The 2024 NFL offseason is already underway, as the quarterback carousel is about to kick into high gear.
We’re going to see plenty of turnover in the NFL this offseason at the game’s most important positions, with plenty of teams needing quarterbacks for 2024 and beyond.
While some teams might be settled at the positions, others face big decisions as to what they’ll do with both veteran options and possible candidates in the 2024 NFL Draft.
We’ve gone through a list of consequential quarterbacks this offseason and tried to predict where they’ll all land once March and April get going.
Veterans like Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo factor into the equation, as do upcoming rookies like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.
QB Kirk Cousins: Minnesota Vikings
Cousins will be the biggest domino to fall this offseason in terms of quarterbacks, but we’re betting the Vikings will find a way to keep him for another year or two to keep the contention window open.
While re-signing Cousins probably won’t keep them from drafting a quarterback this spring, it’d be the best way for Minnesota to contend in 2024 while making sure there is a contingent plan ready for the future.
The Green Bay Packers just showed how sitting a young quarterback for a couple of seasons can pay off; could the Vikings be the next NFC North team to take this approach and make it work?
QB Justin Fields: Atlanta Falcons
Fields going to the Falcons has been one of the most popular predictions of the offseason, and it’s not hard to see why.
The Falcons need an answer at the quarterback position, and Fields could immediately step in and continue his progress from 2023.
It’s no sure bet that this works out, but the ceiling would be quite high if Fields and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can click and get Atlanta’s group of offensive players going in a meaningful way.
QB Russell Wilson: broadcasting/holding pattern
Trying to figure out where Wilson will play next is tricky, as it’s really not a guarantee that even a quarterback of his magnitude will get a starting spot in 2024 with so many younger players out there to contend with.
We’re really curious if Wilson will get released by the Broncos and sit out a year while he makes a ton of money from Denver and tries broadcasting out for a change. He’d likely be one of the more sought-after potential NFL broadcasters for the 2024 season, as any number of networks (ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc.) would probably love having him in studio or in the booth.
He could reassess what the quarterback marketplace looks like in 2025. Unless he’d be content with competing for a job or sitting on the bench in 2024, he might find television to be his next best immediate option.
Also, it’s possible he could wait to see if injury strikes a contender and an immediate need for a good veteran quarterback could emerge. Wilson would likely be at the top of the list in terms of phone calls to available free agents.
We could be wrong here, but we’re wondering if Wilson is hesitant to make his next move right away while Denver is paying him so much guaranteed money in 2024.
QB Baker Mayfield: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We’re guessing Mayfield and the Buccaneers figure out a lucrative contract to keep the resurgent quarterback in Tampa Bay for the next few seasons, a bit like the Tennessee Titans did with Ryan Tannehill a few years ago.
Mayfield will likely draw interest on the open market, but it’d likely behoove both parties to get an extension done after a very promising 2023 together.
QB Gardner Minshew: Indianapolis Colts
Minshew did a very commendable job with the Colts in 2023 after Anthony Richardson went down with injury in his rookie season, and it’d make a ton of sense for Indianapolis to want him to stay around another season.
Richardson showed some really encouraging signs, and he’ll be the starter for the Colts this season if he can stay healthy. However, having Minshew around feels very important if Richardson gets hurt again.
He will likely have interest outside of Indy, but we’re guessing the Colts will prioritize re-signing him unless another team comes along with a starting offer.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: New York Jets
While Garoppolo will spend two games suspended this upcoming season for performance enhancing substance use, it still feels like he’ll find a home for the 2024 season in short order once his time ends with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Our guess is the Jets look at the quarterback room behind Aaron Rodgers and feel very nervous at what would happen if the veteran quarterback got hurt again.
Signing Garoppolo to a 1-year deal and having him sit behind Rodgers could give New York much more peace of mind, as he’d be a much better fallback option than the team had at any point in 2023.
QB Ryan Tannehill: Pittsburgh Steelers
It makes all the sense in the world for Tannehill to reunite with his old Tennessee Titans play caller Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh, but it’s reported that Pittsburgh may be deciding between Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph for the future.
That might open the door for Tannehill to head elsewhere, but we’re still guessing he finds his way back to Smith and gives the Steelers a reliable veteran that the franchise can lean on if the Pickett/Rudolph plan falls through. It’s very possible he’d start for the Steelers at some point.
