Oftentimes, keeping a quarterback healthy is just as critical to an NFL team’s playoff chances as anything else.

There’s arguably no apples-to-apples comparison for how much the quarterback position aligns with a football team’s potential vs. any other position in sports. And already, at the halfway mark of the 2026 NFL season, a collection of teams have been forced to turn deeper into their passing depth charts than anticipated.

Whether due to injuries or poor performance, Week 9 features some unlikely names taking QB1 snaps — with some of those situations being better than others.

Here’s a ranking of the unlikely QB1 situations across NFL Week 9 games, with the lowest-ranked being the best situation, and the highest-ranked being the ugliest situation.

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7. Drew Lock, Seahawks

How they got here

Sam Darnold was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals due to a quad injury, though it will not be a long-term absence. Per ESPN, head coach Mike MacDonald said Darnold is considered week-to-week, will not be placed on IR and will have a chance to play in Week 10 before a Week 11 bye.

Drew Lock is also dealing with an elbow injury that led to him being inactive the last two games, per ESPN, but he’s expected to start as long as he’s ready to go.

It likely marks Lock’s second starting stint of the season — Darnold was injured early in Week 1 and missed the following game, also against Arizona.

Where they go from here

Right now, Lock has a case as the best backup quarterback in the NFL. Over Weeks 1 and 2, he totaled 422 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Patriots and Cardinals, both wins for Seattle. For the most part, Lock can run the Seahawks’ offense at the same level as Darnold; his presence in Week 9 against Arizona doesn’t change much, with the Seahawks already significant favorites to grab a win.

There also doesn’t appear to be much concern for Darnold’s long-term outlook. If he’s not back by Week 10, then he should be on the field after Seattle’s Week 11 bye.

Unless Lock is forced to miss Sunday’s game due to his elbow injury — which would thrust Jalen Milroe into his first career start — there’s little reason for the Seahawks to be concerned with their quarterback situation over the next few weeks. Lock has proven himself already.

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6. JJ McCarthy, Giants

How they got here

After Jaxson Dart’s unfortunate early-season injury, initially, the Giants appeared open to allowing Jameis Winston to take over as QB1 for the rest of the season. But as Winston remained unimpressive, and the rest of the NFC East struggled, New York swung a trade for a new starter.

JJ McCarthy struggled in his lone season as a starter in Minnesota, enough so that the Vikings were willing to part ways with their former first-rounder in exchange for 2027 fifth-round pick. After initially taking on a backup role, McCarthy entered the game in Week 6 and hasn’t let go of the starting job since.

Where they go from here

Unexpectedly, McCarthy has already proven himself as a starting-level NFL quarterback over the last few weeks — and he may just be good enough for the Giants to win a bad NFC East this year.

After his lights-out fourth quarter in a loss to the Saints, McCarthy led New York to a win over Houston on Oct. 25, throwing for 252 yards in an overtime victory. It’s been a limited sample size, but McCarthy has been sufficient enough with his offensive weapons, including tight end Isiah Likely and receiver Malik Nabers, to keep the Giants competitive.

Based on what John Harbaugh has seen over the last two games, McCarthy may be the perfect filler quarterback in Dart’s absence for the rest of 2026. If he can avoid turnovers, New York has a clear path to the playoffs, making this a best-case backup scenario so far after Dart’s injury.

5. Gardner Minshew, Cardinals

How they got here

This past offseason, the Cardinals decided to run it back with Jacoby Brissett as QB1 after he turned in some decent numbers in 2025 while taking over for Kyler Murray. As Arizona decided upon its next franchise quarterback — whether rookie Carson Beck or a 2027 draft selection — Brissett was supposed to keep the offense afloat, at least to start the 2026 season.

That wound up lasting eight games. Brissett threw seven interceptions and posted a 79.7 quarterback rating, and the final straw for head coach Mike LaFleur was the veteran’s inability to take advantage of a struggling Cowboys secondary in Week 8.

Rather than give Beck his first NFL snaps, LaFleur stuck with another veteran, rolling out journeyman Gardner Minshew to finish out the game against Dallas. And it wound up being the decision that led to Arizona’s third win of the season.

Minshew torched the Cowboys for 188 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win, proving he has plenty left in the tank as an NFL backup.

Where they go from here

For now, Minshew has the keys to the Cardinals’ offense. LaFleur said earlier this week that Minshew would remain the starter in Week 9 against the Seahawks, while the team has also reportedly struck a deal to send Brissett to the Ravens. Beck will be the backup to Minshew moving forward.

However, it would not be surprising to see Beck on the field soon. Even if Minshew brings more life to the Cardinals’ offense in the coming weeks, at some point, Arizona will likely want to see what it has in the former Georgia and Miami passer; LaFleur said the rookie is “feeling really good right now” as he becomes QB2, per ESPN, and he’ll be getting reps with the scout team.  

MORE: Why the Cowboys should — and should not — trade George Pickens

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4. Carson Wentz, Vikings

How they got here

A Kyler Murray injury means the Vikings will once again be turning to Carson Wentz for a spot start in Week 9 against the Bills.

Murray is dealing with a strained hamstring, Kevin O’Connell said, an injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s loss to Detroit last week. He will not be placed on IR, O’Connell said, but Murray also hasn’t been as effective as the Vikings might’ve hoped despite their 6-1 start.

Earlier this season, Murray missed two games due to a concussion, which led to Wentz beating both the Packers and Bears, throwing for a total of 276 yards and three touchdowns. Now, he’ll take over for another big game, running Minnesota’s offense against Buffalo.

Where they go from here

Should Wentz lead the Vikings to a win over the Bills, things could get a little interesting with Minnesota’s quarterback situation.

