Aidan O'Connell, Backup NFL QBs Who Could Play a Surprising Amount in 2023
Fans may see more quarterbacks than ever in 2023.
This season, the NFL is bringing back the "third-quarterback" rule. Teams will be able to designate an emergency QB who won't count against the gameday roster. The caveat is that these quarterbacks must be on the active roster and can't be practice-squad elevations.
Ideally, these third QBs won't see the field, but many of them will inevitably be bumped into the backup role. Injuries, poor performance and a need to evaluate other players are all reasons why starters give way to their understudies. It happens every season, and this year will be no different.
After analyzing all 32 quarterback situations, we've identified these backups as ones who could see the field for an unexpected amount of playing time in the coming months.
Clayton Tune, Arizona Cardinals
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No one will be surprised if the Arizona Cardinals start "backup" Colt McCoy for a large portion of the 2023 season, if not all of it. Starter Kyler Murray is still recovering from last year's torn ACL, and it's unclear when he'll return.
There's a chance that Arizona would prefer Murray not return at all. New general manager Monti Ossenfort will never say it publicly, but a chance to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye is far more attractive than a few meaningless wins with Murray at the helm.
And while Murray has had a couple of Pro Bowl seasons, he's never delivered a playoff win or made Arizona a true title contender. A quarterback like Williams or Maye might.
Along the way, the Cardinals may want to get a long look at rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune. The Houston product has shown some potential in the preseason, and while he's not Arizona's quarterback of the future, he could replace the 36-year-old McCoy as its long-term backup.
McCoy should start in Week 1, and Murray should eventually be back, but we could see a lot of Tune this fall.
Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons
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By all accounts, the Atlanta Falcons believe in second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. The 2022 third-round pick—who, for the record, was the top quarterback on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's draft board—heads into the season as the starter.
Offseason acquisition Taylor Heinicke has been aiding Ridder as the veteran backup and mentor.
"Taylor's been a great guy for me," Ridder said, per Jeremy Brener of FanNation.
The fact remains, though, that Ridder has just four career starts on his resume and remains largely unproven. If he's incapable of taking full advantage of the impressive skill group Atlanta has assembled this offseason, the Falcons may turn to Heinicke.
With players like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Cordarrelle Patterson and Bijan Robinson on the roster, Atlanta should have the most explosive offense in the NFC South—and a realistic shot at winning the division.
If Ridder isn't getting it done by midseason, Heinicke—who has started 25 games—may get a crack at it. Just don't expect Atlanta to make a change until/unless it's certain that Ridder can't be the quarterback of the future.
Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens have their quarterback of the future in Lamar Jackson. Baltimore ensured that Jackson will stick around by giving him a new five-year, $260 million contract this offseason.
If Jackson is healthy, backup Tyler Huntley isn't going to start games in 2023. However, recent history suggests that Jackson might not make it through the full 17-game campaign unscathed.
The 2019 NFL MVP has finished each of the past two seasons on the sideline. An ankle injury ended his 2021 season, while a PCL injury ended his 2022 season. Huntley has started eight games over the past two years, and despite going 2-2 as a starter last season, he was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
It would be unfair to suggest that Jackson has become an injury-prone quarterback. It would be factual to say that he's now one of the league's highest-paid. Baltimore has one of the NFL's better backups in Huntley, and it won't hesitate to use him to protect that $260 million investment if Jackson is banged-up at all before the playoffs.
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Davis Mills/Case Keenum, Houston Texans
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It would be surprising to see a quarterback other than second overall pick C.J. Stroud starting for the Houston Texans in Week 1. The other two quarterbacks taken in the first round of April's draft—the Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young and the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson—have already been named the starter by their respective teams.
However, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has yet to give Stroud the same nod.
"It's the same as I said previously. You guys will see the starter when we get to Baltimore," Ryans said, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.
Until Stroud gets the call, there's a chance that Ryans will go with incumbent starter Davis Mills or veteran journeyman Case Keenum to open the season.
Is it likely? Probably not, but keep in mind that Houston will face three aggressive defenses—the Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers—in their first four games. Ryans has been around the NFL long enough to know that while getting a young QB experience is valuable, destroying his confidence early can cause irrevocable harm.
The Texans aren't expected to be particularly good this season, so it could be wise for Mills and/or Keenum to take the proverbial lumps before giving way to Stroud.
Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
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The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to roll with Jimmy Garoppolo for at least the 2023 season. Garoppolo has playoff experience and spent time under Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels while with the New England Patriots.
The good news is that Garoppolo appears fully healthy after last year's season-ending foot injury and subsequent surgery. The bad news is that Garoppolo doesn't have a track record of staying healthy.
The 31-year-old has only played one full campaign, and he's missed 18 games over the past three years.
History suggests that Las Vegas will need to rely on backup Brian Hoyer or rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell at some point in 2023. O'Connell has shown enough in the preseason to get the nod.
The rookie was fantastic in his debut, going 15-of-18 for 141 yards and a touchdown. On Saturday, he went 11-of-18 for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
If Garoppolo misses time, O'Connell should get an opportunity to start. If Las Vegas' season goes south in a hurry, O'Connell might get that chance regardless of Garoppolo's status.
There's zero chance that the 37-year-old Hoyer can be the Raiders' quarterback of the future. There's at least a chance that O'Connell could be.
Stetson Bennett, Los Angeles Rams
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If all goes well, the Los Angeles Rams will have a healthy Matthew Stafford at quarterback throughout 2023 and make a push back to the postseason. Los Angeles stumbled last year, in part because Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald missed significant time with injuries.
