QB-Needy Teams Have Options Through Draft, Free Agency
It’s really not a surprise at this point in time, but reports indicate that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza getting drafted No. 1 overall by the Raiders is all but a sure thing. Mendoza cemented himself as the likely first overall pick even before the Hoosiers’ championship run through the College Football Playoff secured his Heisman win, and as soon as Las Vegas secured the top pick in the draft, Mendoza’s move to Nevada became a near certainty. 
Nothing is ever 100% sure, though, and there is always a possibility that the Raiders look at next year’s wide crop of quarterback prospects and an historic trade offer for the No. 1 overall pick and choose that route.
Overwhelmingly, though, pundits across the media spectrum believe that Vegas will retain their top overall pick and make things official with Mendoza. During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer dropped a number of quotes, saying, “I would be stunned if (Mendoza) didn’t go No. 1, right? I think it’s highly unlikely he goes anywhere but Vegas.”
Over at ESPN, a crew of reporters polled several NFL executives on the topic at the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and Super Bowl, and eight executives believed the Raiders would keep the pick, while no votes were tallied against that possibility. Separately, ESPN’s Rich Cimini asked Jets general manager Darren Mougey about the possibility of reaching out to Vegas to inquire about moving up, and he stated pretty plainly, “I don’t think that’s happening.” Courtney Cronin, another ESPN contributor, added to the crowd yesterday with a piece on Mendoza’s meeting with the Raiders and his excitement at the prospect of potentially being mentored by minority team owner Tom Brady.
Now, for teams with a need at quarterback not located in Sin City, the other obvious solutions are to go after one of the top free agent quarterbacks available — namely, Green Bay’s Malik Willis or Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones — or attempt to trade for San Francisco’s Mac Jones. After impressive 2025 contributions, both Joneses are expected to stay home, though, and only one team will get to claim Willis as a solution, but there is still a solvable equation for the teams that remain.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the teams that are still looking to acquire a passer after the above dust settles will be able to look toward either the litany of veteran quarterbacks with starting experience available for cheap or the numerous rookie passers who may be worth taking a flyer on or some combination of both.
Rapoport points to several veteran former starters who are thought to be release candidates and who may, in the same vein as Russell Wilson, be able to play for the veteran minimum, thanks to the added security of guaranteed money from the teams who may let them go. This situation would apply to players like Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and Geno Smith.
Teams can sign one of these quarterbacks to audition for a Jones-like comeback opportunity then pair them with a young, rookie option that may be available later on in the 2026 NFL Draft. After Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson has drawn some first-round interest, but there is a perceived drop off in the arms that follow. The next names on the list — LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, etc. — could fall anywhere in the draft.
Some see 2026 much like the 2022 NFL Draft, in which Kenny Pickett was the only Day 1 quarterback, and the next passer was taken in the third round. Others believe 2026 could be more like 2018 or 2024, when two passers were widely viewed as first-round talents but several others drifted into the first round based on the number of teams looking for answers at the position.
With many already looking forward to the quarterback prospects of the 2027 NFL Draft, we may see multiple teams opt to employ the services of a veteran starter alone or combined with a promising rookie. These decisions will play out over the next few weeks as the veterans hit free agency after release and draft grades are determined for rookies, but there are several options available to teams looking for quarterback help for 2026.
Offseason Outlook: Chicago Bears
Last offseason, the Bears underwent a major overhaul on the sidelines and in various parts of the roster. Expectations increased considerably for Year 2 of the Caleb Williams era, and it is certainly fair to say they were met.
The 2025 Bears made a habit of winding up on the right side of games decided in the closing moments through a run to the divisional round of the playoffs. The connection between Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson developed over time, and a much-improved offensive line yielded needed upgrades. There is nevertheless work to be done this spring if Chicago is to become a consistent postseason contender.
Coaching/front office:
- Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle accepted Ravens’ OC position
- Press Taylor promoted as OC replacement
- Assistant general manger Ian Cunningham hired as Falcons’ GM
- Jeff King promoted as assistant GM replacement
- Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy hired as Chiefs’ offensive coordinator
- Eric Studesville hired as RBs coach
- DBs coach Al Harris interviewed for Commanders, Packers, Titans‘ DC vacancies
Doyle was an important member of Johnson’s initial staff, taking on the OC gig as part of his ongoing career ascension. The former Saints and Broncos staffer did not call plays during his one-and-done stint in Chicago, though. That proved to be a critical factor as the 2026 hiring cycle played out.
Tua Tagovailoa Drawing Interest As Potential FA, Not Trade Target
The Dolphins will part ways with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, and the entire NFL knows it.
As a result, other teams are not interested in the 27-year-old quarterback as a trade target, per Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline. There are multiple clubs, however, who would pursue Tagovailoa as a free agent. All they have to do is wait for Miami to cut him.
Moving any draft capital for Tagovailoa to then take on his massive contract – including $54MM in guaranteed compensation in 2026 (via OverTheCap) – is an over-investment in an asset that has rapidly depreciated over the last two seasons. Signing him as a free agent, however, would cost no draft picks and only a veteran-minimum salary, since Tagovailoa would still be receiving his pay from Miami.
Perhaps an enterprising general manager with plenty of extra cap space could take a creative approach.
The Dolphins are just $772K over the 2026 salary cap and badly need to clear space just to fill their roster, sign their draft class, and field a team this season. Releasing Tagovailoa will incur a dead cap charge of $99.2MM, some of which can be pushed into 2027 with a post-June 1 designation. That will still add $11.1MM to their balance sheet this year. That can be offset with a post-June 1 release of Bradley Chubb, but the Dolphins’ new regime probably wants to do more than balance the budget in their first offseason.
Back to that enterprising GM: he could try to acquire Tagovailoa via trade and ask the Dolphins to give him better draft capital in exchange for taking on his massive salary. Miami would not package Tagovailoa and a draft pick in exchange for no return, but perhaps a pick swap upgrading one of the acquiring team’s selections could be equitable.
The new club would have a potential bridge starter, and the Dolphins will have minimized the financial impact of moving on from their former first-round pick. There are also a number of teams that need to spend rather aggressively this offseason to meet the league’s three-year cash spending requirement, and absorbing Tagovailoa’s salary is one way to contribute to that effort.
Still, the most likely path is an outright release followed by Tagovailoa signing for the veteran minimum with a new team. He will likely be looking for a starting opportunity, or at least the potential to earn one.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
Here are PFR’s 2026 rundowns of the 32 teams’ offseason blueprints:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Malik Willis Could Receive $30MM AAV In Free Agency; Too Much For Miami?
FEBRUARY 28: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes one “theory” in league circles is that Willis will ultimately land between $20MM and $25MM per season on a two- or three-year contract. That would mark a major contrast to other notable QB deals given Willis’ lack of starting experience, but demand from a long list of suitors could of course produce an even more lucrative agreement.
FEBRUARY 24: Could Malik Willis be the NFL’s next successful quarterback reclamation project?
Teams are certainly interested in finding out. The 2022 third-round pick is set to hit free agency in March with considerable hype about his potential as a starter.
Projections for his market value have grown over the last few months, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport predicting that Willis could get anywhere from $30MM to $35MM per year in free agency during a recent appearance on NFL Daily. Host Gregg Rosenthal added that he could see Willis getting as much as $42MM per year. Veteran insider Jordan Schultz adds a $30MM-per-year deal, at least, appears to be a “foregone conclusion” for Willis.
That is a steep price for a quarterback with just six career starts, three of which were rough rookie performances in Tennessee. Willis has made huge strides since arriving in Green Bay in 2024, but those projections would pay him similarly to Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold after they had proven themselves as full-time starters. Willis may not have to take a lower one-year ‘prove it’ deal as Mayfield and Darnold did, but matching or exceeding their AAVs feels like a long shot.
Teams may still be willing to pony up for a young quarterback with exciting athletic traits and the ability to develop under the right coaching. Willis’ lack of starting experience may work in his favor, too. Justin Fields‘ known limitations capped his market last offseason, but teams have only seen Willis thrive in Green Bay in the last two years.
The Dolphins have emerged as an obvious landing spot for Willis after hiring Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their next head coach/general manager duo. However, they have a tight cap situation and will already be paying Tua Tagovailoa $54MM in 2026, per OverTheCap.
“I don’t know that Miami has the money,” Rapoport said. But don’t just take it from him.
In response to a question about Willis at the Combine, Sullivan himself acknowledged that the Dolphins have “a bit of an uphill climb” when it comes to their finances.
