Finding an emergency quarterback for every NFL team
If the Boy Scouts’ official motto has not taught us, then 2020 certainly has: Be prepared. As the planet in general continues to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NFL teams are not immune. Just this past week the Denver Broncos were forced to turn to practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton to start against the New Orleans Saints after the rest of the quarterback room was forced into quarantine due to potential COVID-19 exposure.
So that got us thinking. Who would other teams turn to if faced with the same situation? In the spirit of being prepared, here is a suggested emergency quarterback for each NFL team.
Arizona Cardinals: Trent Sherfield, WR
(Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
Sure, it might be fascinating to see Larry Fitzgerald take some snaps. Or you could put the super athletic Isaiah Simmons under center and see what he could do. But if the Arizona Cardinals are forced to play an emergency quarterback, Trent Sherfield makes perhaps the most sense. While in high school, Sherfield was a two-time team captain at Danville High School in Illinois. He started at quarterback as a junior and a senior, throwing for 22 touchdown passes and running for 11 more in his final high school season.
Atlanta Falcons: Russell Gage, WR
(Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage was a standout quarterback at Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In an option-based attack, Gage ran for 1,018 yards and threw for another 740 in his senior season. You can still see some of his highlights on Hudl, and in this video you can see Gage's ability as both a running quarterback and his ability to throw on the move.
(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
We get our first punter of the list! Sam Koch is well-known as one of the NFL's best punters, with an array of punting styles to suit any situation. But he is also adept at fake punts and kicks. On his career Koch has completed all seven of his passing attempts for 82 yards and five first downs, for a perfect completion percentage and an NFL passer rating of 115.5. We just need to get him a touchdown pass or two. In fact, his passing prowess often results in Koch throwing to the team's receivers during pregame warm-ups.
Buffalo Bills: Cole Beasley, WR
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
To their credit, the Buffalo Bills have been one of the forward-thinking teams when it comes to handling their quarterback room during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rookie Jake Fromm has been separated from the rest of the team, practicing on his own and staying distant from the other three quarterbacks on the roster. But in a pinch, Sean McDermott could turn to Cole Beasley. Before becoming one of the NFL's better slot receivers, Beasley was a high school quarterback at Little Elm High School, where he ran an option-based offense and led the Lobos to the Texas state playoffs. Plus, as we saw last week, he can still spin it.
Carolina Panthers: Michael Palardy, P
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
We get our second punter of the list! Before converting to punter full-time in high school as a junior, Michael Palardy started at quarterback for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, a noted football program. Serving as an emergency quarterback would not be a new experience for him. Back in 2017 the Carolina Panthers were dealing with an illness working its way through the locker room - sound familiar? - and backup QBs Derek Anderson and Garrett Gilbert were sent home from practice. The team turned to Palardy for a while to run some drills. On his career, Palardy has completed one NFL pass on two attempts for 12 yards and a first down.
Chicago Bears: David Montgomery, RB
(Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports)
Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery was a tremendous dual-threat quarterback while in high school. Over his four-year career for Mount Healthy High School in Ohio, he ran for 6,666 yards and 91 touchdowns. You can watch his senior year highlights on Hudl and see some of the explosiveness and change-of-direction skills that he brings to the NFL now as a quarterback. For his efforts Montgomery was named both the Division III Ohio Player of the Year and the Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year in 2015.
Cincinnati Bengals: Alex Erickson, WR
(David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports)
Current Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Alex Erickson is another NFL player who spent his high school days as a quarterback. Playing for Darlington High School in Darlington, Wisconsin he was a standout QB who put up some impressive passing numbers. Over his career he threw for 3,648 yards and 37 touchdowns, while also rushing for 3,856 yards and 57 ore scores. He was named the Wisconsin State Journal Small School Player of the Year his senior year in high school, as well as being named first-team all-conference as a defensive back and quarterback and first-team all-state as a defensive back.
Cleveland Browns: KhaDarel Hodge, WR
(Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry would make sense for the Cleveland Browns as an emergency quarterback, given some of the success he has had this year throwing the ball on designed plays. But if Kevin Stefanski wants someone with a bit more experience running an offense, another member of the wide receiver room would be a good pick. KhaDarel Hodge was a high school quarterback for Mendenhall High School in Mississippi, and won the team's starting job as a sophomore. He threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 2,000 more during his time at Mendenhall, and was named second-team All-Mississippi as a senior.
