X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2025 NFL Offseason - Veteran Quarterbacks On The Move

Aaron Rodgers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dave Ventresca dives into which veteran NFL quarterbacks could be on the move this offseason when free agency begins on Wednesday, March 12.

Quarterback is arguably the most important position in all of professional sports. While that may be up for debate, it’s certainly the most important one in the NFL. If a team has an elite starting quarterback, it can mask a lot of flaws and still propel it to success.

Only a few teams are lucky enough to have such quarterbacks. The rest are forced to look for their answer in other ways. Every year, we see teams turn to veteran quarterbacks in a desperate attempt to fix the position. 2025 will be no different. We will see several veteran quarterbacks on the move as the offseason quarterback carousel is getting ready to heat up.

Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your NFL and fantasy football needs. Let’s examine several veteran quarterbacks who could be on the move this offseason.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Kirk Cousins - Atlanta Falcons

2024 was a roller-coaster year for Cousins. He signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons last March. Then, the Falcons pulled an about-face and drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft a month later. Cousins would then lead the Falcons to a 6-3 start only to completely crumble down the stretch and be replaced by Penix.

Atlanta has been steadfast that it does not plan on moving Cousins this offseason and is fine entering the season with him as the backup. However, the team still owes Cousins $27.5 million in guaranteed money in 2025.

Atlanta will also have to pay Cousins an additional $10 million if he is still with the team on March 17. That means Atlanta could wind up paying Cousins a total of $37.5 million to be the QB2. That is a ridiculous sum of money to pay a backup quarterback.

Several teams need a veteran quarterback and could pull the trigger on a Cousins trade. It remains to be seen if Atlanta will pursue a trade or just outright cut the 13-year veteran. It could ultimately wind up keeping him, but this would be an extremely awkward situation.

Despite what the Falcons are saying publicly, it makes little sense for them to keep him on their roster. Either way, we should have our answer very soon as Atlanta will have to make a call with Cousins’ roster bonus due date quickly approaching.

 

Derek Carr - New Orleans Saints

After Kellen Moore was hired as New Orleans’ new head coach, there was some speculation that Carr may not be with the team much longer. However, recent comments from general manager Mickey Loomis seem to suggest otherwise. It’s still possible the Saints brass is merely posturing in an attempt to drive up the price for any team that wants to acquire Carr via a trade.

If the Saints decide to cut him, the move would incur a $50 million dead cap hit. This is a big number and would be the second-biggest dead cap hit of all time if New Orleans goes in this direction.

The New York Jets have been linked to Carr as a possible landing spot if his time in New Orleans is finished. We will have to see how all of this plays out, but cutting Carr doesn’t seem like the best option for a Saints team that is already loaded with salary-cap issues.

Update: New Orleans has restructured Carr's contract to keep him with the team for the 2025 season.

 

Sam Darnold - Free Agent

Darnold is coming off a career year in 2024. He threw for career highs in passing yards and passing touchdowns and led Minnesota to a 14-3 season.

However, he would implode during the season's final two games. Darnold had a disastrous outing when Minnesota was playing for the NFC’s top seed in Week 18 and followed it up with a complete dud in the Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The end-of-season struggles seem to have cost Darnold the starting job in Minnesota as the Vikings appear lukewarm on bringing him back. They may prefer to roll with last year’s 10th overall pick, J.J. McCarthy. That means Darnold will be one of the top free-agent signal-callers available. He is reportedly drawing interest from several teams on the open market and should land a competitive deal as a starter.

Darnold has been linked to the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders; however, a recent report suggests the Las Vegas brass is not too high on Darnold. A return to Minnesota on a one-year deal could be in the cards depending on how things play out.

One thing is for sure, though, Darnold cost himself a lot of money with how he ended the 2024 season and questions about his ability have reemerged. Wherever he plays in 2025, Darnold will have to prove himself all over again.

Update: Darnold has signed a three-year, $110.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Justin Fields - Free Agent

Fields began 2024 as the Steelers starting quarterback. He played well and led the team to a 4-2 record as a starter.

Despite the success, Fields would be benched in favor of Russell Wilson. He would end up sitting behind the 13-year veteran for the rest of the season. While the move initially seemed like a home run, Wilson and the offense fizzled out down the stretch. Pittsburgh went 2-5 to close the regular season and lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

Fields hits the open market this offseason. Pittsburgh has expressed some interest in re-signing him. This seems a bit odd as it benched him despite posting a winning record as its starter. Maybe this is Pittsburgh admitting it made a mistake benching him.

The Las Vegas Raiders have also expressed interest in signing Fields to a contract. It’s been reported that Las Vegas is looking to add multiple quarterbacks this offseason, so it sounds like Fields won’t be guaranteed anything should he join the Silver and Black.

That might be the case wherever he lands. He is an incredibly gifted athlete but continues to struggle as a passer. That probably means Fields is destined for some kind of quarterback competition in 2025, but maybe he lands in the right situation that unlocks the next level of his game.

Update: Fields has signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Jets.

 

Russell Wilson - Free Agent

It looked as though Wilson had turned back the clock after taking over as the Steelers QB1 in 2024.

