5 best backup quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history

1. Steve Beuerlein

With Troy Aikman heading into his third season as a pro, the Cowboys wanted to get a veteran backup. That led to them trading for Steve Beuerlein, who had 15 starts in his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Beuerlein had just sat out the entire 1990 campaign due to a contract dispute and the Cowboys were monitoring his availability for a while.

Jimmy Johnson was very high on Beuerlein and it was easy to see why. During his first season with the team, he was forced to start the final four games of the year in place of an injured Aikman. Dallas won all four of those games and Beuerlein finished the year with 909 yards, five touchdowns, and just two picks.

The team was playing so well with him that Johnson decided to keep Beuerlein in the lineup when the playoffs began. This led to some animosity since Aikman was healthy enough to play but the backup delivered yet another win. This time, he threw for 180 yards with a touchdown in a 17-13 victory over Chicago.

However, his hot streak ended in the Divisional Round as he was replaced by Aikman in a 38-6 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Beuerlein spent one more year in Big D and was the backup to Aikman when they won their first of three Super Bowls in the 1990s. Following his time in Dallas, Beuerlein became a journeyman who played for four different teams and made several starts for each one.