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Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before the preseason game against the New York Jets, and we offer new U.S. bettors our exclusive Caesars promo code for NFL Week 6.
Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before the preseason game against the New York Jets. Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images via AFP.

There are numerous NFL futures bets to choose from, but one lesser-known option is betting on the first quarterback to be benched. We have analyzed the odds and made our picks for the player most likely to be benched first this season, utilizing the top NFL betting platforms.

Week 1 of the NFL season has arrived, but there is still an opportunity to include futures bets in your betting portfolio. While most bettors have already made their selections for NFL MVP, Rookie of the Year, and other categories, there are still futures markets available that could result in a payout midseason.

An example of this type of market is betting on the first quarterback to be benched during the season. The condition is that the Week 1 starter must be replaced for a reason unrelated to injury. While 31 starting quarterbacks have already been selected (with the Arizona Cardinals yet to make their decision) and depth charts have been finalized, there are still quarterbacks who may be benched during the season due to poor performance.

Below are our selections for the initial quarterback to be sidelined this season, with odds sourced from our top NFL betting platforms; confidence ratings are indicated on a 1 to 5-star scale.

First QB benched odds

QB must be in the starting lineup for Week 1, unless there is an injury.

PlayerOdds
Baker Mayfield+300
Sam Howell+500
Ryan Tannehill+600
C.J. Stroud+700
Mac Jones+900
Desmond Ridder+900
Anthony Richardson+1000
Jimmy Garoppolo+1400
Jordan Love+1400
Bryce Young+1400

First QB benched odds analysis

Not all starting quarterbacks are in danger of being benched. While Patrick Mahomes is at +100000 odds and Aaron Rodgers is at +50000 odds to be replaced by their backups, the top 10 players on this list could all potentially underperform and face the possibility of being benched.

Once again, the Cardinals are without a designated quarterback as new head coach Jonathan Gannon has not yet made a decision between journeyman Joshua Dobbs and rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune. Once the starting quarterback is announced, we will recommend betting on them as the first to be benched.

First QB benched picks

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Anthony Richardson (+1000)

After narrowly beating out 2021 draft pick Kyle Trask for the starting quarterback position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield now has the best odds at +300. However, he is also the frontrunner to be the first quarterback replaced due to his inconsistent play, accuracy problems, and tendency to have prolonged periods of subpar performances.

The Buccaneers will have an early bye in Week 5. If they begin the season with four losses against tough opponents like the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and New Orleans Saints, the bye week will be an ideal opportunity to get Trask ready for his inaugural NFL start.

Trask performed well during preseason games, completing 45 out of 69 passes for a total of 509 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

I see head coach Todd Bowles demonstrating patience with his experienced quarterback, even though Trask is a young and untested player. The majority of the Bucs’ team is made up of seasoned veterans, including key players like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Lavonte David, and Shaq Barrett. They deserve a chance to shine in the competitive NFC South before giving up hope.

Bowles is under pressure as he enters the season, having been at risk of being fired following the Buccaneers’ disappointing playoff exit last year. He is considered a top contender to be the first coach fired, so it is likely that he will give Mayfield plenty of opportunities before considering Trask as an alternative.

Due to these factors, we are focusing on a newcomer who may be substituted early if he struggles under the spotlight.

After only one preseason game, Anthony Richardson was named the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts over veteran Gardner Minshew. Richardson’s performance, going 7-for-12 for 67 yards with an interception, sealed the decision for the Colts. Despite showing promise, Richardson struggled under pressure, throwing hastily and inaccurately due to his unsettled feet.

In summary, the decision to start Richardson was primarily driven by a desire to kickstart his development rather than actual competition.

Richardson is not fully prepared to handle the blitzes and pressures of the NFL, leading to a high number of early interceptions. As a result, we are giving him a break and bringing in a rookie quarterback who we believe will lead the league in interceptions this season.

The Colts will kick off their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, followed by a challenging stretch of games against strong defensive teams like the Baltimore Ravens, L.A. Rams, Tennessee Titans, Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and New Orleans Saints.

With odds of +1000, taking a chance on Richardson not remaining the starter for the entire season could pay off.

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