Ranking Backup QBs NFL Trade Market Value

Starting quarterbacks are at the top of the NFL trade market. Backups also generate buzz, and some of them can be productive fill-ins for injured or underperforming starters.

Last season, Mac Jones kept the San Francisco 49ers on track for the playoffs. The Houston Texans beat two playoff teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, with Davis Mills under center. Joe Flacco provided a spark to the Cincinnati Bengals' passing attack.

Where do these backup signal-callers rank on the trade market? 

Based on recent production, upside, reported inquiries and age, here's a top-10 ranking of backup quarterbacks based on trade value.

These selections don't include signal-callers competing for starting jobs, even if they're not favored to win the competition, like J.J. McCarthy. The list also exempts players who were already traded this offseason.

10. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis

Many of you may have forgotten about Will Levis because he hasn't played since the 2024 season. He had a turnover-ridden two-year run as the Tennessee Titans' starting quarterback, throwing for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions with a 61 percent completion rate and 10 lost fumbles.

Last offseason, Levis underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder, which required a lengthy recovery period.

Tennessee signed Mitchell Trubisky, who's been a primary backup over the previous five years with the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, and Hendon Hooker. Levis may be third on the depth chart between the two acquisitions.

Cam Ward is Tennessee's starter. Trubisky has transitioned into a solid backup. Hooker may be a project for a regime that didn't draft Levis. 

The Titans could attempt to trade Levis for a late-round pick in 2027—perhaps package him with a late-round pick of their own to facilitate a deal.

Estimated trade value: 2027 seventh-round pick

9. Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles

Among the top backup quarterbacks, Tanner McKee has the fewest NFL starts (two). Yet the Philadelphia Eagles have a premium price on his trade value.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini (h/t Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski), the New York Jets gauged the quarterback trade market for McKee, Davis Mills and Mac Jones before they acquired Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders.

"They looked into trading for guys like Tanner McKee and Davis Mills and Mac Jones," Cimini said on The Saturday Huddle podcast with Gary Myers. "Those teams were asking for second-round picks for these guys, so, exorbitant prices."

Jones and Mills have extensive starting experience. So you can make the case for their steep trade values.

However, the Eagles have overpriced the demand for McKee, which may be why he's still on the roster after the club acquired 15th-year veteran Andy Dalton from the Carolina Panthers and drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round.

In six games, McKee has thrown for 597 yards, five touchdowns and an interception with a 61.4 percent completion rate. He has a decent but small sample size. Philadelphia will likely need to drop its asking price to make a deal.

Estimated trade value: 2027 sixth-round pick

8. Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent

Tyson Bagent's small sample size doesn't look as impressive as Tanner McKee's, but he may have a decent trade market.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Chicago Bears received calls for Bagent before free agency.

Bagent hasn't started in a game since his 2023 rookie campaign. That year, he threw for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions with a 65.7 percent completion rate. While his numbers aren't impressive, the Bears won a couple of games with him, and the athletic signal-caller showed the ability to improvise with his mobility.

If teams continue to inquire about Bagent's availability, the Bears could move him for late-round draft capital. His trade value isn't going to increase behind ascending starting quarterback Caleb Williams.

Estimated trade value: 2027 sixth-round pick

7. Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/David Dermer

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel

Last season, Dillon Gabriel took over the Cleveland Browns' starting job in Week 5, a difficult matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in London. Yet he threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Gabriel made six consecutive starts before he ceded the position to fellow 2025 draftee Shedeur Sanders. The former third-rounder finished the previous campaign with 937 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and two interceptions with a 59.5 percent completion rate.

The Browns have an open quarterback competition. However, according to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, Gabriel has fallen behind Deshaun Watson and Sanders in the pecking order.

"Gabriel's only three competitive reps Wednesday came in that seven-on-seven period, which underscores what we already knew: This is Watson vs. Sanders, with Monken ideally naming a winner by the start of training camp in late July but not promising any kind of firm timeline."

As Watson and Sanders battle for the lead position, the Browns can shop Gabriel, who, in limited action, posted solid passing numbers. At 5'11", 205 pounds, he's a smaller quarterback, but teams may see him as a solid backup or potential fill-in starter.

Estimated trade value: 2027 sixth-round pick, 2028 seventh-round pick

6. Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell

Aidan O'Connell isn't short on playing experience.

As a rookie fourth-rounder in 2023, O'Connell led the Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks with 10 starts. In the middle of that year, the team fired head coach Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce took over as the interim lead skipper and inserted O'Connell into the starting position over Jimmy Garoppolo.

O'Connell finished the campaign as the starting quarterback, throwing for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 62.1 percent completion rate. 

Yet O'Connell lost the starting job to Gardner Minshew II during the 2024 offseason. He eventually regained the lead role, throwing for 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions with a 63.4 percent completion rate. 

Based on O'Connell's passing numbers, he's a high-end backup and capable fill-in starter. 

