While there are 32 NFL franchises, there aren’t presently 32 franchise quarterbacks in the league. Frankly, there might not be 32 franchise quarterbacks on the planet. By my count, right now there are 15 guys that you can safely say are franchise quarterbacks. After that, you have maybe five or six decent NFL starters and the rest are rookies with tons of question marks or placeholders that should be backups.
Which is why the situation the NFL could find itself in next year is so intriguing. For the first time since I’ve been covering the sport, we could see as many as six former legitimate starting quarterbacks hit free agency, or be available in trades, with three of those guys having won Super Bowls. In the past, there have been big name quarterbacks available in free agency, but never to this degree and always with serious health concerns.
When the then San Diego Chargers parted ways with Drew Brees, there were questions about his surgically-repaired shoulder and if he could ever play again. The New Orleans Saints rolled the dice and signed him, benefiting with a Vince Lombardi trophy and a Hall of Fame career. Peyton Manning was already a first-ballot Hall of Famer when the Indianapolis Colts let him go. Again, he was coming off neck surgery and no one knew if he’d ever be able to throw a football again. The Denver Broncos took the chance, signed him, and won a Super Bowl themselves.
That’s not to say any of these guys that come loose are Brees or Manning, but in a quarterback-starved league they should all find jobs.
Week 1 Starters Who Could Start for New Teams in 2019
Eli Manning, 37
Career stats: 224 starts, 114-110 record, 60.2 completion percentage, 54,478 yards, 354 touchdowns, 234 interceptions, 2 Super Bowl titles
Manning has one more year left on his current contract and there’s a chance that the New York Giants could just let him play it out after drafting a rookie this offseason and walk away clean. If they cut him, they’ll have $6.2 million in dead cap to deal with, but his cap hit if they keep him is $23.2 million. For a guy who can’t be in the future plans of the organization, that’s a huge number to swallow.
Eli Manning's current pace:
Completion percentage: 69.1 (career best)
Passing yards: 4,471 (2nd best career total)
Touchdowns: 21
Interceptions: 10 (career best)
Passer rating: 96.5 (career best)Number of times sacked: 57 (career high) pic.twitter.com/o31BeuMgNH
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) November 19, 2018
Manning is at the end of his career so he could just retire. I’m not sure what the Giants could get in a trade, so the most likely scenario is they cut him early in the offseason and he makes the call then on whether he’d like to continue his career.
Related: NFL Betting Guide | Week 12 Odds
Joe Flacco, 33
Career stats: 163 starts, 96-67 record, 61.7 completion percentage, 38,245 yards, 212 touchdowns, 136 interceptions, 1 Super Bowl title
With the Ravens likely parting ways with John Harbaugh at the end of the season, Flacco too will likely suit up in the black and purple for the final time. He still has two years left on his current contract and will count $28.25 million against the cap if he’s still on the roster. If Baltimore cuts him, they’ll have to deal with $8 million in dead money.
Joe Flacco stabilized the QB position for a franchise that desperately needed it. He brought a SB to Bmore. Fans should be forever grateful. But the leash that SB provided was long, really long. Jackson gets a different kind leash, be patient. Even if he struggles it’s ok.
— Ryan Patrick Jones (@ryanpjones82) November 18, 2018
Unlike Manning, Flacco still has four or five good years left and, in the right situation with the right coach, could be the kind of player that puts a franchise over the hump. It’s important to note that Manning and Flacco, along with Tom Brady, are the three best postseason quarterbacks of this era and it’s not close.
Other potential Week 1 starters who could hit free agency or be available in trades
Ryan Tannehill, Derek Carr and Nick Foles
Tannehill just can’t stay healthy and the Miami Dolphins may just have to move on. He’s a solid quarterback when he’s on the field, but he hasn’t played a 16-game season since 2015. He missed all of 2017 with a knee injury and appeared in just five games this year.
Carr has been a victim of the return of Jon Gruden to Oakland and a divorce could be on its way. His contract is huge, but was front-loaded so if the Raiders cut him this offseason, they’ll just have $7.5 million in dead cap to deal with.
How many teams would rather have Derek Carr than their own qb ?
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) November 18, 2018
Foles probably won’t be seen as a starter after struggling in his two games this season, but he’ll be considered a high-end backup and should be looked at like an insurance policy for teams with questionable young quarterbacks like the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.
Other guys that could/will hit the market
Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater
Winston is an interesting case because he’s got all the physical tools and has flashed at times, but ultimately hasn’t delivered on the field. He’d be guaranteed at least one more year in Tampa Bay if he hadn’t caused so much trouble off the field, getting suspended for three games this season for grabbing an Uber driver in the crotch. Ultimately, it’ll be up to the new Buccaneers coach to decide if keeping Winston for a fifth year is worth the risk.
The #Bucs announced that QB Jameis Winston is once again their starting QB for Week 12, following his impressive showing in relief of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 19, 2018
Fitzpatrick and Taylor are both free agents at the end of the season. They’ve started games this year and have earned their spot in the league as backups. Like Foles, they need to focus their employment efforts on teams with shaky, young starters.
Bradford is already in the wind after getting cut by the Arizona Cardinals a few weeks ago. There’s a good chance he just retires. If he’s willing to work for considerably less money than he’s made in the past, he could serve as a bridge quarterback and that job for him could be open with the Giants.
There’s no question New Orleans would love to keep Bridgewater as the heir apparent to Drew Brees. How willing will he be to sit another year when there are opportunities out there to start? How much will the Saints be willing to pay? Certainly, for Bridgewater’s long term career, remaining with the Saints is the best option. Since he’ll be a free agent, the choice will be his.
The Jaguars not signing, nor pursuing a trade for Teddy Bridgewater, was one of the worst moves of the offseason/preseason
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) November 18, 2018
