Quarterbacks often make the NFL go ’round. And this offseason has been no exception. Sam Darnold cashed in with one of the top deals of free agency, netting $100 million from the Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith moved to the Las Vegas Raiders to give Sin City some added spice. And Aaron Rodgers has drawn plenty of headlines at 41, despite approaching April without a definitive plan for the 2025 season.
The 2025 NFL Draft is now around the corner, but even with most teams tentatively settled at the quarterback spot, the position remains a catalyst of conversation. Will Cam Ward go No. 1 overall? Will Shedeur Sanders come off the board immediately afterward? And what about Rodgers? Will he really wait until the summer, or even later, to make a decision on what would be his 21st NFL campaign? Plenty of lineup-shaking moves could await both on the rookie and veteran fronts.
With that in mind, we decided to put on our thinking cap and reassess five of the juiciest quarterback storylines, projecting whether the latest rumors are more fact than fiction:
Aaron Rodgers wants the Vikings (and vice versa)
Verdict: Buying
Why is this future Hall of Fame quarterback unemployed? He’s 41, for starters, with declining mobility and an outsized celebrity presence. But here’s another reason: He wants the perfect opportunity. Minnesota registers as just that, boasting playoff-caliber talent, coaching and facilities. The Vikings, of course, are in the awkward position of desiring both instant stability and a longer-term commitment to their first-round investment of J.J. McCarthy, so it’s understandable they’re hesitant to go all in for an aging, big-name rental. Yet the fact they’ve continually left the door open for additional Rodgers talks, and that Rodgers continues to putz around clear interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers, suggests that deep down, there’s a mutual attraction here. Will it lead to a real partnership? Maybe. Maybe not. But everyone can dream.
Verdict: Selling
There’s no disputing the connections here: Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski was once Cousins’ offensive coordinator with the Vikings, and even after acquiring Kenny Pickett via trade, the Browns are in dire need of proven quarterback help, with Deshaun Watson sidelined indefinitely. Yet the Atlanta Falcons could’ve easily cut ties with Cousins by now if they just wanted future financial relief. The fact they’ve retained his bloated contract instead suggests they’re hoping an emergency arises that prompts another team to surrender legitimate compensation via trade. Why, after dealing a pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Pickett, wouldn’t the Browns just rather add a rookie on an even cheaper deal via the draft?
Cam Ward is headed to the Titans
Verdict: Buying
For a while, it looked as if Tennessee preferred to sell the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, with the New York Giants reported as a favorite to acquire the selection. Even recently, ESPN reported the Titans were still open to offers, despite increased interest in Ward, the Miami prospect. And that’s probably true; why wouldn’t a rebuilding franchise entertain an expansion of its 2025 draft capital? No one else appears so enamored with Ward that they’d be willing to pay a premium to move up, however. And at the end of the day, the Titans still badly need a signal-caller of the future. Is Ward the best or most NFL-ready player in the draft? Perhaps not, but his upside as a gifted gunslinger may necessitate his landing in Nashville.
The Colts will hold a legitimate QB competition
Verdict: Buying
Indianapolis partially showed its hand as it pertains to 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson during the 2024 season, when the Colts took the talented but erratic prospect in and out of the starting lineup. Richardson isn’t entirely to blame for his early career struggles, but coach Shane Steichen all but declared the Florida product unprepared after his initial benching. Cue this offseason, when the team paid a surprisingly steep price for former New York Giants castoff Daniel Jones. Money talks, and Jones’ $14 million contract puts him well above standard backups. We’d expect Richardson to have the edge as the incumbent when on-field work begins, but no jobs will be promised this time around.
The Steelers have a trick up their sleeve at QB
Verdict: Selling
Pittsburgh was uncharacteristically proactive at quarterback in the 2024 offseason, jettisoning Kenny Pickett and double-dipping with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as a hopeful antidote to the post-Ben Roethlisberger blues. This year, the Steelers have gone the other direction, letting both Fields and Wilson walk while prioritizing … a Mason Rudolph reunion? Aaron Rodgers is still their likeliest proven option for 2025. The fact it hasn’t happened yet means Steel City could really enter 2025 with Rudolph as the placeholder, barring a surprise draft-day splash and/or sensational summer by a rookie gamble. Maybe it’ll all turn out fine, but their operation has felt much more accidentally haphazard than deliberately patient.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
March 29, 2025 | 12:10 pm
