Ranking The Top Bridge QBs Likely to Be Available in 2026 NFL Free Agency

The 2026 NFL offseason is still months away, but more than a few teams should already be thinking about next year's quarterback plans. The fact that the league has a shortage of quality starters and reliable backups has become painfully obvious this season.

Several franchises will, of course, look to the 2026 draft to answer their signal-caller questions. In the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's post-trade deadline mock draft, for example, four QB prospects went in the first 11 selections.

Teams planning to add a rookie quarterback in 2026 or otherwise looking to stabilize the position for a year or less should already have one eye on potential bridge options.

Based on past production, recent results, players' skill sets and team needs, we'll rank the top five bridge quarterbacks likely to be available in 2026 free agency and provide sensible landing spots for each.

Honorable Mentions

AP Photo/AJ Mast

Colts QB Daniel Jones

There are several veteran quarterbacks who might fit into a team's plans next season but can't be considered as top bridge options.

The list includes 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who is dealing with a fractured wrist and has started to slump with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers would like Rodgers to return in 2026, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, but there's no guarantee he wants to continue playing.

The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, want to extend Daniel Jones, per Rapoport. While his play has cooled in recent weeks—he's reportedly playing through a fibula injury—the 28-year-old has performed well enough to be considered the top quarterback in 2026 free agency.

Jones' status could change in the coming weeks, but he figures to be viewed as a long-term starter, not a bridge QB.

Former draft busts like Mitch Trubisky, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance have some backup/developmental value, while aging vets such as Russell Wilson, Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenum are firmly in the backup camp.

Malik Willis is an interesting quarterback who doesn't really fit into any of these categories. He has performed well in limited opportunities with the Green Bay Packers but was downright bad during his time with the Tennessee Titans.

With only five starts on his resume, the 26-year-old is a young boom-or-bust player worth a flier but hard to trust as a true bridge veteran.

5. Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

The Las Vegas Raiders will probably be the last franchise to take a swing at Jimmy Garoppolo as a full-time starter. He flopped in Vegas, and his time as a Super Bowl starter with the San Francisco 49ers feels like a distant memory.

However, the 34-year-old has spent the last two seasons as Matthew Stafford's understudy with the Los Angeles Rams. The fact that Sean McVay and the Rams have trusted Garoppolo to guide them, if needed, during an open Super Bowl window should speak volumes.

While Garoppolo proved not to be a true franchise quarterback in San Francisco, he still started 55 regular-season games for the franchise, made another six starts in the postseason and started Super Bowl LIV.

His physical traits have never jumped off the tape, but he's a seasoned pocket passer with enough mobility to manage a McVay/Kyle Shanahan-style offense effectively.

The Miami Dolphins could provide the perfect landing spot for Garoppolo, if they choose to retain head coach Mike McDaniel but move off of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

McDaniel spent five seasons alongside Garoppolo in San Francisco and was his offensive coordinator during the 2021 run to the NFC title game.

4. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Tyrod Taylor has long been one of the NFL's better backups. He actually spent three seasons as a full-time starter with the Buffalo Bills, before they found Josh Allen in the 2018 draft.

Interestingly, Taylor filled the bridge role for the Browns in 2018, helping them usher in the Baker Mayfield era. He served as an insurance policy behind Rodgers last year and behind Justin Fields this season.

Physically, the 36-year-old is still quite capable of being a true dual-threat quarterback. He doesn't possess Fields' raw speed, but he's a smart scrambler who doesn't get enough credit for his ability to make decisions and deliver a catchable ball on the run.

While Taylor doesn't have Garoppolo's postseason experience, he's a seasoned starter with a 29-30-1 regular-season record.

Taylor has filled the bridge role before, and he's not going to upset the apple cart by demanding he should be the starter. He'd be a terrific fit for a team looking to draft a QB highly and hand the keys to a rookie at some point during the 2026 season.

Ironically, the Jets are just such a team. New York would have the seventh overall pick if the season ended today, and its willingness to bench Fields for Taylor shows that his latest reclamation project has ended.

Taylor fits Tanner Engstrand's offense, and the Jets should make re-signing him an offseason priority.

