With quarterback injuries ravaging the division last season, veteran additions and developing talent now determine which franchise can survive a crisis under center as the season unfolds.
Across the NFL, a total of 31 different backup quarterbacks started at least one game in 2025. In total, 63 different quarterbacks played as a starter last season—illustrating the importance of having depth in the quarterback room.
As a group the 2025 season was defined by injury for the quarterbacks of the NFC South. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay) started all 17 games but was hampered by multiple injuries throughout the season. Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers) made 16 starts but missed one due to a high-ankle sprain, which nagged him in the second half of the season. Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons) started the first nine games of the season before being sidelined for the rest of the year with a partially torn ACL.
The New Orleans Saints were the outlier concerning quarterback injuries last season. Instead, head coach Kellen Moore made the switch to then-rookie Tyler Shough after 2025 opening-day starter Spencer Rattler won just one of his eight starts.
Mayfield, Penix, Shough and Young combined for a .417 winning percentage in 51 starts along with 31 combined interceptions. Shough was the only quarterback in the division to finish the season with a winning record (5-4).
This year, Rattler will be the only returning backup quarterback in the division. So, which NFC South team is best equipped to handle an injury to their respective starting quarterbacks? Here we rank the division’s backup quarterback situations from best to worst.
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta
Penix is expected to fully participate in training camp and will be ready by the start of the season, his injury history dating back to college is well documented. Like Kirk Cousins last year, the Falcons and new head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to bring in a veteran with plenty of starting experience. Despite a rocky ending, Tagovailoa was the primary starter for the Miami Dolphins starting in 2020. For his career, he has a winning percentage of .578, has completed 68 percent of his passes and thrown for 120 touchdowns to 59 interceptions.
2. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans
Shough took over for Rattler in Week 9 and solidified himself as the Saints’ quarterback of the future after throwing for at least one touchdown in all but two of his nine starts. He finished the regular season winning four of the teams’ last five games, including a four-game winning streak. While Rattler has struggled as a starter in the NFL, having another year in Moore’s offense along with Shough give the Saints continuity in the event of an injury. Last season Rattler completed 67.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
3. Jake Browning, Tampa Bay
Although considered one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, Mayfield truly gutted his way through the 2025 season, resulting in the Buccaneers missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Ultimately Tampa Bay trusted an injured Mayfield over backup Teddy Bridgewater, moving the team to bring in former Cincinnati Bengal Jake Browning. The once highly-touted backup, Browning did not shine in his opportunity last season filling in for an injured Joe Burrow. In his three starts against the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, Browning was 59-of-92 for 516 yards (172 passing yards per game) with four touchdowns and five interceptions in three straight losses.
While Browning does have 10 career starts, rookie Jalon Daniels could give the Buccaneers a more mobile option should the need arise.
4. Kenny Pickett, Carolina
Young not only proved to be durable at his small size (5-foot-10, 204 pounds), but led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. This season Carolina remade their quarterback room with younger backup options with the addition of Kenny Pickett and Haynes King. Pickett joins his third different team in as many years after spending the 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. In two starts last season Pickett was 28-of-45 passing for 188 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
King was signed as an undrafted free agent this season but is coming off a historic finish to his college career at Georgia Tech after scoring 29 total touchdowns (14 passing, 15 rushing), throwing for 2,951 yards and adding 953 yards on the ground.
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