NFL Free Agency: Packers Might Need a Quarterback

Here is the free-agent outlook at quarterback, which could be a targeted position if the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 12, 2023 8:50 PM EDT

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Lost in the all-encompassing spotlight of the Aaron Rodgers saga is the fact that trading the four-time MVP would create a hole on the quarterback depth chart.

Jordan Love, obviously, would take over as the starter. Danny Etling, a seventh-round pick by New England in 2018 who hasn’t played a single regular-season snap, would be the only other quarterback under contract.

The Packers could go young. That’s what they did in 2008, when Rodgers replaced Brett Favre and then-general manager Ted Thompson drafted Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh. Or, they could dive into free agency.

Who's Off the Market?

Put them in whatever order you wish, but the top four are off the market. The Baltimore Ravens used the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson. In theory, he could be signed by another team but it would be at the cost of a busload of money and two first-round picks.

Derek Carr, noting the Jets’ love affair with Rodgers, signed with the New Orleans Saints. Danny Jones re-signed with the New York Giants and Geno Smith did the same with the Seattle Seahawks.

Strong or Weak?

Obviously, the Packers wouldn’t be diving into the likes of Jackson and Jones, so that they are off the market is irrelevant. Really, it’s a pretty good group, which we detailed here. Marcus Mariota played for coach Matt LaFleur, Mike White played for LaFleur’s brother and the Packers once upon a time were smitten with Drew Lock.

Our Top 12

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers: Garoppolo might not be a great quarterback or even a good one, but his career record as a starter is 40-17. Sure, “quarterback wins” is sort of a phony-baloney stat but there’s something to be said about not screwing up so badly that your team loses. There’s nothing wrong with 87 touchdowns vs. 42 interceptions in his career.

Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns: Forced into action for suspended Deshaun Watson, Brissett completed 64.0 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 starts last year. He’s started 48 games in seven seasons.

Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders: Heinicke grew up a Brett Favre fan. Having entered the league as an undrafted free agent, he’s built himself into a credible quarterback. He went 5-3-1 as the starter last season with 12 touchdowns vs. six interceptions. He’d be a great backup plan for Love but might have greater career goals at the moment.

Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Dolphins: It seems like a lifetime ago when Bridgewater looked like one of the NFL’s bright young stars. That was 2015, when he led the Vikings to an 11-5 record. Then he suffered a devasting injury at training camp. With Denver in 2021, he threw 18 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions in 14 starts.

Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers: The No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold’s thrown 61 touchdowns vs. 55 interceptions in 55 career starts. That’s bad. But he had a career-high 92.6 passer rating last year for Carolina, helping the Panthers really into playoff position with a 4-2 record.

Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams: The No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, Mayfield’s career has plummeted into a ditch. After four seasons in Cleveland, Mayfield lasted a half-season with Carolina last year before joining the Rams for the stretch run. In all, he started 10 games – winning just two of them – with 10 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions and a 79.0 rating.

Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons: The No. 2 pick of the 2015 draft, Mariota started 13 games last season – his first starts since 2019 – and had 15 touchdowns vs. nine interceptions. With Packers coach Matt LaFleur in Tennessee in 2018, Mariota completed a sterling 68.9 percent of his passes.

Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles: A sixth-round pick in 2019, Minshew’s career record as a starter is a dismal 8-16. He lost both starts last season for Philadelphia. However, for his career, there’s no knocking his 44 touchdowns vs. 15 interceptions. That’s winning football.

Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys: Rush replaced injured Dak Prescott and won four of his five starts last year. The only loss was at Philadelphia, when he threw his only three interceptions. He completed only 58.0 percent of his passes. Contrary to his last name, he’s no running threat.

Mike White, New York Jets: Drafted by Dallas in 2018, White started seven games for the Jets the past two seasons. He tossed eight touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions in those games. He was the darling of the NFL for a week when he replaced Zach Wilson and threw three touchdowns vs. Chicago. In his next three starts, he had zero touchdowns and four interceptions.

Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints: A second-round pick in 2011, Dalton got the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. He’s a journeyman now. Forced to start 14 games last year for the Saints, the 35-year-old completed 66.7 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns vs. nine interceptions.

Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks: The Packers were interested in Lock in the 2019 draft before he went to Denver in the second round. In 2020, Lock tossed a league-high 15 interceptions. He didn’t play behind Geno Smith last year.