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Mac Jones was the 12th-most efficient quarterback in the NFL last season — so why is he still a backup in San Francisco? And how does Tua Tagovailoa, a top-eight efficiency quarterback three years running, end up as the No. 2 name on a list of backups? These are the five quarterbacks who decide whether a lost month in October becomes a lost season, and the ranking says the 49ers are sitting on the most valuable insurance policy in football. Jacob makes the case that Jones has already played his way into another starting conversation.
We cover all this, plus Fernando Mendoza and the rest of the top five backup quarterbacks in the NFL going into 2026, in a rapid-fire ranked rundown hosted by PFN’s Jacob Infante. Every name here comes with a real argument attached — efficiency numbers, depth chart reality, and where each quarterback goes next. Twelve teams will need their second quarterback before Thanksgiving. The ones holding a name off this list are the ones still playing in January.
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The Hottest Takes You’ll Hear
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*Mac Jones posted a 78.9 QB impact score, 12th in the NFL, grading out as a more efficient passer than Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts while covering for Brock Purdy, and his 69.6 completion percentage trailed only Drake Maye league-wide — the reason Jacob expects a team to offer him a starting job once his 49ers contract expires.
*Tua Tagovailoa ranked inside the top eight in QB impact score every season from 2022 through 2024, including eighth at 82.4 in 2024, before falling to 28th at 72.1 as Miami came apart around him. Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and a solid Falcons offensive line are the case for the older version returning in Atlanta.
*Fernando Mendoza put up a 93.3 QB impact score, second in the entire FBS, led the nation in passing touchdowns and net yards per attempt, and turned Indiana into an undefeated national champion. Jacob’s position is blunt: Mendoza should already be ahead of Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, and the depth chart is the only thing arguing otherwise.
*Marcus Mariota finished 17th in the NFL at 75.2, ahead of Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams, and Baker Mayfield, with the sixth-best completion percentage over expected in the league at plus 4.1 percent and a 49.6 success rate that ranked ninth. At 32, he is still the steadiest emergency answer in the sport.
*Davis Mills went 3-0 in three starts for Houston, led three game-winning drives in six games, and finished with a 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio after interceptions nearly ended his run as a starter. That is the exact profile Houston needs if C.J. Stroud misses time.
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