The NFL has seen multiple veteran quarterbacks step in for struggling or injured starters. We asked our staff their thoughts on the shifts.
Out of this group, who would you seek to acquire on a Superflex contender?
Also, who has the best chance to start for a team in Week 1 of 2025?
Jason Wood: This one is easy: it’s Jameis Winston. The other options aren’t the team’s preferred choices and have no guaranteed job security for the rest of the season. On the other hand, Winston is by far the Browns’ best choice to start for the remainder of the year.
As for who will likely start in Week 1 of 2025, that’s a trickier question. Winston is playing on a one-year deal in Cleveland, and the Browns will still have Deshaun Watson’s contract to contend with next season unless Watson opts for medical retirement. If Winston performs well for the rest of this season, it’s unlikely he will stay with the Browns on a below-market contract. Another team would likely offer him at least $7 to $8 million to be their backup. I don’t think any of these quarterbacks will likely be starters in Week 1, but I’ll go with Malik Willis. He’s played surprisingly well in Jordan Love’s absence this year. He’s under contract for 2025, so the Packers will likely keep him as a safety valve, but there’s always the chance another team offers a mid-round draft pick for Willis' services.
Ryan Weisse: I'll bet on Jameis Winston for both parts of this question. Right now, he's a bit more expensive than last week, but still worth the add for teams that need a boost at quarterback in Superflex. He has a ton of upside, as shown by his 334 yards and three touchdowns this week. He was a top-10 quarterback in his first start. That is precisely the upside you want for your second or third quarterback.
As for 2025, he is the only proven starter in this bunch who is less than 40-plus years old. Sorry Flacco. If the Browns don't give him a shot at the job, some team will. Interstingly, he could be a good fit to replace Flacco and play ahead of Anthony Richardson in 2025. If you give Winston weapons like Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs and up-and-coming talents like Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell, he can be a top-10 fantasy option. We've already seen him do it.
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Andy Hicks: The answer to both questions is Jameis Winston, purely because the alternatives are inferior in comparison. Willis will be the clear backup to Jordan Love and is unlikely to be a choice for a franchise-starved quarterback. Lock and Rudolph may finish the season as starters, but again, their body of work is unlikely to attract another franchise—backups they are until proven otherwise. Joe Flacco will be 40 very soon. This late-career renaissance is short-term. Just look at Aaron Rodgers.
Winston, on the other hand, knows how to move the ball and throw it to the other team, but as Bruce Arians said, no risk it, no biscuit. His 2019 season of 30-plus touchdowns and 30 interceptions goes down in infamy. Since then, he has had 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in spot, starting with the Saints and now the Browns. He is entertaining and infuriating to watch, but what else will the Browns do? Try Dorian Thompson-Robinson again. That will indicate they are more interested in a higher draft pick. If Winston keeps the wins ticking over, the Browns can push Deshaun Watson's expensive contract another season further down the line and rebuild. Beyond 2025? He is talented and mature. His teammates love him, and the NFL needs more players like him.
Corey Spala: I look to acquire Jameis Winston for the remainder of the 2024 season. He epitomizes fantasy production, even at the sacrifice of questionable throws. The interceptions will come, but the 300-yard games will stay.
Looking at which quarterback has the best chance to start, I wonder if there is a clear answer right now. Malik Willis is the only quarterback under contract for the 2025 season. He has proven successful with Green Bay, and the team may covet his backup abilities. Green Bay may also covet the draft pick compensation in a trade. Jameis Winston has shown his ability to lead an offense, and Cleveland may want him on the roster in 2025 if DeShaun Watson is not healthy enough to start the season. Drew Lock may re-sign with the New York Giants and serve as a bridge quarterback like Jacoby Brissett in New England this season. Mason Rudolph may re-sign with Tennessee if they do not believe Will Levis is their future and have the 2025 season be a tankathon. Joe Flacco will be 40 years old and may retire.
I bet Drew Lock will stay with the Giants and provide bridge quarterback play in 2025. He will have one year of development in their system. I believe he is better than Daniel Jones and should start this season.
Matt Montgomery: My answer to both questions is Jameis Winston. I know that we have seen this movie before with him, but he provides the most juice to an offense from the players on this list. You will have to live with the typical Jameis issues of turnover plays, but the good outweighs the bad with him, and in every opportunity he has to play, we see an amplified offense.
While it may not be for Cleveland, he will start Week 1 of 2025 with a team that will acquire him in the offseason, maybe an in-between team like Tennessee or Carolina. The quarterback class doesn’t have the shine this season as in years past, adding to his value on the market this offseason.
