The 2025 NFL QB Free Agent Carousel: Where Will the Top Quarterbacks Land?

The 2025 NFL offseason had already been one of the most memorable in recent memory, especially at the quarterback position. Seattle has parted ways with longtime starter Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. The New York Jets have released a future Hall of Famer, but admittedly, an aging signal caller in Aaron Rodgers. And, of course, the drama surrounding the Rams announcing they’d consider the right trade for Matthew Stafford went in like a lion and came out like a lamb. 

With several other high-profile signal-callers set to hit free agency—Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Sam Darnold—teams searching for stability under center have intriguing options. While the upcoming draft will feature new talent, several teams will be aggressive in targeting veteran quarterbacks to keep their rosters competitive.

Draft Nation breaks down the teams most in need of a quarterback and where each top free agent might land:

Justin Fields → New York Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision to make here. Do they let Fields hit the open market this week or offer him a reasonable shot at starter, after going 4-2 in the 2024 regular season? They gave up little to acquire him from Chicago, as the Bears parted ways with Fields for a mere 6th-round pick. 

If Fields doesn’t re-sign in Pittsburgh, his most logical landing spot is with the Jets. The Jets need a starter after letting Aaron Rodgers go and have a new head coach with a new direction. But they pick too far down the line in April’s draft to have a realistic shot at one of the two coveted first-round talents in Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado. 

Sure, they could part ways with plenty of draft capital to move up to grab Ward or Sanders, but more affordably, Fields will get a second shot at becoming an NFL regular and worst case, is a bridge for the Jets until the 2026 draft, when many more high-end prospects await. 

Russell Wilson → New York Giants

Again, the Steelers will need to decide here on last year’s starter. Wilson acquitted himself well for most of the season but lost five games in a row to close out the campaign, including an embarrassing loss to their hated rivals, the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. 

They need a starter but so do the Giants, and the Giants almost signed Wilson last offseason. If they move on from Wilson, he could serve as a bridge quarterback for the Giants while they groom a rookie or search for a long-term answer. 

Sam Darnold → Minnesota Vikings

Darnold signed a short-term deal in 2024, thought to be a bridge deal after selecting Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the draft. But with McCarthy went down with injury, Darnold stepped up for the Vikings, logging a 14-3 regular season record and now finds himself perhaps the most coveted of the NFL free agent quarterbacks this offseason. 

His time in San Francisco in 2023 showed he can function in a well-designed offense. In Minnesota, with Justin Jefferson and a strong supporting cast, he became more than a serviceable starter while the team continued to evaluate long-term options with McCarthy.

A team can never have too many quarterbacks, but the Vikings will need to decide—do they pay Darnold $40 million or thereabouts to be their starter or do they give McCarthy a chance and risk a backslide from 2024? 

Draft Nation predicts both. Minnesota will offer Darnold a deal to stay and continue to bring McCarthy along slowly as he returns from injury. Perhaps another team will make an offer for McCarthy, if Darnold stays. 

Aaron Rodgers → Pittsburgh Steelers

Rodgers’ future is always uncertain, but after a comeback season in 2024 following his Achilles injury, he may want one last shot at a championship. The Steelers have a championship-level defense, but their offense sputtered last year under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith had few high-end assets to work with, with two middling choices at quarterback, a wide receiver room bereft of talent save for the mercurial George Pickens and a young offensive line that’s talented but learning on the job. 

With over $60 million in cap space (the 5th highest in the league) the Steelers could bring Rodgers in and find him a wide receiver or two in free agency and the draft that can bolster the roster and give the Steelers a chance to not just make the playoffs but advance.