Let's be honest, though. Stafford is a 35-year-old player who has absorbed a lot of punishment in his career. The Rams offensive line—which allowed 59 sacks last season—isn't great. There's a very real chance that things don't go well in L.A.
If Stafford misses time, we'll likely see rookie fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett get some run. He's been far from perfect in the preseason, but the 25-year-old has flashed some promise with rushing and receiving touchdowns.
Like the Cardinals, the Rams might also make a not-so-subtle play for one of the top 2024 quarterback prospects. This offseason's mass exodus of veteran talent might have represented the first steps toward a tank job.
If that's the case, Los Angeles might spend more than a few games "seeing what it has" in Bennett, even if Stafford is healthy enough to play.
Bailey Zappe/Malik Cunningham, New England Patriots
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In all likelihood, the Patriots will stick with 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones through another full season.
An ankle injury and some shaky performances led to Jones giving way to Bailey Zappe for a two-game stretch last season. However, Jones was a rookie Pro Bowler before that and should get an opportunity to reemerge under new/former offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.
But if you think for a second that Bill Belichick won't make a change if he's unhappy with Jones or at any point believes Zappe is the better option, you're mistaken. We're talking about a coach who benched standout cornerback Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl.
Franchise owner Robert Kraft hasn't exactly put Belichick on the hot seat, but he hasn't handed out ringing endorsements either.
"In the end, this is a business. You either execute and win, or you don't," Kraft said, per NFL.com's Nick Shook.
If Belichick's job is on the line and Jones is struggling, we'll see a change in New England. It may be to Zappe. It could also involve undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham, who could get some playing time anyway as a gadget quarterback and wide receiver.
Sam Darnold/Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
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Garoppolo may be out of San Francisco, but there's something unsettling about the 49ers' recent history of quarterback injuries. 2021 first-round pick Trey Lane and Garoppolo were both lost during the regular season. Rookie breakout star Brock Purdy and backup Josh Johnson were both injured during the playoffs.
Purdy made his return in San Francisco's second preseason game, and he finished an efficient 4-of-5 for 65 yards.
"I thought he did real good, all the plays that he had he made and I don't think he had a bad one," coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game.
He'll be the Week 1 starter barring something completely unforeseen.
If Purdy can't stay healthy, however, the 49ers will turn to Lance or offseason addition Sam Darnold. They could also make a change if Purdy can't replicate his shocking rookie success.
The seventh-round pick became a star almost overnight, finishing with a 5-0 regular-season record and a 107.3 quarterback rating. However, Purdy is still relatively inexperienced, and opponents have more film on him.
The rest of the 49ers roster is built to win now, and if Purdy isn't getting it done, San Francisco will see if Lance or Darnold can.
Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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OK, so this one really wouldn't be a surprise. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Tom Brady to retirement in the offseason, and they're hoping either 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask or offseason addition Baker Mayfield can emerge as Brady's long-term successor.
Mayfield was named the Week 1 starter on Tuesday.
"Baker is our guy, right now, experience-wise and understanding the playbook just a little bit better," head coach Todd Bowles told reporters.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, has played very well at times—he had a then-record 27 touchdown passes as a rookie and helped lead the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff win this century—but has lacked consistency. That's why he's on his fourth roster in just over a year.
Tampa, meanwhile, still has a talented roster that could make a run at the NFC South crown.
If the Bucs aren't getting the good version of Mayfield on a weekly basis, they're not going to hesitate to see what they have in Trask. Trask has just two years remaining on his rookie deal, and that vaunted 2024 quarterback class looms large.
Malik Willis/Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
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The shadow of the 2024 quarterback class hangs over the Tennessee Titans as they enter what will likely be their final season with Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill is coming off a season-ending foot injury and is set to enter 2024 free agency.
Unless the Titans remain in playoff contention throughout the 2023 season, they're probably going to pull Tannehill at some point to get a look at 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis and/or 2023 second-round pick Will Levis.
Willis has been the more impressive of the two this preseason. He's thrown a couple of interceptions but has flashed his dual-threat ability while finding the end zone through the air and on the ground.
However, when Willis got playing time in the 2022 regular season, he stumbled, posted a dismal 42.8 QB rating and eventually gave way to Joshua Dobbs.
Willis and Levis could both see significant playing time if Tennessee gets off to a poor start. The Titans will want to know if either player can be their quarterback of the future, and if the trial period leads to a poor record, a high draft pick and a shot at Williams or Maye, they won't be mad about it privately.
Jacoby Brissett, Washington Commanders
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All signs point to second-year quarterback Sam Howell getting and keeping the starting job. The 2022 fifth-round pick has been fantastic for the Washington Commanders this preseason.
Through two games, Howell has gone 28-of-37 for 265 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Yet, preseason performances must be taken with a glass full of salt, and Howell has only a single NFL start on his resume. The Commanders have a talented roster—one that went 8-8-1 last season—and could push for a playoff spot if they get steady quarterback play.
If Howell ultimately doesn't provide that, Washington may turn to journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett. The 30-year-old has 48 starts under his belt and played well (88.9 QB rating) while starting 11 games for the Browns last season.
Another factor to consider here is that head coach Ron Rivera hasn't delivered a playoff berth since his first season in Washington. With a new ownership group taking the reins of the franchise, Rivera should be under pressure to win in 2023.
If wins aren't coming, and Howell's play is a reason why, Brissett is probably going to see the field.
*Contract information via Spotrac.
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