No longer just clipboard holders, high-priced backup quarterbacks are now viewed as essential season insurance policies.

It’s not just about having a backup plan, but it’s the sheer volume of starting quarterbacks going down. Just two weeks into this season, six teams have already been forced to turn to backups due to injury.

Replacing a starting quarterback isn’t just an offensive issue. It completely changes how the defense plays. On “FOX NFL Kickoff,” analysts Charles Woodson and Julian Edelman broke down how a quarterback change forces both sides of the ball to adjust.

Woodson focused on the predatory mindset of a defense facing an unproven passer.

“From a defensive standpoint, you’re licking your chops because you’re thinking to yourself that this guy doesn’t have the time on task that the regular guy does,” Woodson said. “He doesn’t work with the ones. As a defense, you’re throwing the entire kitchen sink at the backup because you think you can get him rattled.”

The Vikings came after Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent in Week 2, sacking him on the final play of the game. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

–>

However, Woodson pointed out that the message on the backup’s team is completely different. He revealed what players and coaches should be telling their QB2.

“You tell him, ‘Hey man, we got your back,’” Woodson said. “‘Don’t turn the ball over, we’ll be fine.’ That’s the situation today with Seattle and Washington. For the past couple of weeks, [the Seahawks] had Drew Lock. He came in and held it down.”

Edelman, on the other hand, pointed to the surge of energy a backup can bring to an offense, focusing on how having the right player under center can motivate an entire locker room. He pointed to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as a prime example.

“Penix comes back from injury and what happens? The Atlanta Falcons look like a completely different football team,” Edelman said. “I mean we were talking about Atlanta potentially losing to a college football team before Week 3. It looked really bad.”

The return of Penix not only shows the impact of a difference-making quarterback, but Edelman thinks his return is bigger than we think. He went so far as to say the Falcons could now win the NFC South. That’s how much a quarterback means to his team.

“The NFL is so week-to-week,” Edelman said. “It’s so unbelievable. We were writing these guys off for dead and now they could potentially win the [NFC] South because the run game travels and that offensive line travels. It’s going to be really interesting.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Everyone thinks it’s easy to be a backup quarterback. But these NFL journeymen spill the secrets about performing a very difficult job.

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• Date: Sunday, Sept. 27. 2026
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Sunday, Sept. 27

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• Date: Sunday, Sept. 27. 2026
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• Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

Odds are available on bet365.

NFL Week 3 Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 27

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Justin Herbert and the Chargers travel to Buffalo for a matchup with Josh Allen and the Bills, while Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs face Miami. The Ravens and Cowboys also meet in a marquee matchup, with Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott leading their respective offenses.

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• Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

NFL Week 3 Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 27

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Tyson Bagent has fully cleared the league’s concussion protocol, but the Chicago Bears won’t start him at quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles with Caleb Williams out for Monday night’s matchup.

Instead, Chicago will roll with veteran journeyman Case Keenum when it hosts Philadelphia, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported on “FOX NFL Sunday.” 

Bagent entered the league’s concussion protocol on Monday, a day after he played the final two drives in the Bears’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He cleared protocol on Sunday morning, according to Glazer. However, Bagent didn’t participate in the team’s first two practices this week, making it difficult for the Bears to implement the game plan with him at quarterback, as Glazer noted.

Keenum, 38, will make his first start since 2023, when he went 1-1 in a pair of starts for the Houston Texans. He’s made only two other starts since the turn of the decade, going 2-0 with the Cleveland Browns in 2021. Keenum is 30-36 all-time as a starter, throwing 77 touchdowns and 51 interceptions in those 66 starts.

Bagent, meanwhile, has been listed as the Bears’ No. 2 quarterback. He’s 2-2 as a starter in his four-year career.

As for Williams, he didn’t practice at all this week after suffering a hamstring injury on Sunday. After initial concerns that the injury would keep him out long-term, Williams is week-to-week. Chicago hasn’t placed him on injured reserve, which would’ve ruled him out for four games. 

