Carson Wentz makes Chiefs backup QB situation far better than some realize

This past April the Chiefs went to the free agency pool to select Patrick Mahomes' new backup quarterback, signing Carson Wentz to a one-year deal worth up to $3.325 million. Kansas City's newest addition to the quarterback room might just be the best backup that Mahomes has had during his career, but certain people don't think he's got the stuff anymore.

Taking over for Blaine Gabbert after one season on the Chiefs' sidelines, Wentz walks into a very opportunistic spot backing up Mahomes and sitting where both Gabbert and Chad Henne did before winning Super Bowls.

Now that Wentz, and 31 other quarterbacks, have settled into their positions as QB2 on their respective teams it was time for Sports Illustrated's annual backup quarterback rankings and Wentz's spot on the list may surprise some of Chiefs Kingdom.

Wentz was placed as the 12th-best backup QB in the league, positioned just ahead of Joshua Dobbs in San Francisco and just behind Jameis Winston who is now backing up Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.

Even though Wentz is on his fifth team in as many years, his veteran experience and former heights reached as a quarterback in the NFL—even putting together an MVP-like season in 2017—should have lifted him above a few names in the top ten over some of SI's selections.

Not to mention, just two years ago he still looked respectable as an Indianapolis Colt (below) despite losing in the final game of the season to miss the playoffs. He completed 62.4% of his passes for just under 3,600 yards and 27 TDs with only seven interceptions.

Wentz played his first game in a Chiefs jersey this past Saturday against Jacksonville. He wasn't asked to do much, just three offensive series after Mahomes' initial opening drive. In those three drives Wentz went 4-for-4 for 26 yards while also getting sacked. He also fumbled the ball after a rough snap, but overall his first game in red-and-yellow wasn't anything special.

Still, Wentz is better than a top-12 backup quarterback even if he didn't show off the player he once was back in the day. And with the players listed above Wentz, it's hard to understand how he was ranked so low...

After Cleveland's Winston at 11, the top ten looks like this:

10. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers

Compare Wentz to the other redhead journeyman on the top ten, Andy Dalton, who is now entering his 14th season. Dalton, who has been given multiple opportunities to take over teams like Chicago and New Orleans, is in his second year in Carolina backing up last year's number-one overall pick Bryce Young.

Last year's lone start for Dalton saw him lose to Seattle after heading into halftime up 13-12 on the home team Seahawks. It wasn't all his fault, a missed field goal by Carolina's kicker and a late push ending on downs kept Dalton from making it interesting but Carolina should know what ceiling they have in him... and it's not better than Wentz's.

Dalton's best seasons were inarguably back in Cincinnati, putting up just over 4,200 yards in both 2013 and his final Pro Bowl year in 2016. Meanwhile, one of Wentz's top-three seasons was just two years ago in his final year as a starter when he was one game away from dragging the lifeless Colts to the playoffs.

Wentz not only has five years on Dalton but he's got a more competent and consistent coaching system in Andy Reid and Matt Nagy. Wentz should, at the very least, be ranked tenth above Dalton.

9. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots

This decision makes sense for the most part. Brissett has been a solid backup since his entry in the league and his four years as an Indianapolis Colt proved he has the talent to take over and make correct decisions.

Even if his career record of 18-30--including his time in Indianapolis (11-19)--isn't super attractive, he's still one of the most reliable and dependable backups in the league which he proved in Cleveland two seasons ago.

Now he's back in New England, most likely backing up a rookie in Drake Maye. If he gets time on the field again he could very well prove why he's been a top ten backup QB for most of his career.

8. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

With all due respect to the franchise that the New York Jets used to be, they have been hard to watch for nearly two decades now. And Darnold, the eighth-best backup according to SI, is one of the many reasons why.

Darnold drew the wrong end of the stick when he was drafted third-overall by the New York Jets in 2018, but nobody could have predicted that his tenure in green-and-white would be that poor.

Darnold has only put together one winning record as a starter since being in the midst of the "Who will go number one overall?" arguments when he left USC back in 2018. That one season was his second in the league, going 7-6 with the now-famous Mononucleosis diagnosis kept him from playing for three games which they lost to finish 7-9.

He didn't fare much better in Carolina either, going 8-9 in his 17 starts over two seasons. Those were also the last two seasons he was given the starting job, backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco all the way to the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City this past February.

His one start in San Francisco was a loss to Wentz and the Rams in the final week of the season. Darnold's stats matched well with Wentz, going 16-26 for 189 yards and one touchdown against a resting Rams defense, but Wentz's three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) overpowered and overshadowed the former USC quarterback's day.

