The regular season is wrapping up, which means that free agency will kick off in just a few short months. As of this posting, it appears as though there will be a lot of interesting free agent quarterbacks on the open market. While Kirk Cousins highlights the bunch, plenty of talented passers could switch teams when the 2024 league year begins.
Note: For the sake of the article, we’re going to assume that Gardner Minshew and Baker Mayfield stay with their current teams.
Where Will the Top Free Agent Quarterbacks Land?
Kirk Cousins – Denver Broncos
The Minnesota Vikings are not interested in sticking with Kirk Cousins. If they were, they would’ve never let the quarterback come close to touching free agency. Cousins was playing the best football of his career before his Achilles injury, and assuming he can get back to health, should break the bank once again. For what it’s worth, the Vikings cannot use the franchise tag on Cousins, so the Broncos would not need to give up any draft compensation to acquire the free agent quarterback.
Russell Wilson – Pittsburgh Steelers
Technically speaking, Russell Wilson is not a free agent, but it’s a foregone conclusion that the quarterback will be gone at the end of the season. Wilson was never able to recapture his old form with the Broncos and never came close to justifying his contract. However, even though he’s not the player he once was, he’s still a starting-caliber quarterback and a clear upgrade on Kenny Pickett. Despite his first-round draft pedigree, the Steelers already appear ready to give up on Pickett, and it’s about time the team had a quarterback that can take advantage of George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freiermuth.
Jacoby Brissett – New Orleans Saints
The Derek Carr experiment was an abject failure, and the New Orleans Saints should look for a better free agent quarterback in 2023. Unfortunately, the team is currently drowning in salary cap debt, so they won’t have the financial resources to go after someone like Cousins or Wilson. Instead, they’ll have to settle for a solid bridge quarterback that could probably start for a couple of teams. Jacoby Brissett is not the type of guy that can singlehandedly lift an organization, but his time with the Cleveland Browns shows that he is capable of taking care of the ball and efficiently moving the offense down the field. If nothing else, he’s an upgrade on current backup Jameis Winston and could easily start if Carr doesn’t improve in Year 2.
Ryan Tannehill – Minnesota Vikings
With Kirk Cousins gone, the Minnesota Vikings will have to find somebody capable of starting in 2024. Josh Doubs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall have all disappointed, so the answer is not currently on the roster. Ryan Tannehill is not a long-term solution to Minnesota’s quarterback woes, but the impending free agent is capable of keeping the ship afloat. While he didn’t look good in 2023, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who could succeed with a bottom-five offensive line and only one reliable target in DeAndre Hopkins. There is a very real chance that Tannehill goes back to looking like his 2019-2022 self when he has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson catching the ball.
Jameis Winston – Kansas City Chiefs
This should go without saying, but Jameis Winston is not going to challenge Patrick Mahomes for the starting job. However, he’s clearly better than Blaine Gabbert. If the unthinkable happens and Mahomes goes down, the Chiefs will need somebody with a rocket arm to take command of the offense. Say what you will about Winston, but nobody can deny that he excels at pushing the ball downfield, and Andy Reid’s favorable scheme could help with his turnover issues.
Main Photo: Benny Sleu – USA Today Sports
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