The season is far from over but for a whole bunch of teams, it may as well be. Nine teams have three wins or fewer, which might be an NFL record for this point in the calendar. The common theme for many of them is poor quarterback play.
Unfortunately, this coming offseason does not look like a good one to need help at quarterback. After years of multiple big-name passers shaking free in the annual offseason roulette, 2025 looks like it will be relatively dry. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was poised to be the big fish before Dallas ponied up a big extension, and several other passers signed extensions as well. It doesn’t seem like there will be as many big names on the trade block as we’ve seen in other years, and the 2025 class of rookies looks lacking compared to the 2024 group that featured six first-rounders.
The plethora of QB-needy squads have no choice but to go panning for gold, however, and hope they can find the gem or two that might exist in this batch of available quarterbacks. With nearly 3/4 of the NFL and college seasons done, it’s a good time to look around at some of the options that are available and some of the team/player fits that could make sense.
Which Teams Needs QBs?
I’ve taken the current draft order and bolded the teams that will probably be in the quarterback market this offseason. Things can always change but we’ve got a fairly good idea at this point in the season which teams need more under center. As you can imagine, they’re clustered more toward the top of the draft.
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- Jaguars
- Browns
- Raiders
- Giants
- Titans
- Patriots
- Jets
- Panthers
- Cowboys
- Bengals
- Saints
- Bears
- Dolphins
- Buccaneers
- Colts
- 49ers
- Seahawks
- Rams
- Broncos
- Falcons
- Cardinals
- Commanders
- Texans
- Ravens
- Chargers
- Packers
- Eagles
- Vikings
- Steelers
- Bills
- Lions
- Chiefs
That’s nine teams in bold. Here’s a little bit more about the situation for each:
Browns
Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s torn Achilles did what Cleveland could not — get the underperforming veteran off the field. It also gives the team some cover to go after alternatives this offseason, though Watson’s poor play should have prompted that anyway. The Browns are stuck with Watson to some degree because they still owe him $92 million in guaranteed cash and have to process nearly $172 million against their salary cap in the next few years. That also limits the team’s options when it comes to finding another quarterback.
But just because Watson is on the roster and owed a ton of money doesn’t mean he should be the starter. I think this past season has pushed the Browns to that realization.
Raiders
Las Vegas was one of the teams left without a seat in this past offseason’s game of musical chairs at quarterback. They didn’t like the options in free agency and were crowded out of the chance to draft a quarterback, so they elected to go with a budget-conscious combo of veteran Gardner Minshew on a bridge deal and 2023 fourth-round QB Aidan O’Connell in the hope they’d catch lightning in a bottle. It hasn’t panned out.
Both players are under contract in 2025 but new blood is needed. Minshew can be cut even though he’s owed $3.16 million guaranteed, and O’Connell is worth keeping as a rookie contract backup. The Raiders will be among the teams most highly motivated this offseason to land a new starter.
Giants
The Daniel Jones era has officially ended, with New York benching the veteran this past week. Given Jones’ $23 million injury guarantee, it’s likely he’s played his final snap as a Giants before the team releases him this offseason. New York looked hard at drafting a quarterback this past offseason but was unable to trade into the top three selections for a player it liked enough to take there. Now they’ll have to chart a way forward at the position in a much murkier environment.
For now, it looks like GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll will be making that decision but there’s a lot of season left and time for that to change still.
Titans
The Will Levis experience has been a rollercoaster in Tennessee this year. Boneheaded turnovers have been a major issue, despite the clear and obvious physical talents Levis possesses. The second-year quarterback has missed three games and most of a fourth with a shoulder injury. Tennessee is 2-8 and Levis has not been the leading passer in either of their two wins.
Levis is under contract for two more seasons but it would be surprising if the Titans didn’t explore their options. Another season like this past one would be tough for Titans HC Brian Callahan and GM Ran Carthon. Neither are pot-committed to Levis as the franchise starter — Callahan wasn’t around when he was drafted and Carthon only used a second-round selection to bring him in, though they obviously would have loved it if he had taken a developmental leap this year.
Jets
It was tracking this way already, but by firing GM Joe Douglas in-season after canning HC Robert Saleh a few weeks earlier, the Jets have made it clear they are wiping the slate clean in 2025. That will extend to the quarterback position. Even if veteran QB Aaron Rodgers wanted to come back — which is doubtful at this point — the Jets are not in position to pay $37.5 million to a 42-year-old passer who has not been blameless in their struggles this year.
