Chiefs Improve in Backup QB Rankings; Where Does Carson Wentz Land?

The Chiefs' backup quarterback position may have gotten stronger this offseason with Carson Wentz taking over for Blaine Gabbert as the second-string signal-caller behind Patrick Mahomes.

Jan 7, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Carson Wentz (11) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

In an ideal world, the Kansas City Chiefs hope to never need a backup quarterback for more than preseason games and mop-up duty in blowout wins or meaningless Week 18 matchups. However, in a violent sport, the second-stringer at the most important position in the game is worth discussing.

The league's backup quarterbacks were the topic of a recent ranking by Gilberto Manzano on SI.com, and the Chiefs improved their standing from 2023 to 2024.

The Chiefs moved on from last season's QB2, Blaine Gabbert, in favor of 2016 No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz this offseason. Gabbert remains a free agent, while Wentz is on a one-year deal with KC for the 2024 season.

In this year's ranking, Manzano slots Wentz in as the No. 12 backup signal-caller.

"Wentz helped the Rams defeat the 49ers in Week 18, sending Stafford to Detroit to face his former team in the wild-card round," Manzano wrote. "After waiting months for another opportunity, Wentz proved in the lone start he has plenty left to offer."

Wentz wasn't ranked last year, as he waited until November to sign with the Rams as Stafford's backup.

In his 2023 backup quarterback ranking, Manzano put Gabbert at No. 20.

"It seems like ages ago that Bruce Arians boasted about Gabbert as his starting quarterback after Tom Brady retired the first time," Manzano wrote in May 2023. "Gabbert never got the chance to prove Arians right (he never started a game in Tampa Bay), but he’s played enough to know he is better suited for the backup life. Gabbert, the No. 10 pick in 2011, has a 13–35 career record and hasn’t started in a game since he was with the Titans in ’18."

Gabbert remains a free agent as of May 30, and he never needed to take the field in high-leverage situations for the Chiefs. He started KC's Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Chargers and went 15-for-30 for 154 yards and one interception, playing mostly with fellow backups in the 13-12 Chiefs win. Gabbert's only other action in '23 was a 3-for-5 performance with two interceptions in cleanup duty late in the Chiefs' blowout win over the Chicago Bears in Week 3.

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