With the first few days of NFL Free Agency officially wrapped up, most of the big moves have already taken place, particularly at the quarterback position. Of course, there will still be some blockbuster trades and signings that will continue to shake up the league in the coming days and weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, but for the first time, fans can have a pretty good idea of where their team is going into next season.
Some teams have secured their position for next year, some teams will be set up nicely to get a good player in the NFL Draft, and some teams are still in major trouble.
Teams Who Were Good, Still Good
A few teams were deep last year with a great starter and solid backup. After the chaos of the first few days of free agency, these teams maintained their good position with their QB’s.
- Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
- Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
- Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
- Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush
- Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum
- Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield (re-signed for three years, $100 million), Kyle Trask
Teams Who Needed a QB, Got It
The following teams either needed a starting quarterback or a solid backup and appeared to get it this past week in free agency. New players are bolded.
- Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, Desmond Ridder
- Atlanta Falcons: Kirk Cousins (signed for four years, $180 million), Taylor Heinicke
- Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky
- Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston
- Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones
- Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo
- New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers, Tyrod Taylor
- Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett
- Tennessee Titans: Will Levis, Mason Rudolph
NFL Teams Who Are Relying on the NFL Draft
While every team would have likely jumped at the opportunity to try to get a guy like Kirk Cousins, for some teams, all their hope relies in hitting a home run in the 2024 NFL Draft. It wasn’t long ago that only two or three QB’s would be taken in the entire first round. This year, up to six could realisticlaly be taken, including four of the first five picks.
- Chicago Bears: 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick (Caleb Williams?), Justin Fields (althoug he could be traded)
- Denver Broncos: 2024 first-round draft pick, Jarrett Stidham
- Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold , 2024 first-round draft pick (trade up for a top-five pick?)
- New England Patriots: 2024 first-round draft pick (Jayden Daniels?), Jacoby Brissett
- Washington Commanders: 2024 first-round draft pick (Drake Maye?), Marcus Mariota
NFL Teams That Still Need a QB, Running Out of Options
Unfortunately, a few teams have either downgraded from last season or needed a quarterback but don’t have a draft pick high enough to likely pick up a dependable Week 1 starter. Some of these teams did add a player to their roster, but based on recent trends and stats, they would still like to find another option if possible. For teams like the Lions, they have a solid starter but could use a backup just in case of injury.
- Detroit Lions: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
- Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
- Las Vegas Raiders: Gardner Minshew, Aiden O’Connell
- Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, Easton Stick
- Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White
- New Orleans Saints: Derek Carr, Taysom Hill
- New York Giants: Daniel Jones, Drew Lock
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson, No Backup
- San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen
- Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith, Sam Howell