It’s that time of year again. The time when Franchise Tag deadlines have passed and NFL rookie fever is in full effect. Before we get to the 2024 NFL Draft and see which high-profile rookies are going to which team, let’s take a look at which veteran free agents are the best at their position. Here are the Top 10 Quarterback Free Agents for 2024. For our complete list of 2024 rankings, check out our Rankings Page. Our list will include the average annual value of the player’s contract for 2023 (AAV) as well as their projected free agent market value as per www.spotrac.com.
10. Tyrod Taylor, NYG (Signed with NYJ)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $5,500,000
2024 Market Value: 2 years/$6,750,391
Our first quarterback on the list is Tyrod Taylor, and that should tell you all you need to know about the free-agent quarterback market. It’s slim pickings out there and mostly populated with aging quarterbacks hoping for one last contract. Taylor saw his last significant job as a starter end with a medical accident by the Los Angeles Chargers training staff and since then, he hasn’t really gotten a chance to earn a job back.
The main appeal to Taylor has always been his veteran presence and his rushing ability. He was one of the few quarterbacks who you could trust to produce on the ground and take care of the football. with each year that passes, he gets older and slower and as we’ve seen, rushing quarterbacks do not tend to age well. At this point, I would be surprised if Taylor saw another significant stretch as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
9. Jacoby Brissett, WSH (Signed with NE)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $8,000,000
2024 Market Value: Minimum contract
Brissett seems to be Joe Flacco but with less fantasy football upside, a scary notion to say the least. He has never been an elite producer of fantasy points and has been the definition of a game manager during his time in the NFL. Last year he backed up Sam Howell and ultimately took over towards the end of the season.
He isn’t going to win a team a Super Bowl, but in a situation where he serves as a backup and mentor, he could be a useful acquisition. Brissett fits nicely in a similar situation to Washington in 2023. Put him behind a young quarterback who can learn the ropes from him and just pray they never have to start him for any significant time.
8. Tyler Huntley, BAL
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $2,627,000
2024 Market Value: Minimum contract
Huntley showed flashes of being the dollar store version of Lamar Jackson when he filled in for the injured Jackson two seasons ago, unfortunately for him he hasn’t gotten another chance since. Huntley could be massively undervalued due to his lack of opportunities and could be a diamond in the rough for the team that signs him.
During the stretch where he was a starter for the Ravens, he showed a reliable rushing upside as well as solid arm talent, and if given the chance on a prove-it deal, he could soon find himself as a starting quarterback. Huntley could be a perfect target for a team like the Tennessee Titans who could begin the season as a backup and take over when Will Levis struggles.
7. Russell Wilson, DEN (Signed with PIT)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $17,000,000
2024 Market Value: 1 year/$1,000,000
You may be wondering how a Super Bowl-winning quarterback can be so far down this list. It’s simple. I have no faith left in Russell Wilson, and I don’t believe that the NFL does either. Wilson isn’t officially a free agent as he hasn’t been officially released by the Denver Broncos, but that is inevitable.
Once Wilson hits the open market it’s unclear what will happen with him. The Broncos are going to be on the hook for his contract, so a team signing him would do so at the league minimum, but it’s tough to tell if he is worth the hassle he brings. His time in Denver showed the flaws in his game and personality which ultimately led to former Seahawk teammates speaking out about his quirks. It appears that even when he was a winner, Wilson was never a popular player with his teammates and was a clubhouse cancer.
It could also be argued that the Seahawks won because of their defense and not Wilson. It’s widely believed that Wilson was the basis of the Draft Day character Bo Callahan who was a bust because his teammates didn’t go to his birthday. Wilson may be every bit as unpopular and many teams may not want to risk dividing their locker room. If I’m an NFL GM, I pass on Wilson and let someone else deal with the headaches.
6. Joshua Dobbs, ARI
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $2,000,000
2024 Market Value: 2 years/$6,715,133
Dobbs is a superstar quarterback and fantasy football stud that turns back into a pumpkin after three games. It never fails that inevitably Dobbs is going to sign with a new team and look like a fantasy QB1 for about a month and then quickly find himself benched when his play takes a huge nose-dive.
