Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders will be without Gardner Minshew this season most likely. That is not entirely a bad thing for Raiders fans. There are a plethora of quarterbacks available in free agency.  Other notable quarterbacks available are Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, and Drew Lock. With Pete Carroll now coaching in Las Vegas, the Raiders will be looking for someone to bring him another ring. With Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers and potentially Matthew Stafford available, they all have successful postseason careers. I believe that the Raiders will trade for a quarterback. In my Matthew Stafford landing spots article, I predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would trade for Stafford, eventually leading to another trade to send Anthony Richardson out of Indy. The Raiders would be a perfect fit for Richardson. He’s big, fast, and can score touchdowns for Las Vegas. 

With Pete Carroll returning to coach in the NFL, it’s obvious to assume Russell Wilson would land in Las Vegas. I can see it, I just don’t think it’s right. It’s almost too “storybook” for it to happen. The Raiders have a high draft pick this year and have been actively trying to draft a younger quarterback for 2 seasons now. It’s time they rebuild and draft someone—potentially Will Howard from Ohio State, who has worked with new Raiders OC, Chip Kelly. 

My prediction: Raiders sign Drew Lock in free agency; trade for Anthony Richardson.

New York Jets

The New York Jets are in a terrible situation yet again. With Aaron Rodgers leaving the team, the Jets find themselves in need of another quarterback. After having a terrible two seasons with the team, fans were left with an ambitious dream of neverending humiliation. Literally all came crashing down within the first minutes of the 2023 season. After having a decent 2024 season, Rodgers will be cut by the Jets in 2025. Which leads to many free agent options for New York.

The Jets still have Tyrod Taylor on their roster. I can’t imagine a world where the Jets compete with him as their starter. The Jets are going to target a massive name in free agency—probably not as expensive as Aaron Rodgers was for them. I don’t think Russell Wilson fits their scheme, and I think Kirk Cousins would almost be an exact replica of the Aaron Rodgers fiasco. 

There are some trade targets the Jets could look at including Trevor Lawrence from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent and someone the Jets could view as a potential starter. His success in San Francisco could lead to teams wanting to try that again. Will Levis will likely be available in a trade with Tennessee. Signing Justin Fields in free agency—assuming the Steelers don’t resign him—is another option for New York.

The Jets have too many options for them to fail. They are one team that I have no idea what could happen, because their choice could be so off the wall. 

My prediction: Jets sign Jimmy Garoppolo & Jacoby Brissett; draft quarterback.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are losing Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. Or both. Or neither. Nobody really knows what’s going to happen. Trade speculation suggests that the Steelers will trade with the Rams for Matthew Stafford. I find that idiotic. Why move on from an aging quarterback for another aging quarterback? Reports also suggest that Daniel Jones will be signed in Pittsburgh. I can see that, but I don’t imagine that is the direction Steelers go. The time for a mobile quarterback is now, and while Daniel Jones can run, he’s no Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson—two quarterbacks in the AFC the Steelers need to beat to get anywhere. 

There is the case for Sam Darnold, but I feel that would be a step backwards, especially if this is Mike Tomlin’s last season coaching in the NFL. At least as a backup, Jameis Winston is an intriguing option for Pittsburgh. He’s mobile, a former first round pick, and has found success in terrible situations. With the resurgence of backups playing at a high level, this is the perfect time for Pittsburgh to transition that method. A reunion with Josh Dobbs and the Steelers is also in play.

Former Giants quarterback, Daniel Jones, is also in the mix here. He plays similar to Josh Allen, just not as good. His size and stature is perfect for a slow moving offense in Pittsburgh.

As for the big names, I imagine the Steelers would target Aaron Rodgers. He’s a successful quarterback who had a tiny skid with the Jets. This is very similar to what Broncos fans experienced with Russell Wilson. Since signing in Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson seemed to revive his dying career and will find a new home elsewhere. 

My prediction: Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers or Daniel Jones; sign another as backup.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are finally finished with Daniel Jones. I can’t believe how long he lasted there. He had failing season after failing season, with only one postseason appearance that really wasn’t because of his play. Now that Daniel Jones is hitting free agency, the Giants are looking for their next guy to take over.

Tommy DeVito is on the roster and I can’t imagine Giants fans trading or cutting this quarterback. He has massive talent and fan appeal for the city of New York. Drew Lock is hitting free agency, but as I mentioned earlier, I have him reuniting with coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. That leaves these options for New York: Mac Jones, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Taylor Heinicke, Zach Wilson, or Justin Fields. The smart play is to draft a quarterback in the first or second round, and sign a bridge. However, considering that the Giants held on to Daniel Jones for 6 seasons, they seem to be alien to the idea of “smart moves”. Such a New York thing could be to move on from one Jones, to another Jones—Mac Jones that is. 

Mac Jones didn’t have that terrible of a time in New England, but he didn’t exactly have a great time either. I mean, it’s not easy to follow Tom Brady’s footsteps. This is only possible if Jacksonville doesn’t resign Jones as  backup to Trevor Lawrence. Mac Jones would be an interesting choice at quarterback, but if he keeps Daniel Jones’ number, fans wouldn’t have to buy a new jersey.

Justin Fields is the even smarter choice. With Brian Daboll failing at head coach, he should look to Justin Fields or Russel Wilson over anybody, considering this is most likely his last season in New York if something doesn’t happen here. Russell Wilson is the popular choice in reports, but Justin Fields would be the smarter choice.

I don’t think the Giants use their No. 3 pick in this year’s draft for a quarterback. There is a better option as you can read in my NFL Mock Draft. Taking a quarterback later in the draft is a smarter choice while the can target a top prospect next year. This will not be a successful season for the Giants. Which leads me to believe Russell Wilson will not be heading to the Big Apple. 

My prediction: Giants sign Mac Jones or Joe Flacco; draft later in rounds.