As we've seen throughout this offseason, most fans only focus on the backup quarterback situation on their own team, failing to take a look around the league to compare other teams' depth charts.
The bottom line is that there just aren't many teams out there who can survive losing their starter for an extended period of time as the Steelers did in 2019 with Ben Roethlisberger.
Don't think that's the case? Well, we'll take a look at the 32 backup situations around the league.
I've taken the liberty of breaking the backups around the league -- as they figure to stand heading into the 2020 season and then ranking them in their groups.
THE (LARGELY) UNPROVEN
1. Jeff Driskel, Broncos; 2. Josh Dobbs, Jaguars; 3. Logan Woodside, Titans; 4. Sean Mannion, Vikings; 5. David Fales, Jets; 6. John Wolford, Rams
Not a lot of experience in this group, with Driskel having the most, all of it coming in an 0-3 stretch last year as a rookie for the Lions.
Mannion has two starts in five seasons and is trending toward the Journeymen grouping. Dobbs has thrown just 12 career passes, but as a former fourth-round draft pick, he could potentially still have some upside.
THE JURY IS OUT
1. Mason Rudolph, Steelers; 2. Kyle Allen, Redskins, 3. Nick Mullens, 49ers; 4. Ryan Finley, Bengals; 5. Will Grier, Panthers
Driskell could have gone in this group had he not changed teams. Allen changed teams, but he's still with the same coaching staff.
Rudolph had the most success of this group last season with 13 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in 10 games. He's easily the best of the bunch and ranks ahead of everyone in the journeymen group with the exception of Brian Hoyer and Robert Griffin III.
Allen got off to a good start, then threw 16 interceptions in his final nine games. He was a turnover machine.
Mullens went 3-5 as a starter as a rookie for the 49ers in 2018, which was probably enough for him to get a 10-year career in the NFL.
Finley and Grier were both draft picks last season who got their feet wet with very poor results.
THE JOURNEYMEN
1. Brian Hoyer, Patriots; 2. Robert Griffin III, Ravens; 3. A.J. McCarron, Texans; 4. Blaine Gabbert, Buccaneers; 5. Chad Henne, Chiefs; 6. Matt Schaub, Falcons; 7. Colt McCoy, Giants; 8. Chase Daniel, Lions; 9. Matt Barkley, Bills; 10. Brett Hundley, Cardinals
What you see is largely what you get with this group. Some have been starters in their distant past. But they've shown enough flaws that those days are largely over.
Hoyer is the exception to that and could have been placed in the next group, but if everything goes as planned in New England, he'll be the backup.
Griffin has to be with the right team as the backup since he's got a distinct skillset. Baltimore is the perfect place.
The rest? Throw a blanket over them. They've had a stretch where they performed well at one point or another -- at least in theory -- but in most cases, that was long ago.
THE FORMER/FUTURE STARTERS
1. Andy Dalton, Cowboys; 2. Jameis Winston, Saints; 3. Jacoby Brissett, Colts; 4. Nick Foles, Bears; 4. Marcus Mariota, Raiders; 5. Case Keenum, Browns
This is as much about the cast around them as it their talent, but Dalton won't have an issue playing second fiddle to Dak Prescott. And if something happened to Prescott, he would step in and not miss a beat.
Winston isn't the same kind of careful quarterback as Drew Brees. He would have success stepping into the Saints' lineup, but his turnover issues could cause issues.
Brissett knows the Colts offense and could wind up back in the starting lineup if Philip Rivers struggles, while Foles could do the same in Chicago to Mitch Trubisky.
Mariota needed a change of scenery and Oakland provides that, though the weapons are young.
Keenum is the least talented of this group, but knows the offense in Cleveland and could be in the lineup if Baker Mayfield struggles. New head coach Kevin Stefanski has no ties to Mayfield but coached Keenum in Minnesota.
THE ROOKIES
1. Tua Tagoliovoa, Dolphins; 2. Justin Herbert, Chargers; 3. Jordan Love, Packers; 4. Jalen Hurts, 5. Anthony Gordon, Seahawks
Tagoliovoa and Herbert will likely end up starting at some point this season, while Love is looked at as the future in Green Bay.
Hurts is seen as more of a multi-use weapon and isn't a threat to unseat Carson Wentz anytime soon.
Gordon was a seventh-round draft pick the Seahawks are intent on going into the season with as the backup. Russell Wilson had better stay healthy.
So there it is. The anti-Rudolph crowd should look at it carefully. Realistically, of the current backups in the league, he's right around 10th in terms of what he brings to the table when the rookies are taken out of the equation.
That's why the Steelers have been so adamant in their support of him as their No. 2 quarterback.
Obviously, outside of Gordon, the teams that drafted quarterbacks this year wouldn't trade the Steelers those rookies for Rudolph straight up.
Neither would the teams with former/future starters. But the rest? Outside of Hoyer and Griffin, he's just as good as them if not better.
The difference is that Rudolph still has the potential to get better, while the players in that group have reached their potential and are all on the downside of their respective careers.
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