The NFL season is upon us and if you don’t know who your starting quarterback is in Week 1, then you’re in deep trouble. We compiled a complete list of starters and backup quarterbacks in Week 1, which includes Jimmy Garoppolo getting the nod for the San Francisco 49ers and Andy Dalton starting for the Chicago Bears.
The Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson are still ensconced in a standoff. Watson demanded a trade and will sit out until the Texans find a trade partner. However, the Texans’ asking price for Watson is too high and the Miami Dolphins balked at the price tag that includes three first-round draft picks and a couple of second-rounders.
The Texans tapped Tyrod Taylor as their Week 1 starter.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers avoided a hold out when the two parties agreed that this will be the final season in Green Bay for Rodgers. Whether or not he decides to retire in 2022, or play for another team via a trade is still unknown.
After Drew Brees retired, the New Orleans Saints had to choose between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Head coach Sean Payton tapped Winston as the Week 1 starting quarterback, but it will be weird to watch the Saints play without Brees under center.
Cam Newton is the most notable free agent on the market after Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots cut him. Newton had several offers, but he does not want to be a backup QB this season.
QB: Week 1 Starters and Backups
The top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trevor Lawrence, gets the start for the Jacksonville Jaguars for rookie head coach Urban Meyer. The Jags moved all-in on Lawrence and even traded beloved backup Gardner Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles.
| NFL WEEK 1 QB STARTER & BACKUP |
| TEAM | STARTING QB | BACKUP QB |
| Chicago Bears | Andy Dalton | Justin Fields |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | Brandon Allen |
| Buffalo Bills | Josh Allen | Mitch Trubisky |
| Denver Broncos | Teddy Bridgewater | Drew Lock |
| Cleveland Browns | Baker Mayfield | Case Keenum |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | Tom Brady | Blaine Gabbert |
| Arizona Cardinals | Kyler Murray | Colt McCoy |
| LA Chargers | Justin Herbert | Chase Daniel |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Patrick Mahomes | Chad Henne |
| Indianapolis Colts | Carson Wentz | Jacob Eason |
| Dallas Cowboys | Dak Prescott | Cooper Rush |
| Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | Jacoby Brissett |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Jalen Hurts | Joe Flacco |
| Atlanta Falcons | Matt Ryan | AJ McCarron |
| San Francisco 49ers | Jimmy Garoppolo | Trey Lance |
| New York Giants | Daniel Jones | Mike Glennon |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Trevor Lawrence | CJ Beathard |
| New York Jets | Zach Wilson | Mike White |
| Detroit Lions | Jared Goff | Tim Boyle |
| Green Bay Packers | Aaron Rodgers | Jordan Love |
| Carolina Panthers | Sam Darnold | PJ Walker |
| New England Patriots | Mac Jones | Brian Hoyer |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Derek Carr | Marcus Mariota |
| LA Rams | Matthew Stafford | John Wolford |
| Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson | Trace McSorley |
| New Orleans Saints | Jameis Winston | Taysom Hill |
| Seattle Seahawks | Russell Wilson | Geno Smith |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Ben Roethlisberger | Mason Rudolph |
| Houston Texans | Tyrod Taylor | Davis Mills |
| Tennessee Titans | Ryan Tannehill | Logan Woodside |
| Minnesota Vikings | Kirk Cousins | Jake Browning |
| Washington | Ryan Fitzpatrick | Taylor Heinicke |
The New York Jets begin their post-Adam Gase rebuilding process with rookie QB Zach Wilson. The New England Patriots cut Newton because rookie Mac Jones looked good in the preseason.
Who’s the Third-String QB?
The NFL entered a second season in the era of COVID. Some teams and general managers wanted to stock their roster with a fourth quarterback that quarantined away from the usual group and the practice squad. That way, if there’s an outbreak in the quarterback room and the starting QB is out, they have a fresh and COVID-free player who knows the offense and is ready to go on Sunday.
| NFL 3RD STRING + PRACTICE SQUAD QBs |
| TEAM | THIRD STRING QB | 4TH QB/PRACTICE SQUAD |
| Chicago Bears | Nick Foles | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Kyle Shurmur | |
| Buffalo Bills | Jake Fromm | Davis Webb |
| Denver Broncos | N/A | |
| Cleveland Browns | N/A | |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | Ryan Griffin | Kyle Trask |
| Arizona Cardinals | Chris Streveler | |
| LA Chargers | Easton Stick | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Shane Buechele | |
| Indianapolis Colts | Sam Ehlinger | Brett Hundley |
| Dallas Cowboys | Will Grier | |
| Miami Dolphins | Reid Sinnett | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Gardner Minshew | |
| Atlanta Falcons | Feleipe Franks | |
| San Francisco 49ers | Nate Sudfield | |
| New York Giants | Brian Lewerke | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Jake Luton | |
| New York Jets | James Morgan | Josh Johnson |
| Detroit Lions | David Blough | |
| Green Bay Packers | N/A | |
| Carolina Panthers | N/A | |
| New England Patriots | Jarrett Stidham | |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Nathan Peterman | |
| LA Rams | Bryce Perkins | |
| Baltimore Ravens | Tyler Huntley | |
| New Orleans Saints | Trevor Siemian | Ian Book |
| Seattle Seahawks | Sean Mannion | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Dwayne Haskins | Josh Dobbs |
| Houston Texans | Deshaun Watson | |
| Tennessee Titans | Matt Barkley | |
| Minnesota Vikings | Nate Stanley | Kellen Mond |
| Washington | Kyle Allen |
If you notice, there’s a couple of teams that did not list a third-string quarterback on their roster. That includes the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns.