Odds to Be First QB Benched in 2020 NFL Season – Haskins Favored, Trubisky Given Short Odds

• The Washington Football Team’s Dwayne Haskins is favored to be the first quarterback benched in 2020
• Mitchell Trubisky was benched for Chase Daniel last season but will begin the 2020 campaign as the Chicago Bears starting quarterback
• See the full list of odds and a pick on prop below

The 2020 NFL preseason was canceled, so a lot of the quarterback competitions that we’d normally see prior to the regular season didn’t fully take place.

That means those battles will play out into the regular season. Could that mean that some quarterbacks will be on short leashes?

We’ve now got odds up on the board relating to quarterback benchings, including who could get yanked first.

Let’s take a look at the various props and see if there’s any value on the board.

Odds on First NFL Quarterback to Be Benched

Odds as of September 11th

First Benched in 2019 No Longer Playing Football

Taking a look back to the 2019 season for some context, it was veteran Eli Manning that was the first quarterback to be benched. The New York Giants drafted Daniel Jones early in the first round of the 2019 draft and Jones was inserted into the lineup at halftime of Week 3.

The Giants were listless in their first two games of 2019 and the first half of Week 3, so they made the change.

"There's no other option but just to handle it."

Eli Manning spoke to the media for the first time since being benched by the Giants. pic.twitter.com/39RoMoX9QI

— ESPN (@espn) September 18, 2019

2020 NFL Starting Quarterback Benching Odds

Haskins, Trubisky Favored to Ride the Pine

Two quarterbacks stand head-and-shoulders above the crowd in terms of having the shortest leashes in 2020: Mitchell Trubisky and Dwayne Haskins.

The Chicago Bears traded for veteran Nick Foles in the offseason and will pay him about $12 million this year. They still gave the starting job to Trubisky, though, as the talk around training camp was that he looked good.

Generally speaking, he’s always been fine in practice. The issue has been in games, as evidenced by his paltry 41.5 QBR last season, which ranked 28th among quarterbacks.

Good play call, once again bad execution by Mitchell David Trubisky….. huge failed 3rd down in crunch time. pic.twitter.com/6tbSFeyRpt

— Bruce Blitz (@BruceBlitz) November 18, 2019

As for Dwayne Haskins, the Washington Football Team spent a first-round pick on him last season but that was a previous regime. New head coach Ron Rivera isn’t married to Haskins. The young quarterback threw for 170 yards or less in seven of his nine outings last season and if that continues, backups Alex Smith or Kyle Allen will get a look.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is in third in terms of the odds but it feels like he’s a distant third in reality. He played well for the Miami Dolphins last season, leading them to a 5-4 record down the stretch in a season where some thought they’d go winless.

First-round pick Tua Tagovailoa is waiting in the wings but with no preseason snaps or offseason mini-camps, it feels like he’s further behind the curve.

Bet on Foles Magic Taking Over Chicago

It’s a bit surprising that Trubisky is an underdog here. The Bears gave him the starting job but he’s underwhelmed in his entire career. They turned to journeyman Chase Daniel last season, so they won’t hesitate to go to Foles if Trubisky struggles or if the team is struggling and simply needs a spark.

Haskins is still just 23 years old and Washington should give him an extended look. The Bears are aiming to compete for a playoff spot; Washington is not. Since the Football Team are in a full rebuild, Rivera and company can be a bit more patient with Haskins and see how he is progressing.

The other issue is the supporting cast. Haskins has virtually nothing to work with – especially after the team cut running backs Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice in the offseason. Less will be expected from him.

As for Trubisky, there are weapons like Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller and David Montgomery in the backfield.

Trubisky had just three touchdown passes in his first four games last season (all of which came in one game) and five in his first seven. Look for him to have a similar showing where maybe he looks great in Week 1 but then nosedives in Week 2 and Week 3, forcing the Bears to make a change.