Stop dreaming Steelers Nation: a list of NFL QBs who are NOT free agents next season
Earlier this week I had written a column on how I was already sick of hearing about the Steelers next quarterback. While that opinion piece drew the ire of some fans who read it, I’m as equally frustrated with some of the names that continue to float around the Internet as potential replacements for Ben Roethlisberger.
The list is almost an endless who’s who: if you’re naming players who aren’t available!
Quite a few of the quarterbacks that I see in other articles or social media posts aren’t free agents for the 2020 season. Thus, it would require their current team to trade them, which I also don’t feel is an ideal situation for a Steelers franchise which operates on building their rosters through the NFL Draft.
Regardless, someone has to address this list of names and put out some of the fires surrounding them. Below, I detail how many years are remaining on each player’s contract and my own thoughts on the Steelers potentially acquiring them.
Aaron Rodgers
2023 Free Agent
Atop the mount of rumor mills sits Aaron Rodgers, who proclaimed that 2021 might be his “Last Dance” in Green Bay, in reference to Michael Jordan‘s final season with the Chicago Bulls documented in a series of the same name.
Rodgers has also noted that he isn’t interested in a rebuild, while also putting up a major fuss all of last offseason as to whether he would even show up and play for the Packers in 2021.
That was followed by a Week 4 flirtation with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and loads of “mutual respect” being floated in both directions by the Packers QB and Pittsburgh’s coach.
But would this really happen?
Rodgers was the third-highest paid QB by contract in 2021, and is due $46 million by the Packers in 2022. If Green Bay moved on from Rodgers, in the final year of his current deal, they would eat $26.8 million in 2022 in dead cap space, followed by a $7.6 million void year in 2023, while saving nearly $20 million.
The reason this rumor has more legs than most is Rodgers’ past behavior and comments, combined with Green Bay being in “salary cap hell” this upcoming season. The team is next-to-last with their cap situation at over $40 million of an early estimated $208 million salary cap. They are going to have to make drastic moves in order to field a team and get under the cap: moving on from Rodgers would get them halfway there.
However, if I’m the Steelers, you’re looking at a 38-year-old quarterback with a high-dollar price tag… who also shows no signs of slowing down from his current, perennial league MVP pace.
Is he worth the money and whatever the Packers may seek in a trade?
Russell Wilson
2024 Free Agent
I have some major bias for Wilson, who is my favorite non-Steelers player in the NFL right now. He’s still relatively young, turning 34 in November, and clearly a player who has played at an MVP level himself.
Wilson has had similar gripes with his current team, the Seattle Seahawks, as Rodgers has with the Packers. Among those quips is not being protected behind a decent offensive line. He has also stated he wants to play in a “larger market” which would all but rule him out going to Pittsburgh.
I would also surmise if Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who turns 71 this year, doesn’t walk away from the team, then Seattle will continue on with Wilson.
If they seek a new head coach, that could be all it takes to move on from the passer in the same way the Lions did with Matthew Stafford this year.
However, his price tag is what looms large: it was the highest paying in 2021 and hits some larger figures over the next two years, sinking the Seahawks with $40 million in dead cap space they aren’t likely to eat for anything less than a king’s ransom via trade.
Wilson could easily have five more NFL seasons left in him, but would the Steelers be able to recover financially and with the loss of draft picks necessary, to put a contender around him?
Jimmy Garoppolo
2023 Free Agent
After leading his team to a second NFC Championship game in five seasons, is Jimmy Garoppolo someone worth inquiring about?
Consider that the San Francisco 49ers spent draft capital to move up and select Trey Lance in this year’s NFL Draft. They did so, with the idea they could move on from 30-year-old quarterback. However, Garoppolo’s penchant for winning may make them think twice, with one more season left on his current 5-year, $137.5 million deal he signed after coming over from New England.
Why would San Francisco be looking ahead then if Jimmy G is a franchise QB?
Injuries. Garoppolo has only played one full season, missing 10, 13, 10 and 2 games respectively in four his last five years in the Bay Area. He’s never thrown for more than 4,000 yards in a season and his season-high is 27 touchdown passes. In his best years his TD:INT ratio is almost 2:1 as well.
In the playoffs, the 49ers have won in spite of Garoppolo too.
Prior to last night’s NFC Championship, in five postseason appearances he had thrown for two touchdowns and five picks and been sacked eight times. He added another two touchdowns, plus a pick last night with an 87.1 rating, which slightly bumps his historical overall QB rating to 74.1.
That number is skewed heavily by a 6-for-8 performance in a 37-20 win over Green Bay in 2020.
His other playoff ratings are 74.7, 69.2, 67.4, and 57.1.
It look as if the 49ers can save in the ballpark of $25 million should they part with him this offseason, so he will likely be available, but is technically still under contract.
Five years, $137.5 million you say?
If somehow the Steelers get Jimmy G, that’s just a vote for Rudolph, because Jimmy never plays a full season anyway… we’ll see Rudolph at some point regardless.
That’s a strong pass from me, even if he were an outright free agent. Having to trade for the “luxury” of having Garoppolo for one season, if he plays the full thing, is a deal-breaker. Furthermore, why do you think San Fran traded up to get Trey Lance? It’s not because offensive guru Kyle Shanahan believes Garoppolo is a franchise quarterback. (That should be a huge red flag alone!)
Kirk Cousins
2023 Free Agent
$96 million over three years.
That’s the part that makes me struggle with Cousins, who doesn’t appear to put up flashy numbers but actually has solid stats when put up against many of his counterparts.
I would doubt Minnesota wants to move on from him early, and in fact, having a stable quarterback situation is probably enticing for the new head coach the Vikings are looking to hire.
This is a wait and see approach, but I doubt Cousins will even become available next offseason.
Derek Carr
2023 Free Agent
Ditto what I just said about Cousins: I don’t see the Raiders moving on from Carr either, plus with hiring a new head coach too. He’ll be a lifer in Las Vegas.
Baker Mayfield
2023 Free Agent
For now, the Cleveland Browns haven’t figured out their future with or without Baker Mayfield.
Playing behind a great offensive line and running game, Mayfield still hasn’t truly broken out as a franchise quarterback.
His 2020 season was his best, tossing 26 TDs to 8 INTs, but he’s otherwise been a turnover machine, with a TD:INT ratio of 27:14, 22:21, and 17:13 in his other three pro seasons.
He stands to get paid in line with the going rate of a starting quarterback in the NFL, but if I’m the Steelers – heck, if I’m the Browns – I’m not sure I’d be willing to take that type of risk on investment.
Gardner Minshew
2023 Free Agent
Minshew reminds me a lot of Ryan Fitzpatrick, as both quarterbacks have some true lighting in a bottle moments, only to have the glass break with just as many inconsistent games dotted throughout their highlights.
The Eagles traded for Minshew last offseason, and apparently aren’t all-in with their young QB Jalen Hurts either. Seeing as Minshew makes as much as Steelers current QB3 Dwayne Haskins, I don’t see any reason why Philly would want to move him, unless they make some other big play at the quarterback position.
Regardless, is he really an upgrade from Mason Rudolph or Haskins? I can’t say he’s definitely better so why give anything up for a “not” upgrade at QB?
Tyler Huntley
2022 Exclusive Rights Free Agent
The Baltimore Ravens 24-year-old backup quarterback isn’t likely to go anywhere. While he’s technically a free agent, he comes with the same exclusive rights clause as the Steelers have with Dwayne Haskins, which means the Ravens can tender Huntley and then have the option to match any other team’s offer – or receive draft compensation based on the tender.
Typically these deals are bad for the team trying to acquire the other player, and the exclusive rights or restricted free agent designations almost always detour interest in the “available” player.
As an undrafted player, Huntley’s contract is at the league minimum. I can’t imagine any scenario where the Ravens allow a similar styled player to their former league MVP, Lamar Jackson, from leaving town anytime soon, making him unavailable – and especially so for a division rival!
Nick Foles
2023 Free Agent
Another player who has bounced around the league while failing to become a viable starter, with spotty flashes of brilliant performances otherwise marred by inconsistency?
Pass!
I’m sorry, but if Foles couldn’t hack it with five other franchises, why would the 33-year-old QB suddenly be the answer for the Steelers?
Deshaun Watson
2026 Free Agent
Last but not least, the Houston Texans quarterback of the future sat out 2021 due to pending legal issues that could see him sitting out even longer should he be traded to another team.
If that’s not enough to dissuade you from trading for Watson, consider his contract. The Texans signed Watson to a four-year extension on his rookie deal last year in 2020, worth $156 million in new money with $73.716 million fully guaranteed.
That means Watson has a dead cap of $51.2 million for Houston in 2022 alone. He comes with $16.2 million in dead cap in 2023 and 2024.
What would it take for the Texans to eat all of that guaranteed money and trade Watson to another team? Supposedly they’re looking for at least three first round draft picks.
Imagine you’re the Steelers. You trade your next three drafts away for a player who still has a huge cap number (over $30 million per season for the next three) and then he doesn’t play because of a league suspension for his accusations.
Stop the nonsense everyone, this is a terrible move that could sink your franchise for years to come. Sure, you might eventually get a solid quarterback, all considering he returns to playing the way he did before sitting out a long period of time.
If I’m a general manager in the NFL, however, I’m not making any such move, especially not until the legal issues are ironed out. Knowing the Steelers, they won’t either.
