NFL QB market, impacted by thin draft class, features Cousins, maybe Tagovailoa and Murray, too

Reliable quarterbacks have been of utmost importance for decades in the NFL, but long-term satisfaction with the position across the league is becoming increasingly elusive. Just because a team has paid top dollar for a franchise quarterback doesn't mean that decision won't be reconsidered the following year for cost, injuries, performance or all of the above.

For the handful of clubs either at a crossroad or committed to starting over this offseason, the timing is hardly ideal.

After Indiana national champion and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who's widely expected to be the first-overall pick in the draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, the rookie class thins quickly.

Finding a new starter on the open market is always tricky, and the bargain options are as scant as ever. Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis will be sought after in free agency, but he has only six career starts. Still, depending on how much a team is willing to pay, either against the salary cap or in trade currency with players and draft picks, there should be at least some viable upgrades available.

The Minnesota Vikings have found themselves in these predicaments as frequently as any franchise this century, entering this year with more uncertainty following an erratic and injury-filled debut by J.J. McCarthy.

While Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has said repeatedly he remains confident in McCarthy's makeup and skill, all the team has committed to for 2026 is bringing in a veteran not only for insurance but stronger competition for the job.

"We're going to explore every opportunity, and I don't think there's anything specifically we're looking for," said executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, who's the acting general manager following the dismissal of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. "We can't manufacture anything that's not there. What are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? There are a lot of things that go into it."

Kirk Cousins

Cousins will again be the most certain option on the market next month, when the Falcons plan to cut him and fully pivot toward 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr., whose knee injury last year gave Cousins the job back. His familiarity with O'Connell and fondness for the Vikings could lead to a reunion. Cousins, who turns 38 before the season, would be a realistic bridge starter to give McCarthy more time to develop.

Tua Tagovailoa

With a salary cap charge of about $56 million and new leadership in the front office and on the coaching staff, Tagovailoa's future with the Dolphins is unclear despite the extension he signed less than two years ago. After six seasons of injuries and inconsistency, including a career-most 15 interceptions in 2025, the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 draft is young enough at age 27 to attract attention from other teams.

"Everything's on the table, including the potential of a trade," general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said. "We don't know which way that's going to go. There's a lot of different factors in play, a lot of conversations being had."

Kyler Murray

Limited to five games by a foot injury last season as the Cardinals slumped to 3-14, Murray is carrying a salary cap hit of about $52 million for a team that also has a new coaching staff. General manager Monti Ossenfort uttered the familiar refrain at the NFL combine this week: "All options are on the table."

Murray, the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft, has not won more than nine games in a single season — or any in the playoffs.

"When you had the kind of year that we had, there's a lot of room for improvement," Ossenfort said. "We've got to find a way to do that."

Daniel Jones

After signing a prove-it contract last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Jones was on his way to mirroring the success Sam Darnold — the biggest prize on the market last year — had with the Seattle Seahawks until Jones tore his Achilles tendon in December. Jones is still rehabilitating from the injury, lessening the league-wide interest, and general manager Chris Ballard said he's trying to re-sign the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 draft.

The long shots

Aaron Rodgers at age 42 appears unlikely to switch teams again, as a reunion with coach Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh presents an attractive way to put off retirement.

Though Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have hit some bumps in the road together, the two-time NFL MVP is on track for a new deal. He wouldn't have had a voice in the coaching search if the Ravens were considering a trade. "I have spoken to Lamar about a lot of different things over the last month," general manager Eric DeCosta said. "He's been very engaged."

If there were any questions about how committed the Houston Texans are to C.J. Stroud after a third straight loss in the divisional round of the playoffs, general manager Nick Caserio didn't leave any room for guessing in his comments about the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

"He's our quarterback," Caserio said at the combine in Indianapolis. "He isn't going anywhere. We have a lot of confidence, a lot of belief."