Dallas Cowboys: Blake Bell, TE
( Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
If you need to turn to an emergency quarterback, you could do a whole lot worse than turning to a player who lined up at the position for a Power 5 team, and a good one at that. Before becoming a tight end late in his college career Blake Bell was a running quarterback for Oklahoma, earning the nickname the "Belldozer." He was named the MVP of the 2011 Insight Bowl after running for 51 yards on ten carries, scoring three touchdowns. He was used primarily in a jumbo package to run the football, but in his career he did complete 59% of his passes for 1,763 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Denver Broncos: Kendall Hinton, WR
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The impetus for this piece, Denver Broncos wide receiver Kendall Hinton played some quarterback during his college days at Wake Forest, and that enabled the team to turn to him in their moment of need. Sure, Hinton did not put up impressive numbers, but what he did no short notice was worthy of praise. Plus, it reminded everyone who ever said "man I could complete that pass" while watching an NFL game that, in all likelihood, no you could not. Hinton was a standout quarterback in high school who led his team to a state championship. If he is going 1-of-9 for 13 yards in an NFL game, your flag football exploits are not going to get the job done on a Sunday.
Detroit Lions: Mohamed Sanu, Sr, WR
If NFL production is what you want from an emergency quarterback, then the Detroit Lions are in great shape should the situation arise. Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu Sr. has put up great numbers in the instances he has been tasked with throwing the football. On his career Sanu has completed 7-of-8 passes for 233 yards and four touchdowns, with an astronomical Average Net Yards per Attempt of 34.11 and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Not too shabby.
Green Bay Packers: Robert Tonyan, TE
Robert Tonyan has been a surprise performer for the Green Bay Packers this season at the tight end spot. Often used on vertical concepts - and in the lovely "Jell-O" concept - Tonyan has caught 37 passes for 458 yards and seven touchdowns, all career-highs. But at the start of his college career at Indiana State, Tonyan was actually a quarterback. He started the first three games of his career as a redshirt freshman at QB for the Sycamores, and threw a 57-yard touchdown in his debut against Indiana.
Houston Texans: Randall Cobb, WR
If necessary, the Houston Texans are another team that could turn to an emergency quarterback with collegiate experience at the position. While at Alcoa High School in Alcoa, Tennessee, Randall Cobb was a three sport athlete in football, basketball and track. His football team was a four-time State Champion, and Cobb was named Tennessee's "Mr. Football" thanks to his success at the QB position. He was recruited to play football at Kentucky, and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2008 after starting four games at quarterback. He threw for a pair of passing touchdowns, caught two passing touchdowns, and ran for seven more as a freshman. In his sophomore year he moved to wide receiver but continued to see time as a quarterback in Wildcat formations. He finished his Kentucky career having completed 50.8% of his passes for 689 yards and five touchdowns, along with five interceptions.
Indianapolis Colts: Trey Burton, TE
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Veteran tight end Trey Burton has seen a bit of a rebirth this season with the Indianapolis Colts, after dealing with injuries the past few years during his time with the Chicago Bears. But in a pinch, Frank Reich could turn to the former high school quarterback to take the snaps. While at Venice High School in Venice, Florida he was a dual-threat QB, and in 2008 he threw for 1,399 yards and 12 touchdowns while also adding 919 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. In his senior year, he threw for 1,876 yards and 18 touchdowns, throwing just a single interception, while adding another 821 yards rushing. Under Urban Meyer at the University of Florida he was used all over the field on offense, including seeing some snaps at quarterback.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR
Rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. is an obvious choice for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was more "offensive weapon" than wide receiver for Colorado during his time on campus. The Buffaloes lined him up everywhere, from wide receiver to running back to tight end and even at quarterback. During his Colorado career, Shenault had 1,943 receiving yards and another 280 rushing yards.
Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce, TE
(Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
Now this would be fun. Before making the switch to tight end, Travis Kelce was a high school quarterback. At Cleveland Heights High School in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, he was a three-sport athlete who was a three-year letter winner at QB. As a senior he threw for 1,523 yards and 21 touchdowns. When he enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, Kelce made the switch to tight end but was also used as a Wildcat QB. Now, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid has found ways to use those old quarterbacking skills, as Kelce is 1-for-2 this year for four yards throwing the ball. (Yes it was a shovel pass but still).
Los Angeles Chargers: Darius Bradwell, RB
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Just like the Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Chargers could turn to a practice squad wide receiver if necessary to take the snaps on an emergency basis. Before switching to running back at Tulane, Darius Bradwell was a dual-threat quarterback at Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida. His senior year Bradwell ran for 1,213 yards and also threw for 1,097 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was selected as an honorable mention for all-state honors as a senior.
Los Angeles Rams: Johnny Hekker, P
(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
Yes! Another punter! Johnny Hekker is best known for his punting skills, but he was a high school quarterback who has flashed some passing ability during his NFL career. While at Bothell High School in Bothell, Washington, he led the Cougars to the State Championship game as a senior starting at both QB and punter. During his NFL career, Hekker has completed 13-of-22 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.