Even though Darnold is one of the more solid backups, his play under pressure, his inability to make decisions in the pocket in time and all the "ghosts" he sees on the field should knock him down a little on this list.

The only thing Darnold has over Wentz at this time, outside of age, is the fact that he worked for a year under the offensive mastermind known as Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. That type of educational experience, even for a year, can do wonders for a quarterback—especially when they're battling a rookie for the starting job in Minnesota.

7. Drew Lock, New York Giants

One of the more interesting pickups of the offseason was the Giants' addition of former Denver Broncos starter Drew Lock after he only saw the field four times in two seasons as Geno Smith's backup in Seattle. Somehow his 1-1 record as a starter in Seattle and 8-10 record as a starter in Denver was enough to make Sports Illustrated believe he is the seventh-best backup QB in the league.

Lock did keep Seattle in the playoff hunt though, rising to the occasion throughout all 76 pass attempts of his Seahawks tenure, especially when he won a huge game against Philadelphia 20-17 thanks to a perfectly placed pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with under 30 seconds to go.

Outside of that play, as well as another play in the Philadelphia game that saw Lock turn into a good blocker, his time in Seattle was rather unmemorable. So what was it that propelled Lock five spots ahead of Wentz who 32-24 during his first four years?

Could it be his signature swagger? It certainly helps that no matter how sub-par Lock has been he is always seen as the smiling, dancing guy on the sideline. But, even if it is his off-the-field demeanor, would you rather take the giddy, happy-go-lucky flameout that barely beat out a 34-year-old Flacco for the starting job in Denver, or a player like Wentz whose ceiling has brought teams winning records and playoff positions?

6. Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks

Howell is a sneaky-good backup quarterback, showing signs of true athleticism during his time in Washington. And even though this past season (4-13) didn't go his way, or the Commanders' way for that matter, it didn't take away from some of the strong plays that Howell was personally responsible for.

Another factor to Howell's poor play last season was the historically bad offensive line that he had to play behind, allowing 65 sacks on Howell in 17 games. Those sacks not only put a stinger on Howell's body and his play in the pocket, but it set the Commanders up further and further behind the sticks which forced Howell into spots he surely did not want to be in.

He could very easily make a bid for Geno Smith's job late in the year if Smith were to struggle early, but with a new head coach and a new regiment in Seattle, it could be just perfect for Howell to sit and learn before possibly starting next season in his fourth year.

Howell is perfectly placed on this list, right in the middle of the top ten due to his possible high ceiling but also as well as his low floor. He could challenge Wentz for a lower top-ten spot any day of the week, but Wentz under Reid should still outplay Howell under Mike Macdonald.

5. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fields is likely going to start at least one game for Pittsburgh this season, if not more, but his play in Chicago was up and down to say the least. To have him this high on the list is likely based on his young age, his ability to scramble out of the pocket, and his rocket arm that he likes to show off whenever possible.

But his play in Chicago could be debilitating to the hope that Steelers fans might have when he inevitably steps on the field. With that said, Chicago has a way of making even some of their better quarterbacks in history look like scrubs instead of stars.

Under head coach Mike Tomlin we should really see if Fields truly is another career backup, if his misfortune came from wearing the Bears jersey or if it was Fields' actual talent shining through over the past three years.

Fields might be ranked a little low, to be honest, especially with a rookie who is injury-prone just above him on the list at four. But, with the way Fields' play has made him appear over the years, he might be placed a little too high, only time will tell if he deserves to be ranked this high above Wentz.

4. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons shocked the world when they took Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in this year's draft, especially since the Falcons had just paid a hefty sum of $180 million to Kirk Cousins just a few weeks prior.

Before ever stepping on the field for the preseason, Penix was practicing without pads and wondering if Cousins' Achilles would last for the four-year contract he was just given, which makes him the fourth-best backup in the league.

This is without seeing how he can react to a real-time NFL defense. It's also praying that his extensive lower body injury history can also survive the season, just like the Falcons are doing with their first-string quarterback.

The high expectations are valid, especially coming off a National Championship bid, but that final game of his NCAA career saw one of his most mediocre performances with a 255-yard performance through the air to go with a 1-2 TD::INT ratio that garnered a QBR of 63.

Not all of those issues in the National Championship were his fault, but a few overthrows and poor decision-making show some faults that could use work. Meanwhile, Wentz's time in the NFL has given Reid and GM Brett Veach an exact formula on what to expect and how high the bar can be for the eight-year veteran.