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NFL Week 3 Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 27

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After the New York Giants lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury in Week 2, all eyes turned to the team’s backups. Is Jameis Winston the solution for the rest of this season, or could a trade or free-agent signing be on the horizon? 

During “FOX NFL Sunday,” insider Jay Glazer provided clarity on the team’s mindset: New York is exploring multiple quarterback options. 

“The Giants are actually going to be pretty aggressive,” Glazer said. “They’ve been calling teams all week. They’d like to add one, possibly two quarterbacks by as early as tomorrow.”

One name frequently mentioned among potential targets is veteran Joe Flacco. He has plenty of history with head coach John Harbaugh, having won Super Bowl XLVII together with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. However, Glazer doesn’t expect Flacco to be among the Giants’ options.

“No, it’s not going to be Joe Flacco,” Glazer said. “I know everyone puts him and John Harbaugh together, but they are looking around. If they’re looking for a veteran quarterback, there’s one guy, Jimmy Garoppolo, who is out there as a free agent right now.

“They’re also looking at other quarterbacks. I’ve seen [Arizona Cardinals backup] Gardner Minshew — they’re not going after him,” Glazer said. “[San Francisco 49ers backup] Mac Jones, they haven’t made calls about him. But they are being aggressive, and they could possibly add two other guys.”

One of the more intriguing possibilities for the Giants is Kansas City Chiefs backup Justin Fields, who previously played for the New York Jets. His familiarity with MetLife Stadium, paired with a dual-threat skill set similar to Dart’s, makes him a compelling fit for the offense.

“Justin Fields is one of those guys [that the Giants] are thinking about,” Glazer said.

Winston gets the start against the Tennessee Titans, but his leash could be short as the Giants maintain playoff aspirations. All eyes now turn to general manager Joe Schoen to see just how aggressive the Giants will be on the trade market.

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NFL Week 3 Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 27

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Florida made a massive jump in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and landed in the top 10 for the first time in five years while four new teams joined the rankings in a major shuffle.

The Gators’ 24-point win over then-No. 4 Mississippi under first-year coach Jon Sumrall on Saturday earned them a 13-rung promotion to No. 8, their highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021.

Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame continued to hold the top three spots, Miami was a season-high No. 4 and Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and BYU completed the top 10.

The Longhorns received 62 first-place votes from the media voting panel, four more than last week, after they held off Tennessee 20-17 in their first road game.

Georgia, coming off a convincing win over Oklahoma and outscoring opponents by an average of 41.5 points per game, got six first-place votes, double its number last week. Miami and Indiana each received one first-place vote.

Mississippi State moved up eight spots to No. 16, its highest ranking in four years, for beating Missouri at home. Oregon was up five spots to No. 15 after winning on the road against Southern California. Houston also moved up five spots to No. 20 after winning at Georgia Southern.

Iowa earned its highest ranking since 2021, at No. 14, for knocking off Michigan on the road on the final play of the game.

Seven ranked teams lost in Week 4 and four dropped out of the poll. Penn State took the biggest fall, going from No. 13 to unranked after losing to Wisconsin at home.

In and out

No. 19 Oklahoma State, which won at West Virginia for its third straight victory after losing 21 straight against Bowl Subdivision opponents, is ranked for the first time in two years.

No. 22 Boise State of the Pac-12 is the first Group of Six team to crack the Top 25 this season. The Broncos’ 25-point win at Western Michigan was their third straight win after a narrow loss at Oregon. They hadn’t been ranked since the 2025 preseason poll.

No. 23 UCLA is 4-0 for the first time in four years after a 51-point road win over Maryland and is ranked for the first time in three years.

No. 24 Kentucky followed its win at Texas A&M with an easy victory at South Alabama to earn its first ranking since 2023.

In addition to Penn State, Michigan, Louisville and Texas A&M fell out of the Top 25.

Poll points

— Florida’s rise was the biggest since LSU leapt 14 spots, from No. 25 to No. 11, on Sept. 4, 2018.

