It feels like we have seen a ton of different starting quarterbacks this season, and many teams across the league have been down to their second or even third-string passers this year. Over the past few seasons, it's really been a luxury for teams that have their starting QB not miss any time.
And it also goes to show you just how important a backup quarterback is in this league, as it feels like just about every player on an NFL roster is going to get hurt, so having solid backups is legitimately how teams make a deep playoff run and win the Super Bowl.
Let's get into our weekly quarterback rankings, and there are a ton of QBs on this list who did not begin the year as the starter. We take the total body of work for these rankings since the regular season is about over.
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32. Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to see how Max Brosmer even survives in this league into 2026 - he is so clearly overwhelmed by it all and is simply not an NFL-caliber QB, not even someone who could make a living on the practice squad.
31. Brady Cook, New York Jets
Brady Cook and the New York Jets are a team that just wants the season to end at this point, and I don’t really blame them. Cook and the Jets got blown out by the New England Patriots in Week 17.
30. Chris Oladokun, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Oladokun was thrust into action thanks to two left ACL tears by Gardner Minshew and Patrick Mahomes in back to back weeks, and it’s pretty obvious that the rest of the Chiefs’ roster wanted to try and win that game for the third-stringer.
29. Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, but Shedeur Sanders again had a shaky performance. It’s hard to imagine that Sanders is this team’s quarterback come Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Season.
28. Josh Johnson, Washington Commanders
Nearly 40 years old at this point, Josh Johnson got the start for the Washington Commanders in Week 17 on Christmas and can at least bring experience to the QB room, but he’s a below-average backup overall.
27. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
It’s clear that Philip Rivers still knew how to play the game, and he played extremely well all things considered, but the Indianapolis Colts once-dream season has fallen flat on its face, as they have been eliminated from the postseason.
26. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Throwing another two interceptions here in Week 17, Geno Smith’s 2025 season may have been the nail in the coffin of his short starting stint in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders may just cut ties and start fresh in 2026.
25. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins
Quinn Ewers and the Miami Dolphins upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17, and Ewers looked pretty sharp, but we are another 10, 15 starts away from saying anything relatively definitive about the young quarterback.