“Have we had conversations about Malik? I think anybody that is potentially in the quarterback market would be lying if they said they have not,” Sullivan said (via C. Isaiah Smalls of the Miami Herald). “The reality of the situation is we have 30-plus unrestricted and restricted free agents. And we got eight picks as we sit here today and not a ton of money to do stuff in free agency.”
The Dolphins could certainly find a way to get Willis to Miami, but doing so will take a combination of cuts, restructures, and a creative contract structure. Even then, as Sullivan notes, the team has more areas to address, and concentrating $90MM at quarterback will limit their ability to invest in other positions.
But Hafley and Sullivan should also know how team leadership can be defined by their ability (or inability) to acquire quarterback talent. 26-year-olds with starting potential rarely hit unrestricted free agency, so the Dolphins may be best served by prioritizing Willis now and building the roster around him over the next two offseasons in the hopes of getting back to playoff contention by 2027.
Lions To Explore LT Addition
Taylor Decker will continue his career in 2026. In spite of that, the Lions will still be in the market for reinforcements at the left tackle spot this offseason. 
“We’re still going to find a guy,” head coach Dan Campbell said about a situation in which Decker returned, shortly before that was confirmed to be taking place (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk). “Because as much as I love Deck, he’s got some things that are going to need some management. That’s kind of where we’re at. One way or another, we’re going to need somebody that can play over there and that can help us if we need them in a crunch or we need them as a starter.”
Decker was able to play in 14 games this past season, the same figure as 2024. A first-team gig will await him once more during his 11th Lions campaign, but it would come as no surprise if Detroit sought out contingency plans in the short term. As things stand, former fourth-rounder pick Giovanni Manu would be among the top options to fill in on the blindside if needed.
A small number of left tackles in their prime – such as Rasheed Walker – are on track for free agency in March. The three-year Packers starter will land a deal worth far more than what the Lions will be budgeting for at the left tackle spot, though, so veteran stopgaps will need to be pursued instead. The likes of Cam Robinson, D.J. Humphries and Joseph Noteboom will hit the market shortly, and they would represent experienced depth for Detroit.
Campbell also noted, to no surprise, that shoring up the interior of the offensive line will be a priority as well this spring. Avoiding the struggles endured up front last season would go a long way in helping Detroit return to the playoffs in 2026. Two years remain on Decker’s contract, but the possibility of retirement will loom once again throughout next season.
The Lions are among the teams with notable work to be done to achieve cap compliance. Detroit is currently $12.16MM over the cap, so a high-priced left tackle addition will be hard to make. Bringing in a rookie will also be feasible, as the team owns eight selections in April’s draft.
Vonn Bell Joins Colorado’s Coaching Staff
Vonn Bell did not announce his retirement at any point, but the longtime NFL safety has lined up the first gig in his post-playing days. Bell has been announced as a member of Deion Sanders‘ staff at Colorado. 
Bell will work as the team’s safeties coach in 2026. That comes as no surprise, since he played that position for nine years in the NFL. The 31-year-old was on the market throughout this past season, lining up a workout with the Steelers in October. No deal was worked out, and he did not catch on with a team through the remainder of the campaign.
A second-round pick of the Saints in 2016, Bell immediately took on a starting role in New Orleans. He played out his rookie contract before landing a three-year Bengals pact during his first trip to free agency. The Ohio State product was a first-team staple during his first Cincinnati stint, which included a run to the Super Bowl in 2021.
When his Bengals contract expired, Bell landed another three-year commitment. Joining the Panthers on a $22.5MM deal, he was expected to operate as a key figure in Carolina. However, Bell wound up being released after only one year with the team. That set up a Bengals reunion worth the veteran minimum. Bell reprised his role as a Cincinnati starter at first, but by the end of the campaign he had been relegated to special teams duties.
After going one year without managing to line up an NFL opportunity, Bell will now turn his attention to coaching instead of going through the free agent process once more. In all, he totaled 151 regular and postseason appearances in the league and amassed roughly $36MM in career earnings.
Bills Restructure T Spencer Brown’s Deal
Spencer Brown will handle right tackle duties in Buffalo for a sixth straight season in 2026. He will do so at a reduced rate in terms of his cap charge. 
[RELATED: Previewing Bills’ Offseason]
When speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine, Bills general manager Brandon Beane revealed (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) Brown’s contract has been restructured. The veteran was due to count $19.3MM against the cap in 2026. Now, Brown’s charge for next season will be $8.97MM.
