Having a contingency plan only pays off when an emergency occurs, making it one of the most important -- yet unnoticeable -- things in pro sports. In the NFL, competent play from backup quarterbacks has never been more crucial to overall success, as several teams' hopes hinge on their insurance policies. The Colts, Bengals, Vikings, and Browns entered the 2024 campaign thinking they had stability at quarterback, but each team was forced to call last-minute audibles due to a crushing injury.
Important players suffer devastating injuries annually. But the harsh impacts of a season-ending injury is felt more at quarterback than at any other position -- and in any other sport. This season feels like it'll come down to survival of the fittest, as the emergency rooms have become particularly backed up with the likes of Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson, and Joe Burrow. Add rookie sensation Anthony Richardson to the list, whose rookie year was cut short in October.
There’s no replicating production the aforementioned signal callers provided. But, the value of depth is on display like never before. The Colts and Browns
have remained afloat in the AFC thanks to laudable fill-in efforts from Gardner Minshew, P.J. Walker, and Joe Flacco. The Vikings are still in the mix because of Joshua Dobbs, although he did come back down to earth last week with a four-interception game against the Bears.
Teams don't only need a quality starting quarterback to reach goals in today's league -- they also need a serviceable-level Plan B quarterback. Insufficient production from a quarterback can turn a promising start into disappointment. Just take a look at the Jets, which started 4-3 before losing five consecutive games. It can also crush an organization's playoff hopes, which happened to the Bengals when Burrow suffered a wrist injury in Week 11. So life goes on in the NFL, where the quality of quarterback play has been down as a whole.
Regardless of the circumstances that've forced teams to turn to backups, it's something that can't be ignored. No team expects Jake Browning to hop into a transformation machine and resemble Burrow, or Dobbs to outplay Cousins. But, they at least need to prove they're capable of analyzing plays off a tablet and displaying what they've learned on the field. It's not unrealistic to expect someone to play well as a backup -- even at a position as sophisticated and challenging as quarterback.
The unfortunate trend of teams having to turn to backups also appears here to stay. In 2022, just 22 of 32 teams were able to finish the season with their starter under center. Taking it a step further, Brock Purdy, Tyler Huntley, and Skylar Thompson were forced to start playoff games for the 49ers, Ravens, and Dolphins, respectively. Purdy helped take San Francisco all the way to the NFC championship game. Huntley and Thompson lost before then.
Of course, losing a high-level player at the most important position allows an NFL front office to rationalize some of its struggles. But, turning to a backup quarterback still isn't the scapegoat for a team's inability to win games it used to win. Especially when about half of the league's teams have been forced to elevate backup quarterbacks on the depth chart.
This is where talent development and coaching enter the equation. Gone are the days when an odd stigma of taking a quarterback in the NFL Draft existed. Teams now must think about the worst-case scenario in order to avoid having disasters unfold, where incompetent quarterback play winds up ruining a year. Could it lead to higher salaries for career-long backups and teams being more aggressive on Day 2 of the NFL Draft? Logic points toward the answer of yes. But judging by most teams' struggles at the position, the backup quarterback still seems to have taken a backseat.
As with any other miserable situation in life, losing a superstar quarterback is easy to sneeze at when it's someone else’s issue. The humor quickly turns to misery, though, when a team is forced to replace their most important player. Given the NFL's current injury trajectory, the dilemma will become a balancing act that involves a franchise not upsetting its star with planning for the worst. Just as Charles Darwin predicted centuries ago when establishing his theory around Natural Selection, those who don't will struggle for existence.