The next question becomes whether the Jets take another swing at finding a future franchise starter in the draft or punt and go after a more temporary solution. They do still have veteran QB Tyrod Taylor under contract in 2025. Whoever ends up running the show will likely determine which path New York takes.
Panthers
Former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has regained a tenuous hold on the starting job but the jury remains very much out on his long-term status in Carolina. Continuing to show improvement in the next three weeks against the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Eagles would go a long way toward getting him another season. He’s under contract for two more years. The other factor is the Panthers have a ton of holes on the rest of the roster that wouldn’t be fixed by just dropping in a different quarterback. It’ll be interesting to see how they approach the position this offseason.
Saints
Saints QB Derek Carr is under contract for two more seasons after this, and his deal complicates things somewhat for New Orleans because of how they’ve handled their salary cap. Carr is owed $40 million in 2025, $10 million of which is already guaranteed with the rest vesting in March. There’s $50 million in dead money that would be triggered by a cut, although that could be split with a June 1 designation.
The Saints could restructure Carr’s deal and free up gobs of space, but that would be an affirmation of the status quo that the team already upended to a degree by firing HC Dennis Allen. They could move on from him, either by cutting him or finding a trade partner (not likely). But that would dramatically impact how they have to structure the rest of the roster and make some kind of teardown, which the Saints have fiercely resisted for years, more likely.
Ultimately how Carr plays down the stretch will have a big hand in determining how the Saints proceed. They’ve won two straight under interim HC Darren Rizzi and there are opportunities to get to six or seven wins with the post-bye schedule.
Rams
On paper, Rams QB Matthew Stafford is under contract through 2026 and playing well, so all should be good. In reality, this is a situation to watch. Multiple, plugged-in reporters have described the relationship between the two sides as year-to-year. Stafford was looking for a long-term deal from the Rams this offseason with guaranteed money, but while he got a raise and reported to camp, the team instead moved what little future guarantees he had up into this year. The Rams flirted with a rebuild and dealing WR Cooper Kupp ahead of the trade deadline before pulling out of their tailspin, and those conversations could restart depending on how the team finishes the season.
Steelers
Pittsburgh is on this list because both QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are pending free agents and not under contract in 2025. The team has spoken highly of both, calling them each starting-level players and praising the room as a whole, so it would seem likely that at least one is brought back on a new deal. But you never know. Plus if the Steelers re-sign Wilson, they’ll still need a long-term successor for the 36-year-old.
Who’s Available?
It’s a sparse batch. Odds are there won’t be the same level of star power on the move that we’ve seen in past offseasons. But there are still a few candidates who could change that.
Dream Blockbusters
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
As outlined partially in the Rams section above, Los Angeles and Stafford are approaching the year-to-year phase of their relationship and a split is not off the table in 2025. There’s not a whole lot of concrete reporting but it’s pretty easy to connect the dots on Stafford wanting more guaranteed money from the Rams this past offseason and not getting it.
Who knows how exactly it plays out. The Rams could decide they want to embrace a youth movement and would prefer a package of draft picks rather than investing significant guaranteed money into a 36-year-old quarterback. They could decide the chance to contend in 2025 is worth keeping Stafford around a little longer, as long as the two sides can work out a contract both are content with.
Stafford’s numbers don’t leap off the page. They’re more similar to last year than the remarkable 2021 run he and the Rams went on. His PFF grade has dipped sharply from 88.2 and fifth in the NFL last year to 67.1 and 29th this year, however. The service is dinging him for more turnover-worthy throws and fewer big-time throws to make up for it. Still, the high points on tape are just as good and Stafford has taken over games at times this year.
If Stafford were to leave Los Angeles, it would be for another team that views itself as a quarterback-away contender. There aren’t a whole lot of those right now, so it would be interesting to see what his actual market would shake out to be.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins has been overall solid for Atlanta even if things haven’t come together picture-perfect for the two sides yet. He’s listed here because the Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick on first-round QB Michael Penix Jr. this past April. That puts a ticking clock on Cousins’ time with Atlanta and the only question is when the team will make the switch. If the Falcons make the playoffs, Cousins is probably safe until 2026.
