The 8 greatest backup quarterbacks of all time, in honor of Nick Foles as he retires

On Thursday, Nick Foles — one of the best backup quarterbacks ever — officially retired after 11 NFL seasons. Foles, of course, led the Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl 52 in one of the more amazing stories in NFL history.

And that got me thinking.

With Foles calling it quits, who are some of the other more noteworthy backup quarterbacks in NFL history? Which passers came in during an emergency and often used their experience and savvy to thrive in an unexpected way? There’s a long list of quality backup quarterback starts, but only a few veterans really stand out for having extended careers as the No. 2.

Let’s take a look below and see who stands on top as the greatest quarterback understudy in league history. The only parameter to keep in mind is that I featured quarterbacks who were primarily known for being backups. Guys like Tom Brady and Kurt Warner — who started in the NFL as backups only to become Hall of Fame starters — need not apply at all.