The quarterback carousel is expected to spin at unsafe speeds this NFL offseason. More than a dozen well-known veterans could hit the market. Here’s how we rank them.
15. Case Keenum: It’s obvious Keenum’s strong 2017 season in Minnesota was a fluke. He’s gone 7-17 as a starter since and is clearly just a middle-of-the-pack backup at this point.
14. Joe Flacco: One of the league’s worst starters between 2013 and 2017 has now been benched for rookies in back-to-back seasons. At 35, he should either retire or take a backup job.
13. Jacoby Brissett: Brissett has solid starting experience, but doesn’t have the arm talent to be a successful regular NFL starter. The Colts will probably give him one more year, but he should be a high-end backup.
12. Mitch Trubisky: Trubisky fell on his face in his critical third season. He’ll likely get one more shot with the Bears, and after that he’ll be viewed as a backup.
11. Andy Dalton: The 32-year-old’s numbers have been declining ever since he went to the Pro Bowl in 2016. The Bengals are likely to cut him loose, but he won’t likely get a starting job unless a lot of the players listed below are retained.
10. Marcus Mariota: Mariota definitely won’t be retained and likely won’t land a starting job. He’s become a bust as a No. 2 overall pick, but there’s still some hope considering his talent and his age (26).
9. Jameis Winston: Ditto for Winston, who came out of the same draft in the top spot and led the league in both passing yards and interceptions in the final year of his rookie contract in Tampa. The 26-year-old’s upside is tantalizing enough that he might earn one more season as a starter with the Buccaneers or someone else.
8. Philip Rivers: The eight-time Pro Bowler declined substantially in his final season with the Chargers, but it wouldn’t be surprising if a head coach figures he could revive Rivers’ career at age 38.
7. Ryan Tannehill: The 2012 top-10 pick failed in Miami, but suddenly exploded as the league’s highest-rated passer in 2019. He deserves an opening-day starting job in 2020.
6. Teddy Bridgewater: Same with Bridgewater, who has proven to be a consistent winner and went 5-0 in place of an injured Drew Brees in 2019. He’s only 27.
5. Tom Brady: He’ll likely return to New England or go somewhere with more support and give it one more shot. Brady’s the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, but you can’t rank higher than this when you’re entering your age-43 season.
4. Derek Carr: Carr might never become a game-changing quarterback, but he’s damn efficient and only 28 years old. He’s worthy of a starting spot somewhere, regardless of what the Raiders decide to do with him.
3. Cam Newton: Injuries and age have begun to get to Newton, but he was the MVP just four years ago and his unique talent can’t be ignored. He’d be worth a gamble for a contending team looking for a boost under center, and he’d come cheap via a trade if the Panthers are willing to pull the trigger.
2. Drew Brees: Brees might be 41, but his 2019 campaign was the highest-rated season of his career. There’s slightly more upside with him than there is with Brady, but he won’t hit the open market.
1. Dak Prescott: Prescott won’t likely become a free agent either, but crazier things have happened and his contract is still scheduled to expire in March. The 2016 offensive rookie of the year and two-time Pro Bowl is entering his prime at age 26, and his career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 97-to-36 ranks fifth all time.
