Ranking Backup QBs Who Could Be Traded During the 2026 NFL Season

Every team has a quarterback plan heading into the 2026 NFL season, but those could quickly go awry once play begins later this week. With injuries and ineffectiveness sure to strike the position, it won't be long before clubs start looking to bring in a new passer via the trade market.

There are several backups who currently stand out for their high potential to be dealt prior to the 2026 trade deadline on November 11. Whether they lost their starting job due to a free-agent or draft acquisition, are entering the final year of their contract or fell out of favor with a new coaching staff, these depth options are strong candidates to get a fresh start this year.

While their value can vary wildly—teams won't hesitate to ask for early-round picks for promising backups who have fared well during their limited on-field opportunities, while those who struggled across multiple starts won't command much capital in return—and potential suitors could shift drastically based on how the early portion of the 2026 campaign shakes out, there are five QBs who have a better chance than the rest to be moved at some point in the coming months.

With that in mind, here's a ranked look (based on contract value, current role and projected asking price) at the backup QBs who could be traded in 2026.

No. 5: Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

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Mac Jones has been the constant target of trade rumors this offseason, with the quarterback himself recently addressing them by saying "anything's possible" when asked about the potential to be moved during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. It's hardly a surprise that he's a hot trade target, given the strong stretch of play he put on tape when given the opportunity last year.

Things looked bleak for the San Francisco 49ers when it was revealed that they would be without Brock Purdy for an extended stretch due to injury. Despite not having their starting quarterback for much of the 2025 campaign's first half, the team remained in contention and ultimately made the playoffs thanks to Jones' impressive turn under center.

After being cast aside by both the New England Patriots—the team that took him in the first round of the 2021 draft—and Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones showed that he still has the stuff to be a starter in the NFL. The signal-caller completed an impressive 69.6 percent of his throws for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading San Francisco to a 5-3 record across eight starts.

Jones became the latest quarterback to study under renowned 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, benefiting from his tutelage and innovative system. San Francisco has been a Super Bowl contender for much of the coach's nine years at the helm largely thanks to his ability to maximize the talent of his passers and put them in a position to succeed.

While Jones finally fared well in the Bay Area after several shaky years in the league, teams may be leery about trading for the 28-year-old. He had ample opportunity to put it all together in both New England and Jacksonville—starting 46 games over his first four NFL seasons—but never emerged as a consistent, quality performer outside of a promising rookie year.

Desperate clubs will still roll the dice on Jones being able to continue playing at a high level outside of San Francisco. Expect him to generate strong interest from any club that loses it starter, but the Niners will likely ask a high price as they can afford to hang onto Jones as insurance against another Purdy injury.

No. 4: Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

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The New Orleans Saints appear to have found their quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough. Shough's rapid ascent coincided with Spencer Rattler falling out of favor in the Big Easy, opening the door for the third-year signal-caller to be traded this season.

Rattler had a rocky rookie season after the Saints selected him on Day 3 of the 2024 draft. He failed to win any of his six starts and only completed 57 percent of his throws, but wound up getting the first opportunity to start under new head coach Kellen Moore last season. While his accuracy noticeably improved, the results remained the same as Rattler won just one of his eight starts.

With Shough taking the reins and finding success almost immediately, Rattler was left competing with free-agent pickup Zach Wilson for backup duties in 2026. He looked decent in the preseason—completing 68.2 percent of his passes for 262 yards in three games—but didn't do enough to truly distinguish himself from Wilson (who tallied 293 yards and a touchdown through the air on a 65 percent completion rate).

While Rattler did fare well to make the final roster and even drew some trade interest this offseason, his tenure as a potential starter in New Orleans is over barring Shough suffering a major, unexpected regression or injury.

Rattler's value should only go up when a quarterback inevitably goes down with injury early in the season. The Saints can afford to be patient until then, maximizing the potential return for the signal-caller and slotting Wilson into the primary backup role if a trade does occur.

No. 3: Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles made the bold decision to keep four passers on their active roster on cutdown day, but it may not be long before their quarterbacks room gets a bit less crowded.

