Imagine strolling into work on Sunday, decked in full pads, knowing there’s a 99% chance you won’t break a sweat – but you’ll still collect a hefty paycheck. That’s the life of the NFL backup quarterback.
It might just be the best gig in sports: minimal playing time, infinitesimal injury risk, and a front-row seat to every game, all while making a fortune. In fact, some backup QBs have made careers (and tens of millions) out of holding a clipboard.
Below, we highlight several current and former quarterbacks who exemplify just how lucrative long-term backup duty can be, complete with eye-popping earnings, modest stat lines, and humorous anecdotes showing how little they actually played.
Chase Daniel (Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Chase Daniel – $42 Million for 5 Starts
Chase Daniel has become the poster child for the career backup QB. Spanning 14 seasons with five NFL teams (Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, Bears, Lions, Chargers), Daniel backed up stars like Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes without ever being a long-term starter. He only had five career starts and attempted just 274 passes in the NFL. That’s less than some QBs throw in a single season.
Despite the sparse playing time, Chase Daniel has banked around $42 million over his career, which ranks him among the top 65 highest-paid QBs ever. That comes out to roughly $8.3 million per game started. By 2018, he had just two career starts and 78 pass attempts, while punters like Johnny Hekker had thrown more passes. Each of his nine touchdown passes is worth over $4.6 million in salary. Daniel is hailed as the ultimate con man — earning more per throw than most people make in a decade.
Drew Stanton – $32 Million to Be a Mentor
Drew Stanton spent 14 seasons in the NFL as the consummate backup. He held the clipboard for Matthew Stafford in Detroit and Carson Palmer in Arizona. He had a brief starting stint in 2014 when Palmer got hurt, going 5–3, but that was the exception. After 2014, he only started five more games.
Despite just 17 career starts, Stanton earned nearly $32 million, or about $1.9 million per start. His lifetime stat line includes a 20:24 TD:INT ratio and just 38 total games played. The Cardinals and Browns paid handsomely for his leadership and preparedness, not his performance. He represents the type of backup who sticks around for his veteran presence more than anything else.
Brock Osweiler – $41 Million and a Ring
Brock Osweiler is best known as Peyton Manning’s apprentice in Denver, who stepped in for a 5–2 run in 2015. That cameo earned him a four-year, $72 million deal with the Texans. But he underperformed, going 8–6, and was traded after just one season. Cleveland paid him nearly $16 million not to play a single down. He bounced to Miami and had a brief stint with the Dolphins, but his starting days were mostly over.
With 30 starts and a 15–15 career record, Osweiler earned about $41 million. That works out to around $1.38 million per start. In the end, he was paid superstar money for average results, all stemming from one good run in Denver. It was the ultimate example of “flash in the pan” leading to cash in the bank.
Kevin Kolb – $29 Million for a Flash of Promise
Kevin Kolb was once seen as Donovan McNabb’s successor in Philadelphia. He showed flashes of potential, enough for the Cardinals to give him a $63 million contract in 2011. But injuries and inconsistency plagued his Arizona tenure. He started just 14 games over two seasons before concussion issues ended his career.
Kolb played in 34 games total (21 starts) and earned about $29 million, which breaks down to $1.38 million per start — the same as Osweiler. In hindsight, he got rich off a half-season of promise. It’s a reminder that being in the right place at the right time can lead to generational wealth in the NFL.
Charlie Whitehurst – $17.5 Million Without Breaking a Sweat
Charlie Whitehurst, aka “Clipboard Jesus,” is legendary among backup QBs. He spent his first four years in San Diego without throwing a single pass. Seattle still gave him a two-year, $8 million deal in 2010. He made a few spot starts but never impressed. Later stints in San Diego, Tennessee, and Cleveland followed the same pattern.
He ended his career with just nine starts across 11 seasons and earned about $17.5 million. At one point, the Chargers paid him over $5 million without him attempting a single pass. He went more than 2,000 days between being drafted and throwing his first NFL pass. If there’s a Hall of Fame for doing the bare minimum on the field while getting rich, Whitehurst is first-ballot.
Matt Flynn – $19 Million for One Glorious Game
Matt Flynn had one brilliant game — 480 yards and six touchdowns in Week 17 of 2011 — and it changed his life. Seattle signed him to a three-year, $19.5 million contract based almost solely on that performance. But rookie Russell Wilson beat him out in training camp. Flynn threw just nine passes for Seattle.
He went on to start a few games for the Raiders and Packers, but the shine had worn off. Still, he earned about $19 million for just seven starts, making him one of the most overpaid backups in NFL history based on total playing time. That one game alone set him up for life.
Matt Flynn (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Luke McCown – $17.3 Million and a Commercial Deal
Luke McCown spent 14 years in the NFL with just 10 career starts. His 2–8 starter record didn’t scream long-term potential, but teams loved his professionalism and attitude. He backed up Byron Leftwich, Josh Freeman, and Drew Brees, and rarely saw the field.
McCown might be better known for starring in a Verizon commercial comparing himself to a backup generator. It was a clever bit of self-awareness. He earned more than $17 million in his career, largely by staying healthy and holding a headset.
Chad Henne – $39.7 Million and Two Rings
Chad Henne started off as a starter in Miami and Jacksonville, but his second act in Kansas City was pure backup bliss. He served as Patrick Mahomes‘ safety net, rarely entering games except in blowouts or preseason. From 2014 to 2020, he didn’t start a single game, but kept getting paid.
He eventually made a playoff appearance, subbing in for Mahomes and leading a game-clinching drive in 2021. Henne retired after winning two Super Bowls and earning close to $40 million across 15 seasons. He played smart, stayed ready, and got rewarded.
The Enviable Life of the Backup QB
These quarterbacks earned well over $250 million combined, and most of them barely played. While fans debate starter stats and playoff wins, these guys quietly collected millions by being good teammates, studying film, and being ready for emergencies that usually never came.
Backup quarterback might just be the best job in America. No hits, no blame, plenty of cash, and maybe even a Super Bowl ring or two. They didn’t get the glory. But they got something better: a long, wealthy career with almost zero damage to their bodies or reputations.
Being the second-string never looked so smart.
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