Free Agent Quarterbacks Ranked First To Worst 2025

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With at least nine free agent quarterbacks tempting teams with fools gold and glory, how many are ACTUALLY worth the risk? We rank them all from first to worst in 2025.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

For a while, it appeared as though one of the elite passers in the game was going to be entering the Free Agent Quarterbacks market in 2025. Matthew Stafford was available, at least until he wasn’t. The future Hall of Famer re-upped with his current team, taking him off the trade market and leaving quarterback-needy teams with one fewer option to turn. Yet at least nine remain!

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Later in the offseason, we will go through those needy teams and debate which direction they might turn, for better or worse. Before we do that, though, we must solidify our opinions of the veterans who are definitely or likely available at the position. These free agent quarterbacks are a phone call away. Who would you rather sign, from first to worst?

 

Free Agent Quarterbacks 2025: First To Worst

 

 

Todd Salem:

1) Sam Darnold – Definitely available after reaching free agency.
Pros – Performed very well for most of the 2024 season.
Cons – Performed very poorly for arguably the two most important games of the 2024 season.

He seems system-dependent but still feels like the cream of a weak crop. 

2) Aaron Rodgers – Definitely available after his team announced he would not be returning.
Pros – Future Hall of Famer and former multiple-time MVP.
Cons – Hasn’t been elite in some years; hasn’t been good in at least three years.

A team can’t expect more than what he delivered last year, which was an okay performance for a team that needed much more than that.

3) Kirk Cousins – Possibly available after his current team turned to his younger replacement towards the end of last season.
Pros – Has been an above-average QB in this league for years.
Cons – Never seemed to get healthy and is entering his age-37 season.

One more offseason to heal up hopefully brings him back closer to his former self, but the runway is short.

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4) Anthony Richardson – Probably not available, but not definitely not available.
Pros – The upside, the raw talent, the ceiling.
Cons – The floor.

Here is the spot where taking a chance on Richardson is worth it. The veterans above him could lead a team to the playoffs in the right circumstances and with health on their side. Everyone below him is just along for the ride wherever the roster takes them. Richardson can change the future for a franchise, but he has a long way to go.

5) Justin Fields – Definitely available after reaching free agency
Pros – Is an asset with his legs at the QB position.
Cons – Is not an asset with his arm despite playing the QB position.

The Steelers chose Wilson over Fields, but I would have gone the other direction. Fields still offers more upside with similar downside.

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6) Russell Wilson – Definitely available after reaching free agency.
Pros – Seemed to regain at least some of his past gusto.
Cons – Did not regain most of his past gusto.

Wilson should be a game manager, but he takes big risks, takes a lot of sacks, and can no longer make all the throws. It’s a bad combination.

7) Jameis Winston – Definitely available after reaching free agency.
Pros – The team turned to him when it needed to bench Deshaun Watson.
Cons – The team benched him for Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Can’t say it much better than The Ringer’s 2024 QB Rankings had put it:

8) And the rest (Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, etc.)

 

 

Dan Salem:

I won’t rehash the pros and cons, since you nailed them in poetic fashion. That being said, your rankings are off by quite a bit. I have “first hand” experience with Darnold, Rodgers, and Richardson as my team’s quarterback, the New York Jets, and a member of my fantasy team, respectively. It’s safe to say that there is enough talent to get a new team to the playoffs with our top five guys. Below that and you are simply treading water.

1) Sam Darnold

Not only can Sam play well with a solid infrastructure, but he is a good leader and strong locker room presence. He shrunk in the big games last season, but so did his entire team. This is more due to inexperience, than inability. Darnold has always done well, but his team’s circumstances have determined his larger success. He is the final piece to a well built puzzle, which truly eliminates his upside for most QB needy teams, as they are not well built.

2) Jameis Winston

To touchdown or to interception, that is the Winston question. He makes a ton of big plays and a ton of bonehead mistakes, but Winston is exciting and adds fire to an offense. Most teams in need of a QB are looking for someone exciting for a year or two. This is exactly Winston, who will at least give your offense something to scare opponents with. He also hands points to the other team, so you need a good defense if you actually want to win with him.

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3) Kirk Cousins

Cousins was excellent last year until he got hurt, which has been the story of his entire career. The story is not changing, but assuming you want someone excellent for at least part of the season, you get Cousins. He is certainly better than someone average or worse for the entire season.

4) Anthony Richardson

I don’t believe he becomes available until a year from now, but Richardson is interesting. He gets hurt like Cousins and offers the opposite upside, running as opposed to prolific passing. There is no question that a healthy and confident Richardson makes your team better, but we’ve only seen that player for a handful of games thus far.

5) Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers played well last year, but not well enough to win his team games. He also comes with a TON of baggage, meaning you are jeopardizing team chemistry, your coach’s voice in the locker room, and your offensive scheme all to bring in a player who is not going to win you games by himself. Assuming your coach is weak, your team is already at odds with itself, and your offense is like the one Rodgers wants to play, then go get him! Buyer beware.

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6) Justin Fields

I was surprised that Pittsburgh cut Fields, meaning he is not as good as my memory thinks he is. Because he has something to prove and potentially five plus years of career left, he presents a rehabilitation project for a new team and quite a bit of upside. These things are truly unlikely to pan out, but they still exist.

7) And the Rest (Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, etc.)

Every one of these guys is highly motivated and many have had success in the past. All were backups at one point or another last season. The best selling point is their low price tag, so they are ideal for a stop gap situation where you must employ a quarterback, but don’t want to pay for one.

8) Russell Wilson

Wilson comes up last because he is not a cheap option and comes with secret baggage. He has played for too long and won too much to simply fall in line, so that may present an issue for his new team. He also showed us that he has about two months of good play in him per season, but the season is twice that length. No thank you.

 

 

Meet our Sports Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

Free Agent Quarterbacks 2025 – This Is The End

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