QB Sam Darnold: Denver Broncos
The Broncos feel destined to draft a quarterback at some point in the NFL draft, but they’re not likely to take someone that’s immediately ready to play like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
In this set of predictions, we’re going to guess that Denver signs Darnold after a year learning under Kyle Shanahan and lets him compete with Jared Stidham for the 2024 job.
Darnold looked solid in the time he spent on the field for the 49ers this season, and Sean Payton might be able to make the former first-round pick work for a year while developing a rookie behind the scenes.
QB Jacoby Brissett: Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are one of the more mysterious teams this offseason in trying to determine what they’ll do at quarterback, with a free agent signing and a draft pick both very possible outcomes for Las Vegas.
We think Brissett makes a lot of sense for the Raiders, as he could theoretically start for a year and provide sound play while Las Vegas develops a rookie quarterback to possibly take over in 2025.
With quarterback Aidan O’Connell also on the roster, he, Brissett and a rookie would be a solid foundation for Vegas to build on for the future.
QB Jake Browning: Tennessee Titans
With Tennessee trying to figure out what it has in quarterback Will Levis, it’ll need a sound fallback option that understands the scheme that new coach Brian Callahan is bringing with him to Nashville.
Browning excelled in his brief starting stint with the Bengals, and he could be a really nice complimentary piece to the quarterback room and could step up if Levis falters in his sophomore season.
While the Titans likely want Levis to be the guy, Browning would make a ton of sense as a reserve option who could potentially push the 2023 second-round pick for the job.
QB Joe Flacco: Cleveland Browns
The reigning Comeback Player of the Year should be a no-brainer for Cleveland to re-sign, given quarterback Deshaun Watson’s injury history.
While the team will probably want Watson on the field because of his contract, having Flacco in the building will probably put a lot of minds at ease in case Watson gets hurt again and misses more time.
QB Joshua Dobbs: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles need a high-caliber backup quarterback given Jalen Hurts’ injury struggles last season, and Dobbs might be the best answer out there.
He’s a similar dual-threat player to Hurts, and he’s proven to be one of the best spot starters in the entire NFL. His talents tend to wane a bit after a couple of games under center, but his value in a pinch is massive.
Philadelphia needs sound insurance at quarterback, and Dobbs would be a home run in that regard. It’d be a great spot for Dobbs, too.
QB Drew Lock: Chicago Bears
Lock did a nice job as a spot starter for the Seattle Seahawks this past season, and he could follow new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to Chicago to backup whoever the Windy City chooses as its next starter.
He might have a few suitors for his services after solid reps for Seattle this past season, but reuniting with Waldron and giving the Bears a nice cushion behind the presumptive rookie starter makes a lot of sense.
QB Mac Jones: San Francisco 49ers
It’s not all that long ago that the 49ers were linked to New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the draft with the third-overall pick, but that obviously didn’t come to pass.
Could San Francisco loop back around if the Patriots put Jones on the trade block? It’s not at all hard to imagine a world where the 49ers send a mid-round draft pick to New England for Jones to make him Brock Purdy’s backup for a year and see how he develops under Kyle Shanahan’s watch.
It’d be fascinating to see Jones finally make it out to the Bay and play for Shanahan, just under different circumstances than before.
QB Zach Wilson: Los Angeles Rams
Of any quarterback on this list, Wilson needs a change of scenery in the worst way possible. It feels like a given that the Jets will trade him this offseason, and the Rams might not be a bad landing spot for Wilson to reset his career behind Matthew Stafford.
Sean McVay has provided former first-round quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz a place to rehabilitate in recent years, and Wilson could try to salvage his career with one of the best offensive minds in the game.
For the Rams, fixing Wilson’s mechanics and building his confidence back up could either give them a possible successor to Stafford or net them a comp pick once Wilson leaves with a year of McVay’s tutelage under his belt.
QB Taysom Hill: Miami Dolphins
If the New Orleans Saints actually cut longtime reserve quarterback/offensive gadget player Taysom Hill, the Dolphins might make a ton of sense for the veteran signal caller as a backup for Tua Tagovailoa and a fun piece of Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Hill could step in behind Tagovailoa and be ready if injury strikes, but he could also play on rushing snaps and on trick plays to give the young quarterback a break if need be. Hill is still with the Saints, but a cut for salary relief could change that very quickly. Miami intrigues us as a next location.
