With the quarterback position being as important as it is in the NFL today, it's no surprise that teams will honestly stop at nothing to try and find their long-term solution. This has worked out well for franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, but teams like the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, among others, just don't have a future franchise QB in sight.
Even with most of the QB 'competitions' decided this offseason, and most teams knowing who their starter will be, that doesn't mean some of them won't be benched, as there are some truly bad starting QBs in the league right now.
And we've predicted which ones are the most likely to get benched during the 2026 season.
Predicting the most likely QBs who get benched during the 2026 NFL Season
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson remaining the Cleveland Browns starter throughout the season could not be less of a guarantee, and I'd not be shocked if Watson himself just didn't want to play for the Browns anymore. To say this trade has not worked out would be the understatement of the century. Not only did the Browns buy a lemon, but Watson has also battled multiple major injuries during his stint with the team and really didn't do anything this offseason to 'earn' the starting job.
Shedeur Sanders didn't, either, but when you think about it, it's a lot easier to name Watson the starter, give him a chance for a few weeks, and eventually send him to the bench for Sanders, which would then likely be Watson's final starts with the Browns.
Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons
Tua Tagovailoa has had his ups and downs in his first offseason with the Atlanta Falcons. Given that Michael Penix Jr has been working his way back from his ACL injury, Tagovailoa has gotten much of the action, and as of now, it seems more likely that he'll be named the starter. With that said, Tagovailoa has been banged up too many times to count over the past few offseasons and honestly feels like a shell of his former self.
And it's not that Penix has been good, but the Falcons may simply get to a point where Tagovailoa is unplayable. In 2025 with the Miami Dolphins, his final year with the team, Tagovailoa tossed 15 interceptions in 14 games and had eight fumbles. It's only a matter of time before he's shown the bench.
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