QB depth charts for every team if 2016 NFL season started today
— -- NFL Nation reporters predict what all 32 quarterback depth charts will look like if the regular season started tomorrow. Each depth chart is listed in sequential order (starter, then second-string, then third-string -- if applicable).
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Cardale Jones
It's a rarity as of late in Buffalo, but the Bills don't have any questions as to their QB depth chart this season. Taylor is the undisputed starter; Manuel will play out the final season of his rookie deal as the primary backup and probably head elsewhere for 2017; and the Bills feel the No. 3 job is the ideal spot for Jones to develop as a rookie. -- Mike Rodak
Miami Dolphins
Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Brandon Doughty
Tannehill is the unquestioned starter despite four uneven seasons, but coach Adam Gase is confident he can get Tannehill consistently playing his best football. Moore is a longtime veteran and a solid backup. Doughty, a rookie seventh-round pick, is pushing for a roster spot as the No. 3 quarterback. -- James Walker
New England Patriots
Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
With Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, some have wondered if the club might add another signal-caller as an added layer of depth. But it would hardly be surprising if the Patriots simply stick with Garoppolo (2014 second round) and Brissett (2016 third round) until Brady returns. -- Mike Reiss
New York Jets
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg
It might seem crazy, but the Jets are thinking about keeping four quarterbacks on the final 53. Fitzpatrick, the undisputed starter, and Hackenberg, a second-round pick, are locks. Smith probably will stick because he's the only backup with NFL experience. Petty could be the odd-man out, but only if he implodes in the preseason. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett, Josh Johnson
Flacco is the unquestioned starter, especially after he has answered all the questions about his surgically repaired left knee in training camp. Despite not practicing this offseason, Flacco has put together one of the best camps of his nine-year career. Mallett struggled mightily in spring workouts and now in training camp, but Baltimore is committed to him as its primary backup through this season. Johnson is a training camp arm who won't be with the Ravens beyond the preseason. -- Jamison Hensley
Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton, AJ McCarron, Keith Wenning
Dalton has held down the position of starter since he was drafted in 2011, and he'll remain there this season, despite McCarron's strong play in relief of him late last year. McCarron was forced to start the Bengals' final four games of 2015 because Dalton was out with a thumb injury. It's likely the Bengals take only two quarterbacks into the regular season, but Wenning has proven to be a capable No. 3. -- Coley Harvey
Cleveland Browns
Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler
Griffin remains coach Hue Jackson's personal reclamation project. He had to play his way out of the job in preseason, and did not. McCown stays as the veteran backup and insurance in case of injury. The third QB is a toss-up between Kessler and Austin Davis, but the nod here goes to Kessler because he was Jackson's draft pick. -- Pat McManamon
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Bruce Gradkowski
Jones has solidified the backup job, and with Roethlisberger getting plenty of rest days this camp, Gradkowski is competing with project Dustin Vaughan, who has a big arm but is a bit erratic. The Steelers like the continuity a veteran such as Gradkowski brings to the quarterback room, so that gives him an advantage. As for Jones, he's throwing with more confidence than a year ago. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden, Tom Savage
Osweiler will be the Texans' starting quarterback (barring injury, of course). Though Savage has been in Houston the longest, the Texans gave Weeden a two-year contract in April after he led the Texans to two key victories to win the AFC South last season. It is Weeden's backup spot to lose. -- Sarah Barshop
Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, Stephen Morris
The Colts hope Luck will take every meaningful snap this season after he missed nine games during the 2015 season. Tolzien replaces Matt Hasselbeck as Luck's backup after spending the past two seasons as Aaron Rodgers' backup in Green Bay. Morris will be the third quarterback only if the Colts keep three. The Colts kept only two quarterbacks in each of the past two seasons. -- Mike Wells
Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen
Bortles established himself as one of the league's top young QBs last season by throwing for 35 TDs. Henne is under contract through 2017, but the Jaguars really like Allen and will carry three QBs on the active roster. They view Allen as Henne's eventual replacement, possibly as early as next season. -- Mike DiRocco
Tennessee Titans
Marcus Mariota, Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney
Cassel is connected to general manager Jon Robinson from their time together in New England. The Titans dumped Zach Mettenberger after the draft. Tanney was on the roster for the final two games of the 2015 season and played in the finale. But coach Mike Mularkey wasn't into keeping a third quarterback last year and it seems unlikely if Mariota and Cassel are healthy that there will be room for Tanney. -- Paul Kuharsky
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch
This isn't even written in pencil, let alone etched in stone. Sanchez and Siemian are in a dead heat at the moment for the starting job, and Broncos coach Gary Kubiak is in no hurry to make the decision. He wants to see how the two react to game situations in the coming preseason games as well as joint practices with the 49ers. Lynch has flashed his enormous potential but has plenty of ground to cover on the learning curve before he's in the conversation. -- Jeff Legwold
Kansas City Chiefs
Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Tyler Bray
Smith is solid as the starter but otherwise the depth chart is subject to change. Backup spots are in play for not only Foles and Bray but also the other two quarterbacks in camp, Aaron Murray and rookie Kevin Hogan. The Chiefs will depend heavily on results from the preseason games in making any future decisions. -- Adam Teicher
Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Connor Cook
Any questions? There shouldn't be, not when Carr is the established franchise QB. McGloin is entrenching himself as the backup, and Cook, who was drafted in the fourth round to the surprise of many, got off to a slow start in training camp but is starting to show more confidence. "Any young player at that position is going to come in, it's a lot of volume," coach Jack Del Rio said. "It's a lot of information to process. I think you can see each and every day he's becoming more and more comfortable, and he's doing a great job being a teammate, working within the group ... we like the way he's working." -- Paul Gutierrez
San Diego Chargers
Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Zach Mettenberger, Mike Bercovici
Rivers remains the unquestioned starter and leader of the Chargers. Clemens and Mettenberger are battling for the No. 2 job, with the experienced veteran and incumbent in Clemens leading the competition heading into the first preseason game. Bercovici has flashed at times, but is still working to pick up the nuances of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt's system. -- Eric D. Williams
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo, Dak Prescott, Jameill Showers
The broken fibula suffered by Kellen Moore has put the Cowboys on the lookout for a veteran backup, but they don't want to give up too much in either free agency or a trade. The Cowboys know what they will get from Romo, but the added practice time for Prescott and Showers is a plus. Under normal circumstances they would be splitting third-team snaps, but the extra work can help their development. Showers is a quicker decision-maker at the moment, but the Cowboys like Prescott's development so far. They just don't want to see either guy in a game right now, which makes the health of Romo even more paramount. -- Todd Archer
New York Giants
Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Logan Thomas
Manning is the clear-cut starter. Nassib, a free agent after this season who the Giants believe knows the offense forward and backward, is undoubtedly the backup. He's going to receive a majority of the playing time this preseason so they can see how he handles the pressure of live game action. Thomas is the camp arm who gets to hang around for the summer. There isn't much drama or controversy when it comes to the Giants' quarterback depth chart. -- Jordan Raanan
Philadelphia Eagles
Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz
Doug Pederson announced this would be his depth chart and the first-year head coach hasn't wavered from that. From organized team activities through minicamps to the first two weeks of training camp, Bradford has taken the first-team reps. Pederson hasn't ruled out the possibility of Wentz, the No. 2 pick in the draft, playing at some point this year. But, barring injury, he will be the No. 3 QB going into the season. -- Phil Sheridan
Washington Redskins
Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Nate Sudfeld
Cousins' strong finish in 2015 earned him $19.95 million thanks to the franchise tag and cemented his status for this season as the No. 1 guy. There's a clear order after him, too, as McCoy gives Washington an experienced backup well-versed in the system; Sudfeld has looked every bit a rookie in camp and will need to improve his accuracy to move up the depth chart in the future. -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, David Fales
Coach John Fox is sold on Cutler, who finished the 2015 season with a career best 92.3 quarterback rating. Hoyer signed with Chicago because he played for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains in Cleveland, and therefore knows the offense. Plus, the Bears paid Hoyer $750,000 in guaranteed money to back up Cutler. Fales is impressive. He is smart, accurate and reliable. Even if the Bears keep only two quarterbacks on the active 53-man roster, the organization would prefer to have Fales around in some capacity. -- Jeff Dickerson
Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Jake Rudock
No change, really. Stafford is the entrenched starter. It would be surprising to see coach Jim Caldwell go into a season without an experienced backup and Orlovsky has had a strong enough camp where he is firmly the backup quarterback. The question is whether Detroit keeps three quarterbacks or if the Lions send Rudock through waivers to place him on the practice squad. Too early to tell there. -- Michael Rothstein
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, Joe Callahan, Marquise Williams
