5 Times a Backup QB Rewrote NFL History

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5 Times a Backup QB Rewrote NFL History

SUPER BOWL XXXVI Feb 3, 2002 New Orleans, LA, USA FILE PHOTO New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady 12 in action against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome. The Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17 and Brady was named the games most valuable player. New Orleans Louisiana UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xUSAxTODAYxSportsx 4817974 ©IMAGO/USA TODAY Network

Luke Hubbard · EssentiallySports

Mon, Mar 16, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Backup quarterback is one of the best jobs in America. You get paid a boatload of money, get to travel the country, and don't have to take a massive beating. All you have to do is sit on the bench and rake in the dough…until you don't.

Having a really good backup quarterback is incredibly important. It's very likely that at some point during the season, your starting quarterback is going to get hurt, and the backup will need to go in. And when he does, you don't want your offense to miss a beat. Usually, that doesn't happen, but occasionally, a backup comes in and gives us a generational performance.

Here are five backup quarterbacks who rewrote NFL history.

5. Doug Williams Goes From Backup to Super Bowl MVP

Bildnummer: 01397403 Datum: 31.01.1988 Copyright: imago/Icon SMIQuarterback Doug Williams (Washington Redskins) mit der Pille – PUBLICATION FOR GERMAN, SWISS, AUSTRIAN AND HUNGARIAN MEDIA ONLY (Icon5000055); quer, Ei, Wurf, werfen, Pass, passen, Paß, Paßversuch, Passversuch NFL 1987/1988, Super Bowl XXII, Superbowl, Finale Endspiel, Vdia San Diego American Football Herren Mannschaft USA Einzelbild Aktion Personen

After five seasons in Tampa Bay, where Doug Williamsreally wasn't anything special, Williams struggled to find a starting job. He didn't record a single stat from 1982 to 1985, and in 1986, he joined the Washington Redskins . Williams hardly played in 1986, but in 1987, he got his chance to play the final five regular-season games, and he played well, throwing for 1,156 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He played well enough to earn the starting job heading into the playoffs, and the rest is history.

Williams helped the Redskins rattle off three straight playoff wins while throwing for 666 yards and seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. In Super Bowl XXII, Williams recorded 340 passing yards and four passing touchdowns as the Redskins routed the Broncos , 42-10. Williams became the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and he took home Super Bowl MVP.

Williams earned the starting job in 1988, but could never replicate the success he found late in 1987. And by 1989, he would play his final snap in the league. But man, what a run he had in the 1987 playoffs.

4. Steve Young Takes Over for Joe Montana

Steve Young'stime in Tampa Bay didn't go too well, so in 1987, Young joined the San Francisco 49ers to back up legendary quarterback Joe Montana. He sat behind Montana for four seasons before taking over as the starter in 1991, but he obviously learned a lot from his predecessor, because once he got the starting job, he never looked back.

Young won the MVP award twice, in 1992 and 1994, after totaling 4,000+ yards and 29+ touchdowns in both years. Young also led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 1994, where he threw a Super Bowl record six touchdown passes as the 49ers routed the Chargers 49-26. He never won another one, but he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league throughout his time as the 49ers' starter.

Young went from being a backup for four years to becoming a two-time MVP and Super Bowl champion. Not many have had the same turnaround.

3. Nick Foles Leads Eagles to the Super Bowl

February 4, 2018 – Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A – Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles waved during the victory celebration after Super Bowl LII. JEFF WHEELER

The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles looked on track to win the Super Bowl, but once MVP frontrunner Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL, things started to look bleak. At least that's what everyone thought.

Insert Nick Foles.Outside of a phenomenal season in 2013, Foles' career was disappointing. He couldn't really cut it as a starter, but he carved out a nice career as a backup. So when Wentz went down, and Foles came in, nobody expected their offense to be just as good, if not better, than it was before.

Foles' first game as the starter was amazing. He threw four touchdowns and no picks in a 34-29 win over the New York Giants , and he followed it up with another win over the Oakland Raiders . He played sparingly in the Eagles' final regular-season game, which they lost, but things were looking up for the postseason.

In the Divisional Round, Foles threw for 246 yards with a 76 percent completion rate to help the Eagles knock off the Atlanta Falcons , 15-10. Then, in the NFC Championship, Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers as the Eagles dominated the Minnesota Vikings , 38-7. But that wasn't even his best game.

In the Super Bowl, it was Nick Foles vs Tom Brady . Nobody expected Foles to keep pace with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he absolutely did, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns while also catching the famous Philly Special touchdown as the Eagles won a shootout. Foles put together one of the most memorable playoff runs in NFL history.

2. Kurt Warner Headlines One of the Greatest Offenses in NFL History

NFL, American Football Herren, USA St. Louis Rams at Oakland Raiders St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner. The Raiders defeated the Rams, 7-6, during an NFL football game, Friday, Aug. 8, 2003, in Oakland, Calif. Oakland California United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xImagexofxSportx ImagexofxSportx iosphotos211627

After Kurt Warnerwas released by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, he got a job at a grocery store and thought his NFL career was over. He played in the Arena Football League and was eventually picked up by the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He served as a backup that season but earned the starting job in 1999, and the rest is history.

In his first season as a starter, Warner threw for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while leading the Rams to the Super Bowl. Their high-powered offense was dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf" and is widely regarded as one of the best offenses in NFL history. Warner would return to the Super Bowl two more times – once as a Ram and once as a Cardinal – but never won another ring.

Warner retired with 32,344 passing yards and 208 touchdowns while playing 12 seasons in the NFL. Can you imagine the numbers he would've put up if he were able to start before he was 28 years old?

1. Tom Brady Goes From Backup to GOAT

The most classic example of a backup rewriting history is none other than Tom Brady. The former 6th-round pick was never supposed to be anything in the league. He was drafted as a backup to Drew Bledsoe, but once Bledsoe got hurt early in the 2001 season, Brady took over and never gave the job back.

Brady won 10 of his 14 regular-season starts in 2001 before leading the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first year as a starter. He threw for 145 yards and a touchdown in the franchise's first Super Bowl victory, and after that, he went on to have the single most successful career in NFL history, winning seven Super Bowls and winning three MVPs.

Just because you're a backup quarterback doesn't mean you can't make a lasting impact on the NFL. These five guys proved that.

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