The first week of free agency was an interesting one for quarterbacks around the NFL with players like Kyler Murray (Vikings), Tua Tagaovailoa (Falcons) and Malik Willis (Dolphins) all signing with a new team.
Over the past week, the quarterback landscape around the NFL has definitely changed. The Vikings, Falcons and Dolphins are no longer in need of a quarterback. The only teams that might still be looking for a starter are the Browns, Steelers, Raiders and Cardinals, but those four situations are all completely different. The Browns could bring in someone to compete for the starting job. The Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers. The Raiders are likely going to use the No. 1 overall pick on Fernando Mendoza. And then there’s the Cardinals. They could look to add another QB, but for now, they seem to content with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew in the top two spots on their depth chart.
As we head into the second week of free agency, there are still plenty of names available on the QB market, including three former Super Bowl winners and another player who’s tied for the seventh-most wins among all active quarterbacks.
So where does that leave us? Let’s check out a few names who are still available and where they might end up.
Kirk Cousins
Team: Raiders
Cousins would obviously prefer to go to a team where he might be able to start, but with those options drying up, the Raiders would make a lot of sense. For one, this would reunite him with Klint Kubiak. The Raiders new head coach spent three seasons (2019-21) in Minnesota with Cousins. Kubiak was Vikings’ QB coach for two years before being promoted to offensive coordinator, so he worked closely with Cousins in Minnesota. The familiarity there could be something that pushes Cousins toward Las Vegas. Also, if the Raiders are going to draft Mendoza, Cousins would be the perfect veteran to come in and help mentor him. Cousins has seen everything that an NFL defense can throw at you, plus, he already knows Kubiak’s offense, so he could help Mendoza quickly learn the ropes in the NFL. This would also give the Raiders the option of starting the season with Cousins under center and letting Mendoza learn the ropes before throwing him on the field.
The Browns or Cardinals could also make some sense if Cousins wants to try to win a starting QB job, but heading to Las Vegas seems like it would be the best move. The 37-year-old still has plenty in the tank and he proved that last season when he threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns during a 29-28 win for the Falcons over the Buccaneers.
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Aaron Rodgers
Team: Steelers
With Rodgers, it seems like there’s only two options this offseason: Either he re-signs with the Steelers or he retires. During an interview with Pat McAfee in early March, the quarterback’s future came up, but he didn’t really give any hints about whether he was planning to play this year.
“There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me,” Rodgers said. “There’s no contract offer or anything, so there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between.”
Apparently, the QB’s plan is to spend some time with his wife before making any decisions.
“I’m a free agent, and I’m enjoying my time with my wife and this part of the offseason. I think there are conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there haven’t been any progressive conversations,” Rodgers said.
The Steelers went through free agency like a team that plans on having Rodgers back for one more year. Not only did they add a solid No. 2 receiver by making a trade for Michael Pittman, but they also added Rico Dowdle at running back. Dowdle is coming off two straight 1,000 yard seasons and he has the ability to take some pressure off Rodgers with his running style.
The Steelers also beefed up their secondary by adding Jamel Dean, Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage.
New coach Mike McCarthy is taking over a team that just won the AFC North, and right now, all he needs is a starting quarterback. Rodgers is a fan of McCarthy, the Steelers have a pretty solid roster, so basically, the stage is now set for a Rodgers return. He just has to announce that he’s actually going to return.
Russell Wilson
Team: Colts
The Chiefs pulled off an interesting trade on Monday that Indianapolis might want to take note of. With Patrick Mahomes recovering from a torn ACL, there’s no guarantee he’s going to be available for Week 1, so Kansas City went out and made a trade for Justin Fields.
The Colts are in a similar situation with Daniel Jones, who tore his Achilles in December. Although the team is hoping that he’ll be ready for Week 1, that might not happen, so Indy needs to have a contingency plan. The Colts have Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard, but Richardson is likely on his way out. As for Leonard, Shane Steichen would probably feel much better if he had a tested veteran to back up Jones and that’s where Wilson comes in.
