If the team you’re rooting for in the fall already knows who the starting quarterback will be for Week 1, you should feel lucky. If you’re a fan of one of the many other desperate teams forced into the 2026 offseason quarterback carousel, hang in there. It’s going to be a wild ride. The incoming rookie quarterback will likely only see one player, Fernando Mendoza, take the field at the start of the 2026 season. His peers are likely destined to be immediate backup or third-team selections, regardless of where they are drafted. With that in mind, free agency is likely to produce a ton of movement at the quarterback position, as there are plenty of veterans to choose from, with more to come soon. In fact, there are a number of players who could be waived in the next few days and signed to veteran minimum salaries. $1 million to $1.3 million. Available at a fraction of the cost, they are sure to change the status quo. Let’s take a look at some ideal landing spots for free agent quarterbacks, whether that’s filling a need for an NFL team, adding value in fantasy football, or both. There will be a lot of solid free agent signings next week, but the quarterback’s mobility level will undoubtedly generate the most discussion.
Ideal landing spot for 2026 free agents: Quarterback
Malik Willis
Age: 27
GREEN BAY, WI – DECEMBER 27: Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws a pass during the game between the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on December 27, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire)
Malik Willis is perhaps the most talked-about free agent quarterback this offseason. Over the past four seasons, Malik Willis has played a total of 22 games with two different teams, the Titans and Packers, starting only six of them. Game six begins! That’s it! Willis has definitely improved as a pass rusher, but his 155 career pass attempts total is fewer than Dillon Gabriel (185), Carson Wentz (169) and even Davis Mills (159) combined in just 2025. Wherever he ends up going, Willis will bring a huge rushing upside, especially for fantasy football. Despite the small sample size, Willis posted a 9/60/2 rushing mark in his only start last season. A week ago, he rushed 10 times for 44 yards after taking over for Jordan Love midway through the second quarter. Assuming the Jets (who have five first-round picks over the next two drafts) and the Steelers don’t target Willis, only one other team in the top 10 currently in cap space could make a splash by signing Willis to bolster their arsenal in the passing game.
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ideal landing spot
arizona cardinals
Daniel Jones
Age: 29 After winning the starting job over Anthony Richardson Sr. in training camp in 2025, Daniel Jones averaged a career-high 238.5 passing yards per game and completed a career-high 68.0% of his passes. Those numbers ranked ninth and fifth respectively last season. Obviously, Jones only played 13 games due to a torn Achilles, which is why re-signing with the Colts makes sense for both the team and the player. Jones does spend the second half of the 2024 season with the Vikings, so has some familiarity there, but the Colts are his best chance at landing a multi-year deal. With a possible lack of rushing ability after injury and Jonathan Taylor leading the way against the run, he’s little more than a QB2 every week with matchup-based QB1 upside every week.
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ideal landing spot
indianapolis colts
Aaron Rodgers
Age: 42 Aaron Rodgers’ ideal landing spot may be retirement. However, after the Steelers replaced longtime head coach Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ return to Pittsburgh felt like a real possibility after 13 years of his career. In 16 games with the Steelers, Rodgers threw for just 24 touchdowns and 3,322 yards. His average depth of target was just 6.1 yards, ranking 37thth Among 38 qualifying quarterbacks from FTN StatsHub. Returning to the Steelers could benefit all the running backs, including Jaylen Warren and perhaps impending free agent Kenneth Gamwell. Gainwell was one of six running backs to average 5.0 or more points per game last season.
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ideal landing spot
pittsburg steelers
Kyler Murray
Age: 29
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 29: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is sacked during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona (Photo by Adam Bow/Icon Sportswire)
There’s no doubt the Cardinals will be moving on from Kyler Murray, though it’s not yet determined whether that will be via trade or release. Arizona could save $34 million in cap space if traded, so there’s definitely an incentive to do so, even if it’s just for a late-round pick. Murray threw for over 20,000 yards, ran for over 3,000 yards and averaged over 270 total yards per game. A move to a new team could provide a buy-low opportunity in all fantasy formats, though he still has better upside than most. Unfortunately, he may not have a say in where he plays in 2026, but there’s still good hope he can maintain or even build on his career average of 19.3 points per game. If the team can sign Murray to a veteran’s minimum contract, Murray will become an important addition to the free agent pool.
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ideal landing spot
New York Jets (via trade) Indianapolis Colts (if released)
Tua Tagovailoa
Age: 28 Tua Tagovailoa’s 15 interceptions and 5.2 percent turnover rate both ranked second among qualified quarterbacks last season. After averaging 268.5 yards per game in his first three seasons, Tua is averaging just 190.0 yards per game in 2025. His percentage on deep throws of 20 yards or more downfield dropped from 14.7% to 11.4% to 7.0% before rising back to 8.6% over the past four seasons, though the latter ranked 33rdRD Among qualified quarterbacks. Tua doesn’t have much upside on his own, but in the right system with multiple big playmakers, he can certainly right his career and sustain fantastic success for those around him. We saw this early on with the Dolphins during the Mike McDaniel era.
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ideal landing spot
Minnesota Vikings or Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins
Age: 38 There are enough teams with a quarterback vacancy to make a call to Kirk Cousins, especially if he is waived by the Falcons and can be signed at a veteran’s minimum salary. A reunion with the Vikings is fun fan fiction, but Minnesota might be more interested in younger, healthier veterans as a potential long-term solution. Cousins may have a better chance of joining a competitive lineup as a backup whose starter has health issues or may not be ready to start the 2026 season.
ideal landing spot
Kansas City Chiefs or Cincinnati Bengals
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Geno Smith
Age: 35 Last season was a complete disaster for Geno Smith and the Raiders. His 17 interceptions and 55 sacks led all quarterbacks. The offensive line deserves a lot of the blame. Smith’s clean pocket rate was 66.8%, ranking 32ndND Among qualified quarterbacks. Just one season ago with the Seahawks, Smith threw for 4,320 yards, fourth in the league. It’s been a while, and Smith also threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2022. The Raiders are likely to draft Fernando Mendoza with the first pick. That, coupled with $18.5 million in cap savings for 2026, suggests Smith’s release is imminent. Interested teams will be looking to forgive and forget what we saw in 2025, hoping he can improve an already established group of playmakers.
ideal landing spot
atlanta falcons or minnesota vikings
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Justin Fields
Age: 27
LONDON, UK – OCTOBER 12: NFL UK Football, Denver Broncos vs New York Jets; Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathan Cooper sacks New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields, having his helmet ripped off in the process, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 12, 2025 in London, UK. (Photo by Ian Stephen/Action Plus/Icon Sportswire)
As the starting quarterback for his respective teams, Justin Fields ranks as the fantasy QB5, QB8, and QB7 in points per game in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He played just nine games for the Jets in 2025 and was a top-seven fantasy quarterback in four of those games. Although Fields has played no more than 15 games in his career, he has averaged more than 8 rushes in his career and no less than 62 rushes in a single season. It’s hard to imagine Fields finding a team willing to sign him as a starter, so a high option in a backup role would be best for Fields on a team looking to fill a hole like this in the offseason.
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ideal landing spot
green bay packers
Honorable mention
Derek Carr is apparently considering calling off his retirement, although he would still be under contract with the Saints if he did. If he were to return in 2026, he would be headed elsewhere via trade. Carr claimed he would only come back for the Super Bowl. The Vikings are arguably one quarterback away from returning to the playoffs, but unfortunately for Carr, Minnesota was able to sign most of them on the cheap without having to give up any draft capital. Joe Flacco is 41 years old, and if he can make any impact in 2026, it will likely be with the Atlanta Falcons under current head coach Kevin Stefanski. Flacco led the Stefanski Browns to the playoffs in 2023 before briefly returning to Cleveland in 2025. This isn’t a declaration of hope or interest in Flacco joining the Falcons in 2026, but it could be on the table if all the others listed in this article sign elsewhere. Russell Wilson is a notable free agent that few want to talk about, but he has a chance to start in 2026. He lit up the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 last season, completing 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Two weeks later, he was replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart. It wouldn’t cost much to sign Wilson, 37, and teams like the Miami Dolphins, who are projected to lead the league in dead money by a wide margin, may not have many other options in 2026.
