The Green Bay Packers have an average backup quarterback entering the 2026 season, according to Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated. Manzano ranked Taylor 16th in his backup quarterback rankings, noting that Taylor is not a game-breaker who makes big plays, but he protects the football, which makes him a perfectly average option.
Taylor has been in the NFL for an impressive 15 seasons. However, he has only been the main starter for three of them, a stint with the Buffalo Bills from 2015-17. Taylor was 22-20 as a starter during that run, but was replaced by Josh Allen.
He moved to the Cleveland Browns and backed up Baker Mayfield, then was the backup to Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2019-20. In 2021, he got another chance to start, but ended up behind Davis Mills on the Houston Texans.
Then from 2022-25, he has been in New York, with the Giants in 22-23, backing up Daniel Jones, and then on the Jets the past two years, backing up Aaron Rodgers. Before his starting chance in Buffalo, he sat behind Joe Flacco with the Baltimore Ravens.
As a backup, he has been 7-11-1. Over that time, he has had 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
The Green Bay Packers Might Need Tyrod Taylor in 2026
GettyTyrod Taylor signed with the Green Bay Packers.
This is what makes it a fair ranking. He can win a few games, but his record shows that he will only go as far as the pieces around him can go, and he is not going to hover above .500 for too long. Also, he does not throw a ton of touchdowns, but the lack of interceptions helps.
This is notable because the Packers have needed their backup quarterback in recent years. Malik Willis started five games as Jordan Love has missed time in back-to-back seasons. However, Willis has now moved on to being a starter.
Willis was not considered a high-end backup before the Packers acquired him. After a few years with the Packers, he got a starting job. Taylor is much older and will not have that outcome, but the coaching staff could bring out the best in him as it did in Willis. So, the ranking could be too low.
Packers Can Get More out of Tyrod Taylor
Taylor is right below Trey Lance of the Los Angeles Chargers and Gardner Minshew of the Arizona Cardinals. Minshew is coming off a torn ACL, and the team drafted Carson Beck to compete with Jacoby Brissett, so his ranking is likely going to look far too high. Meanwhile, Lance has untapped potential similar to Willis, but it has never shown on the field. Taylor already has more of a track record.
J.J. McCarthy and Shedeur Sanders are the next two, and once again, most teams that want a steady hand at backup would prefer Taylor over these two. Taylor lost a battle to Davis Mills, who ranked 11, so 12th might be as high as Taylor can get, but that might be a fair ranking.
In the division, McCarthy ranked 13th, and Tyson Bagent came in seventh on the Chicago Bears, but Teddy Bridgewater of the Detroit Lions was last at 21st.
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