The injury bug has hit the NFL hard this season. After Week 13, there now appear to be five NFL teams currently in the playoffs relying on backup quarterbacks.
Who are these five teams? Which quarterbacks stand out? Let’s take a look.
1. C.J. Beathard (Jacksonville Jaguars)
The latest backup NFL quarterback getting the nod appears to be C.J. Beathard. He had to come in for the Jacksonville Jaguars late in the fourth quarter during a Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. That is because starting QB Trevor Lawrence suffered a high ankle sprain during the game.
Beathard went 9/10 and threw for 63 passing yards in the loss. However, he absorbed two sacks and had a fumble during his short stint in the game.
Right now, the Jacksonville Jaguars still lead the AFC South with an 8-4 record. However, they were 8-3 with Lawrence and arguably lost their last game because he got hurt. The Jaguars could be on shaky ground if Lawrence misses extended time.
2. Mitchell Trubisky (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Another quarterback who may have to start his first game this season is Mitchell Trubisky. That is because Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett also suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 13. Now, he has been ruled out for the Steelers’ Week 14 clash with the New England Patriots.
Luckily, this is a soft landing spot for Trubisky and the Steelers considering that the Patriots are 2-10 with quarterback issues of their own. Trubisky has made three appearances this season. He has two touchdown passes and two interceptions in those appearances.
For now, it looks like Pittsburgh will have to rely on Trubisky to lead them to the playoffs. Can he overcome his reputation as being a bust on the Chicago Bears? We will have to wait and see.
3. Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis Colts)
Gardner Minshew has started the last eight games for the Indianapolis Colts. However, this is because starting rookie QB Anthony Richardson is out due to a shoulder injury. So, how has Minshew done in Richardson’s absence?
Well, he has led them to an AFC wild card spot at the time of writing. Minshew is 5-3 in his eight starts this season. He is also getting a lot better at protecting the football. Minshew has just two interceptions during this Colts’ four-game winning streak. He had five interceptions and four fumbles in the prior three games.
4. Joshua Dobbs (Minnesota Vikings)
The lone NFC quarterback on this list is Joshua Dobbs. It has been a crazy journey for the Minnesota Vikings this season considering that they lost starting QB Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles injury. This caused Minnesota to trade for Dobbs.
Originally, things started well for Dobbs and the Vikings. He won his first two games with the Vikings and looked good doing so. However, things have come back down to Earth in the last two weeks, with Minnesota losing to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.
As a result, the Vikings are hanging onto an NFC playoff spot by a thread. Cousins is not coming back this season. With that in mind, Dobbs needs to revert to his first two games for the Vikings to hold onto this playoff spot.
5. Joe Flacco (Cleveland Browns)
Flacco may be the most surprising quarterback of all on this list. He was just recently signed by the Cleveland Browns and had a decent start against the Los Angeles Rams. Flacco had 254 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and just one interception.
However, he is also the quarterback on the most uncertain ground on this list. That is because he got demoted to the practice squad right after the Browns’ Week 13 loss. However, considering how unstable their other quarterback options are right now, do not be surprised to see Flacco get another start before the end of the season.
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