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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Gilberto Manzano

Re-Ranking the NFL’s 32 Backup Quarterbacks of 2026

I didn’t expect to update my backup quarterback rankings from June until the offseason. But plenty has changed since the start of the season, with a handful of starting quarterbacks sustaining injuries.

Sam Darnold didn’t last long in the Seahawks’ season opener against the Patriots, but Drew Lock has picked up the slack and has the reigning champions at 2–0. Time will tell whether the Giants and Commanders will see that kind of success from their backups after the significant injuries to Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels, respectively.

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