However, O'Connell has been inconsistent with his deep-ball placement. He doesn't move well in the pocket and has battled injuries over the last two years. 

O'Connell will be a free agent in 2027. So, teams may not be aggressive with offers for him while he's third on the Raiders' depth chart behind Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. 

That said, O'Connell looked sharp at organized team activities this week and could generate some trade buzz this summer. 

Estimated trade value: 2027 sixth-round pick, 2028 sixth-round pick

5. Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.

The Indianapolis Colts will likely trade Anthony Richardson Sr. before the start of the 2026 season.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Colts and Richardson have "mutually agreed to explore a trade."

After the draft, general manager Chris Ballard told reporters that the team has heard "nothing yet" regarding trade inquiries for Richardson.

It's worth noting that The Athletic's James Boyd reported that "questions still remain" about Richardson's recovery from an orbital fracture from last October.

Of course, if other clubs have concerns, Richardson's trade value would take a significant hit.

On the other hand, Richardson is a former first-round pick who's only 24 years old and came into the league with just one full year of collegiate starting experience out of Florida.

Richardson still has room for growth. In two years as a starter, he had some flashes, throwing for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and rushing for 634 yards and 10 scores, but he lacked efficiency with a 50.6 percent completion rate. 

At 6'4", 244 pounds, Richardson is a unicorn at quarterback in terms of physical stature. A team may look to acquire him as an intriguing project who has untapped potential. 

Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick

4. Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph

Aaron Rodgers will play out one final NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 42, the four-time league MVP could be a mentor to second-year pro Will Howard and rookie third-rounder Drew Allar.

Meanwhile, Mason Rudolph will probably be the odd man out of the Steelers' quarterback room. 

Entering his age-31 term, Rudolph doesn't have much upside. He's been a backup for most of his career, though the eighth-year veteran helped lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs in 2023, starting in the final three games of that year. 

Rudolph also had a one-year stint as the Tennessee Titans' bridgegap quarterback before they selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025. He threw for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 64 percent completion rate in eight games (five starts).

Rudolph isn't a full-time starting-caliber signal-caller, but he can lead a respectable offense in short stretches.

Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick, 2028 seventh-round pick

3. Davis Mills, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills

Coming out of Stanford as a third-round pick in 2021, Davis Mills started in 28 games in his first two years with the Houston Texans. He threw for 33 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in that stretch.

In 2023, Houston selected C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick, which bumped Mills into a backup role.

Last season, Mills filled in for Stroud between Weeks 10 and 12, tossing five touchdown passes and just one interception. The Texans won in all three of his starts.

Mills' recent efficiency and starting experience could draw interest in the trade market if other teams need a fill-in for an injured starter. Clubs may also want to get ahead of his 2027 free-agency bid.

Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick, 2028 sixth-round pick

2. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Doug Murray, File

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco

At 41, Joe Flacco can still sling the ball at a high volume. He had a modest start to the 2025 season, and the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals. With a strong supporting cast that featured star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, the savvy veteran signal-caller showcased his arm.

In nine outings (six starts) with the Bengals, Flacco threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, which included passing performances of 342 and 470 yards.

During his time with the Bengals, Flacco played through an AC joint sprain, which likely impacted his production and then Joe Burrow returned from injury for the final six games of the campaign.

In 2022, with the New York Jets, Flacco looked well on his way to retirement. He struggled in five games (four starts). 

However, Flacco has thrown for at least 1,616 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of the last three years. At his age, he's not someone to rely on for a full season, but the 18-year veteran can elevate an offense with a talented pass-catching group.

Last year, the Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals for a sixth-round pick. Cincinnati may be able to get multiple late-round picks from a desperate playoff-contending club.

Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick, 2028 fifth-round pick

1. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones

Mac Jones is at the top of the backup quarterback trade market. At 27, he's in his prime at the position and had a strong showing this past season as a fill-in for Brock Purdy.

In 11 outings (eight starts), Jones threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 69.6 percent completion rate. Most notably, he helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to an overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams in an impressive Thursday night performance, battling through bumps and bruises.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe believes the 49ers could fetch a first-round pick for Jones, which seems steep for a player on his third team in four years.

However, Jones looked the part of a starter in San Francisco. Of course, head coach and offensive play-caller Kyle Shanahan deserves some credit for that.

Nonetheless, Jones has shown flashes of his ability to be a starter at all three of his career stops, going back to his 2021 rookie Pro Bowl season with the New England Patriots. In five campaigns, he's thrown for 67 touchdowns and 50 interceptions with a 66.5 percent completion rate.

Because of Purdy's injury history, the 49ers should command premium draft capital for Jones in trade talks. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, they added $300,000 in incentives to his contract. 

San Francisco may not get a first-round pick for Jones, but a second-rounder is a reasonable demand for a player who could have a redemption story if given the chance to be a full-time starter.

Estimated trade value: 2027 second-round pick

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.