We saw this play out last season on two separate occasions. First with the Minnesota Vikings and then with the Arizona Cardinals. On both occasions, he put up low-end QB1 numbers for a short stretch and supported multiple fantasy assets before the book got out on him and teams shut him down. His rushing ability allowed him to pad his numbers and look far better than he was, but Dobbs is a backup quarterback and nothing more. He may remain unsigned and be brought in by the first team to lose a quarterback to injury. If that happens, add him off waivers, start him confidently for 2-3 games, and then flip him for someone else.
5. Ryan Tannehill, TEN
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $29,500,000
2024 Market Value: 1 year/$4,967,594
Tannehill went from putting up career numbers to losing his job to a struggling Will Levis in a quick hurry. The part that no one realizes is that Tannehill’s career years for fantasy were largely the result of an unsustainable level of rushing touchdowns. For a non-rushing quarterback to consistently put up seven rushing touchdowns was a number that was destined to fall off quickly.
The Titans lacked any depth at receiver and were largely relying on the aging DeAndre Hopkins as his primary weapon. Tannehill may have something left in the tank, but as far as his time as a starting fantasy quarterback is concerned, he is nothing more than an emergency option. Tannehill may have made his last start in the NFL. I mean, losing your job to Will Levis, who then looked awful isn’t a great sign for what teams think you still offer.
4. Joe Flacco, CLE
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $2,500,000
2024 Market Value: Minimum contract
Flacco’s age will likely be the difference between a career resurrection and a role as an emergency starter, but his play in 2023 showed that he is more than capable of leading an NFL team when pressed into a starting role. The NFL’s desire to go younger and flashier will have many teams pass on him but for teams that are unable to find a long-term solution, they could accidentally back themselves into a winning quarterback like the Browns did in 2023.
A team like the Pittsburgh Steelers could use Flacco as a short-term solution if they don’t draft a quarterback early and Flacco has proven he can score more than enough points to keep their offensive weapons rolling in fantasy points. Flacco may not be the sexy play at quarterback, but sometimes sexy doesn’t score you points or win you titles. There is something supremely underrated about Flacco’s consistency.
3. Gardner Minshew, IND (Signed with LV)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $3,500,000
2024 Market Value: 2 years/$10,761,096
Minshew filled in admirably for the injured Anthony Richardson and has likely bought himself one more stint as a starter as a result. Similar to Mayfield in 2023, there is bound to be a team that misses out on a high-end rookie quarterback and will decide to instead sign Minshew to a short-term deal. This could be a team like the Atlanta Falcons where Minshew is easily an improvement over any quarterback they’ve started in recent memory.
Last season Minshew also proved he could support high-level fantasy assets in both the run game and receiving game. So a team landing him as their bridge quarterback in 2024 could make his offensive weapons a value in fantasy drafts.
2. Baker Mayfield, TB (Re-Signed with TB)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $4,000,000
2024 Market Value: 4 years/$108,512,500
Mayfield found a way to resurrect his career in 2023 and has put himself in a prime position to land a multi-year deal with big numbers. Whether or not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will want to cough up that contract is the question. He managed to elevate his play to a level he rarely showed in the past and led the Buccaneers to a playoff win.
Tampa Bay did their best to work within his skillset and turn him into a game manager who takes care of the ball but there are still times when Mayfield reverts back to his old gunsliger ways. The quarterback market isn’t particularly strong, so he is going to be a valuable asset for those teams that don’t want to start fresh with a rookie. As far as fantasy football goes, I prefer to have Mayfield as the quarterback for my receivers than a rookie quarterback as he learns the ropes.
1. Kirk Cousins, MIN (Signed with ATL)
Embed from Getty Images2023 Contract AAV: $35,000,000
2024 Market Value: 3 years/$118,145,778
Cousins is the obvious prize of the quarterback free-agent class, although he seems destined to be back in Minnesota on a short-term deal. However, if Cousins is willing to go to a lesser team he could easily parlay an extra year or two on his deal. Whenever Cousins ends up, is sure to be in a spot that would increase the value of the fantasy options on that team. If he were to go to a team like the Denver Broncos, the receivers in Denver would skyrocket up the ADP list.
If Cousins were to return to Minnesota it wouldn’t be a boost to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson, rather it would prevent them from seeing a major drop in production and value. Fantasy managers who roster Minnesota pass-catchers need Cousins to return.
