There are certain backup quarterbacks who never quite lit up a stat sheet, never really won a big game, and never gave off starter energy. Yet somehow, year after year, these guys were always on a roster, wearing a headset, and cashing a check.
Maybe it was their clipboard-holding skills. Maybe they were just great at high-fiving. Whatever it was, these 20 backup QBs managed to make a career out of doing the bare minimum while sticking around the NFL for way longer than anyone expected.
20. Colt McCoy
Every time you thought he was finally out of the league, he’d pop up as the emergency starter for a team in November. He was like the football version of a security blanket—reliable, unremarkable, and always there.
19. Chad Henne
He somehow went from Dolphins disappointment to a playoff hero with the Chiefs, but mostly he was just… there. Henne’s true gift was staying gainfully employed across multiple decades without making much noise.
18. Drew Stanton
Drew Stanton mastered the art of being injured just enough to avoid playing but healthy enough to stay on the roster. He was the NFL’s version of a “just in case” guy.
17. Brian Hoyer
Teams love Brian Hoyer the way dads love New Balance sneakers: dependable, no flair, and always available. He managed to turn a bunch of forgettable seasons into a 15-year career.
16. Blaine Gabbert
The former first-round bust quietly transitioned into backup life and just refused to leave. No one ever really wanted him to start, but there he was, sitting comfortably on another sideline.
15. Chase Daniel
He’s the king of cashing checks for holding a clipboard. If there were a Hall of Fame for doing the bare minimum while making millions, he’d be a first-ballot inductee.
14. Luke McCown
Not to be confused with his brother Josh, Luke was a backup who rarely saw the field but somehow stayed in the NFL for over a decade. His biggest achievement might’ve been starring in a Verizon commercial.
13. Josh Johnson
If the NFL had a utility quarterback position, Josh Johnson would be it. He’s played for more teams than most people have fantasy leagues.
12. Mike Glennon
With a neck longer than his list of accomplishments, Glennon kept landing gigs despite never inspiring confidence. He somehow made “meh” into a long-term business model.
11. Seneca Wallace
Wallace could scramble and throw a little, but mostly he was just around. He was the answer to the trivia question: “Wait… that guy was still in the league?”
10. Trevor Siemian
He got his shot as a starter and immediately made everyone wish he hadn’t. That didn’t stop teams from keeping him around for reasons no one can quite explain.
9. Matt Barkley
Barkley was always the preseason darling who never made it count when it mattered. But that didn’t stop him from constantly showing up on someone’s depth chart.
8. Kellen Clemens
He had the look of a starter but the production of a practice-squad QB. Somehow, that was enough to keep him in the league for over a decade.
7. Josh McCown
This man was the NFL’s equivalent of a substitute teacher who keeps getting called back. He even un-retired to play in his 40s, because someone always needed him.
6. Charlie Whitehurst
Better known as “Clipboard Jesus,” Whitehurst made a career out of looking cool on the sideline. He had great hair, a great name, and a very forgettable stat line.
5. Brandon Weeden
Even after his days as a failed starter, he hung around like that one guy who won’t leave the party. He was the NFL’s version of “he’s still here?”
4. Sean Mannion
If your starter went down, Mannion was the emergency call that didn’t exactly inspire confidence. But he knew the playbook, and sometimes that’s all it took.
3. John Skelton
Skelton had the accuracy of a blindfolded dart thrower, but that didn’t stop the Cardinals—and a few others—from keeping him around. He always felt like the human version of a roster filler.
Read More: 10 Backup Quarterbacks Who Led Their Teams to Victory
2. Matt Flynn
One big game turned into a whole career of sitting on benches. He scammed his way into millions with a single memorable night against the Lions.
Read More: 20 Backup QBs From the 2000s Who’d Thrive in Today’s Schemes
1. Chase Daniel
Had to bring him back to the top spot where he belongs. No one embodied the spirit of the perennially employed backup quite like Chase.
Read More: 10 Quarterbacks Who Might Be Backups by Next Season