If they don’t, it could get uncomfortable. Cutting Cousins would generate a huge dead money hit, so a trade would be preferable. A new team would have to take on $27.5 million in 2025 and $10 million in 2026 guarantees, which is pretty reasonable for a quarterback of Cousins’ caliber. He has a no-trade clause, though, so he can control where he lands and undercut Atlanta’s leverage in a deal.
It also depends on what Penix is doing behind the scenes in practice and there hasn’t been much to note good or bad on that so far. Penix has gotten into a couple games at the end of blowout losses but has mostly handed the ball off. He only played one preseason game before the Falcons shut him down, so he remains a massive unknown, at least to the rest of us.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith
Despite the struggles so far this year, Seattle has seemed happy with Smith. He can get too aggressive with the ball sometimes but the good far outweighs the bad with his game. On his current contract, he’s one of the biggest values at the quarterback position.
The catch is he might not be as good a value in the future. Next season will be the final year of the three-year extension he signed with the Seahawks in 2023 and he’ll be up for a new contract. Smith cut the team a sweetheart deal, agreeing to a pact worth just $25 million a year with a favorable guarantee structure, in part because Seattle was the only team that believed in him enough to give him a shot as a starter. In the past few months, he’s made some comments suggesting he’ll be looking for more of a market-rate deal next time.
At that point, the Seahawks will have to put a dollar amount on how much they really believe in Smith. If he leads them to an NFC West title, they might be happy to pay him. But it’s worth pointing out Smith got the starting job because the Seahawks weren’t comfortable forking over a massive new contract, among other, things, to his predecessor, and there’s already a potential cheap alternative to Smith on the roster in QB Sam Howell. This situation might not come to a head until 2026 but it’s worth monitoring.
Free Agents
Vikings QB Sam Darnold
As things stand now, Darnold would be the top quarterback available, which both speaks to how much of a career renaissance he’s had with Minnesota and the larger state of the quarterback market. There will be skepticism about what Darnold will look like when he’s not playing for Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell and throwing to WR Justin Jefferson but there will be a team that rolls the dice.
Depending on how well things go the rest of the season, there’ll be discussion about Darnold remaining in Minnesota even though they drafted QB J.J. McCarthy in the top ten this past April. Ultimately I think it will make the most sense for both sides to move on. Darnold will benefit from not having McCarthy looking over his shoulder and the Vikings can continue building around McCarthy while he’s on his rookie contract.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson/Justin Fields
As touched on earlier, the Steelers probably will try to re-sign one of either Wilson or Fields, and at this point Wilson is in the pole position to be brought back. It would be interesting to see if the Steelers could manage to bring back both. It would probably depend on what kind of other opportunities Fields got. His market was sparse when the Bears made him available this past offseason.
Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett
Brissett is who he is — a competent bridge quarterback who can keep things respectable as the starter but doesn’t give an offense much of a ceiling. That has some value and he should find work with another team.
Cut Candidates
This group will only be available if their teams release them but at this stage there’s a pretty good chance that ends up happening for at least two of them.
Giants QB Daniel Jones
It’s abundantly clear Jones has played his last snap as a Giant as the team has taken measures to ensure it has enough quarterback depth to get through the last seven games. He will be cut two years after signing a major $40 million per year deal that nearly everyone outside of New York/New Jersey knew was going to age poorly.
It’ll be interesting to see what’s next. Jones’ reputation is probably at a low point but there will be teams interested in him as a backup if nothing else, and we’ve seen other players revive their careers after hitting similar low points. Jones has fatal flaws that will prevent him from ever becoming a top starter but he’s a legitimate threat as a runner and could be more effective with a better supporting cast than what we’ve seen in New York.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers
As the Jets continue to make sweeping organizational changes, the expectation is Rodgers will not be back in 2025 and the decision will be mutual. The next question is whether Rodgers will try to play another season for a different team at the age of 42 or if he decides to call it a career. Frankly, the decision could be made for him. Rodgers can still spin it but he can’t move around nearly as well as he used to and it’s impacted how willing he is to stretch the field. The Jets have tailored the whole offense around him and the results have been underwhelming.
Rodgers would have to make some compromises if he signed on with another team, and there is just extra baggage that comes along with him that some teams won’t be comfortable with at this point in his career. I wouldn’t rule anything out because of how many teams will need help at quarterback but there is a strong chance this is it for Rodgers before retirement.
