Top Scheme Fits for Justin Fields, QBs Potentially in 2025 NFL Offseason Carousel
Plenty of well-known NFL quarterbacks are set to enter the free-agent market this offseason. However, teams that are looking for starters will have limited options. Only a handful of them can still be viewed as viable possibilities, and those players need to find the right situations.
The likes of Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz, Cooper Rush, Drew Lock, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Dobbs, Mac Jones, Marcus Mariota, Mason Rudolph, Teddy Bridgewater, Trey Lance, Tyler Huntley and Zach Wilson aren't exciting at this at this stage of their careers. Each will presumably land somewhere as backup options.
However, five quarterbacks should still be seen as legitimate bets to lead squads at some point next fall, starting with Sam Darnold and Justin Fields.
With a suspect draft class that features only two top-end quarterback prospects in Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, multiple teams will be left out in the cold looking to address the game's most important position.
Any quarterback-starved squad needs to be look at every available avenue, starting with proven vets or young players possibly taking the path less traveled, a la Baker Mayfield or even Darnold.
Sam Darnold: New York Giants
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Sam Darnold's stock took a major hit in the past two weeks after he imploded in losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round. However, he still remains the top quarterback who's expected to hit the free-agent market.
Darnold flailed against consistent pressure packages against the Lions and Rams. The 27-year-old completed a season-low 43.9 percent of his passes against the rival Lions, then turned the ball over twice, got sacked a season-high nine times and missed multiple easy throws against the Rams.
Those two outings shouldn't completely overshadow the renaissance that Darnold experienced up until then, though. The 2018 third overall draft pick set career highs this season with a 66.2 completion percentage, 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes and a 102.5 quarterback rating on his way to being named to his first Pro Bowl.
Darnold thrived in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offensive scheme. He would be best served playing under a coach with a similar approach. At the moment, none of the teams in dire need of a quarterback fit the bill, either at head coach or offensive play-caller.
However, the New York Giants aren't too far removed from Brian Daboll being the NFL Coach of the Year and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka drawing significant attention as a highly regarded candidate to lead a team. Darnold may not have Josh Allen-like physical capabilities, but he was a high draft pick for a reason, and he finally started to show off those skills this year.
The Giants own the third overall pick, so there's no guarantee that one of the top two quarterback prospects will fall to them. That could cause them to pursue Darnold and then continue to build out the rest of their roster.
Kirk Cousins: Cleveland Browns
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Of the quarterbacks featured here, Kirk Cousins is the only one who's under contract for the 2025 season. However, that's expected to change after the Atlanta Falcons benched him late in the year for first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr.
The Falcons may look to trade Cousins first, but they aren't likely to find any takers at his current price point, especially when suitors know they might just release him. Instead, Atlanta can designate him as a post-June 1 cut to avoid being saddled with more dead money than his slated cap figure ($40 million).
Cousins initially played well during his first season with the Falcons, but he faltered down the stretch with nine interceptions during his final five appearances. Still, the 36-year-old should have a few solid seasons left in him, particularly now that he'll be another year removed from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Two of Cousins' best seasons came in 2018 and 2019 under the direction of then-offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who is now the Cleveland Browns' head coach. Once again, the Browns are searching for a quality starter in the wake of their disastrous Deshaun Watson acquisition.
Watson isn't likely to play another down for the Browns after reinjuring his ruptured Achilles tendon. However, his fully guaranteed contract remains a stumbling block since Cleveland can't move past it for another year or two.
Cousins can still have his guaranteed salary from the Falcons and then sign with the Browns on a league-minimum deal to be their starting quarterback, possibly steadying what turned out to be a sinking ship this past season.
A competent Cousins leading the way may be all it takes for the Browns to be a legitimate contender, especially if the team can use this year's second overall pick on a difference-maker like Penn State's Abdul Carter, Colorado's Travis Hunter or Michigan's Mason Graham.
Justin Fields: Indianapolis Colts
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Justin Fields remains an intriguing option because no one has quite figured out exactly what the 25-year-old can be as a starting quarterback.
