The Seattle Seahawks have toppled the first quarterback domino of the NFL’s 2024 offseason. Last week the team made a commitment to veteran Geno Smith, which means he should be slated to start in Week 1 no matter what else the team gets up to between now and September.
One week from now the legal tampering period will begin, which is effectively the start of free agency. Before that happens we may yet see a few quarterbacks change teams. Here’s all the latest news on three key players who could be on the move this week, including former Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.
1
Russell Wilson expected to be released by Broncos this week
The first name to watch is a familiar one for Seahawks fans. Former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson is expected to be released by the Broncos this week, according to a report by Diana Russini at the Athletic. According to figures at Over the Cap, the move will come with an absolutely brutal $85 million dead money hit for Denver, or $35.4 million if it’s desginated as a post June 1 cut. It should be very interesting to see what Wilson’s market looks like once the move is made official.
Update:
Wilson has been informed by the Broncos that he will be released when the new league year begins, but he’s free to talk to other teams now.
2
4 teams linked to Justin Fields trade talks
The most exciting player to follow over the next few days may be Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is expected to be traded before Chicago selects USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall.
According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, the Falcons, Steelers, Raiders and Vikings are involved, H/T Bears Wire.
There’s no firm deadline on a trade, though the start of free agency is sort of a soft one. Chicago will need multiple teams in the fray to drive a market, and after asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on the radar.
At a minimum, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas would all be far more formidable with any kind of upgrade at quarterback in 2024. All of them won at least seven games last season without a true starter on the roster.
3
Kirk Cousins won't give Vikings hometown discount, Falcons' top target
While the Falcons are the team that’s been most heavily linked to a Justin Fields trade with the Bears, he’s actually not their first choice. According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, signing veteran Kirk Cousins is actually their top solution at quarterback.
Atlanta fans should be happy to hear that Cousins does not plan to give Minnesota a hometown discount.
If the Vikings don’t sign him to an extension… Cousins will be an open-market free agent for the second time in his career. Should that happen, I expect the Falcons to make a strong pursuit. I have been told by multiple sources this week that signing Cousins — not trading for Justin Fields — is the Falcons’ top QB solution, assuming Cousins makes it to free agency.
Cousins may be a glorified game manager, but he’s better at it than anyone else in football right now. So, it’s not hard to see the appeal for the Falcons, who would be a very tough out in the playoffs with a quarterback who knows how to avoid turnover-worthy plays.
