NFL Week 14 Backup Quarterback Rankings For 2024

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Several old QBs are truly crumbling down the stretch, so is NFL week 14 when their backups take center stage? Your weekly rankings of the best of the bad.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

Anyone can list the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. Heck, one could throw together a top 32 pretty easily based on all the evidence we have of these pros and rookies coming in, how they fit in their offense, and what success they may or may not find. 

However, it takes a different mind entirely to rank QBs 33 through 42. That’s what we attempt to do at the Backup QB Rankings. NFL Week 14 is the last straw for many teams and their struggling quarterbacks. Players on this list can only hope their name is called, but no one wants to see it happen. Meanwhile, all of our backups continue to build upon their proven track record of successfully standing there quietly holding a clipboard.

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Entering NFL Week 14, one player was elevated off the list, while none are now the starter without EVER making our list! So, what makes the best backup QB? It certainly isn’t NFL success.

Perhaps its the best pure passer who happens to not hold a starting gig. Or maybe its the best situation, someone primed for starts in the future. However, it’s a fine line, because as soon as that backup becomes a starter, he drops off the Backup QB Rankings until he’s back on the sidelines with that clipboard. Guys have to be careful if they want to hold their standing.

 

NFL Week 14 Backup Quarterback Rankings

 

 

1. (⬆1) Tyrod Taylor – Aaron Rodgers’ backup, New York Jets

Todd Salem: It’s clear Rodgers can’t make enough plays anymore to elevate his teammates. This past Sunday, he averaged 4.7 yards per attempt on 39 throws, a number so low as to warrant a double-check. Nothing is down the field; nothing is challenging a defense.

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The Jets took a calculated gamble when they traded for Davante Adams. It hasn’t helped the Rodgers-led offense in the least. At some point, unless you’re calling this season a lost cause, you have to give Taylor a chance to make some plays. He can at least stretch a defense with his legs and make an opposing defensive coordinator plan for one more thing.

Dan Salem: There is a zero percent chance that the Jets bench Aaron Rodgers. He may be playing poorly, but he’s not the main reason they are losing. Rodgers also costs too much and the season is lost. Taylor will not see his stellar reputation as the premier backup tarnished with playing time.

2. (⬆1) Michael Penix – Kirk Cousins’ backup, Atlanta Falcons

Todd Salem: Another horrible week for Cousins results in more speculation about the young backup. I may have been hasty in my original rise of Penix up the rankings, but now it seems prescient. Cousins’ physical shortcomings are starting to overshadow the rest of his game.

On Sunday, Cousins managed 245 yards on 39 attempts while adding a whopping four interceptions and no touchdowns. In his last three games, he now has thrown zero touchdowns, six interceptions, and taken seven sacks. I do wonder if there is something the coaching staff will see in his mechanics to indicate he is favoring his lower body, or if this is just a rough stretch. Either way, Penix needs to remain primed to enter a game at a moment’s notice even if he isn’t named the starter at any point this year.

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The schedule also offers an eerie opening for a soft landing if a change is made. If the team gives Cousins this week against Minnesota and deems he isn’t healthy enough to perform, Penix would get two cakewalk opponents back-to-back in Las Vegas and the Giants. 

Dan Salem: It would appear that Cousins is suffering a similar fate to Rodgers. Age and coming off a serious injury have caught up with him, but there’s one huge difference in Atlanta. The Falcons are winning their division and need better QB play to stay ahead of the Buccaneers. The plan was for Penix to sit and watch. Do we really think he’s ready? Stepping into the middle of a playoff race is high stakes with huge ramifications should failure ensue. Atlanta has also spent a ton of money on Cousins, so I think they ride or die with him just like the Jets and Rodgers.

3. (⬆1) Jake Browning – Joe Burrow’s backup, Cincinnati Bengals

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: The Bengals are very similar to the Jets, except their QB is putting up MVP numbers. Too bad they keep losing all the same. Unless Joe Burrow is a serious MVP candidate in weeks 17 and 18, I would expect his backup to get some time on the field.

 

 

4. (⬆1) Joe Flacco – Anthony Richardson’s backup, Indianapolis Colts

Todd Salem: Richardson finally reached the weak part of the Indy schedule and still struggled mightily. He went just 12-of-24 for 109 yards on Sunday. His opponent, Drake Maye, already seems ahead of Richardson’s development despite being just a few weeks into his NFL career. 

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However, Richardson was yet again an asset with his legs, and the Colts did win the ballgame. Indianapolis is still in the playoff hunt, and with four winnable games still remaining in the final four weeks, this final month could be a huge boost to Richardson’s confidence and the team’s confidence in him even if his passing numbers don’t grade out all that well.

Dan Salem: The Patriots gifted a win to the Colts last week and Richardson was as bad as he’s been all year. I’m not saying Flacco is better and I’m certainly not saying this is a playoff team, but I am saying that its 50/50 whether Flacco gets another start this season.

5. (⬆1) Jimmy Garoppolo – Matthew Stafford’s backup, Los Angeles Rams

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: I hope he likes to sketch, because he’s not putting down his clipboard this year.

6. (⬆1) Justin Fields – Russell Wilson’s backup, Pittsburgh Steelers

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: Only an injury will get Fields back under center, but playing for a team that always has a winning season (Tomlin’s Steelers) is a net positive either way.

7. (⬆1) Andy Dalton – Bryce Young’s backup, Carolina Panthers

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: I like the decree of confidence in Young, but I’m not fully buying it. That said, Dalton isn’t playing because there’s nothing to gain with him on the field this year.

8. (NEW) Daniel Jones – Sam Darnold’s backup, Minnesota Vikings

Todd Salem: Though not installed as the backup quarterback yet and still just a member of the practice squad, Jones is likely going to move up and slot in behind Darnold once he gets acclimated to his new squad and new offensive system. And once that happens, he immediately becomes somewhat interesting! He is a big-bodied passer with a powerful run game and fierce drive to succeed. 

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We have multiple seasons of evidence that he isn’t good enough to succeed, but there are loads of examples where simply a change of scenery does wonders. Just look at the guy playing in front of him. Darnold is not going to cede any playing time to Jones in 2024, but it wouldn’t be the craziest story if Jones became the next Darnold for someone in 2025.  

Dan Salem: The Vikings keep winning no matter how Darnold plays. It’s like the opposite of Jones in New York, but now he’s on the Vikings! He’s not going to be winning this job, but he’s a great backup for the team.

9. (–) Mason Rudolph – Will Levis’ backup, Tennessee Titans

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: Nothing to gain by benching Levis, so no playing time for you.

10. (–) Sam Howell – Geno Smith’s backup, Seattle Seahawks

Todd Salem: Nothing to see here.

Dan Salem: Last place keeps changing, yet Howell holds on for another week. He isn’t playing.

Hath Risen (to starter, off the list): Drew Lock

Risen Before His Time (to starter, never on list): none

 

 

Meet our NFL Week 14 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.

The NFL Week 14 Backup Quarterback Rankings – This Is The End

NFL Week 14 Photo Credits: theconversation.com; thesportsrush.com via Getty Images

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