Headed into the 2023-24 season, there was a lot of talk surrounding the gauntlet of the AFC. Although the AFC was widely considered the tougher of the two conferences, numerous starting quarterbacks went down with season-ending injuries. Aaron Rodgers was the first to have his season end, which derailed things from the beginning for the New York Jets. In the AFC North, both Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns missed significant time in the second half of the season.
While the Bengals powered through the final seven weeks of the season with Jake Browning and the Browns cycled through Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker prior to landing Joe Flacco, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered through their own quarterback issues. Kenny Pickett struggled as the starter in the first half of the year and ultimately, Mason Rudolph finished off the year at quarterback.
Headed into the 2024-25 season, the hope is that the starting quarterbacks in the AFC North can remain healthy and we see a better product offensively on the field. The general consensus around the league is that Week One will provide four experienced starting quarterbacks in Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
It would be interesting to see a season with all four quarterbacks starting 17 games. However, each team needs to be prepared for one play to change that outcome. Who is the best prepared with their backup quarterback situation in the division?
I rank the four backup quarterbacks headed into this coming season.
Russell Wilson may the presumed starter in Pittsburgh headed into this season, but the reality is that Wilson will be on the shortest leash of any starting quarterback in the AFC North. The Steelers by far and away have the least invested in their quarterback as Wilson was signed to a 1-year, $1.2 million contract back in March. The 35-year-old veteran quarterback is looking to prove that he still has what it takes as a starter.
The scary thing for Wilson's chances at remaining the starter all season is that Justin Fields is lurking in the backup spot. The former 11th overall draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round selection, so that the Chicago Bears could proceed with their plans of drafting Caleb Williams at number one overall this year.
From the time of the trade, the Steelers have made it clear that Wilson is the starter. Fields is a competitor though and has discussed his mindset of competing for that starting job in Pittsburgh. The running ability, toughness and pure athleticism truly makes the 25-year-old quarterback an intriguing player still, despite some questions about his consistency as a passer. The reports coming out of Pittsburgh through OTAs and minicamp are that neither quarterback necessarily "lit the world on fire". If this is the case then Fields may not be too far behind Wilson.
Assuming that Wilson does get the nod in the Week One matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and plans don't change before then, Fields is absolutely the best backup quarterback in the division. His 38 games as a starter in Chicago, plus upside to develop his game further is an asset for Pittsburgh.
2. Jameis Winston - Cleveland Browns
Winston was a clever addition to the roster this offseason. Coming to Cleveland, the 30-year-old veteran knows his role. He will be an asset in film study, meeting rooms and will need to be ready to go if Deshaun Watson suffers an injury. Winston does not have the ceiling of Fields at this point in his career, but you know what you have with him.
He possesses a big arm and throughout his NFL career has not been afraid to put the ball in harms way to try and secure a big play. It is a boom or bust type of style that has resulted in 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions in 93 career games between Tampa Bay and New Orleans. Of those 93 games played, 80 have been starts.
Winston certainly has the playing experience and perhaps with age, he will try to protect the football a bit more. That being said, knowing what you have helps when devising a game plan for your backup quarterback if and when they take starting reps.
Browning was called to action last year due to the wrist injury Burrows suffered in Week 11. In his seven starts, the Bengals finished the season going 4-3. To Browning's credit, he played pretty well in that time, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Browning's performance in the second half of last season had to instill some additional belief in the Bengals' backup quarterback situation. Why Browning comes in third in these rankings though is because he lacks the starting experience of Fields and Winston. His first start of his career was in Week 12 last season. If he gets called to action once again, can the 28-year-old quarterback emulate last season? I don't know because of the small sample size.
Perhaps Browning is a reliable backup but Fields still has an argument for becoming a regular starter again at some point in his career, while Winston possesses the most experience of anyone on this list.
4. Josh Johnson - Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are the least prepared at backup quarterback and to this point have put all of their eggs in the basket of Lamar Jackson remaining healthy. Considering how strong Baltimore's roster is once again, it is hard to imagine them not having a contingency plan.
Johnson is 38-years-old and has been a journeyman in this league since 2009. Since that time, he has just been quarterback depth in Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York with the Jets, San Francisco and Washington. With Baltimore, he has only played one game and happened to put up decent numbers. Although 28 completions on 40 attempts for 304 yards, two touchdowns and one interception is nothing to scoff at, I question his ability as the primary backup.
Perhaps if the Browns let go of Tyler Huntley during roster cutdowns, then Baltimore may be interested in a reunion. Even if the Browns release Dorian Thompson-Robinson then Baltimore may like his skillset as a backup for Jackson. It is hard to imagine that the Ravens will be content with their current quarterback room.
