There aren’t many teams that definitely will be looking for a new starting quarterback this offseason, and those that do will likely be first looking towards the draft. But the quarterback class in the 2025 NFL draft isn’t very deep, nor is it generally well-regarded.
And there could be some very intriguing veteran options available in free agency or via trade for teams willing to take a potentially expensive chance.
“There’s no Peyton Manning in there, I don’t think — no veteran who you know has a chance to lead your team to the Super Bowl,” said one NFL general manager. “But some of these guys can really play and might get you to the playoffs.
“If I needed a quarterback, and if I couldn’t get one of the top two guys in the draft (Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders) I’d pay a little to let some of these guys lead my team for a couple of years. It’s not a great group. But it’s not bad.”
How good is it, though? Here’s a look at all the veteran quarterbacks who could be available this offseason, with some insight on where they could land:
Russell Wilson: He has revived his career in Pittsburgh after a miserable stint in Denver, and the way he’s been playing it’s hard to imagine the Steelers not trying to re-sign him. They’re 5-1 so far since he took over and he’s averaging 271 passing yards in those games with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. And the Steelers don’t have a younger quarterback ready to take over in 2025 (unless they choose to try to re-sign Justin Fields, who was benched for Wilson).
But Wilson is 36 and he might want to at least look at other options. Notably, he flirted with the New York Giants last offseason before signing with the Steelers, and they don’t have a quarterback for 2025. If they don’t find a ready-made starter in the draft, they could be an appealing option.
Aaron Rodgers: His time in New York has been a complete disaster and he looks older and more beat up every time he takes the field. He has said he might want to keep playing next year at age 41, but as one AFC scout said “I don’t know who would want him. He comes with a lot of headaches and demands and the way he’s played his last few years, it’s not worth it.”
He’s signed with the Jets through 2025, but it’s hard to imagine a new GM will recommend paying him the $35 million bonus he’s due in the offseason. They’ll likely just take the $49 million dead-cap hit and move on. But will he be able to move on? Several NFL sources agree they couldn’t bring Rodgers on to be a bridge to a young quarterback and nobody thinks he’d want to be a backup.
That really limits his options to a team like the Las Vegas Raiders, who don’t have a viable option for 2025 and may not end up high enough in the draft to get Sanders or Ward.
Sam Darnold: He revived his lost career in Minnesota when he was forced to step in for injured rookie J.J. McCarthy. It hasn’t always been pretty and he still throws a few too many interceptions (10 in 12 games), but the Vikings are 10-2 under his direction. He’s a game manager at times, but he’s still thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine of his 12 starts.
“I think everyone always knew he could play in the right situation,” one scout said. “He’s had a lot of bad coaching and this was the perfect spot for him.”
The Vikings are committed to McCarthy, though, so the 27-year-old Darnold will surely look elsewhere. One executive said he was “probably” deserving of a “Geno Smith-type deal” (Smith got a three-year, $75 million contract with $40 million guaranteed from Seattle in 2023). But that could only come from a team willing to let him start for at least a year or two.
Two intriguing options that multiple sources brought up: Pittsburgh, if the Steelers don’t re-sign Wilson or Fields, or the Los Angeles Rams, who could move on from the soon-to-be-37-year-old Matt Stafford either this offseason or next.
Jameis Winston: He might be the most polarizing name on this list because he’s got a great arm and elite ability, but he still throws way too many interceptions. He also would make a lot of sense as the Cleveland Browns starter in 2025 if they weren’t still anchored to that ridiculous Deshaun Watson contract.
One NFL executive said “his untamed arm makes him too risky” to sign, especially since he’ll turn 31 next month. One scout said he was worth the risk for the right coach, “but the risk isn’t a small one.” He probably works best as a bridge quarterback for a year for a team that isn’t ready to start a rookie.
Daniel Jones: He had some promising times in New York, mostly as a rookie and again in 2022, which have some around the NFL believing he could succeed in the right spot. It’s hard to imagine any team will commit to him long-term, though, and not probably not as a starter.
Maybe he could get a one-year shot as a starter with a team like, perhaps, the Raiders. But a better spot for him might be right where he is: In Minnesota where coach Kevin O’Connell just helped revive Darnold’s career. The Vikings drafted McCarthy in the first round last season, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be healthy enough, or ready to be their starter next season. Assuming Darnold signs elsewhere, Jones, who’ll be 28 in May, could be in position to spend an entire year with O’Connell and maybe make a few starts in 2025, too.
Justin Fields: It’s easy to forget, but he wasn’t exactly playing terrible when he was benched. Yes, Wilson has been better. But Fields was still 4-2 and had thrown only one interception. He had also run for 281 yards and five touchdowns in those six games. He’s also still only 25, has plenty of talent, and could be quite a find for the right quarterback guru.
He might have to spend a year or so backing up a mobile quarterback in a place like Baltimore, Philadelphia or maybe Washington. But it’s not hard to imagine him getting a shot with a team like the Giants who plan to draft a quarterback too. He could be a mentor and a plug-in starter, if necessary, for the first couple of weeks.
Derek Carr: After firing head coach Dennis Allen the Saints are headed towards a rebuilding year, and if so it’s hard to imagine they’ll build around the 33-year-old Carr. His two years in New Orleans have been OK, but certainly not worth the $30 million salary that would be guaranteed if he’s still on the roster in March.
The consensus opinion is that if Carr hits the market he’ll only find work as a backup or a bridge starter. The one exception that the GM noted is the New York Jets. “If they move on (from Rodgers) but still think they have a roster that can win, they’ll need a veteran quarterback,” he said. “And they took a long look at him two years ago.”
They did, but there’ll be a new GM in place this time. Although, the owner is still the same.
Kirk Cousins: This is a tricky one because the 36-year-old Cousins is in the first year of a four-year, $180 million deal and the built-in out in the contract doesn’t come until after the 2025 season. Still, the Falcons did draft Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick last April and they might want to give him a chance, especially if Cousins continues to be mediocre.
Cutting or trading him would be expensive, and his new team would have to be OK with a guaranteed salary of $27.5 million plus whatever he costs in trade. He’s more likely to stay another year in Atlanta in some capacity, but if a team calls, the Falcons would have to listen.
Geno Smith: He’s 34 years old and he hasn’t done much to impress new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. If he can somehow drag the Seahawks to the playoffs he might get another season, but they also acquired former Commanders starter Sam Howell in an offseason trade and they might move on to him eventually.
With no guaranteed money left on his deal, Smith’s days as a starter will almost certainly end in Seattle, though. If his career continues, it’ll have to be as a backup again.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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