Wilson definitely isn’t in his prime anymore, but he brings a wealth of experience. Not to mention, he can still occasionally play at a high level, something he proved in 2025 with the Giants when he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-37 loss to the Cowboys.
Anthony Richardson
Team: Packers (Trade)
Richardson isn’t a free agent, but we’re including him on this list, because he recently requested a trade out of Indy, so it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be returning for the upcoming season. After three years with the Colts, Richardson will almost certainly be moving on and the Packers feel like the team that makes the most sense.
Matt LaFleur has been in this situation before. After the Titans couldn’t make Malik Willis work in Tennessee, the Packers pulled off a trade for the young quarterback and he ended up reviving his career in Green Bay. In two seasons under LaFleur, Willis started three games for the Packers and he looked impressive in all three starts. Willis played so well that he became the TOP free agent quarterback available this year.
Adding Richardson would give LaFleur another project to work with. Richardson obviously wouldn’t be the starter in Green Bay — because Jordan Love exists — but Love has missed at least two games in each of the past two seasons, so Richardson could certainly see some action at some point.
One of Richardson’s biggest issues with the Colts has been his accuracy. He has completed just 50.6% of his passes, which is the worst rate in the NFL over the past three seasons for any QB with at least 10 starts. Willis also struggled with his accuracy at the beginning of his career. During his two seasons in Tennessee, Willis completed just 53% of his passes (35 of 66), but under LaFleur, he got that number up to 78.7% during his two seasons in Green Bay. If LaFleur could get Richardson anywhere near the number, the QB would almost certainly have a nice market if the Packers decided to deal him away at some point down the road.
Joe Flacco
Team: Bengals
Flacco proved during the 2025 season that he can definitely still play and he hasn’t been shy about the fact that he wants to be a starter somewhere.
“I would like an opportunity, but you just never know,” Flacco said near the end of 2025.
After getting traded to the Bengals in October, Flacco went off, throwing for 1,664 yards and 13 touchdowns in just six starts. If Flacco wants to start, there just aren’t many options available for him right now, which is why it would make the most sense for him to return to the Bengals on a one-year deal. Although Flacco didn’t arrive in Cincinnati until October, he quickly became a popular guy in the locker room. As a matter of fact, the 41-year-old actually got invited by several teammates to hang out in Las Vegas after the season ended. You know you’ve been accepted by the team when you get invited on a group trip to Vegas.
Flacco would be a solid insurance policy for the Bengals. If Joe Burrow ends up dealing with any injuries in 2026, then Bengals coach Zac Taylor knows he can confidently turn the offense over to Flacco.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Team: Rams
After Mike LaFleur left the Rams to take the Cardinals’ head coaching, there was some speculation that he might try to bring Garoppolo with him to Arizona, but that fell through. Instead of signing Garoppolo, the Cards ended up adding Gardner Minshew, and right now, it seems that Arizona is content on going into the season with Jacoby Brissett as the starter and Minshew as the backup.
Arizona was probably Garoppolo’s best shot at a starting job, and with that now off the table, returning to the Rams probably makes the most sense. Rams coach Sean McVay has made it clear that he would love to see Garoppolo return to L.A., where he would serve as a backup to a 38-year-old Matthew Stafford.
“I love Jimmy,” McVay said back on March 3. “I would absolutely want him back. I did see those reports too on [Cardinals Head Coach] Mike [LaFleur] trying to steal our guy, but no Jimmy’s a really good player and so we would love him back. I’m sure he’ll have multiple opportunities and then we’ll see where we’re at. He’s been tremendous for the last couple of years. We’ve loved everything he’s about. You guys know how I feel about him when we’ve spoken about him and we would love him back.”
During the 2025 season, Stafford missed more than half of training camp with a back injury, so the backup job is an important one in L.A., which is probably why McVay is so adamant about getting Garoppolo back. Garoppolo, who’s going into his 13th NFL season, has spent the past two years with the Rams.