Even with all the hype and the headlines surrounding how high Penix was drafted, it's only right to temper expectations a little. Otherwise, he might suffer the same fate as other top-ten picks that are expected to come in and win right away.

3. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts

Last year's incredible off-the-couch performance by Joe Flacco in Cleveland was something to write home about. After four separate quarterbacks started a game for the Browns they finally turned to the soon-to-be-40-year-old who was once the highest paid QB in the league. Flacco earned that money thanks to a Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl MVP in a contract year, but his overall play since then has not been great.

That's because his Super Bowl win was eleven years ago, and the year after that (2014) was the last year that Flacco ever brought a team to the playoffs before last season's late push.

Back to reality. Flacco's Comeback Player of the Year victory—which many argued should have gone to Damar Hamlin—was a great cap to a fantastic story. However, his poor playoff performance and Cleveland's lack of interest in bringing him back should be a sign of things to come.

Throw out Wentz's obvious age advantage and it's still glaringly obvious that Flacco simply can't do what Wentz has proven he can do. The ability to run, the strength left in the cannon and quick vision in the pocket all benefit the Chiefs' new backup compared to the Colts' new backup.

Flacco and Wentz's best days are obviously behind them, but Flacco's are nearly a decade old while Wentz is barely removed from his MVP-caliber season.

If anything, Flacco should not be as high as three on this list. He's nearing 40, he wasn't on a team until late in the season last year, and he's fighting for a roster spot against KU's Jason Bean and a disappointing Sam Ehlinger.

To be honest, placing Flacco this high is almost as stupefying as placing Wentz outside of the top ten.

2. Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders

Minshew has proved over the past few years that he is not just a reliable backup, but he's a springy and decisive player under center. Every time he's been called upon, whether it was during his time as a starter in Jacksonville or as a backup in Indianapolis, he's made plays that turn heads.

He also has a great reputation with the fans. Whether it's due to his handlebar mustache, his laid-back demeanor, or his lucious, long locks that sometimes make him look like a young Fabio, he's always one of the few players that every fan base knows when they see him.

Just last season, in his first year playing 17 games, Minshew had a winning record as a starter (7-6) while completing over 62% of his passes for over 3,300 yards and 15 touchdowns.

If Minshew gets brought onto the field for the Raiders, or if he were to win the starting job over second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell, then the Raiders would feel confident that their season can continue in the right direction rather than feel like they could tank for the future.

With that said, Wentz and Minshew are in the same division and both could be considered the best backup quarterback in the AFC West at this point in time.

1. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

Last year saw the Cincinnati Bengals' season once again ended without their number-one overall pick Joe Burrow. Just one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the former LSU superstar was forced to miss most of the season and watch his backup try to keep the team afloat (again).

Luckily for Burrow, Jake Browning was prepared for the most part last season when he went 4-3 including a close loss at Arrowhead in week 16. But how much of Browning's success could be based on his weapons? Or his offensive line, one of the only lines in the entire league to have all five players start all 17 games?

Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, and Tee Higgins (for three weeks) are quite the arsenal to be given when you're a backup quarterback. But now that Mixon is in Houston, Boyd is in Tennessee, and Higgins is reluctantly playing in a contract season, is this year really that great of a situation for Browning?

Even with the mix of all four players listed, Browning still went 1-2, barely beating the Jacksonville Jaguars before moving onto a middle-of-the-pack Colts team, who returned a pick-six against Browning, and then finally an injury-ridden Vikings team. When it came time to play playoff teams like Pittsburgh (2x), Baltimore, or Kansas City, he was unable to put the win in the record book.

If it is another season with Burrow sitting on the IR, it may be important to remember the good and the bad from Browning's play last season, that way one doesn't run away with their expectations. Whereas, if Wentz were to ever have to play significant minutes then most Chiefs fans and coaches know what can play out on the field.

Wentz is currently entering his ninth season in the NFL, with the first six seeing him average over 14 games on the field and roughly 3,400 yards per season. Of course the injury that knocked him out of the frontrunning for MVP--as well as the postseason that saw Nick Foles win him a Super Bowl ring against New England--will be the talking point but that doesn't mean Wentz's gas tank is on 'E'.

While Wentz has shown that he may not be "the guy" anymore—despite nearly lugging a corpse of a team into the playoffs two seasons ago—there are certainly others on the list above him that have proven they aren't the guy either, only in a much larger way.

But, with all the factors listed above, it's hard not to think that if Wentz were to have to play meaningful snaps (much like Henne did in the playoffs) one could feel a little more confident in him than in many of the journeymen, the inexperience and the flame-outs listed above him.