It's hard to get one of the 32 NFL starting quarterback jobs. The harder part is keeping it.
Not every quarterback is in a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen situation. More signal-callers at the NFL level are in a more fluid position, where any given year – or any given week – they could be replaced following poor performance.
The length of a quarterback's leash varies by team. Those with a younger quarterback seeking a chance to prove himself early in his career might pull the plug early on a struggling veteran. Other teams might have a high-level backup quarterback waiting in the wings for an opportunity to prove he's worthy of the starting job.
Heading into the 2026 season, there are more than a handful of quarterbacks at risk of getting benched in favor of another signal-caller lower on the depth chart. Here are six of the most likely quarterbacks to be benched in 2026:
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Brissett was a more-than serviceable fill-in for former Cardinals starter Kyler Murray after Murray's injury in 2025. In 12 starts, he set career highs in passing yards (3,366) and touchdowns (23). Brissett's 64.9% completion rate was also his best in any season with at least 25 pass attempts.
In the offseason, the 33-year-old veteran requested a multi-year extension that would pay him starting quarterback money. Instead, the Cardinals repaid him with a likely future replacement when they selected University of Miami (Fla.) quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. With Arizona expected to be one of the league's worst teams again in 2026, it's likely only a matter of time before the team gives Beck a shot at the starting job.
Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons
Tagovailoa is in a position that is almost a direct inverse of Brissett. Rather than replacing a former first-round quarterback who ended up cut by the team that drafted him, Tagovailoa is that player. After the Dolphins released Tagovailoa this offseason, he signed with the Falcons to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job.
It's unclear which quarterback is leading in the race to be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, but it's likely that whoever wins the gig will have a very short leash with another capable passer behind him. Tagovailoa struggled in 2025, with his 2,660 passing yards nearing a career low since taking over as the Dolphins' full-time starter in 2021. Penix also struggled last year in his first full season as a starter in the pros, leading to a 3-6 record before a knee injury ended his season early.
New head coach Kevin Stefanski is a former offensive coordinator and has inherited a roster loaded with talent on offense. Atlanta's biggest hurdle is its quarterback situation, and Stefanski should be quick to make a change if things aren't working early. Either Penix gets the early starts with the hopes he'll continue to develop – though he is 26 – or Tagovailoa fills in until things don't work out.
Geno Smith, New York Jets
The Jets' quarterback situation remains in flux. After signing Justin Fields to a two-year deal in free agency last year, injuries and underperformance led to starts from Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook. None of New York's three quarterbacks in 2025 inspired confidence in being a long-term solution. So this offseason, Gang Green reunited with Smith by sending a sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Smith is coming off of a season with 17 interceptions in 15 games, a mark which not only led the league but also were the most he's thrown in a year since his rookie year in 2013. After a season like that, Smith is may be in a position to be a "tank commander" for New York as they continue to look for their quarterback of the future.
The Jets have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, and they drafted Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. At some point this season, Klubnik should get his shot for the Jets to see if they have their guy. If not, one of their three first-rounders next year will be used to take a quarterback.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
For the first several weeks of the season, Jones was playing like an NFL MVP candidate. But the wheels started to come off in Week 9, when teams started to slow down running back Jonathan Taylor after his torrid start to the season. When Jones had more pressure on his arm to lead the Colts' offense under head coach Shane Steichen, he started to turn the ball over more.
After throwing just three interceptions and not losing any fumbles in his first eight starts, Jones threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles against the Steelers in Week 9. The Colts went on to lose four of their next five games before a torn Achilles sidelined Jones for the remainder of the season.
Is Jones the most likely candidate to lose his job? No, but Indianapolis still rosters Anthony Richardson, who will be waiting in the wings should Jones struggle in his return from the Achilles injury.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers has said this season – his 22nd – is going to be his last rodeo. Since the Green Bay Packers drafted him in 2005, he's played across three decades of NFL football. There have been signs that his age is starting to catch up with him over the last few seasons, and that became most apparent during the 2025 season.
Rodgers' average depth of target last year was just 6.6 yards. That was the lowest mark of his career and one of the lowest across all NFL quarterbacks in 2025. Under pressure, he had a completion rate of 41.5%, which ranked fourth-worst in the league among quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks. Rodgers was also unable to avoid sacks at a high rate, and his 21.4% pressure-to-sack rate ranked seventh-worst among starting quarterbacks in 2025.
The Steelers don't have a clear succession plan. They drafted Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and Drew Allar in the third round this year. Mason Rudolph is also currently on the roster. It feels more than likely that Rodgers hits the bench at some point this year if the Steelers are struggling. Pittsburgh needs to figure out its QB future by giving Howard or Allar a shot.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Texans general manager Nick Caserio gave Stroud a vote of confidence after the quarterback's four-interception performance in a divisional round loss. Caserio did not give Stroud an extension in his first offseason eligible.
Stroud struggled in 2025, continuing an alarming pattern of regression since his outstanding rookie season in 2023. Much of that can be chalked up to the issues with the Texans' reworked offensive line. For a second straight year, Stroud faced pressure on more than 37% of his dropbacks. More notably, in 2025, Stroud's decision making regressed. His 14 turnover-worthy plays (per Pro Football Focus) were tied for fourth-most in the NFL under pressure. His 35.5 PFF grade under pressure was third-worst in the league.
Things got worse in the playoffs vs. the Patriots, with a four-interception performance in the divisional round.
During three games that Stroud missed with a concussion, backup Davis Mills went 3-0 with 915 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Mills is also likely not the long-term answer for Houston given he already lost his starting quarterback job to Stroud in 2023. But if Stroud starts the 2026 season playing like he did in the 2025 playoffs, questions will be raised about whether or not Mills should get a second crack at the starting gig.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bench watch: Six NFL quarterbacks who could lose starting jobs in 2026
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