Where does Jake Browning rank among backup NFL quarterbacks? Here's our top-12 list

When Bengals backmost Joe Burrow went down due to the fact that of a turf toed injury successful the mediate of the Cincinnati's 31-27 win implicit the Jaguars connected Sunday, it wounded the Bengals' chances successful that crippled and going forward. But it could person been a batch worse -- they could person a QB2 overmuch worse than Jake Browning.

In the satellite of backup quarterbacks, the Bengals are successful beauteous bully shape. Having a susceptible No. 2 enactment is the benignant of happening that doesn't substance overmuch until it matters a lot. And NFL teams don't cognize erstwhile that infinitesimal volition strike. We've already seen 1 second-stringer called into work this season; the 49ers started Mac Jones successful Week 2 with Brock Purdy injured (left enarthrosis and toe).

Now, starting quarterbacks specified arsenic Burrow, J.J. McCarthy (Vikings), Jayden Daniels (Commanders) and Justin Fields (Jets) are each either retired oregon questionable to play successful Week 3. So we decided to fertile the 12 champion backups successful the NFL. It's a tricky exercise, due to the fact that galore of these players person constricted (or no) NFL way record. But let's look astatine the list.

1. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

No 1 would person blinked had Cousins been traded this past offseason and go a Week 1 starter somewhere. Maybe having Cousins arsenic QB1 wouldn't person a squad feeling great astir its starting backmost situation, but he's 1 of the champion 32 signal-callers successful the league. Having him arsenic a backup is simply a luxury.

Cousins is coming disconnected a disappointing 2024 play successful which helium was benched precocious successful the year for existent starter Michael Penix Jr. Cousins recorded a 47.0 QBR earlier his benching, which ranked 23rd successful the league. He had issues with turnovers successful 2024, throwing a league-high 16 interceptions and committing an NFL-high 13 fumbles. But determination were positives -- Cousins ranked No. 7 successful completion percent implicit anticipation (plus-2%), per NFL Next Gen Stats. And he's lone 2 years removed from having the seventh-best QBR successful the NFL earlier being sidelined by a season-ending Achilles injury.

At property 37, Cousins offers arguably the highest level of immoderate backup QB. And since he's different twelvemonth sep...