The Eagles opted to keep a pair of newcomers in veteran Andy Dalton and rookie fifth-rounder Cole Payton in addition to entrenched starter Jalen Hurts and promising backup Tanner McKee. While Payton is a developmental prospect who isn't likely to see any action in 2026, McKee and Dalton could both conceivably handle the QB2 job.

While both backup candidates struggled at times during the preseason, Dalton should have an edge when it comes to sticking around for the duration of the campaign due to his wealth of experience in the NFL. He was a nine-year starter for the Cincinnati Bengals—making three Pro Bowls in that span—before entering the second act of his career, one that has seen him assume a backup role for five different clubs over the last seven seasons.

McKee has a far higher ceiling than his 38-year-old counterpart, but has yet to see much meaningful action at the professional level and was on the roster bubble this offseason for a poor stretch of play. He's only seen action in six games since the Eagles selected him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft and has drawn just two starts in his three seasons.

While McKee displayed enough promise in these regular season contests to make him a desirable trade target for rival franchises, he also failed cement his status as Hurts' primary backup during the 2026 offseason.

As tantalizing as McKee's ceiling may be, the Eagles find themselves in a position where they can move on from this polarizing 26-year-old while still having a proven old hand to work directly behind Hurts and a long-term project to bring along if they keep both Dalton and Payton.

Given that McKee is entering the final year of his rookie deal and reportedly drew strong offers that included a Day 2 pick at last season's trade deadline, it's hard to see Philadelphia's brass choosing to keep him beyond November.

No. 2: Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns' quarterback carousel continued its endless spin this offseason when Deshaun Watson beat out Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 job. The two-man competition left little room for Dillon Gabriel to establish himself as anything more than a deep backup on the fringes of the roster.

While Gabriel—a third-round pick in the 2025 draft—was selected ahead of Sanders last year and got an opportunity to start after Cleveland traded Joe Flacco early in the campaign, he failed to spark the club's listless offense. Gabriel went just 1-5 across six starts, finishing his rookie season with modest marks that included a 59.5 percent completion rate, 937 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns.

Gabriel won't even open 2026 on the active roster, beginning instead on the IR as he works to return from a back injury suffered in the team's preseason finale. The Browns still opted to keep three passers on the active roster, with rookie sixth-rounder Taylen Green slotting in as their QB3.

Green fared well in his lone preseason showing and is shaping up to be far more appealing developmental prospect than Gabriel, who appears to be the odd man out in Cleveland's quarterback room. Gabriel's trade value isn't much at this point, but the team could still recoup some capital from a club looking to pad out its depth and take on a rehabilitation project for pennies on the dollar.

No. 1: J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

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The Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy era could be at an end after the much-maligned quarterback failed to beat out Kyler Murray for the starting job in training camp. McCarthy never lived up to the lofty expectations set by his No. 10 overall selection in the 2024 draft, with injuries and poor play leading the team to acquire the competition he ultimately lost out to this offseason.

With McCarthy missing all of his rookie season with a torn meniscus and struggling immensely upon being handed the QB1 role last year, it seemed it was only a matter of time before he fell out of favor in the Twin Cities. A dreadful preseason showing and more injuries led McCarthy to drop behind Carson Wentz on the depth chart and has opened the door for a trade.

According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, executives around the league widely expect the Vikings to move on once they receive an offer they like for McCarthy. This could include a conditional pick based on playing time.

Although the Vikings won't be able to recoup anything close to the draft capital they gave up to acquire McCarthy, the team could get a clean break from the disappointing passer in exchange for a late-round draft pick (or a couple cases of Gatorade as Mark Schlereth suggested on his podcast). Such a move would also give McCarthy a chance to start fresh and potentially rehabilitate his career in another system.

McCarthy may not be a prized commodity at this stage of his career, but he's still just 23 years old and has some potential to turn things around. He showed flashes of brilliance during his short stint as Minnesota's starter, including leading an epic fourth-quarter comeback over the rival Chicago Bears in his NFL debut last year.

With Murray locked in as the starter and Wentz a capable backup who can keep the ship steady when called upon, the Vikings shouldn't hesitate to take whatever they can get for Nine if another team is willing to take him.