Trask in Tampa). Some roll with the rookie waiting for his shot to prove he belongs (Clayton Tune in Arizona).
I wanted to gauge which teams have the best quarterbacks, but the nature of the position is inherently fluid — the backup is a backup until they start regular season games. Because of this fluidity, I thought it would be fairest to assess each team’s stock as they entered Week 1 of the 2023 season. In other words, Zach Wilson (who was the Jets’ QB2 until the season opener until the injury of Aaron Rodgers) will make the playoffs, while Joshua Dobbs (who was named the Cardinals’ starter a few days before the season started) will not.
I didn’t just want to put together a fourth rank either – I wanted to gauge how each QB2 would fit with their team. Some QBs with tons of talent and starting experience didn’t fit below the top five; the same goes for some who have won games for their teams this season.
I have been a fan of Zach Wilson since he entered the league in 2021 as a promising young gun. The Jets positioned themselves well by sticking with the former No. 2 draft pick as Aaron Rodgers’ backup. Four seasons in, Rodgers was down and Wilson was in the spotlight. Even though he struggled early, Wilson’s surroundings seem different than they were a year ago – I feel like this team can still go back in the postseason, even if Wilson is the focal point instead of Rodgers. It seems all Wilson had to do to rally the rest of the team around him was throw the first touchdown to Garrett Wilson. Wilson immediately received support from the sidelines. To coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s credit, he changed the offense to show what Wilson does well. Breece Hall is a run-first offense, but when Wilson throws the ball, he quickly gains control and hits play-action layups. He moves the pocket well and also makes plays with his feet. After a rough three-pick performance against Dallas in Week 2, Wilson has settled down, compiling an 80.7 completion percentage with two TDs, one INT and three passing yards (one loss) over the past four games.
The key to carrying the Jets to a 3-3 record in July was largely defense. The impact it has had on this team cannot be questioned. But Wilson deserves credit for getting better each week and seems to be gaining the trust and confidence of his teammates.
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