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NFL free agency is here. With the legal tampering period opening on Monday, the deals came quickly, with a number of key players changing teams on the first day of free agency.
We saw a number of big moves at quarterback, with players like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins on the move. We also saw a trade that sent Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Let's take a look at the fantasy outlook for the veteran quarterbacks who moved to new teams for 2024.
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Kirk Cousins - Atlanta Falcons
In what was possibly the biggest move of free agency when it comes to actual on-field football, the Falcons signed former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, a move that arguably makes the Falcons the favorites in the NFC South.
The #Falcons are signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract that includes a $50M signing bonus, per sources.
Another monster payday for Cousins, who gets $100 guaranteed — $90M in 2024 and ‘25, plus another $10M in 2026 — and a fresh start in Atlanta at age 35. pic.twitter.com/NkFNMzSjF5
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2024
When healthy, Cousins is still a very good NFL quarterback. In eight games in 2023, Cousins threw 18 touchdowns and five interceptions, averaging 291.4 passing yards per game, his best mark since 2016. Sure, he comes with concerns about whether or not he can win the big game, but he also represents a huge upgrade over Desmond Ridder.
Cousins has some really intriguing weapons at his disposal in Atlanta, including wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, and tight end Kyle Pitts. How high Cousins' ceiling will be will depend a lot on whether those players are actually good and were held back by poor quarterback play, or if some/all of them are disappointments at the NFL level.
Fantasy managers should view a healthy Cousins as a low-end QB1 in 2024. He's a productive passer who can rack up the yardage, even if he doesn't add any value in the run game.
Mac Jones - Jacksonville Jaguars
The New England Patriots threw in the towel on 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones, who had a really strong rookie campaign but has seen his numbers drop tremendously since. The writing was on the wall when the team benched Jones for Bailey Zappe last season, and now it's official. Jones heads to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick.
That the Jaguars wound up being Jones' top suitor should say a lot about how NFL teams view the former Alabama passer. Jones won't challenge Trevor Lawrence for the starting job in Jacksonville, as he's solely a depth move for the team. Jones should be one of the NFL's better backup quarterbacks due to his experience in the league, but he's not going to start unless Lawrence suffers an injury. He shouldn't be on the fantasy radar and would be a low-end QB2 at best if Lawrence misses time.
Russell Wilson - Pittsburgh Steelers
After being released by the Denver Broncos, Russell Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he'll play in an offense coached by Arthur Smith. Smith comes to Pittsburgh after being relieved of his duties as the Falcons head coach.
Smith's not really known for being a quarterback whisperer. He survived three seasons in Atlanta despite poor QB play, which was part of why the team moved on from him.
Wilson is coming off a decent season in Denver. After throwing a career-low 16 touchdowns in 2022, he bounced back in 2023, throwing for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 games. He wasn't the Seattle version of himself, but he also wasn't a scrub.
He'll need to adjust his game to play in Smith's system, but he's a definite upgrade over Kenny Pickett. He's a high-end QB2, but his upside is capped by the way the Steelers will likely play football as well as his diminishing results as a runner.
Jacoby Brissett - New England Patriots
He's back! The New England Patriots signed Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
As we reported at the Combine, the Patriots plan at QB is in motion
- Sign a bridge QB (Jacoby Brissett)
- Trade Mac Jones (Vikings)
- Draft a QB (Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye?)
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) March 12, 2024
At this stage in his career, Brissett is a solid backup quarterback who can provide decent production if pressed into starting action. We won't really know until after the 2024 NFL Draft if Brissett will start for the Pats or not, as the team could use the No. 3 pick on a quarterback like LSU's Jayden Daniels. In that scenario, Brissett would slide to the bench and serve as a veteran mentor for Daniels. It's possible Brissett would start over Daniels for a little while until Daniels is up to speed, but he wouldn't be more than a streaming play in two-quarterback leagues.
If New England goes with a different position at No. 3 and Brissett enters 2024 as the team's starter, he'd be a low-end QB2/high-end QB3 option. He's a good floor quarterback, but he lacks fantasy upside. Brissett's a guy who is more valuable in real life than in fantasy.
Gardner Minshew - Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders added competition at quarterback on Monday, signing Gardner Minshew. He'll compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting role, with Minshew likely the early leader in that battle.
Minshew started 13 games for the Colts last season because of the injury to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, throwing for a career-high 3,305 yards. He only had 15 touchdown passes though, and his low touchdown rate is a worrisome sign for his fantasy value if he winds up as the Raiders starting quarterback.
Of course, he still has to win the role. O'Connell had some decent showings down the stretch for the Raiders, so don't count him out in that battle. The rookie threw eight touchdowns to zero interceptions over the final four games of the 2023 season.
If Minshew does indeed beat O'Connell out for the role, he'd be a solid fantasy QB2 play. He has limitations as a passer, but the Raiders have a good group of players on the field around him. With Josh Jacobs gone, the Raiders should end up throwing the ball more, adding upside for Minshew.
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