In September 2024, team and player worked out an extension agreement in this case. Brown’s $72MM pact is still scheduled to run through 2028. Next season will be the final one in which guaranteed salaries are included, though, and a substantial jump in cap charges are set to take place for 2027 and ’28. Further adjustments may be pursued in the future as a result.
Brown has made between 13 and 17 appearances each year so far in his career, and continued durability will of course be welcomed by Buffalo. The 28-year-old drew poor PFF reviews during his first two seasons, but he has been a strong performer in that regard since 2023. Remaining a key presence up front will be key for the Bills as the team faces the possibility of losing two O-line starters from this past season.
Brown, left tackle Dion Dawkins and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence are each under contract for 2026. Center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are both pending free agents, however. Losing one or both would obviously create the need for additions along the interior in Buffalo’s case. Thanks to this Brown restructure, the Bills are closer to achieving cap compliance, as they are currently $6.28MM over the 2026 ceiling.
Klint Kubiak: Raiders Pursuing RB Additions
The Raiders’ offense will look much different in 2026 compared to this past season, but running back Ashton Jeanty will of course still have a major role to play. The rest of the team’s backfield depth chart could see considerable turnover this offseason. 
[Offseason Outlook: Las Vegas Raiders]
During his rookie season, Jeanty played every game and logged 266 carries. A heavy workload would come as no surprise in Year 2 for the former sixth overall pick, but adding depth at the running back spot is a priority for Las Vegas. Head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed as much when speaking at the Combine.
“We definitely want to have a two-man show, guys that can share the load,” Kubiak said (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “It’s a long season. You don’t want to put all the carries and targets on one guy. So right now we’re identifying guys that are available in the draft, identifying free agents we might go after, looking at our own roster and seeing who can share that. It’s important that Jeanty has a wingman.”
Zamir White played out the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, appearing in only six games. Free agent addition Raheem Mostert played in 12 games but was similarly ineffective on offense. Both backs are set to reach the open market in March, and it would come as little surprise if a departure took place in each case. That could set the Raiders up for a veteran addition via free agency as well as a draft investment in March.
Vegas is currently second in the NFL with just over $89MM in cap space. That would make it viable to win a bidding war for someone like Kenneth Walker, the top running back on track to test the market (given the Jets’ willingness to tag Breece Hall). A big-ticket investment on the Raiders’ part with Jeanty already in place would be a perplexing use of resources, though. A modest deal for one of the older backs in free agency would likely be much more feasible. With 10 selections in April’s draft, Vegas will also have ample opportunity to add another RB on a rookie contract to pair with Jeanty.
A number of key decisions need to be made before the Raiders take the expected route of drafting Fernando Mendoza first overall. That includes an evaluation of Geno Smith and the team’s quarterback options for the spring. However, the running back position will also be one to watch in Vegas’ case.
AFC Staff Updates: McSorley, Ravens, Raiders
Former backup NFL quarterback Trace McSorley has continued his transition to the coaching world. After working last year as assistant quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Penn State, McSorley has earned his first NFL coaching job as an offensive assistant with the Bills, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
A former sixth-round pick for the Ravens in 2019, McSorley enjoyed a short career as a backup quarterback in Baltimore and Arizona. Over six years in the NFL, McSorley made one start in nine game appearances. He completed 48 of 93 pass attempts for 412 passing yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions in his career as a player.
With former offensive coordinator Joe Brady getting promoted to head coach, McSorley will join the team of coaches working with star quarterback Josh Allen in 2026. He joins newly hired quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, who came over from Tennessee earlier this month, and newly promoted assistant quarterbacks coach Kyle Shurmur, who served as an offensive quality control coach in Buffalo last year.
Here are a couple other minor staff updates from around the AFC:
- In Baltimore, the Ravens are reportedly set to add Matt O’Donnell to their staff on defense, according to Zenitz. Previously an assistant linebackers coach in Miami, O’Donnell is expected to assume the same role after following defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to the Ravens.
- Lastly, ESPN’s Seth Walder reported this week that the Raiders have hired Rohit Mogalayapalli away from the Texans. During his time in Houston, Mogalayapalli served as assistant director of special projects and game management. He now joins the fast-growing staff of new head coach Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas.