QB Controversy throughout NFL Free Agency

Trade rumors have flourished throughout the NFL surrounding multiple quarterbacks, and other positions, as we get closer and closer to the free agency period, where players start negotiating contracts between March 13 and 15.

Here are all the players that will potentially be on the move this offseason at every position. There have been a couple big trades already regarding Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins, and the Bears trading the 1st pick to the Panthers, per Adam Shefter. Trade rumors have circulated regarding; Cardinals receiver Deandre Hopkins, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Texans receiver Brandon Cooks, Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, and Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, per Adam Schefter. As far as the quarterback position regarding free agents there are multiple players that teams are interested in. The Buccaneers are expected to pursue free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield in free agency. The Raiders, Jets, and Texans are all interested in signing former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Aaron Rodgers, 39, has been a quarterback on the rise, and recently has been linked to the Jets. Rodgers has been with the Packers for 18 seasons and it looked like he was going to leave last year, but this time the Packers don’t want him. The Jets have shown a lot of interest in Rodgers as the whole staff flew out to California for a meeting, per Conner Hughes of SNY TV. A trade has already been agreed upon, and could be processed in the next 24 hours, as the only thing left is the decision of Aaron Rodgers! This trade will be straightened out in the next few days, as Rodgers said he would make his decision before free agency starts on March 15. The Jets desperately need a quarterback and Aaron Rodgers would instantly make them Super Bowl contenders.

There have been trade rumors surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson, 24. Jackson was set to be a free agent, but the Ravens decided to use their non-exclusive franchise tag of $32.416 million, and that gave Jackson the opportunity to negotiate with other teams. The problem is Jackson turned down a four-year $250 million contract offer from the Ravens last year, with only $133 million fully guaranteed in signing, per Ian Rapoport NFL.com. With Jackson seeking a fully guaranteed contract, teams are not willing to pay him fully guaranteed money over four years. Many teams have lost interest in Jackson because he has been injured now in back to back seasons, and has missed 10 regular season games over the past two years. Another problem is that he does not have an agent to help negotiate the type of contract he wants. As his current agent is his mother, Felicia Jones, and he is still looking for a long term deal with a very uncertain future. The Ravens will most likely retain Jackson on a similar long term deal that they offered last season, but you could understand why Jackson is asking for so much money. As three middle of the road quarterbacks have all signed big long term contracts.

The first quarterback to get a contract was former Raiders QB Derek Carr, 31, and it came down to two teams in the Jets and Saints. He ended up signing a four-year contract with the Saints, worth $150 million, including $100 million fully guaranteed, with an average salary of $37.5 million a year, per Ian Rapoport. This leaves the Jets still looking for a quarterback and leaving a potential Aaron Rodgers trade still on the table. While the Saints find their guy and avoid what looked like a full rebuild. As the Saints are still over the cap space limit, with around negative $25 million over the cap. “Carr structured his deal to accommodate Saints cap issues,” per Ian Rapoport Carr. He definitely deserves another shot, coming off a down year with the Raiders, but with this huge contract, the Saints are putting all their trust in him for the next few years.

Geno Smith, 32, also got a big time contract to stay in Seattle, as he played a major role in the offense last season. Smith signed a three-year contract, worth $75 million with $30 million available in incentives, according to spotrac. In total Smith can receive up to $105 million over the three year period, including $40 million guaranteed and an average salary of $25 million, per spotrac. We don’t know how long Geno Smith will remain the starter in Seattle. As the Seahawks might look to transition into a young franchise quarterback as Smith is 32 years old. Geno Smith opened up about the Seahawks potentially drafting a quarterback and said, “I love to compete, so I’ll compete with anybody,” Smith said. “I’m also gonna help them out as much as I can. Same as we did with Drew. Our QB room is so tight knit and we’re all so connected that we act as one. Whether it’s a young guy or someone else, I’m gonna help that player just like any other player on our team be the best that he can be because that’s my job as a leader,” per NBC Sports

Daniel Jones, 25, agreed to a contract extension with the Giants, and signed a four-year 160 million dollar contract as well as a $36 million signing bonus, per Spotrac. “$82 million is fully guaranteed and his base salary is fully guaranteed for the 2023 and ’24 seasons. In ’25, Jones will make $30 million in base salary, with $23 million guaranteed for injury,” per Pro Football Talks Mike Florio. In other words the Giants can dump Daniel Jones’s contract after two years and get off the hook. If the Giants decide to release or trade him in 2025 before June 1st they will save $21 million and lose $18 million from the contract. If they wait until after June 1st of 2025 to trade or release Jones, the Giants will save $30 million and lose only nine million. So if you are a Giants fan and aren’t sure if Daniel Jones is the long term answer, the Giants can get out after two years and look for another option, without losing a lot of money in the process.