The NFL offseason quarterback carousel is in full swing, with an abundance of quarterbacks switching teams either as free agents and signing big-money deals or being traded for and signing big-money deals as well. Sam Darnold and Justin Fields cash in while other players like Geno Smith get traded and earn new cash.
NFL Free Agency Quarterback Carousel
The veteran quarterback market has heated up with multiple starting sports available. It all started with Matthew Stafford, who teams had been eyeing since the Super Bowl, but he ultimately decided to stay with the LA Rams. Darnold, Fields, and others like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson were all free agents who were going to be looking at new opportunities elsewhere. Kirk Cousins is another veteran who could hit the market after requesting his release from the Atlanta Falcons. Other veteran quarterbacks like Geno Smith were under contract with a team but became available for the right price.
Darnold has signed a three-year $110.5 million to play with the Seattle Seahawks after a career year with the Minnesota Vikings last season. Fields goes from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the New York Jets on a two-year $40 million. Smith was traded for a third-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Smith is expected to land a deal with the Raiders that will pay him $40-45 million a year. There has been a ton of quarterback movement, and there are still starting spots left open.
Steelers, Giants still looking for starters
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants are still looking for starting quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers has been reported as someone who piques the Steeler’s interest. Rodgers could take over for a Steelers team who just traded for D.K. Metcalf and an offense that is continuing to be reworked. The Steelers had an interest in initially bringing back Fields first; however, Fields wanted a commitment from the Steelers that he would be the unquestioned starting quarterback, and a deal never came to fruition, and Fields ended up agreeing to join the Jets.
The Giants were pursuing Matthew Stafford as hard as they could. It was even reported that the Giants had aligned the needed trade and contract compensation to trade for Stafford, but Stafford ultimately chose to stay with the Rams. The Giants, like the Steelers, have an interest in bringing in Rodgers as well, or the Giants could pivot to someone like Russell Wilson if they want to go the veteran route.
A dark horse quarterback situation is the Vikings. They were working to re-sign Darnold but couldn’t come to an agreement. Reports came out that the Vikings could be a dark horse spot for Rodgers. However, the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 draft, and the logical assumption would be they give the quarterback they drafted a shot.
Other Teams Looking to Add QB Competition
Other teams who are looking to add competition to their quarterback room include the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. So, if a veteran beats out the current projected starters on those two teams, that will only add to the quarterback turnover, which seems higher this season than it has in recent seasons. The draft is approaching, so that also will add intrigue to the quarterback mix in the NFL, with guys like Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders expected to be first-round picks. A team like the Cleveland Browns could go the draft route with their quarterback instead of signing a veteran
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