Saints QB Derek Carr
Carr’s another player where it’s pretty clear what a team is getting at this point in his career. He’s right around the league average and can put up solid numbers in the right situation but isn’t going to elevate his game or his teammates into the top echelon. The Saints have had much bigger problems than Carr this year. The question with him becomes whether he’s worth $40 million next year and whether the Saints can remain competitive, both on the field and financially, if they move on from him this offseason.
Backups & Dart Throws
- Jaguars QB Mac Jones
- Cowboys QB Trey Lance
- Broncos QB Zach Wilson
- Browns QB Jameis Winston
- Colts QB Joe Flacco
- Panthers QB Andy Dalton
- Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo
This list is pretty self-explanatory. In the past few years, we’ve seen a handful of quarterbacks go on to revive their careers after they were written off, either as career backups or busts. Someone from this list could be next in 2025 — I just could not begin to pretend to tell you who at this point.
2025 NFL Draft
It’s safe to say there probably won’t be six first-round quarterbacks for the second straight year. There are several interesting prospects in the 2025 class but no one has asserted themselves as an unquestioned top pick yet. Drafting a quarterback is always a risky proposition but this current batch feels riskier than usual.
The draft is months away but two different dynamics are starting to come into focus that I want to bring attention to. The first is while the quarterbacks aren’t standing out from the pack, the same goes for a lot of other positions as well. As things stand right now, there are not as many blue-chip players at the top of the draft as we’ve seen in other years. That could help drive quarterbacks up the board along with the demand.
The second is because of the way the season has played out so far, the postseason might matter more than usual for evaluating these players. This is also the first season of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. A quarterback who gets hot during the playoff could set the stage for himself to shoot up draft boards. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say January could be just as important for some of these prospects as everything else they’ve done to this point.
We’ll have a deeper look at the 2025 quarterback class later this week but for now here’s a quick-hit look at where things stand
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Sanders has had another strong season for Colorado and there’s a lot to like about how his game could translate to the NFL. He’s a poised player with good accuracy, and while he doesn’t have elite physical traits, he can buy time in the pocket and make just about all the throws he’ll be asked to in the NFL. The questions for Sanders will revolve around how high his ceiling is and whether all the extra baggage that comes with his entourage including his father, Colorado HC Deion Sanders, is worth it.
Miami QB Cam Ward
Ward has a cool, non-traditional journey, lighting it up for two years at FCS Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State for two years, then landing at Miami for his final season of eligibility. In that time, he’s compiled well over 2,000 pass attempts, more than 17,000 passing yards and 170 total touchdowns — and counting. He’s big, athletic and has a strong arm. The concerns with Ward stem from his decision-making, as he can get too much dip on his chip and chuck the ball into windows that aren’t open. He initially declared for the draft last year but would have been a Day 3 selection, leading to his decision to go to Miami. That one at least seems to be paying off big so far. Ward and Sanders are the closest this class has to a consensus top two — for now.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
Milroe is the biggest wildcard in this group. From a traits perspective, he is an elite prospect, with blazing speed, good size and a powerful arm. He’s similar to Fields in a lot of ways. Just like Fields, the questions with Milroe will come down to how refined he can become as a passer. He’s not inept in this area but there’s growth needed for certain. At this point, he’s the biggest risk-reward proposition of any quarterback in this class, and the one with the most volatile stock. Anything could happen from him returning to school for another year to cementing himself as a top-three pick with a hot streak in the Playoff.
Texans QB Quinn Ewers
Ewers is still searching for consistency and this is his third season as a starter. The former top recruit has a live arm and quick release, and he’s done a good job leading Texas as one of the top teams in the country the past two years. But his mechanics, accuracy and decision-making can lapse from game to game, sometimes even series to series. Injuries haven’t helped matters either. Ewers is another player who would benefit from a strong run in the Playoff but at this point, it feels more likely he’d be a Day 2 pick if he declared. If he returned to school, there’s a good chance he’d have to transfer, as it feels unlikely that he’d hold off Arch Manning for another year.
