Next QB in Washington? 4 Top 'Realistic' Candidates

On Tuesday, NFL franchises that were hoping to trade for the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers or the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson found themselves very disappointed.

Well, all except the Denver Broncos.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Aaron Rodgers

Russell Wilson

Washington lost the bidding war for Wilson's services as he now moves on to the AFC and the Broncos.

So, what's next?

"This year we are being very proactive, looking, searching," Washington coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday in Indianapolis. "We are trying to truly cover every base. … Every time you hear something, you're checking into it. And so we've got to do our work. We've got to do our due diligence."

Rivera has also repeatedly and openly stated Washington's desire for a major upgrade at QB - and insists that the Commanders are an attractive landing spot for such a star.

If Washington decides to draft a quarterback at No. 11, it could still seek a veteran in free agency or by trade to presumably groom that rookie player.

Who might the Commanders target? We'll keep Deshaun Watson off this list because, honestly, what team would want to deal for him until his legal situation is sorted out? Especially for what Houston is demanding in exchange.

Rivera might just have a master plan for this, but if he does, he's great at keeping secrets. Let's look at some quarterbacks, in no particular order, that might help the Commanders immediately if brought on board.

Marcus Mariota

Coming out of Oregon, Mariota was considered to be the next dual-threat quarterback, but could never live up being taken No. 2 overall in 2015. His career took off immediately with a couple of good seasons in Tennessee, but after that he regressed, prompting the Titans to trade for Ryan Tannehill.

Mariota arrived in Las Vegas as a free agent for the 2020 season and was set to compete with Derek Carr for the starting role, but Mariota's arrival seems to have motivated Carr, who has played well ever since. Mariota was relegated to backup and has performed well when he's taken the field.

Mariota, who is still just 28, is a free agent and still has that dual-threat ability, rushing for 175 yards on 28 carries with the Raiders. And that dual-threat capability will make Mariota valuable on the open market. His career stats ... 62.8 percent completion rate, 181.6 yards per game, 77 touchdowns, 45 interceptions, and an 89.5 passer rating ... are nothing to sneeze at either.

Mitchell Trubisky

Drew Brees (L) and Jameis Winston (R)

Marcus Mariota

Jameis Winston

Winston might still have the highest possible ceiling of all the quarterbacks referenced here.

Yes, we know about the turnover history, and we remember his last season in Tampa Bay when he made NFL history as the first quarterback to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season. We also remember that he set the NFL record for the most pick-sixes in a single season with seven.

But Winston showed some growth and maturity while with the Saints. Even without star receiver Michael Thomas at his disposal, Winston still threw for 1,170 yards and 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions in seven starts before an ACL tear ended his season.

He posted a career-high 102.8 passer rating last season, and that should warrant some free-agency looks. If he comes to Washington and can remain healthy, he has the ability to help the Commanders to a playoff appearance, and with his arm strength, imagine what he could do for wideout Terry McLaurin's game.

Jimmy Garoppolo

We've written about the possibility of Garoppolo to Washington before, and gotten a mixed bag of responses from readers and podcast viewers on YouTube. While he's not the most popular choice for Commanders fans, we still think he would work. And work for more than just a stopgap for a young draft choice.

For those fans who like Taylor Heinicke, consider Garoppolo to be a better version of Heinicke with more NFL experience. Yes, he still makes head-scratching decisions at critical times of a game, but that's the gunslinger mentality. You have to take the good choices, and he's made plenty, along with the bad.

Garoppolo is a game manager who struggles with accuracy. But remember, he's played a full regular-season just one time in his five years as a starter, and he's a winner. He has a career 33-14 record as a starter and just led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons.

Mitchell Trubisky

We've done a complete 180 on how we feel about Trubisky.

After seeing how Andy Dalton and Justin Fields played behind that same offensive line, we lean toward believing Trubisky wasn't the problem in Chicago. And his play as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo last season has just about proven that to be true.

Trubisky wants to be a starter again, and the Commanders should be interested. Reports are that Washington was interested in Trubisky last offseason before signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, and showed additional interest after Fitzpatrick was lost for the season in Week 1.

Trubisky still has elite qualities in his arm and his mobility. As it seems now, his upside is larger than any downside.

While Rodgers and Russell may be off the shelf, there are options for Rivera in Washington, and a decision is coming - maybe featuring one of these four candidates.