3. Jameis Winston, New York Giants

AP Photo/Ryan Sun

Jameis Winston hasn't earned a reputation as Mr. Reliable, which is why he's run out of legitimate starting opportunities. His penchant for putting the ball in harm's way is a troubling issue that isn't going away.

However, the 31-year-old still possesses the arm talent and deep-ball accuracy that made him the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He'll test defenses and get the football to his playmakers down the field.

While Winston has functional mobility and can pick up the occasional first down with his legs, he tends to win from the pocket and is best-suited for a traditional dropback/play-action based offense.

The Las Vegas Raiders would make a ton of sense for Winston if they decide to move off of Geno Smith at the end of the year, which is a distinct possibility.

Smith has had his own turnover issues this season, and retaining him will only be logical if the Raiders also keep head coach Pete Carroll, who brought in his former Seattle Seahawks starter this past offseason.

According to Rapoport, though, Carroll is on the hot seat entering the final five weeks of the regular season.

The Raiders could save $8 million in cap space by releasing Smith next offseason.

Winston has a fun, infectious leadership style that would help Las Vegas turn the page on its recent struggles. He'd have little trouble creating big plays with Trey McBride and Tre Tucker. His ability to stretch the field might just open up some running lanes for Ashton Jeanty too.

Las Vegas would own the fourth overall pick in the draft if the season ended today, and Winston would be an ideal mentor if it decided to use that selection on a quarterback.

2. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Marcus Mariota was taken one spot behind Winston in the 2015 NFL draft. Like Winston, he's firmly in the "good-backup" stage of his career.

While Mariota has thrown six interceptions in six starts this season, he has traditionally been less turnover-prone than Winston. He hasn't been a full-time starter since filling in for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, but he has a respectable 29-32 record on his resume.

Mariota is a mobile quarterback who can win from inside and outside the pocket. He throws well on the run and, while not a true dual-threat, he can hurt a defense with his legs. His skill set has made him an ideal backup to Jayden Daniels over the past two seasons.

The Washington Commanders would be wise to retain Mariota, but if the 32-year-old becomes available, he'd be a strong fit for the Steelers.

Assuming Pittsburgh doesn't bring back Rodgers, the Steelers should be in the market for a bridge QB. They have Mason Rudolph signed through 2026, but he's an average backup at best.

Rudolph does have 14 starts on his resume but hasn't played well in Arthur Smith's offense this season. That's a big potential problem because Pittsburgh probably won't draft high enough to land one of the top 2026 QB prospects. It may need a bridge QB capable of starting the entire year.

Mariota would be a sensible fill-in because Smith was his head coach during that 2022 season with the Falcons.

1. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Joe Flacco will turn 41 in February but has shown he is still capable of holding down a starting job. He opened the year as Cleveland's bridge QB but was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals when Joe Burrow went down with a toe injury.

Flacco started mere days after arriving in Cincinnati and fared well in the offense. Though he only went 1-5 as a starter during Burrow's absence, he threw for 1,636 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.

The seasoned vet has 201 starts on his resume and enough experience to pick up just about any offense quickly. Though he's a pure pocket passer, his arm talent and recognition skills usually allow him to beat the blitz while attacking all areas of the field. He'll be looking for another starting opportunity in the spring and hopes that his time in Cincinnati earns him one.

"I do still want to do it. I still feel like I can do it," Flacco said, per ESPN's Ben Baby. "This obviously does help with the confidence of being able to do it and all that stuff."

Flacco's talent, leadership skills and experience should make him the top target for any team seeking a bridge quarterback. He would be an ideal get for the Minnesota Vikings, who still haven't seen J.J. McCarthy develop into a reliable starter.

Whether the Vikings decide to replace McCarthy outright or simply sit him behind a veteran for a bit—as the Carolina Panthers did with Bryce Young in his second season as a starter—Flacco would be the perfect addition to their QB room.

Flacco would have plenty to teach McCarthy about what it takes to succeed in the NFL, and he'd give fans plenty of excitement while doing it. Watching him sling it to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson would be a lot more fun than watching Minnesota's offense has been in 2025.

*Contract information from Spotrac.