The 2024 NFL regular season is complete, and the focus will shift to “Black Monday” and coaching changes. Quarterback shifts are as impactful. 

Across the league, 24 of 32 quarterback situations look set. Where do the other eight teams line up?

Note: Quarterback situations marked * are discussed in the Wildcard Quarterback Situations section.

Teams With Uncertain 2025 Quarterback Situations

With current quarterbacks under contract for next season.

• NY Jets (Aaron Rodgers*, Tyrod Taylor, Jordan Travis) - currently, no 2025 coach
• Cleveland (Deshaun Watson*, Dorian Thompson-Robinson)
• Pittsburgh
• Las Vegas (Gardner Minshew II*, Aidan O'Connell, Carter Bradley)
• Tennessee (Will Levis)
• Indianapolis (Anthony Richardson)*
• NY Giants
• New Orleans (Derek Carr*, Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler) - currently, no 2025 coach

2025 Free Agent Quarterbacks

• Sam Darnold*
• Russell Wilson
• Trey Lance
• Drew Lock
• Justin Fields
• Daniel Jones
• Joe Flacco
• Jameis Winston
• Mac Jones
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Mason Rudolph
• Jacoby Brissett
• Marcus Mariota
• Zach Wilson
• Jarrett Stidham
• Andy Dalton
• Carson Wentz
• Cooper Rush
• Nick Mullens
• Joshua Dobbs
• Kyle Trask

Wildcard Quarterback Situations

Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota
Most conversations will revolve around this situation, which is likely the cleanest. Absent Darnold playing at an MVP level and winning the Super Bowl, the Vikings should apply the franchise tag and view Darnold as the 2025 starter and McCarthy as the future quarterback.  

Aaron Rodgers, NY Jets
Holds a $35 million option bonus for 2025. Rodgers' cap hit is $23.5 million, and his dead cap number is $49 million. A post-June 1st designation moves 2025 to $14 million, pushing $35 million into 2026.

Derek Carr, New Orleans
Carr is signed through 2026 but has an out built into his contract. His cap hit is $51 million in 2025 and $61 million in 2026. The Saints can cut Carr, dropping his 2025 number to $21 million and making his 2026 number $28 million.

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta
Early reports suggest an amicable split between Cousins and the Falcons. Cousins is still under contract for 2025 with the team holding options out to 2027. If the team releases him with a post-June 1st designation, they would have a 2025 cap hit of $40 million and a 2026 hit of $25 million. Rumors link Cousins to his former Minnesota offensive coordinator, Kevin Stefanski, in Cleveland. 

#1 Pick - Tennessee and #2 Pick - Cleveland
Current draft projections have two quarterbacks at the top of the class: Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. This is not a Caleb Williams - Drake Maye - Jayden Daniels quarterback year, but it is not a Kenny Pickett quarterback class either. If Tennessee and Cleveland want one of these guys, no one is in front of them now.

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland
The Browns have kicked this can down the road in every way possible. The money is fully guaranteed, with cap hits of $72.9 million for 2025 and 2026. As currently constructed, the Browns can not cut Watson. A pre-June 1st cut would make his cap hit $172 million, and a post-June 1st cut would make 2025's number $118 million and 2026's $53 million. Watson suffered a setback in his Achilles recovery that could knock him out for the 2025 season. If the Browns acquire Cousins and add a rookie in April's draft, Watson has likely played his last snap for the team. 

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis
The Colts announced that Shane Steichen will be back. Richardson is on his rookie contract for 2025 and 2026, with a fifth-year option for 2027. Reasonable expectations would have Richardson back for a third year as the team's starter, but they had to come out after the year and say Steichen and GM Chris Ballard would be back, casting heavy questions on 2025. It would be surprising if the team does not have an aggressive backup plan for Richardson for next season.

Pittsburgh
The Steelers do not have a quarterback under contract for 2025. A month ago, an extension for Russell Wilson looked like a foregone conclusion. But their offense has completely fallen apart, and the only reason he does not have Kirk Cousins-like interception numbers is he has wholly abandoned the middle of the field. Arthur Smith was attached to the North Carolina opening early in the search but said he would not pursue that opportunity. He has not had a good month since Bill Belichick filled that job. College football tends to have a second hiring cycle (one big opening ripples through the sport; Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh were at Alabama and Michigan at this point last year, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has come up in NFL rumors).

Will Levis, Spencer Rattler, Aidan O'Connell
None of the three have played well enough to be the locked-in starter. All of them are signed to cheap rookie contracts and have played well enough to hold value on those deals. Expect them back in 2025, though their teams will likely view them as backup plans. 

Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas

Minshew is signed through 2025 at a cap hit of $14 million. Antonio Pierce is currently slated to return as coach. The Raiders can release Minshew with a Post-June 1st designation and save $6.18 million in 2025, lowering the 2025 cap hit to $7.82 million and pushing a dead cap charge of $3 million into 2026. If the Raiders acquire a new starting quarterback option, expect Minshew to be traded or released.

Teams Probably Set in 2025

• Minnesota (Sam Darnold - assuming he's back, see above, J.J. McCarthy)

Teams Set at Starting Quarterback for 2025

With current quarterbacks under contract for next season.

• Buffalo (Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White)
• New England (Drake Maye, Joe Milton III)
• Miami (Tua Tagovailoa)
• Baltimore (Lamar Jackson)
• Cincinnati (Joe Burrow, Jake Browning)
• Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes II)
• Denver (Bo Nix)
• LA Chargers (Justin Herbert)
• Jacksonville (Trevor Lawrence)
• Houston (C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills)
• Dallas (Dak Prescott)
• Philadelphia (Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee)
• Washington (Jayden Daniels)
• Detroit (Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker)
• Green Bay (Jordan Love, Malik Willis)
• Chicago (Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent)
• Tampa Bay (Baker Mayfield)
• Atlanta (Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins - could be cut, see above)
• Carolina (Bryce Young)
• San Francisco (Brock Purdy)
• Arizona (Kyler Murray, Clayton Tune)
• LA Rams (Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett)
• Seattle (Geno Smith, Sam Howell)