It’s going to be a pretty wild offseason for teams in pursuit of veteran quarterbacks as six different former starting quarterbacks are set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason.
Kirk Cousins is set to become a free agent after spending the last six seasons as the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins is not a candidate for a franchise tag and is expected to hit the open market.
Russell Wilson is expected to part ways with the Denver Broncos at some point this offseason. While there is a chance the team could attempt to try him instead of simply releasing him and allowing him to hit the open market, his contract will likely make that difficult or impossible, meaning it’s likely he also will become an unrestricted free agent.
Baker Mayfield is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to use their franchise tag on Antoine Winfield Jr. instead of him. He’s signified his desire to return to the team next year after he had the best season of his career with the team in 2023, but he will be on the open market, nonetheless.
Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be released by the Las Vegas Raiders after he was suspended for two games after violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Garoppolo was already benched in favor of rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, but now it looks like he’s set to hit the open market.
Ryan Tannehill began the season as the starter for the Tennessee Titans but was ultimately benched in favor of rookie Will Levis. Now, Tannehill will be a free agent.
Sam Darnold has not been a consistent starter in the NFL since the 2017 season, but nonetheless, he is a former NFL starter who will also be an unrestricted free agent.
All of these players, coupled with the potential that Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields could be traded, makes for a very interesting offseason.
