NFL

5 Backup Quarterbacks Get Mixed Reviews for Week 3

Five NFL teams fielded backup quarterbacks, with varied results.
5 Backup Quarterbacks Get Mixed Reviews for Week 3
Carson Wentz (11) of the Minnesota Vikings warms up against the Atlanta Falcons before the game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 14, 2025. David Berding/Getty Images
Matthew Davis
|Updated:
0:00

While Week 3 ended on Monday with two of the NFL’s top starting quarterbacks—Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff—taking the field, five teams fielded backup quarterbacks on Sunday.

Carson Wentz, Mac Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Jake Browning, and Marcus Mariota all filled in for their respective teams and delivered mixed results. For Wentz and Browning, their teams went head-to-head, so only one team was going to come away truly pleased with the result.

​Homecoming for Carson Wentz

​Wentz grew up a Minnesota Vikings fan, and the former No. 2 pick suited up for his childhood team on Sunday.
Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
Author
Matthew Davis is an experienced, award-winning journalist who has covered major professional and college sports for years. His writing has appeared on Heavy, the Star Tribune, and The Catholic Spirit. He has a degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University.