Las Vegas Raiders: Alec Ingold, FB
(Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)
He might be a fullback now, but once upon a time Alec Ignold was a star quarterback in Bay Port High School in Wisconsin. During his high school days, he was named the AP Wisconsin Player of the Year and the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year as a dual-threat quarterback. He was a three-star recruit as a dual-threat QB and entertained offers from Air Force, Central Michigan and Miami (OH). He originally enrolled to play quarterback at Northern Illinois, but decided at the end to stay home and accept an offer from Wisconsin as an athlete. He started as a linebacker for the Badgers, before moving to fullback. But the thought of him running Jon Gruden's offense brings a smile to my face.
Miami Dolphins: Malcolm Perry, WR
I promise I won't let this discussion turn towards a diatribe about why a flexbone-based option offense is the greatest thing ever created... But if the Miami Dolphins are forced to turn to an emergency quarterback they have some solid options. Rookies Lynn Bowen Jr. and Malcolm Perry both played the position in college, with Bowden inserted into the Kentucky huddle due to injuries at the position while Perry was a multi-year player at the position for the Naval Academy. During his time in Annapolis, Perry played both slotback in the flexbone offense and quarterback. He amassed over 4,000 rushing yards and also completed 51.3% of his passes for 1,311 yards and ten touchdowns. A Miami flexbone attack with Chandler Cox at the fullback - or "B" back - spot while having DeAndre Washington and Matt Breida as the slotbacks could really work. Oh no there's that diatribe building...
Minnesota Vikings: Cameron Dantzler, CB
(Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)
There has been speculation that if necessary Mike Zimmer would turn to Adam Thielen or Kyle Rudolph in a pinch to play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. But a better option might be rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler. Before switching to defensive back full-time at Mississippi State, Dantzler was a two-way player for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Hammond, Louisiana. In addition to playing cornerback, Dantzler was the team's quarterback. As a senior he threw for 1,381 yards and 11 touchdowns, and added another 1,901 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. You can still see his quarterback skill-set on Hudl in this video, particularly the running ability.
New England Patriots: Jakobi Meyers, WR
(Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)
In a normal season this pick would be easy. Julian Edelman, the college quarterback at Kent State, would be the selection for Bill Belichick. But with the veteran slot receiver sidelined, the New England Patriots would turn to perhaps their best receiver this season, second-year wideout Jakobi Meyers. Before switching to wide receiver at N.C. State, Meyers was a quarterback. In his final two years at Arabia High School in Lithonia, Georgia, Meyers threw for 3,434 yards and 38 touchdowns, and added another 959 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground. During that time he was coached by none other than Cam Newton, through the quarterback's work as a coach and mentor for the Cam Newton Foundation. Plus, Meyers already has a touchdown pass to his credit this season.
New Orleans Saints: Adam Trautman, TE
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the better stories from last year's Senior Bowl Media Day was the journey of Adam Trautman from option quarterback in Elk Rapids High School along Michigan's Upper Peninsula to becoming a coveted tight end prospect at the University of Dayton. As Trautman told it, he was a late bloomer in high school, who did not really grow into a potential NFL body until his senior year, when most of the college recruiting had been finished for his class. He was an option quarterback for most of his high school career, as the offense switched to more of a pro style system his final year. During that senior campaign, Trautman set a variety of school records and was named the Lake Michigan Conference Player of the Year. He redshirted at Dayton his freshman year to complete the transition from quarterback to tight end, and now he is catching touchdown passes from Drew Brees. While Sean Payton might already be using his emergency quarterback in Taysom Hill, he could have another one in Trautman.
New York Giants: Kyler Fackrell, LB
(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
The New York Giants are another team that has taken steps to isolate a quarterback from any potential COVID-19 exposure to avoid this exact scenario. After seeing what happened to the Denver Broncos, they signed Alex Tanney to be their "remote quarterback," which makes sense given his experience with the Giants. If, however, that plan falters, they could turn to the defensive side of the football. Before his days as a linebacker for Utah State Kyler Fackrell played a variety of positions for Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona. During his senior year he started three games at quarterback, where he completed 22 of 38 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He also played 11 games at wide receiver, and all 14 games at linebacker.
New York Jets: Jeff Smith, WR
(ALLEN EYESTONE/The Palm Beach Post)
Let's be honest. Adam Gase will probably try and take the snaps himself. But if not, he has a former Power 5 quarterback on the roster in wide receiver Jeff Smith. Before moving to wide receiver full time as a sophomore for Boston College, Smith played in nine games as a quarterback for the Eagles. During his time as the quarterback for BC his passing stats were not great, as he completed just 32.9% of his passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, but he did have an impressive touchdown run against then-#4 Notre Dame at historic Fenway Park.