Through his three seasons with the Chicago Bears, Fields simultaneously disappointed with his development as a passer yet shouldered the team's offense thanks to his rare athleticism. The Bears chose to trade Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason after obtaining the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Fields opened this past season behind center for the Steelers while Russell Wilson dealt with a calf injury. Pittsburgh went 4-2 during that stretch, while Fields improved his completion percentage and threw five touchdowns compared to only one interception. He also ran for five touchdowns.
But the Steelers were dead set on Wilson starting once he was cleared medically. Thus, Fields went to the bench. He's now set to enter free agency for the first time.
Where both the Bears and Steelers failed was not properly building around Fields' skill set. He needs to be more consistent as a passer, but his running ability shouldn't be viewed as a crutch. It needs to be weaponized.
The Indianapolis Colts aren't ready to cut bait on Anthony Richardson, whom they selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 class. However, his development as a passer has been even more troubling than Fields'. He also suffered multiple injuries that caused him to miss 17 games through his first two campaigns.
Colts head coach/offensive play-caller Shane Steichen needs to embrace the blueprint laid forth by the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles with their respective dual-threat quarterbacks. Designed quarterback runs must become a staple of Indianapolis' offense.
With Richardson's development and ability to remain healthy still in question, Fields should see a potential opportunity to start in Indianapolis next fall and possibly even win that job moving forward.
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Russell Wilson: Pittsburgh Steelers
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Russell Wilson staying with the Pittsburgh Steelers comes with an asterisk. The organization should continue to look for developmental options behind the veteran.
Wilson began his tenure with the Steelers on a strong note, with good performances through his first four games. Pittsburgh won each of those contests.
However, the quarterback and the entire team crumbled toward the end of the campaign. Pittsburgh lost five straight games, including its Wild Card Round contest against the Baltimore Ravens, to finish the season.
The Steelers have basically been stuck in the same spot since franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired. They aren't bad enough to warrant a high first-round pick and select one of the elite quarterback prospects, but they aren't good enough to legitimately compete against the AFC's best squads.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said he wanted to "exhaust all options" prior to the Steelers' stretch run, which is why Wilson became the starter despite Justin Fields' solid beginning. Except Wilson never relinquished the job even when Pittsburgh fell apart, which suggests the coaching staff was more comfortable with the 36-year-old leading the way.
Now, Wilson is scheduled to become a free agent. The Steelers should retain the veteran on another short-team deal while looking to draft his eventual replacement.
The Steelers own this year's 21st overall pick. That isn't close to where they'd need to be to select Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. However, general manager Omar Khan could move around a bit and select a quarterback from the draft class' second tier.
Texas' Quinn Ewers and Alabama's Jalen Milroe both have significant upside. Both need time to develop. Ewers was a 5-star recruit who still struggles with pocket presence, while Milroe is a better athlete than consistent quarterback. Either could learn from Wilson for a year or two before potentially taking over the Steelers offense.
Daniel Jones: Minnesota Vikings
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After the New York Giants released him, Daniel Jones and his representation had to factor in a few things when considering his next stop. He chose the Minnesota Vikings for a reason.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is one of the league's finest offensive play-callers, with experience as a former NFL quarterback himself. Sam Darnold pieced together a career year with the Vikings after being considered a significant draft bust, but he was only on a one-year deal. The Vikings also spent the 10th overall pick on J.J. McCarthy last year, but he has yet to show whether he can be their long-term answer under center.
Essentially, Jones got a head start on where he'd like to be and used it as chance to build experience in the system and gain familiarity with everyone within the organization.
"[Jones] definitely has progressed," O'Connell told reporters last week before the Vikings lost to the Rams. "He's gotten a lot of really good work in both running scout team works and then just extra work here and there when he can with [quarterbacks coach Josh McCown] and Nick and Brett [Rypien] as well.
"... The best way I can put it is we're doing everything we can to get Sam ready to go, but at the same time, whether it's Nick or Daniel or Brett, having all those guys absorbing the game plan like always. It's such a fluid thing here the rest of the way. We're going to do whatever we think gives us the best chance to win."
It's easy to envision Jones re-signing with the Vikings and possibly even starting if McCarthy struggles or gets injured again.
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