NFL free agency: 6 of the top 10 QBs on the market make sense for the Browns

Sam Darnold is the big name but bringing back Jacoby Brissett or Joe Flacco also makes sense

For NFL players, judging their talent often comes down to how they played in the final game of their season and, often, how their team played. Cleveland Browns fans are understandably down on their team despite DE Myles Garrett, among others including analysts, believing the team isn’t too far away.

With the Browns seemingly turning away from the Deshaun Watson era, quarterback has been the primary focus so far this offseason. Rumors of Kirk Cousins coming to Cleveland, talk of Shedeur Sanders being a good fit (no matter what Deion says) and Cam Ward being seen as the top quarterback on the market.

NFL free agency is one route the Browns could go to solve their quarterback issue, at least in the short term. SB Nation’s experts came together to rank the top 10 quarterbacks available this offseason. A couple of them used to play in Cleveland and are among six of the 10 that could play for the Browns this year:

• Sam Darnold - Top quarterback on the list, Darnold’s final two games could bring his price tag down quite a bit but is Cleveland willing to spend top dollar for multiple years?
• Justin Fields - While Russell Wilson started most of the games, Fields is an intriguing backup option with starter possibilities. Wilson, on the other hand, reportedly had trouble with his third straight coaching staff.
• Jacoby Brissett - A veteran leader, Brissett would be perfect if the Browns hoped to start a rookie early.
• Joe Flacco - After “Flacco Fever” was replaced by a playoff meltdown and a poor time when he got a chance with the Colts this year, the aging veteran has a little left in the tank but is he good enough to start in 2025 and would he be okay being the backup to a rookie?
• Jimmy Garoppolo - Once the apple of the eye of some in the local media, Jimmy G. has clear limitations and has only played in 19 games in the last three years. His one game in 2024 showed what he can still do: 66% completion, 334 yards, two TDs, one INT.
• Daniel Jones - Similar to Darnold, Jones is hoping his short stint with the Vikings can get him back on track. Most likely, Jones slides in as the backup in Minnesota this year but, perhaps, the Browns see a chance to reclaim the first-round pick’s talent themselves.

You can check out all the quarterback rankings on SB Nation (also pinned to our home page for a couple of days) to see the order the QBs are ranked and the four quarterbacks we did not include for Cleveland’s free agency.

Which QBs are you most interested in the Browns pursuing in free agency this year? Share your thoughts in the comment section below