Philadelphia Eagles: Greg Ward Jr., WR
Last season Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles turned to wide receiver Greg Ward to perhaps save their season as the team made a late push to the playoffs. With the Eagles struggling and facing a hypothetical emergency quarterback situation, could Ward deliver again? Prior to becoming an NFL wide receiver, Ward was the quarterback for the University of Houston. A four-year starter at QB for the Cougars, Ward completed 67.5% of his passes for 8,704 yards and 52 touchdowns during his collegiate career. He also ran for another 2,381 yards and 39 touchdowns, and even returned some kicks for the Cougars while on campus.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Zach Gentry, TE
(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
We will get to why the timing could be tricky in a second, but tight end Zach Gentry would be a solid choice for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming out of Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Gentry was one of the top quarterback recruits in the 2015 recruiting class. Rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Gentry was recruited by Jim Harbaugh to play quarterback for the University of Michigan when the coach told him that he'd make it to the NFL as a tight end. What could make the timing tricky is that Gentry is currently dealing with an knee injury that has him on short-term IR. If the timing works, Mike Tomlin could turn to him if necessary given his experience.
San Francisco 49ers: Jerick McKinnon, RB
(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with their share of change at the quarterback position this season, with Jimmy Garoppolo in-and-out of the starting lineup due to injury and Nick Mullens being sidelined for a bit due to ineffectiveness. If, however, they were forced to go the emergency quarterback route Jerick McKinnon is an obvious selection. While at Georgia Southern, McKinnon initially played quarterback for the Eagles before switching to running back full time. While he would finish behind only Adrian Peterson and Jermaine Austin on the school's all-time rushing list with 3,899 rushing yards, McKinnon also completed 32-of-81 passes for 929 yards, 12 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Seattle Seahawks: Jacob Hollister, TE
(Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Continuing with the trend of quarterbacks who became tight ends, Jacob Hollister could be an option for Pete Carroll if the Seattle Seahawks face this situation. As a senior at Mountain View High School in Bend, Oregon, Hollister led the Cougars to the state title and was named Oregon's Class 5A Player of the Year...as a quarterback. During his final prep year Hollister completed 62% of his passes for 37 touchdowns and threw just three interceptions. He began his college career at Nevada before transferring to Arizona Western Community College where the switch to tight end took place.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Travis Jonsen, WR
(Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports)
This pick give us, along with Zach Gentry of the Pittsburgh Steelers, our second four-star quarterback recruit. Coming out of Servite High School in California, Travis Jonsen was one of the top dual-threat recruits in the 2015 recruiting class. He had offers from a number of schools including Alabama, Arizona, California, Northwestern, Colorado, Notre Dame and Penn State, but he chose to play at Oregon. He enrolled early and played well in his first spring game for the Ducks, but an injury ended his true freshman season. He then redshirted in 2016, and decided to transfer to Riverside College for the 2017 season. He then transferred to Montana State, where another injury opened the door to a position battle at quarterback for the Bobcats. In an effort to get him on the field and use his athleticism, the coaching staff moved him to wide receiver. Currently on the Buccaneers' practice squad, he could be an option in a pinch.
Tennessee Titans: Kevin Byard, S
(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
The Tennessee Titans are another team that has gone with an isolated quarterback approach, as DeShone Kizer is practicing away from the team and participating in video meetings instead of physical appearances. But if the worst-case scenario emerged, the Titans do have options. Part of me things that Mike Vrabel and Arthur Smith would just use Derrick Henry as a wrecking ball Wildcat quarterback, but if they wanted more experience at the position they could turn to the defensive side of the football and safety Kevin Byard. Byard was a quarterback at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia, Georgia. He completed just three-of-five passes his senior year for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also ran for another 245 yards on 25 carries and two more scores. He also has a 66-yard touchdown pass to his credit from 2018 on a fake punt against the Houston Texans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPe1lpLCFqk
Washington Football Team: Logan Thomas, TE
(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
We close things out with a team that might not be in too bad of a spot if forced to play an emergency quarterback. While at Virginia Tech, Logan Thomas was a three-year starter for the Hokies at quarterback. During his time on campus he completed 55.5% of his passes for 9,003 yards and 52 touchdowns. As part of the 2014 quarterback class, he did face questions about switching to tight end given his size, but he was selected by Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round, making him the sixth QB taken. He saw his first NFL action in October of that season, and his third NFL pass went for an 81-yard touchdown to Andre Ellington. With that completion he became the first QB to have his first career completion gain 80 yards or more since Neil O'Donnell in 1991. However, it would be his only completion in the game. After bouncing around with a few different teams, Thomas made the switch to TE with the Detroit Lions in 2016. In the 2017 season, then with the Buffalo Bills, Thomas started to enjoy his first success as a TE, catching seven passes for 67 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Right now with Washington he is putting up some of his best numbers yet, as he has caught 21 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns so far this year, all career-high marks. But he has also completed his one passing attempt on the year.
