First Backup QB to START: Giants or Vikings

By Dan Salem

Posted on August 13, 2025

Two teams with opposing trajectories and opposite starting quarterbacks are the BIGGEST opportunity for a backup QB to start. Is it the Giants or the Vikings?

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Our NFL divisional previews highlighted a number of aspects from each division across the NFL, but one main point STANDS OUT. Quarterback battles, namely which teams have QB controversy, a battle for a starting spot, or a starter on the hot seat. Let’s take it to the NEXT LEVEL. Of all the backup quarterbacks in the league right now, who is going to be the first to garner a start during the 2025 season?

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QB battles in the NFL:
1) We both believe the Giants have a battle on their hands, though Dan was more gung ho.
2) We both have Minnesota as an intriguing spot to monitor.
3) The NFC South was a hotbed, with Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans all garnering interest.
4) Todd threw a cursory mention out to Seattle, though more for the 2026 season.
5) The Jets made Todd’s list, while New England interestingly made Dan’s out of the AFC East.
6) Cleveland has the major position battle in the NFL, which actually makes them irrelevant. The Browns have no declared starter yet.
7) Todd feels the same way about Indianapolis. There is no clear starter yet, thus no clear backup.

NFC Division Previews: NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West
AFC Division Previews: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West

Obviously, we can’t predict injuries, so the answer to who starts first could end up being someone not even mentioned. BUT with the information we have, who will be the FIRST Backup QB to start? Ten total battles across the league, though eight that really pertain to this argument. Or is there a wild card selection?

First Backup QB to START In 2025

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Todd Salem: Sam Howell (Minnesota Vikings)

For me, the first backup QB to start mainly comes down to the first starting QB to struggle. Teams don’t flow in backups at that position just to get another guy reps or throw a different wrinkle. It isn’t like other positions. This will only come down to a starter losing his job (or aforementioned injury).

Additionally at play is the quality/expectations of the team. A rebuilding team isn’t going to pull the rug out from under the starter as quickly as a team trying to compete for the playoffs this season.

And finally, the last factor is the noise or the narrative. Carolina will be slower to bench Bryce Young because it would likely signal the end of his career as a starting-caliber player. Atlanta will be slower to bench Michael Penix just because of the entire story around this battle between him and Kirk Cousins. The Falcons will only go back to Cousins again if absolutely forced to.

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With all that preamble, the answer is kind of easy. The first backup who will start in 2025 is Sam Howell for the Minnesota Vikings.

The current starter, J.J. McCarthy, is a rookie who missed his actual rookie year due to injury. He has no experience and was considered a project passer even when entering the league healthy. On top of that, the Vikings have what many consider to be the best all-around roster in the NFC. How many weeks will they give McCarthy before looking for competency to carry this championship-caliber supporting cast? Howell has experience as a starter in the league, has some athleticism, and arm talent. He will be starting a game before any other backup in the league.

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Dan Salem: Jaxson Dart (New York Giants)

Your logic is top notch and there’s no denying you make a solid argument in favor of Howell of the Vikings being first to come off the bench. But, and it’s a giant BUT, logic rarely plays into this decision to the extent one might expect. The noise of the narrative to which you eluded is ultimately the biggest factor when benching your starting quarterback in mid to late September.

The noise around the Vikings is as loud as in Carolina when it comes to starter JJ McCarthy. He was chosen over Sam Darnold and while the team is playoff caliber, jobs are on the line with regard to McCarthy’s success. To me this disqualifies them from first. Your argument comes into play by Halloween at the latest, but we KNOW the first backup to take over will do so much much earlier. That HONOR belongs to Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants.

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Call it a gut feeling, but after talking to a few smart football minds and wading through the wildly inconsistent moves that New York made this off season, its clear that the Giants are going all in with Dart. The team went heavy on building its defense in the off season. They have a star wide receiver and talented backup QBs, plus the coach is KNOWN for developing quarterbacks. Daboll traded up to draft Dart, basically putting his job on the line with the move. He has to show that New York is improving, but developing Dart into a winner pretty much cancels out everything else.

No one expects the Giants to be good, so it’s fairly easy to start Dart early. New York added Wilson and Winston as insurance policies at QB, but they HAVE to develop a new young starter. They don’t have to rush him, but after not starting week one, what’s standing in Dart’s way from starting week two or three? It’s pretty likely the Giants lose early and often, their schedule is very hard, so it becomes Dart’s team. Now the Giants are exciting and losses are expected from a rookie on a rebuilding roster. Dart is the first to start (wow it’s easy to make rhymes with his name).

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Meet our Sports Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

First Backup QB To Start – This Is The End

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