There's no reason to think the Packers will carry any quarterbacks other than Rodgers and Hundley on the 53-man roster. However, they still need a third quarterback to run the scout team, meaning there's a practice-squad spot to be had. Callahan has shown some moxie standing in the pocket, a solid grasp of the offense and the coaches say his footwork has improved significantly since the spring. However, the NFL is a big jump for the Division III standout from Wesley College. Williams has better size, athleticism and arm strength -- and played far better competition at North Carolina -- but he came aboard late in the offseason and remains behind Callahan on the depth chart. -- Rob Demovsky
Minnesota Vikings
Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Joel Stave
With Taylor Heinicke, the Vikings' promising second-year backup, possibly out three months after severing a tendon in his foot, the Vikings could start the season with only two quarterbacks (Bridgewater and Hill). Stave was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, and might not be ready to be on a regular-season roster. There's no doubt Bridgewater is the starter, but the Vikings' depth behind him is a bit of a question mark until Heinicke is healthy. -- Ben Goessling
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Sean Renfree, Matt Simms
Schaub, who thrived in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system in the past, gives the Falcons a veteran presence behind Ryan. The Falcons kept only two QBs on the 53-man roster, so Renfree and Simms will have to either outperform Schaub or showcase their skills for another team. Schaub, who was originally drafted by the Falcons in the third round, led the NFL with 4,770 passing yards in 2009 while running Shanahan's offense with the Texans. -- Vaughn McClure
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
It has been this way the past two seasons and won't change unless there's an injury. The Panthers like having the veteran Anderson as Newton's backup. He's good enough to start for at least half the teams in the NFL, which is why the Panthers signed him last year to a two-year extension through 2017 at a relatively low price ($5 million). He won two games during the 2014 season while Newton was injured and runs some portions -- short passing game -- of the offense more efficiently than the NFL MVP. Carolina likes the versatility of Webb, a more athletic quarterback like Newton, as the third stringer. General manager Dave Gettleman doesn't typically like to keep three quarterbacks, but since Webb also can play special teams, he's a keeper. -- David Newton
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson
Brees has only one year left on his contract, but the Saints don't have a succession plan in place yet. They drafted Grayson in the third round out of Colorado State in 2015, then essentially redshirted him last year while his head was still swimming in the playbook. Grayson has looked a little more comfortable so far this summer, but he'll need to develop rapidly to steal the backup job away from McCown. The Saints have trusted the veteran McCown for several years -- and he proved why when he filled in for an injured Brees last season and nearly knocked off the Carolina Panthers on the road. -- Mike Triplett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Ryan Griffin
Glennon had 18 starts under his belt in two years, throwing 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions during that span. That might be good enough to start on other teams, but he'll continue to be Winston's backup heading into the final year of his rookie contract, unless general manager Jason Licht receives an offer he just can't pass up. -- Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals
Carson Palmer. Drew Stanton. Matt Barkley
There's no change to the Cardinals' QB depth chart. Palmer is the established starter. Stanton has been his backup since they both arrived in Arizona in 2013. And Barkley has a better sense of the offense after spending an entire offseason in the Cardinals' system. Coach Bruce Arians wants (and needs) quarterbacks who have been around a while because his scheme is so complex, so the more time a QB can spend in it, the better it is for all parties. -- Josh Weinfuss
Los Angeles Rams
Case Keenum, Jared Goff, Sean Mannion, Dylan Thompson
At the moment Keenum is the designated starter, but it's understood at some point this season Goff is going to take over the starting spot. And probably soon. The Rams are trying to be careful not to rush the 21-year-old Goff, but he's looking a little better every day in camp. The days of pampering a first-round quarterback seem over. The last five quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall -- Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston -- have opened the season as the team's starter. -- Steve Dilbeck
San Francisco 49ers
Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick, Jeff Driskel
There are two simultaneous battles going on here, first with Kaepernick and Gabbert for the starting job, then for Driskel and Thad Lewis for the No. 3 spot. Gabbert and Kaepernick is really too close to call at this early stage so we'll stick with the order of how things ended last season for now. Driskel has flashed on occasion and his combination of youth and upside would seem to give him a slight edge over Lewis. The preseason games will play a big role in deciding both competitions. -- Nick Wagoner
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson, Trevone Boykin, Jake Heaps
The Seahawks could still make a move to add a veteran backup before the season starts, but they like what they've seen from Boykin during training camp. "We will need to see him play in these games, and he will have to log a bunch of snaps before we get to the point of where we have enough background to understand what he is really going to do," coach Pete Carroll said. If Boykin impresses in the preseason, he could be the No. 2 QB. If not, the Seahawks will look elsewhere for Wilson's backup. -- Sheil Kapadia