Georgia QB Carson Beck
Beck entered the year as a potential top prospect due to how well he had stewarded Georgia’s offense the previous season and how he checked a bunch of boxes the NFL looks for in its prototypical passers in terms of size, arm talent, experience, etc. But Beck has thrown away his chance at being a first-rounder by throwing too many interceptions, unless he corrects course dramatically. He’s more likely to be a mid-round pick and potential backup at this point.
Penn State QB Drew Allar
Allar is another player who looks rolled off the assembly line at the position at 6-5 and over 230 pounds with a powerful arm and an ability to hurt defenses with his legs. The results have not matched the hype, though. Allar hasn’t been bad but he’s played more like a mid-round pick than a top prospect so far. It’s fair to ask if a different situation outside of Penn State could draw more out of his game but Allar is definitely a project at this point. He’s another player who could benefit from a strong run in the Playoff if the Nittany Lions end up there.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier flashed a lot to like this year in his first season as the starter for LSU. The son of Eagles QB coach Doug Nussmeier, Garrett has some fans in the scouting community for the way he plays with anticipation, great pocket presence and aggression. Learning how to better toe the line and avoid interceptions will be key, however. He’s also just 6-2 and 200 pounds without overwhelming physical tools. Nussmeier is a strong candidate to stay in school to try and improve his stock in 2026.
Putting it all together
Trying to guess how the quarterback carousel will shake out right now is wildly premature given how much is left in both the NFL and college seasons. A ton is going to change. But based on what we know now, we can make a few educated guesses about what the picture will look like in 2025. Here’s a potential scenario for what the QB room ends up looking like for the nine QB-needy teams highlighted:
Browns: Draft Cam Ward, re-sign Jacoby Brissett
Cleveland has to give itself plenty of options even if it can’t get rid of Watson just yet. Brissett would give HC Kevin Stefanski a veteran option to get back to his roots on offense and hold things down until Ward is ready to play.
Raiders: Draft Shedeur Sanders
It seems like Sanders has his eye on the Raiders, and he has the star power to thrive in a place like Las Vegas. I can see Raiders owner Mark Davis getting hooked.
Giants: Draft Jalen Milroe, sign Justin Fields
If Daboll and Schoen stick around, there will be a lot of pressure to get things right at quarterback. Daboll has shown he can take advantage of a mobile quarterback and that he highly values physical traits at the position. He also has experience working with passers who need development, the prime example being Bills QB Josh Allen. In this scenario, the Giants sign Fields as a free agent, then keep their cards close to the vest before double-dipping with Milroe. Fields can play until Milroe is ready and this gives New York two shots at fixing things.
Titans: Sign Sam Darnold
Callahan has a background on offense and I think he will believe he can continue to get the best out of Darnold. This also gives them some time to try and develop Levis behind the scenes. Bottom line, I don’t think they can go into 2025 with just Levis on the roster.
Jets: Draft Carson Beck Day 2, start Tyrod Taylor
New York is a massive wildcard and it’ll be hard to get a read on what they might do until they hire a new GM and coach. The new regime will have to decide if this team needs a rebuild or can be competitive quickly. For the sake of the scenario, let’s say they hire former Titans HC Mike Vrabel who feels like he can do a decent job with Taylor as the bridge quarterback. They roll the dice on Beck in the third round to give them a developmental option for the future while still keeping their options open.
Panthers: Sign Daniel Jones
The Panthers elect to bide their time and focus their resources on rebuilding the rest of the roster for another year. They don’t throw the towel in completely on Young but they bring in serious competition with Jones. Panthers HC Dave Canales has had a better track record with veterans than young players, and the local ties with Jones make this an interesting landing spot.
Saints: Status quo
With Carr, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, the Saints have a mix of veteran experience and young developmental options. So if they decide to keep Carr, there’s really not much else they need to do.
Rams: Status quo
I considered a trade that would have sent Stafford to the Jets with the Rams pivoting to Darnold. But that felt a little too bold. Stafford is easily the best quarterback who could be available in the shuffle, and the Rams already have him on the roster. It’s hard to rule anything out with the Rams but another year together just seems like it makes sense.
Steelers: Re-sign Russell Wilson, draft Drew Allar Day 2
Wilson is putting himself in a good position to return, either on a tag or a new deal. But the Steelers will recognize they need to have an eye on the future, and with Fields seeking more playing time elsewhere, they roll the dice on Allar in the second. Pittsburgh will appreciate how well Allar protected the ball in college.
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