— The Big 12’s five ranked teams are the most since the conference had the same number ranked Oct. 26, 2025. It’s just the sixth time in the 2020s the Big 12 has had that many in the Top 25.

— Georgia is in the Top 25 for the 700th time, which is 10th-most all-time.

— Alabama made its 300th straight appearance in the Top 25, the longest active streak and nearly double that of the next team (Georgia, 153).

Keelon Russell threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another in Alabama’s win over South Carolina. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images)

–>

Conference call

SEC (10 ranked teams): No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Mississippi, No. 11 LSU, No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 17 Tennessee, No. 24 Kentucky, No. 25 Missouri.

Big Ten (6): No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 Iowa, No. 15 Oregon, No. 18 USC, No. 23 UCLA).

Big 12 (5): No. 10 BYU, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 13 Utah, No. 19 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Houston.

ACC (2): No. 4 Miami, No. 21 SMU.

Pac-12 (1): No. 22 Boise State.

Independent (1): No. 3 Notre Dame.

Ranked vs. ranked

No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa: Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 when they last visited Kinnick Stadium, in 2017, and the 55-24 loss killed their playoff hopes.

No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State: Crimson Tide have won 16 straight in the series, and most of the games haven’t been close.

No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri: Tigers have won last two meetings in Columbia, on a field goal with 5 seconds left in 2023 and on a 2-point conversion pass in overtime in 2021.

Full AP Top 25: 

25. Missouri
24. Kentucky
23. UCLA
22. Boise State
21. SMU
20. Houston
19. Oklahoma State
18. USC
17. Tennessee
16. Mississippi State
15. Oregon
14. Iowa
13. Utah
12. Texas Tech
11. LSU
10. BYU
9. Ole Miss
8. Florida
7. Alabama
6. Indiana
5. Ohio State
4. Miami (Fla.)
3. Notre Dame
2. Georgia
1. Texas

Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 102, Duke 101, Penn State 98, Wake Forest 88, Virginia Tech 86, Michigan 54, Pittsburgh 52, Nebraska 36, Louisville 25, Cincinnati 20, James Madison 10, Arizona 8, Minnesota 7, North Dakota State 6, Northwestern 1

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning never misses an opportunity to make a statement, and Saturday night was no exception.

The Ducks pulled off a convincing 41-27 win over the No. 12 USC Trojans on the road, but it came at a steep price. Early in the game, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was carted off on a backboard and in a neck brace following a violent late hit by linebacker Desman Stephens II.

Tensions boiled over early, with players from both teams needing to be separated. Once the clock hit zero in Oregon’s win, Lanning didn’t hold back, calling the Stephens hit “disgusting,” and saying, “I don’t think you’d ever see that from our players.”

Lanning also took a jab at Lincoln Riley and the USC football program, pointing out that it took a visit from Oregon to fill the Los Angeles Coliseum. Through their first three home games, the Trojans have struggled to fill the stadium.

“It’s hard to play in a tough environment,” Lanning said. “I told our players, I watched three of their TV games and I haven’t seen a game packed yet. It was packed tonight. So I guess when the Ducks show up, that’s how you fill up the Coliseum, and we got to take advantage of that.”

Lanning didn’t stop there. 

He flexed his 3–0 record against the Trojans since arriving in Eugene, reinforcing the gap between the two programs. He then took a shot at USC’s Hollywood image by suggesting the Trojans care more about glitz and concerts than actual football.

“Three wins against these guys,” Lanning said. “I guess if you’re interested in winning football games and you’re from this area, you should go to Oregon. If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, you should go here.”

After struggling in Week 1 against Boise State and getting upset by Oklahoma State in Week 2, Lanning appears to have lit a fire under the Ducks. Sitting at 3-1 with a dominant win over USC, Oregon looks locked in heading into the heart of its Big Ten slate.

Moore is in concussion protocol but appears to have avoided serious injury. In his absence, backup Dylan Raiola led the Ducks to victory and will fill in until Moore’s return. USC’s Stephens, meanwhile, has reportedly been suspended a game by the team. 

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