NFL: Backup Quarterback Performance Rankings Through Week 5

The NFL backup quarterback is one of the most undervalued yet crucial players on an NFL roster.

If a team's starter goes down to injury, the team must rely on the backup to protect a lead or find some way to guide the team to victory.

NFL history has seen plenty of Cinderella stories revolving around backups leading their team deep into the playoffs and sometimes to a championship win—Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Trent Dilfer, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Colin Kaepernick, etc.

But not all stories are have nice endings. Sometimes the backup causes the season to implode like the Bears’ Caleb Hanie and the Colts’ trifecta of Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky.

Through the first five weeks, 11 backup quarterbacks have played under center, at minimum, for half a game.

Honorable Mentions

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Jeff Tuel

8-of-20, 40 percent completion, 80 yards, 1 INT, 31.2 Rating

Tuel had an impressive preseason, but his minimal time under center against Cleveland last week was underwhelming enough that Buffalo signed Lewis from the practice squad.

Unfortunately, Tuel was asked to play against a Cleveland defense that allowed only 317 yards per game prior to last week. By the time Tuel entered, Buffalo's remaining receivers were Robert Woods, Marcus Easley and Chris Hogan because Stevie Johnson, T.J. Graham and C.J. Spiller were all hobbled by injuries. None of them stood a chance of breaking free against Cleveland's defense, especially Joe Haden, who had shut down Cincinnati's A.J. Green the previous week.

The only time Tuel will see regular season action for the rest of the year is if Lewis goes down before regular starter, EJ Manuel, returns from injury. Buffalo undoubtedly likes Tuel, but at this point in his young career, he's going to be a developmental backup.

Thaddeus Lewis

No Stats Available

Lewis makes his second career start for Sunday's game against Cincinnati.

Head coach Doug Marrone claims, "Thad gives us the best chance. We're going to give him an opportunity to see what he has."

Although Lewis was serviceable for Cleveland during last year's season finale against Pittsburgh, he will be hard pressed to succeed against a stingy Cincinnati defense that shut down Tom Brady. If Lewis performs admirably on Sunday, he will likely receiving the starting nod over Tuel until Manuel returns.

10. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars

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53-of-95, 55.8 percent completion, 601 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 68.8 Rating

Henne takes the worst spot on this list, if for nothing else than he can't keep injured starter Blaine Gabbert off the bench. Gabbert and Henne lead the worst team in the NFL, which has scored only 51 points in five games.

Head coach Gus Bradley reportedly wanted Henne to capture the starting job, but both of Henne's starts resulted in losses.

After starting last week on the bench, Henne will lead Jacksonville against the Denver Broncos this Sunday. NFL Network's Gregg Rosenthal calls the game one of the most lopsided matchups in recent NFL history. 

Henne will score points on Denver, but only after Denver's pulled its starting lineup in the fourth quarter.

Once Gabbert returns to full health, he and Henne will be alternating starts until one of them is injured for the season or Jacksonville signs a third quarterback to compete with them.

9. Matt Flynn, Free Agent

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22-of-34, 64.7 percent completion, 246 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 83.7 Rating

Flynn just hasn't had any good luck since leaving Green Bay. He lost the starting job to Russell Wilson in Seattle last year before losing to Terrell Pryor this year.

Statistically, Flynn produced a decent game against Washington, going up 14-0 in the first quarter. But his pick-six and inability to lead the offense for a third touchdown proved fatal to his Oakland career. After the game, head coach Dennis Allen demoted Flynn to third-string before releasing him on Monday.

Flynn has demonstrated nothing more than game managing abilities and requires superior offensive talent to put up the kind of numbers he had in Green Bay. However, Flynn won't be unemployed long as some team will likely need another quarterback by late December.

Jacksonville, maybe?

8. Josh Freeman, Minnesota Vikings

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43-of-94, 45.7 percent completion, 571 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 59.3 Rating

Freeman has regressed significantly, registering a lower quarterback rating than his rookie year and completing a miserable 45.7 percent. Part of that could be a result of Tampa Bay's toxic environment, but most of Freeman's regression can be explained by bad decision-making.

At just 25 years old, and two months younger than San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick, Freeman possesses all the physical tools from height to arm strength but has yet to display the consistency. With starter Christian Ponder injured and backup Matt Cassel a known commodity, it makes sense that Minnesota GM Rick Spielman signed Freeman to a one-year deal.

Former quarterback and Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton believes Minnesota is embarking on a potential three-ring circus and that Cassel provides the best chance of winning, not Freeman. Additionally, Cassel took most of the first-team reps during Wednesday's practice. 

Considering how often Ponder has endured some injury, Spielman and head coach Leslie Frazier are going to play Freeman eventually to determine whether he merits consideration as Minnesota's possible new franchise quarterback.

7. Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns

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60-of-110, 54.5 percent completion, 713 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 69.2 Rating

Had Brian Hoyer not been injured, Weeden would still be riding the bench, which justifies Weeden's inclusion on this list.

Weeden's first two starts were underwhelming at best, but his performance against Buffalo gives Cleveland some hope in continuing its three-game winning streak when Detroit visits on Sunday. 

However, Weeden still holds onto the ball too long and shows the same lack of touch on several passes. Even worse, Weeden displays as much mobility as Drew Bledsoe during the latter's final years in the league. In just three games, Weeden has been sacked 16 times.

With the receiving trio of Josh Gordon, Greg Little and Davone Bess to go with budding star tight end Jordan Cameron, Weeden should start putting up better numbers compared to the first two weeks.

Supported by a strong defense, Weeden could conceivably lead Cleveland to a surprise playoff berth and possible division crown. Anything less and GM Michael Lombardi will be shopping for a new quarterback to compete with Hoyer while simultaneously ending the Brandon Weeden experiment.

6. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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24-of-43, 55.8 percent completion, 193 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 55.7 Rating

Despite Freeman's release, Glennon remains on the list because he started the season as the backup. In one game of action, Glennon performed as expected with a few excellent throws accompanying some very horrible moments.

Despite standing about 6'7", Glennon seems unable to see the entire field, probably because he's still adjusting to the increased tempo. His footwork is only marginally better than Weeden's, and his decision-making is questionable after the two interceptions.

Equipped with only Vincent Jackson, Glennon deserves some credit for performing well under pressure against a tenacious Arizona defense. As Doug Martin experiences a sophomore slump, Glennon will have to carry the team on his shoulders, a burden he isn't ready to bear.

Of the two, Freeman is the better quarterback, but Glennon is head coach Greg Schiano's hand-picked guy. Even if Tampa Bay suffers another season with double-digit losses, expect Glennon to start the rest of the year and enter next season as the unquestioned starter.

5. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans

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24-of-49, 49 percent completion, 355 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 69.7 Rating

Two plays perfectly characterize Fitzpatrick. A 77-yard bomb into the waiting hands of Nate Washington two weeks ago, and a zero-yard completion to himself in the red zone last Sunday.

Fitzpatrick's play is maddeningly erratic, but the former Harvard athlete consistently demonstrates toughness and enough mobility to keep a defense honest. However, he doesn't have the skill-set to win games like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.

Good game-planning by offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, and support from Chris Johnson and the Titans' receiving corps, should minimize the drop-off between Fitzpatrick and injured starter Jake Locker.

Until Locker returns from injury, head coach Mike Munchak will be hoping Fitzpatrick can scrape together a couple wins before heading back to the bench.

4. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings

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16-of-25, 64 percent completion, 248 yards, 2 TDs, 123.4 Rating

Since guiding the Patriots to 11 wins in 2008, Cassel has demonstrated the ability to be a great backup but never the consistency to be a franchise quarterback. After taking the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010, Cassell has compiled a 5-12 record and 21 interceptions over his final two seasons as a Chief.

In relief of Ponder, Cassel led Minnesota to a much-needed win over Pittsburgh where he displayed a stronger arm than Ponder and greater willingness to throw the ball. However, Ponder is much more mobile and six years younger than Cassel.

Cassel brings to mind memories of Kyle Orton, another quarterback who provided solid leadership and wins but could never breakthrough as a consistent starter.

Like Orton, Cassel has no future as a starting quarterback in the NFL, nor does he threaten to steal Ponder's job. By the time Ponder returns to health, Ponder will re-assume the starting role or head coach Leslie Frazier will test Freeman at quarterback. Either way, Cassel will return to the bench, but Minnesota can rest knowing it has a quality backup.

3. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles

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19-of-30, 63.3 percent completion, 246 yards, 3 TDs, 122.4 Rating

Foles is the best backup in the league who hasn't earned the starting job, which is understandable when Michael Vick is the starter. But head coach Chip Kelly was wise to retain Foles, knowing that Vick has missed nine games over the last two seasons.

Last week, Foles directed Philadelphia to 17 second-half points and a come-from-behind win against the Giants, putting the Eagles in a first-place tie in the division with Dallas. Although Kelly considers Vick to be day-to-day, most believe Foles will be starting Sunday versus Tampa Bay. 

Foles isn't known for his speed and mobility, but NFL Network's Bucky Brooks believes that Foles will still run the read-option.

"The simple threat of the quarterback keeping the ball or firing a bubble screen to the perimeter is enough to keep a handful of defenders from pursuing the ball aggressively, which leads to bigger running lanes," Brooks wrote.

Although Foles can't match Vick in speed and rushing yards, he completes over 60 percent of his passes compared to Vick's 53 percent this season.

Sunday's game won't be the last time Foles sees the field as Vick will likely battle injuries throughout the rest of the year.

2. Geno Smith, New York Jets

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94-of-156, 60 percent completion, 1,289 yards, 7 TDs, 8 INTs, 80.3 Rating

Monday night's game against Atlanta was Smith's coming-out party, as he led a game-winning drive in the final seconds. Smith has lead the Jets to a surprising 3-2 record, putting New York in position to compete with New England and Miami for the divisional crown.

Before Monday night, Smith looked like a typical rookie plagued by spotty accuracy and questionable decision-making. Many were questioning just how prepared Smith was. If not for a freak injury to incumbent Mark Sanchez, Smith would not have been the opening-day starter, justifying Smith's inclusion on this list.

Smith has displayed improvement in every game, along with decent mobility and good arm strength, and his readiness might be higher than originally thought.

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg should be able to tap Smith's full potential given his track record, which includes coaching Jeff Garcia and the Eagles to a playoff berth in 2006. Smith's emergence may have provided New York its quarterback of the future, which means Sanchez will be a likely free agent at the year's end.

1. Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns

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57-of-96, 59 percent completion, 615 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 82.6 Rating

Before Hoyer's season-ending knee injury, he was 2-0 after replacing injured starter Brandon Weeden. Hoyer had seemingly accomplished enough during victories over Cincinnati and Minnesota to win the starting job and relegate Weeden to the bench.

Then Hoyer's knee gave out, and his season flew out the window.

Hoyer still ranks as the top backup quarterback in the league because of how he displayed quicker decision-making and pocket awareness, reminding NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brant of Trent Green. 

During his time with NFL Network, Browns GM Michael Lombardi was extremely critical of Weeden. Lombardi will likely select a quarterback in the upcoming draft, but Hoyer's performance may have secured himself a chance at the starting job next season.

All that stands between Hoyer and the starting job next year is Hoyer's recovery.