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With the NFL free agency contract negotiation window opening March 9 at noon ET, CBS Sports is providing a position-by-position look at the free agent landscape. Leading the way, as is the case on the field, are the quarterbacks. Recent successes of veteran free agents such as Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield have rejuvenated the idea that taking this route -- former starter turned journeyman -- could prove beneficial from a short- and long-term perspective. If the player plays well immediately, the team is getting a major bargain and can then aim to keep him in the future. If he doesn't produce as desired, teams are under no obligation to be stuck at the game's most important position.

Top five free agent quarterbacks

1. Daniel Jones

2025 team: Colts
2025 stats: 3,101 pass yds, 68% comp pct, 19 pass TD, 8 int, 8.1 YPA (13 starts)
Age: 28

Before Darnold ended up being the latest veteran reclamation project success story, Daniel Jones looked like he was on a similar path. Through 10 weeks, the Colts were 8-2, and Jones was leading the NFL in passing yards while completing nearly 70% of his passes. Then he fractured his fibula, played through it and tore his Achilles a few weeks later. All that threw his -- and the Colts' -- season into disarray and significantly altered his and the Colts' offseasons as well. Once in line to get a sizable deal a la former bridge quarterbacks Mayfield and Darnold, Jones will have to see how teams view his sterling first 10 weeks versus everything that came after it, plus his lengthy injury history. Jones ran Shane Steichen's offense efficiently and looked the healthiest and most mobile he has in years in 2025; now, he's coming off another career-altering injury.

2. Malik Willis

2025 team: Packers
2025 stats: 422 pass yds, 86% comp pct, 3 pass TD, 0 int, 8.6 YPA (4 games, 1 start)
Age: 26

A Titans third-round pick in 2022, Malik Willis got traded to Green Bay for a seventh-round pick in 2024, a trade that mostly flew under the radar. In two years since, though, Willis has played efficient, effective football in short spurts, relieving Jordan Love. Willis didn't throw an interception in the last two seasons, and he has shown legitimate dual-threat ability with 174 rushing yards in three starts with the Packers. He has a strong arm and a willingness and ability to push the ball downfield. Add in his age, and he is arguably the most intriguing free agent at his position. Are a few glimpses here or there enough for him to earn a starting job? And if so, what sort of contract could he land? Willis will have a plethora of landing spots, from high-end backup to competitor in a quarterback battle to starting opportunities, but likely on a relatively short leash. His range of outcomes is a major storyline.

3. Aaron Rodgers

2025 team: Steelers
2025 stats: 3,322 pass yds, 66% comp pct, 24 pass TD, 7 int, 6.7 YPA (16 starts)
Age: 42

Aaron Rodgers' 2025 season showed he still has some of his strengths -- namely taking care of the ball -- but he is also a significantly diminished version of his previous MVP self. Out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks, Rodgers was 27th in yards per attempt, 33rd in air yards per attempt, and 23rd in expected points added per dropback. He averaged the second-fastest time to throw. Basically, he wants to get the ball out quickly, often to running backs and tight ends. He doesn't want to take hits, and he doesn't do much play extension as his pocket mobility has declined following his Achilles tear. Age, of course, is a factor, too. Whether and where Rodgers plays in 2026 remain mysteries, though it's worth noting his former Packers coach, Mike McCarthy, took the Pittsburgh job and said he'd welcome Rodgers back.

4. Marcus Mariota

2025 team: Commanders
2025 stats: 1,675 pass yds, 61% comp pct, 10 pass TD, 7 int, 7.5 YPA (11 games, 8 starts)
Age: 32

Amid a lost season for the Commanders, Marcus Mariota provided solid play; among 38 players with at least 200 dropbacks, Mariota was 22nd in expected points added per dropback, just slightly behind Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert and ahead of Rodgers, Jacoby Brissett and even Jayden Daniels. Mariota still has his mobility -- 297 rushing yards -- and a willingness to push the ball downfield, but inaccuracy and turnovers continue to plague him as a passer. He's a high-end backup who can provide some dynamic play in a pinch.

