NFL preseason giving Illinois football quarterbacks a chance to shine

It has been a pretty good NFL preseason for the Illinois football program, as former players are littered throughout.

Up and down the rosters, you will find former Illini players looking to make a name for themselves. You will even find a couple of quarterbacks trying to stick on rosters.

It has been a long time since Illinois has had multiple quarterbacks stalking the sidelines. For the 2026 campaign, both Luke Altmyer and Tommy DeVito are eyeing spots on NFL rosters.

So far this preseason, both players are making a case to be NFL quarterbacks in 2026. Neither player has looked bad, which makes the future even brighter.

When you look at Altmyer’s numbers, they don’t seem great. He has one touchdown and two interceptions. What the box score doesn’t show is that one of those interceptions was right through the wide receiver’s hands.

Overall, I am impressed by Altmyer’s precision. He is 22-of-35, which is 62.9% completion. He has 216 yards, to go along with his one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Lions are doing a great job tailoring what they do around Altmyer. They aren’t forcing a square peg into a round hole.

DeVito continues his trek as a premier backup in the NFL. He hasn’t been as efficient when it comes to completing passes, but his big-play ability has been phenomenal. DeVito is 21-of-37, 56.8%, for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

I love that DeVito hasn’t thrown an interception in the preseason. This shows that he can take care of the football. That is one of the most important traits of a good backup quarterback.

Does Illinois football had a chance at a former quarterback seeing starts in 2026

At the end of the day, I could see both Altmyer and DeVito being kept on the roster to be the primary backup to their respective starters.

That leaves me with the question, will either player get a chance to start in 2026?

Both cases are tough. Lions’ starter Jared Goff has literally played every game in the last four seasons. He is an iron man, and his numbers only continue to improve. It is hard to see him missing a game in 2026.

Drake Maye for the Patriots might be the best shot, but it would likely have to be through some sad circumstances. Maye played every game last season, but he is more mobile than Goff. Injury is also a worry when quarterbacks get on the run.

With that being said, I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone. Altmyer and DeVito might have to wait their turn with their franchise, but the fact that they could make the roster is impressive. Illinois needs to continue building out the NFL rosters with more quarterbacks. Having two on NFL teams would be a good start.

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