Updated March 6, 2024
This is a feature I do every year prior to free agency. I will attempt to predict where the prominent free agent and rookie quarterbacks will land during the offseason. Here’s the full list of the significant quarterbacks available this spring:
Kirk Cousins
Jayden Daniels
Justin Fields
Joe Flacco
Drake Maye
Baker Mayfield
J.J. McCarthy
Bo Nix
Michael Penix Jr.
Ryan Tannehill
Caleb Williams
Russell Wilson
Jameis Winston
With so many teams that need quarterbacks, this game of quarterback musical chairs is going to make this spring extremely interesting.
So, why wait? I’m going to project all of these quarterbacks to teams on this page, and I may update this if I hear anything, or if any news breaks. Jacob Camenker and I broke it down in our latest video podcast:
Here are my projections, alphabetically:
Kirk Cousins, Vikings 
Rumors indicate that the Falcons will be going after Kirk Cousins. The fit makes a ton of sense. Atlanta has lots of talent on both sides of the ball, but couldn’t quite get over the hump last year because of some horrid quarterback play. It would be easy to plug in Cousins and expect the Falcons to be the overwhelming favorites to win the NFC South.
Jayden Daniels, LSU 
It’s unclear whether the Redskins prefer Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, but it’s safe to say that they will draft one of them. What we do know is that according to Charlie Campbell, the Patriots rank Daniels over Maye, at least at the moment. If the Patriots feel this way about Daniels and Maye, perhaps Washington does as well.
Justin Fields, Bears 
The Raiders could draft a quarterback, but I think they’ll want to pursue a veteran. They have the stellar defense and talented receivers to win now. All they need is a quarterback and some offensive line upgrades, and they’ll be one of the better teams in the NFL. Antonio Pierce, a defensive coach, would love to have an off-schedule quarterback running his offense.
Joe Flacco, Browns 
Joe Flacco spent a chunk of the 2023 season on his couch before having some heroic performances for the Browns down the stretch. He won’t be away from the NFL next year after what he did for Cleveland. I could see the Vikings going after him as a short-term solution as they groom their quarterback of the future. I’m sure Minnesota will look very attractive for Flacco, given the great offensive talent the Vikings possess.
Drake Maye, North Carolina 
As noted earlier, Drake Maye is third on New England’s quarterback preference list, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be the pick if he’s the only top quarterback available at No. 3. New regimes mean new quarterbacks, so the Patriots will be selecting a signal-caller with the third selection.
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers 
Baker Mayfield could be an option for the Falcons if they whiff on Kirk Cousins. However, I think Mayfield will remain in Tampa Bay. Mike Evans made a statement about wanting to play with a great quarterback in the twilight of his career, yet returned to the Buccaneers the next day. I don’t think he would have made such a decision had he known something about Mayfield’s sentiment toward remaining with his current team.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan 
I’m not the biggest J.J. McCarthy believer, and I think there’s a real chance that he’ll have a Will Levis-type slide. However, all it takes is one team to fall in love with him, and there are many teams in the first round in search of a companion when it comes to a quarterback. Denver has absolutely nothing at the position, so it’s likely to pick one of McCarthy, Bo Nix or Michael Penix.
Bo Nix, Oregon
I don’t think the Vikings will draft a quarterback at No. 11, but they’ll certainly take one on Day 2. If so, they’ll be deciding between Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., or perhaps J.J. McCarthy. Given how much talent Minnesota has, it would be wise for them to sign a capable veteran like Joe Flacco so they don’t have to thrust Nix, Penix or McCarthy into action right away.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington 
New regimes mean new quarterbacks. While the Seahawks still have the same front office, they have a brand new coaching staff, and the coaches may want to draft a franchise quarterback with Geno Smith turning 34 during the upcoming season. The Seahawks don’t have a second-round pick, but if Penix drops to the third frame, I could see Seattle pulling the trigger.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans 
The Jets need a solid Plan B if Aaron Rodgers were to get hurt again. While I expect them to draft a quarterback in the middle rounds to be a long-term project, I also think they’ll sign a veteran who can hold down the fort if Rodgers were to miss a handful of games. Ryan Tannehill seems like a good fit for that role, especially given that his former offensive coordinator in Tennessee, Todd Downing, is the Jets’ passing game coordinator.
Caleb Williams, USC 
Unless Caleb Williams falls down the stairs or gets arrested for stealing sour candy in the next month-and-a-half, he’ll be a Chicago Bear by the final weekend in April.
Russell Wilson, Broncos 
I don’t think there’s going to be much interest in Russell Wilson. He’ll sign somewhere, but teams will almost certainly be reluctant to give him a starting job. However, there are some desperate teams out there, and one such team is the Giants. Daniel Jones will be back, but his job is on very thin ice after a dreadful 2023 campaign. Granted, Jones didn’t have quality protection, but there are only so many excuses that can be made for him. I could see the Giants bringing in Wilson to compete with Jones for the starting job this upcoming year.
Jameis Winston, QB, Saints 
Jameis Winston still has starting potential. I don’t think he’ll get a starting job, but a team with a shaky quarterback situation would be smart to sign him. Tennessee qualifies as such. Will Levis has the job for now, but I’m sure the Titans will want to add some veteran competition in case Levis has a disappointing sophomore campaign.
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