5. Kirk Cousins

2025 team: Falcons
2025 stats: 1,721 pass yds, 62% comp pct, 10 pass TD, 5 int, 6.4 YPA (10 games, 8 starts)
Age: 37

The Falcons have all but officially moved on from Kirk Cousins, who finished 2025 as a starter after Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending injury. Cousins, like Rodgers and Tagovailoa, is an immobile pocket passer. Unlike those players, Cousins isn't a quick-throwing quarterback; he'll stand in the pocket and take hits in order to deliver throws. His turnover numbers came back down after a poor 2024, but his physical limitations post-Achilles tear are significant. Still, Cousins can be an effective play-action passer, and he could end up in a quarterback battle, perhaps in his former home of Minnesota.

One more to keep an eye on

Joe Flacco

2025 team: Browns, Bengals
2025 stats: 2,479 pass yds, 60% comp pct, 15 pass TD, 10 int, 6.0 YPA (13 games, 10 starts)
Age: 41

Joe Flacco has played for four different organizations since 2022, and everywhere he goes, he seems to strike momentary hope. In 2025, that meant throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 win over the Steelers in Week 7, just his second start for Cincinnati. Flacco still has his cannon arm, a willingness to throw it deep and the understanding of basically every offense there is. He's generally quite good at not taking sacks, even though he's very much a pocket passer. Whether it's back in Cincinnati, a reunion with a former coach or something completely new, Flacco will have a team in 2026.

Five teams to watch

  • What do the Vikings do with J.J. McCarthy? The former first-round pick missed all of his first year and much of his second year, and when he did play, he was inaccurate and ineffective. With plenty of win-now pieces on offense, Minnesota absolutely needs better quarterback play, whether that's via McCarthy's improvement or a veteran addition.
  • The Cardinals' Kyler Murray situation remains a sticky one -- more on that in a bit -- and they figure to be in the market if/when they move on from the former No. 1 pick.
  • Could the Jets be a landing spot for Murray? If not, New York is very much looking for an answer after a brutal 2025; New York's 5.6 yards per attempt was worst in the NFL as the team cycled through Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook.
  • Should Rodgers not be in a Steelers uniform next season, Pittsburgh will have to find a suitable replacement; Art Rooney doesn't believe in reset years.
  • With Tagovailoa out of the picture, the Dolphins have a big call to make at quarterback as well. Unlike Pittsburgh, though, Miami needs to embrace a rebuild.

One big question

What happens with the veterans: Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith?

Murray's 2025 season came to a strange end, and now the 2019 No. 1 overall pick is expected to leave Arizona as the Mike LaFleur era begins. On the plus side, Murray is still only 28, and he remains a very talented player. He's in clear need of a fresh start; he was never a fit for the under-center, play-action-heavy offense Drew Petzing wanted to run, but he can thrive in more of a spread system.

Still, there's plenty that makes him a polarizing player, and not just because of the massive price tag (Murray is in the middle of a five-year, $230.5-million deal). He doesn't throw over the middle, he doesn't work from under center, and he can be very streaky as a thrower. Still, there's a team that will be intrigued by his skill set.

Tua Tagovailoa's time in Miami ended with an ignominious benching and relegation to third-string quarterback. Now, just two years after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension, he's a free agent. Tagovailoa has had a litany of injury issues, including several concussions, and he is a statue in the pocket. He was almost entirely reliant on Mike McDaniel's timing-based passing approach; when the first read wasn't there, Tagovailoa struggled. His interceptions and negative play rate ballooned to among the league's worst in 2025.

Finally, Geno Smith played Pro Bowl football in 2022 and 2023 before a downturn in 2024 in Seattle. Then, everything fell apart for him in Las Vegas, though the same could be said for Pete Carroll's entire operation with the Raiders. He's an aggressive downfield thrower, and his ability to operate from under center will find him a spot -- and perhaps even a chance to compete for a starting job -- in 2026.

None of these players is a free agent as of this writing, but all three are likely to be on that path in the coming days.