QB Caleb Williams: Chicago Bears
It feels like a foregone conclusion at this point that Williams will land with the Bears as the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as he’s as tantalizing a prospect as has come across the NFL in some time.
We think a possible Justin Fields trade will cement this as a sure thing for Chicago, as the Bears get their possible franchise quarterback right at the top of April’s draft.
QB Drake Maye: Washington Commanders
We don’t think the Commanders will wait much longer after the Bears to make their 2024 NFL Draft selection, as Maye provides Washington the kind of possible stability that the franchise has coveted at quarterback for years.
Maye won’t go far from his college days at North Carolina, as new Commanders coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury get the signal caller of the future with the draft’s second pick.
QB Jayden Daniels: New England Patriots
The Patriots are about to enter a rebuilding process under coach Jerod Mayo, and snagging a young, promising quarterback in the draft feels like a great way to kickstart that process into high gear.
The reigning Heisman trophy winner could bring an electricity to the quarterback position that New England expects after years of Tom Brady, and drafting Daniels erases the need to hoping a veteran stopgap option will work as Mayo takes over the franchise from Bill Belichick.
Some folks think New England will trade this pick; we’re not so sure. Drafting Daniels as the quarterback of the future makes more sense.
QB J.J. McCarthy: Denver Broncos
McCarthy just feels like a Sean Payton quarterback, and we’re guessing that the Broncos will do what’s needed to trade up and snag him for the future.
In this scenario, the Broncos sit McCarthy for 2024 behind a veteran and unleash him in 2025 to see if he can bring his winning ways from Michigan to Mile High.
It’d be fun to see McCarthy go against his old Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh twice a year, and we’re curious if Payton could maximize McCarthy’s potential once he’s ready to start.
QB Bo Nix: Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings need a young quarterback to prep for the future, and maybe Nix could be a viable option for Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
Nix was incredibly productive during his time at Oregon, and sitting behind Cousins for a year or two could help him as he acclimates to the NFL. We’re wondering if the Vikings could take him with a second-round pick or trade back up into the first round and snag him late on Thursday.
He’ll need time to adjust to what the NFL demands of him, but stashing Nix and developing him for the future could be a smart move for Minnesota.
QB Michael Penix Jr.: Seattle Seahawks
Penix was one of college football’s true stars this past season, and we’re very bullish on the idea of him staying in the Pacific Northwest and sitting for a year behind Geno Smith before possibly taking over for the Seahawks in 2025.
Penix’s unique throwing style and injury history makes him a perfect candidate to sit for a year, prepare his body for NFL play and fine tune his mechanics for the next level. He’s likely going to be available in the second round, and new coach Mike Macdonald hired Penix’s college offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb to work in the same capacity in Seattle.
This pairing just makes too much sense.
QB Spencer Rattler: Las Vegas Raiders
We mentioned that the Raiders might want to draft a quarterback to develop for a possible starting role in 2025, and Rattler saw his stock rise after an impressive Senior Bowl.
It wouldn’t shock us if a team like Vegas took a chance on Rattler’s upside and work with him to see if he can grow into being a starting NFL quarterback. We’re guessing he’ll go in the late second or early third of this upcoming draft, and Vegas might not be a bad landing spot for him.
QB Michael Pratt: New York Giants
We’ve not yet mentioned the Giants, who feel destined to turn back to Daniel Jones in 2024 but could very easily draft a young quarterback in April.
That’s a team to watch if the Patriots decide to move down from pick No. 3, but Pratt feels like the biggest possible diamond in the rough in this draft class.
We could see the Giants snagging him in the third round and developing him for a possible starting role in 2025, or maybe he’s just a solid long-term development candidate. Either way, it’d feel strange if New York didn’t take a quarterback in this draft, so we’ll give them Pratt after his great career at Tulane.
QB Jordan Travis: Baltimore Ravens
This feels like such a Ravens move.
Travis was one of college football’s most dynamic quarterbacks before going down late in the season with injury, and Baltimore could very easily stash the Florida State standout for 2024 and develop him as Lamar Jackson’s long-term backup.
Having a quality backup behind Jackson is paramount, and Travis could develop in one of the NFL’s best franchises and put some starting tape into the world if Jackson ever misses time with injury.
