Dawgs By Nature
There are two schools of thought when it comes to building an NFL roster: A) Get the quarterback, work everything else out or B) Build the roster, especially the lines, so whatever QB you get is set up for success. Like most “or” questions, the answer is probably somewhere in between.
For the Cleveland Browns, it isn’t all about the quarterback, but that is the golden goose the team has been chasing for decades. Whether GM Andrew Berry and/or HC Kevin Stefanski will get to be the ones to make those key decisions is still up in the air. Getting past the Deshaun Watson trade has to be a priority for the team.
The 2026 NFL draft has some interesting quarterbacks, but we are far from locking in who will actually declare for the draft and deserve to be selected high.
Based on how the season has gone so far, as well as projecting ahead, there are currently 10 teams that could be in the market for quarterbacks next season. Not all of the following will, for sure, need a new starting quarterback but if they did, not all of them will find answers in the upcoming NFL draft.
Of the list, really only the Browns, Jets and Steelers seem to be certain to be looking for a new starter. Even then, New York is rumored to want to wait for the 2027 NFL draft class but will still, likely, need a new starter next year.
The Saints are seeing what they have in second-round pick Tyler Shough, the Raiders traded for and extended Geno Smith this offseason, the Dolphins have a huge contract with Tua Tagovailoa, the health of Matthew Stafford leaves his future up in the air year to year, and the Cardinals seem likely to move on from Kyler Murray.
The final two teams on the list are the least likely to be in the quarterback market, but are at least worth noting. Neither has its first-round pick, but are the Jaguars sold on Trevor Lawrence, and will Daniel Jones’ fairytale season come spiraling down? If they do, both teams will enter the market for a new quarterback while also adding two new names to the available players.
If not in the NFL draft, NFL free agency could provide some opportunities, but who can afford a starting-level quarterback, no matter who is actually available?
According to Over the Cap, this is the current cap space for the 10 teams noted above. We know there are lots of ways to create...