However, he would cool off considerably down the homestretch and began to resemble the declining player we have seen the last few seasons. Several teams have expressed interest in signing Wilson as a bridge type of quarterback.

The Las Vegas Raiders seem to make the most sense. Wilson and Raiders head coach Pete Carroll have reportedly mended fences, and this could make Las Vegas an ideal landing spot for the 13-year veteran.

Even if he does sign with the team, we should expect Las Vegas to acquire multiple signal-callers this offseason and take an approach similar to the one Carroll used in 2012 when he was with the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Aaron Rodgers - Free Agent

Rodgers is the biggest name on this list. The New York Jets have informed the future Hall of Famer that they intend to move on from this offseason. Rodgers did not look like the same player we have seen in years past. New York moving on is understandable.

Part of his struggles could be blamed on the Jets’ poor offensive line as Rodgers was sacked 40 times in 2024. He did not appear to trust his pass protection and often looked for checkdowns and underneath routes. However, he did only finish 38th in Fantasy Points Data Suite’s adjusted completion percentage, so there is clearly some skill deterioration here as well.

Despite that, Rodgers is still an attractive option for quarterback-needy teams whose coaches/general managers want to keep their jobs. It’s been reported that Rodgers wants to keep playing and doesn’t want 2024 to be his lasting image as a player. It sure sounds like we will get to see Rodgers play one last season in 2025. Wherever he lands, let's hope he gets better results this time around.

 

Zach Wilson - Free Agent

Wilson is a confirmed bust and struggled mightly during his time as the New York Jets starter. He spent this past season with the Denver Broncos where he sat behind Bo Nix. Wilson’s rookie contract has now expired, and he’s a free agent this offseason.

There’s been some talk in league circles that the Raiders are interested in signing Wilson and having him compete for the starting job. This would make sense as Las Vegas is reportedly planning to attack the quarterback position in a variety of ways.

Wilson probably won’t emerge as a starter, but it wouldn’t be the first time a failed New York Jets quarterback made a career resurgence (see Geno Smith and Sam Darnold). Maybe Wilson learned a few things from Broncos head coach Sean Payton that can help him turn around his career.

Update: Wilson has signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.

 

Daniel Jones - Free Agent

Jones is another failed franchise quarterback available this offseason. He joined the Minnesota Vikings last year after being released by the New York Giants. His days as a starter are all but finished for now.

The likely path for him to reemerge is to sign as a backup quarterback with a strong coaching staff who can help rehabilitate him similar to what Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers did for Sam Darnold in 2023. Hopefully, Jones has similar success and we eventually see him hit his ceiling a few years down the road.

Update: Jones has signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Moises Ballesteros

Now The Triple-A Batting Average Leader
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Raisel Iglesias

Notches Fifth Save Monday
JP Sears

Fans Seven In Monday's Win
Josh Hader

Earns Eighth Save Of Season Monday
Jose Altuve

Hits Two-Run Homer Monday
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Charlie Condon

Visiting A Hand Specialist On Monday
Bailey Ober

Extends Quality-Start Stretch To Four In Monday's Win
Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston Needs To Earn His Spot In Training Camp
Noelvi Marte

Stays Hot With RBI Triple Monday
Los Angeles Chargers

Hassan Haskins The Leader For No. 3 RB Job
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Plan For 1-2 Punch At RB With Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris
Zebby Matthews

Strikes Out Five In Latest Start At Triple-A
New England Patriots

Patriots View TreVeyon Henderson As A Three-Down Back
Cleveland Browns

Browns View Quinshon Judkins As A Potential Bell-Cow Back
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Plan To Develop Jalen Milroe As A QB
Bubba Chandler

Tosses Five Shutout Innings In Latest Start
Jordan Lawlar

Surging At Triple-A
Tennessee Titans

Titans Unlikely To Pick Up Treylon Burks' Fifth-Year Option
Cleveland Browns

Browns Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To Elijah Moore
Cleveland Browns

Browns Agree To One-Year Deal With Diontae Johnson
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Could Reunite With Amari Cooper
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Sign Robert Woods To One-Year Deal
Nick Maton

Outrighted To Triple-A
Josh Rojas

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Tyler Gilbert

To Serve As Opener On Tuesday
Ryan Weathers

Tosses Three Shutout Innings In First Rehab Start
Keider Montero

Sent Back To Minors
Steven Matz

To Start On Wednesday Against Reds
Kris Bryant

To Have "Follow-Up Scans"
Gary Sánchez

Orioles Place Gary Sanchez On Injured List
Tomoyuki Sugano

Records Career-High Eight Strikeouts
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
Cleveland Browns

Browns Decline Kenny Pickett's Fifth-Year Option
New York Giants

Giants Won't Pick Up Evan Neal's Fifth-Year Option
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Ikem Ekwonu
Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert Could Remain An Eagle
Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Could Still Add Wide Receiver Help Prior To 2025 Season
Cleveland Browns

Shedeur Sanders Struggled During Pre-Draft Process
Buffalo Bills

Elijah Moore Visiting With Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Ogbah Signs With Jaguars
New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr Undergoes MRI Exam
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF