NFL free agents: Top 5 quarterbacks include some old vets like Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers

· Yahoo Sports

Last season, there was a future Super Bowl-winning quarterback available in free agency.

Sam Darnold was a free agent and the Seattle Seahawks signed him for $100.5 million over three seasons. Less than a year later, Darnold helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX title.

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That’s a rare story. Generally quarterbacks available in free agency are deeply flawed. It’s hard to strike gold, though the Seahawks showed it’s possible. There could be more than a few teams looking for a new starter in free agency, and the options will be limited. Two options that will likely emerge are Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray, starters to begin last season who are expected to be cut by the Dolphins and Cardinals, but they didn’t make the top 5 available here until they are officially available.

Here are the top 5 available free agents at quarterback.

Jones’ case is complicated. He was playing well before tearing his Achilles. There’s no guarantee he’ll be available to play by Week 1, or if the injury affects him all season. Part of the appeal with Jones is his athleticism, and that won’t be the same after the injury. Still, the first half of 2025 made it look like Jones was another late bloomer at quarterback. If he doesn’t return to the Colts, some team will get creative on a contract for Jones.

Daniel Jones is eligible to be a free agent, though he's coming off an Achilles injury. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)Todd Rosenberg via Getty Images

Willis is interesting because of youth. He turns 27 in May, which means there’s some hope he can be a long-term answer. Willis has just six starts in the NFL, and three were horrendous performances when he was a rookie with the Titans. With the Packers, Willis looked a lot better when pressed into action. He has the physical skills to be a starter, though it’s a projection based on a small sample.

Cousins was benched in 2024, but he had a resurgence in 2025 when he was more than a year removed from a torn Achilles. Cousins started eight games for the Falcons and generally looked better than he did the previous season. That renewed hope he can be some team’s starter for at least another season, at age 38. There’s risk due to his age, but he’s a viable option.

We don’t know if Rodgers will play in 2026. Before last season he hinted that he wouldn’t continue to play beyond 2025, but he had a solid season for the Steelers and by the end of it he seemed more open to the idea of playing another season. The problem is he turns 43 next season, and aside from Tom Brady, there is no positive history for quarterbacks that age. Rodgers played well enough last season that it seems he can squeeze another season out of his body if he wants to, but teams will have to be wary of the age cliff.

Free-agent quarterbacks like Garoppolo and Marcus Mariota probably won’t be signed as starters, but could be high-priority backups. Garoppolo barely played the last two seasons with the Rams, but spending two seasons with head coach Sean McVay can’t be a bad thing. He’s a reliable vet with positive starting experience.

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