The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Falcons have helped reshape NFL’s QB landscape
A handful of teams, like Atlanta, have their new starters. The next wave of new starters will come in April’s draft.
The first phase of the NFL’s offseason quarterback reshuffling is done, with a flurry of moves last week in free agency and on the trade market. Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, among others, changed teams. Baker Mayfield stayed put. Among the most prominent veterans, Ryan Tannehill remains available. The Jets have not traded Zach Wilson. But things mostly have played out.
Some teams have new starters. Some will address their vacancies during an NFL draft top-heavy with prominent quarterbacks.
Here’s a look at where things stand.
Falcons
2023 starters: Desmond Ridder (traded to Cardinals) and Taylor Heinicke
2024 starter: Kirk Cousins (signed as free agent)
The Falcons landed the top prize in free agency with a fouryear, $180 million deal for Cousins, who must work his way back from the torn Achilles tendon in his right leg that cut short his 2023 season. Atlanta faces potential penalties if the NFL’s review finds it violated tampering rules in its dealings with Cousins.
The Falcons have emerged as a prospective contender in the NFC South after replacing Arthur Smith with Raheem Morris and the overhaul at quarterback. They have plenty of young talent on offense around Cousins with running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, and they also added receivers Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore.
Buccaneers
2023 starter: Baker Mayfield 2024 starter: Mayfield (re-signed as free agent)
Mayfield, a former No. 1 overall pick in the draft, has rejuvenated his career. His three-year, $100 million deal with the Bucs is a handsome reward for that. He helped the team to reach the divisional round of the NFC playoffs last season. He and the Bucs seem poised to vie with Cousins and the Falcons for supremacy in the NFC South in 2024. Tampa Bay has won the past three division titles.
Steelers
2023 starters: Kenny Pickett (traded to Eagles), Mason Rudolph (signed with Titans as free agent) and Mitchell Trubisky (released, signed with Bills)
2024 starter: Russell Wilson (signed as free agent) or Justin Fields (acquired in trade)
The Steelers have revamped their quarterback situation after reaching the playoffs last season with Pickett, Trubisky and Rudolph taking turns as the starter. And they have done it without much cost. They signed Wilson to a one-year contract and must pay him only $1.21 million; the Broncos, who released him, are on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of the $39 million they owed him. The Steelers sent a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 to the Bears for Fields; it could become a fourth-rounder, based on Fields’ playing time.
Wilson apparently is first in line to be the starter. Pickett’s reported displeasure with the situation after Wilson’s signing led to him being traded to an Eagles team that was looking for a backup.
Bears
2023 starter: Justin Fields (traded to Steelers)
2024 starter: TBD in draft The Bears’ decision of presumptive No. 1 pick Caleb Williams vs. Fields apparently was not much of a decision at all. They settled for getting practically nothing for Fields, a former Harrison High star, to clear the way for them to use the No. 1 choice in the draft on a quarterback. If Williams becomes an NFL star, no one will care too much about the modest return for Fields.
The Bears have upgraded the offense around their quarterback-to-be by signing running back D’Andre Swift in free agency and trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen to go with receiver D J Moore and tight end Cole Kmet.
Vikings
2023 starter: Kirk Cousins (signed with Falcons as free agent)
2024 starter: TBD in draft or Sam Darnold (signed as free agent)
The Vikings tried but failed to re-sign Cousins. Now, they must move on and make sure they have a capable quarterback to get the ball to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. They signed Darnold, which gives them either an experienced backup or a temporary starter. More important, they secured a second first-round draft pick via a trade with the Texans.
They now possess the draft’s 11th and 23rd choices. They could stay put at No. 11 and perhaps be in position to land a quarterback from among the draft’s second tier of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Or they could make a bid to trade up into the first three spots to land a quarterback from the upper tier of Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
Broncos
2023 starter: Russell Wilson (released, signed with Steelers)
2024 starter: TBD in draft or Jarrett Stidham
The Broncos have been spectators thus far — other than releasing Wilson, as expected, after benching him in favor of Stidham for the final two games of the 2023 season. They have the No. 12 selection in the draft and could be in position to get Nix, Penix or perhaps even McCarthy.
The Broncos reportedly were interested in Darnold before he signed with the Vikings. There was speculation they might try to trade for Sam Howell before the Commanders sent him to the Seahawks. The Broncos still could sign Tannehill, if they choose. But with an $85 million salary-cap hit over two seasons resulting from the release of Wilson, their situation is far from ideal, and they may stick with Stidham.
Raiders
2023 starters: Jimmy Garoppolo (released, signed with Rams) and Aidan O’Connell
2024 starter: O’Connell, Gardner Minshew (signed as free agent) or TBD in draft
O’Connell played reasonably well in his 10 starts as a rookie. Minshew arrives in free agency after helping to keep the Colts in playoff contention last season while filling in for the injured Anthony Richardson.
That makes for a quarterback situation that is tolerable, albeit not exactly spectacular. The Raiders have the 13th choice in the draft and could make a quarterback move there.
Patriots
2023 starters: Mac Jones (traded to Jaguars) and Bailey Zappe
2024 starter: TBD in draft or Jacoby Brissett (signed as free agent)
The Patriots wasted no time ensuring the post-Bill Belichick era would not include Jones. They made the first noteworthy trade of this year’s quarterback reshuffling by agreeing on the weekend before free agency opened to send him to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. The Patriots still have Zappe and added Brissett.
But the big move presumably will come on draft day. They have the No. 3 pick and are in position, barring a trade, to get either Daniels or Maye.
Commanders
2023 starter: Sam Howell (traded to Seahawks)
2024 starter: TBD in draft or Marcus Mariota (signed as free agent)
The Commanders’ new regime is starting over at quarterback after sending Howell to the Seahawks. There has been speculation about the possibility of a trade with the Bears to get the No. 1 pick to land Williams, who is a Washington, D.C., native. Even if there is no trade, with the No. 2 overall pick the Commanders can have their choice of Daniels or Maye. They have added Mariota as the backup.
Giants
2023 starters: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor (signed with Jets as free agent) and Tommy DeVito
2024 starter: Jones or Drew Lock (signed as a free agent) or TBD in draft
Jones returns from a torn ACL in his right knee that ended his 2023 season. Some wonder if coach Brian Daboll will give Lock a chance to emerge as the starter, even if it’s not to begin the season. The Giants have the No. 6 pick in the draft and thus are in position to potentially end up with McCarthy, Penix or Nix.
Seahawks
2023 starter: Geno Smith 2024 starter: Smith or Howell (acquired in trade with Commanders)
The Seahawks reworked Smith’s contract and have said they consider him the starter. But with a new staff in place after the organization parted ways with Pete Carroll and hired former Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as coach, there is room to wonder if Howell might push Smith for that starting job.