The reason the Vikings started out 6-0 had little to do with Murray, who has thrown for five touchdowns and three interceptions while taking 15 sacks. Per ESPN, Murray’s QBR (44.7) ranks No. 26 out of 30 qualified quarterbacks — yet Minnesota has been winning anyway, thanks to its elite defense. Murray has struggled to get the ball to star receiver Justin Jefferson.

Wentz didn’t just lead the Vikings’ offense to two wins earlier this season; he was far more effective at feeding Jefferson. Considering Minnesota is in the thick of the NFC playoff race, it needs better quarterback play.

If Wentz looks far better than Murray in Week 9, there’s potential for some quarterback drama in Minnesota. 

3. Shedeur Sanders, Browns

How they got here

Coming into the 2026 season, it was anticipated that Shedeur Sanders would have at least one or two opportunities to start for the Browns despite Deshaun Watson opening the year as QB1. As it turned out, Cleveland was more competitive behind Watson than expected.

The Browns are off to a 5-3 start, led by a talented, young defense and an offense that has often come alive in the fourth quarter. The longer the Browns remain playoff contenders, the longer Watson will be QB1 in Cleveland — but on Wednesday, the team announced Watson was in the concussion protocol.

Watson reported symptoms to the Browns’ staff on Tuesday morning after taking a hit from Jaquan Brisker last week, putting his status in question against the Saints in Week 9. While he hasn’t yet been ruled out by the Browns, Sanders would be in line to take over as QB1.

Where they go from here

Watson’s success so far this season, at least from a team perspective, means he should retain his starting role once he’s healthy again. Had the Browns’ season started worse, as many expected, Sanders may have been starting by now. But the potential for a winning season has changed the dynamic.

Sanders started seven games as a rookie, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. I

If Sanders does start against the Saints in Week 9, it may be one of his few opportunities to prove to Cleveland that he belongs in the running to be the team’s franchise quarterback. Watson should be returning to his starting job after clearing concussion protocol.

MORE: SN’s midseason All-Pro team

2. Joe Milton, Eagles

How they got here

It has been a rough year for the Eagles, hit with a plethora of injuries all at once. On top of ailments to Devonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Landon Dickerson, Tank Bigsby and more — plus the subtractions of offensive linemen Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson — the biggest blow was Jalen Hurts’ blood clot situation, which ended his 2026 season.

Originally, Hurts’ blood clot was anticipated to only keep him out for a few weeks, but further tests revealed multiple blood clots in both of his lungs. He was placed on IR, expected to miss the rest of the year.

Rather than trade for a quarterback, the Eagles moved forward with backup Tanner McKee starting each of the last three games, all of which were losses for Philadelphia. McKee threw for 638 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

With the Eagles already clearly heading for a lost season, sitting at 2-6 and on a six-game losing streak, Nick Sirianni decided to make a change heading into a Week 9 game against the Giants. Joe Milton, who was signed off Dallas’ practice squad on Oct. 16, will be starting against New York. 

Where they go from here

It remains unclear, for the most part, and largely depends on how Milton looks against the Giants.

A former sixth-round pick, Milton hasn’t taken many NFL snaps, but has been a backup with the Patriots and Cowboys. He’s known for having a rocket of an arm and one of the best deep balls in the league, but turnovers and consistency issues have prevented him from finding a more significant role.

If Milton plays well against New York, he’ll likely continue starting for the Eagles, who are reaching a point in which they’ll simply want to assess their young talent for 2027 and beyond. Hurts is the franchise quarterback, set to return to his QB1 job in 2027 barring his health situation, but Milton could play well enough to secure a longer-term backup job.

If not, Sirianni could either turn back to McKee or see what the team added in fifth-round rookie Cole Payton.

1. Joe Fagnano, Ravens

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Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

How they got here

A nightmare Week 8. A matchup against the Bills last week was supposed to be Lamar Jackson’s return from injury after a multi-game absence, but it quickly became an even worse scenario for Baltimore.

Jackson hurt his right thumb while throwing on the Ravens’ first offensive play vs. Buffalo, and head coach Jessie Minter said he would be out indefinitely with the potential that it is a season-ending injury.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Ravens’ top backup, Tyler Huntley, also exited vs. Buffalo with a turf toe injury on his right foot — and now, per ESPN, he’s also expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season. 

Typically, Huntley has played well enough to keep Baltimore afloat without Jackson. That won’t be an option this time around, and the 4-4 Ravens faced some urgency entering their Thursday night game against Jacksonville, ultimately a 33-10 loss.

Former UConn undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano was forced to take over as the Ravens’ emergency third quarterback in Week 8, and he started again against the Jaguars. Fagnano threw for 91 yards and an interception against the Bills, then 60 yards and two interceptions against Jacksonville.

Where they go from here

Things are not going well in the Ravens’ quarterback room. Fagnano clearly offered little upside as he was thrust into a massive position, throwing three interceptions in two games while failing to break the 100-yard passing mark in either. Backups Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed are also extremely inexperienced. Reinforcements are expected soon, though.

ESPN reported on Wednesday that Baltimore is finalizing a trade with Arizona for Brissett, expected to be completed this weekend.

Brissett is expected to take over as Minter’s QB1 moving forward, attempting to lead the Ravens toward the playoffs at 4-5 but with some favorable upcoming matches. He’s far more experienced than any of their other options, and while Brissett has struggled in 2026, he’s had successful stints in the past as a high-volume passer who can distribute the ball to top weapons.

By the time the Ravens take on the Chargers in Week 10, chances are, Brissett will be making his team debut. But the Jackson and Huntley injuries have shaken up the AFC North race; Baltimore was put into a situation no NFL team wants to be in, turning to an undrafted rookie quarterback in Week 9.

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