There’s a dearth of great quarterbacks in the NFL.
Sure, Sundays are filled with superstars who can lead a team to the playoffs, but when it comes to the guys ranked 33 to 64 on the pecking order it becomes clear there’s a lack of viable backup talent entering the league each season. Between coaches’ desire for experience and a limited crop of prospects, roster spot across the league wind up filled with players who made have may a couple starts years ago before fading into relative obscurity.
The patron saint of these players, Chad Henne, retired after 15 seasons in the league and a Super Bowl ring courtesy of playing Patrick Mahomes’ understudy. Backup king Chase Daniel, who has spent 13 seasons in the league, earned just under $42 million and started five games, remains unsigned in 2023. We’re edging closer to a new era of “wait, he’s still in the NFL?” guys warming up once injury strikes.
But we’re not there yet. There are still several familiar, forgettable faces rounding up depth charts and dotting rosters — and practice squads — across the league. Here are the guys you’d might have thought had ridden off into the sunset but, instead, are still slinging it in practice every week.
1
Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens
Johnson was drafted in 2008. In the years since, he’s been rostered by the:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008–2011)
- San Francisco 49ers (2012, 2014, 2020, 2022)
- Sacramento Mountain Lions (2012)
- Cleveland Browns (2012)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2013, 2015)
- New York Jets (2015)
- Indianapolis Colts (2015)
- Buffalo Bills (2015)
- Baltimore Ravens (2016, 2021, 2023)
- New York Giants (2016)
- Houston Texans (2017)
- Oakland Raiders (2018)
- Washington (2018)
- San Diego Fleet (2019)
- Detroit Lions (2019)
- Los Angeles Wildcats (2020)
- New York Jets (2021)
- Denver Broncos (2022)
Incredible. He was released on cutdown day but, per Josina Anderson, is set to be added back to the team’s 53-man roster to serve as the team’s emergency quarterback behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
2
Matt Barkley, Buffalo Bills
Barkley hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2020, but the Bills remain content to keep him around as Josh Allen’s insurance policy — where he’s undefeated as a starter (1-0). He’s currently on injured reserve, leaving Kyle Allen to fill Buffalo’s QB2 role.
3
Nathan Peterman, Chicago Bears
Peterman’s career passer rating is 39.4. If he’d fired every single pass he ever threw into the turf for an incompletion, it would be 39.6. This will be his seventh season in the NFL.
4
Blaine Gabbert, Kansas City Chiefs
Chad Henne may have retired, but his place in the Chiefs’ lineup has been filled by another “oh, he’s still around?” All-Star in Gabbert. The 10th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft will chase his second Super Bowl ring as Patrick Mahomes’ backup.
5
Tim Boyle, New York Jets
He’s only on the practice squad, but Boyle is once again backing up Aaron Rodgers. This is his seventh season in the NFL, which is amazing when you consider he split his college career between UConn and Eastern Kentucky and finished it with a 12:26 TD:INT ratio.
I’m not even mad. I’m impressed.
6
Brian Hoyer, Las Vegas Raiders
Honestly, I don’t even know why I put him on this list. The year will be 2098. The President of the United States is best known for winning the 38th season of hit reality show Cannibal Island (a dating-competition hybrid). Aliens have invaded and colonized earth.
Benjamin Brady III has just left the game due to a ZCL injury (humans are evolving, don’t worry about it). Hoyer is warming up.
