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In the great team sport of football it can be said that all player positions are considered to be of equal importance. It’s just that some positions are more equal than others. The role of the quarterback, in all its match-winning and cheerleading-dating glory, unashamedly sits atop the pile staring down at the minions he must somehow guide to victory.

But waiting in the wings if the mighty doth fall is often a wet-eared rookie, or a banged-up senior citizen held together with strapping tape reading a big blue binder. He is the mysterious creature we know as the backup quarterback, AKA The man with the best job in football.

While many commentators will often lament how the role of a backup quarterback sits somewhere in the difficulty stakes between being Barack Obama’s personal bodyguard and Rex Ryan’s personal body double, there are in fact a number of great things about being a QB2.

So here they are: 5 Reasons Why It’s Great to be a Backup Quarterback.

5. You’re in good company

Whenever a player is inducted into the Hall of Fame the first thing they do is look around, see all the famous names staring back at them and tell the gathered masses that they are indeed in “good company”.

Well there’s an easier way to have your name associated with some of the great ones, and that’s to be a team’s backup QB.

At some stage in their career Johnny Unitas, Archie Manning, Tim Tebow and Matt Saracen have amazingly all ridden the pine praying the QB1 does his ACL.

Sure, some have spent longer there than others, but it’s always nice to be in the company of greatness, even if it was when they were 43 years old with and barely able to lift their arms at the time.

4. Easy on the body

During every player holdout and contract wrangle the public is often informed that the average playing career is about equal in length to that of the tub of yogurt you bought from the chick with the nose ring and dreadlocks at the Farmers Market the other day.

And they’re probably right. Getting monstered by 300lb wrecking balls is about as good for your health as employing Lindsay Lohan as your designated driver.

A backup quarterback though? Pfffft. Provided they bring an inflatable pillow to cold games these blokes will all probably live to be 103, all the while having logged up enough stress-free NFL superannuation payments to buy a small portion of the team that would never start them.

3. No angry Fantasy Football fans

Fantasy rage is a real problem these days, with NFL players increasingly receiving threats on social media after poor performances. As is expected, the quarterback is generally the focal point of this. This is all pretty understandable though. I mean, God dammit Eli, are you adopted or something?!

But I digress.

As no one except immediate family and your oblivious brother-in-law you’ve roped into your Fantasy League would even consider picking a backup quarterback, the No.2s are free from dealing with such spectator harassment. Which leaves them with more free time to do important things, like getting the coach to accept their Facebook request and pick up some quality talent on the waiver wire.

2. Anything you do is amazing

A backup quarterback is a lot like your small child, in that no matter how trivial their achievement (‘Look! Little Peyton has just pooped his pants like a big boy!”), you tend to over-play its significance.

You get the picture.

Compare this to the starting QB whose performance is given all the scrutiny of an MC Hammer Tax audit with about as much cheer, and you can see why many blokes will be happy to spend their days being the world’s highest paid cheerleaders.

1. You are not Mark Sanchez

Or hang on a sec — maybe you are!

I guess maybe there are some downsides to being No.2!