The three largest names on the quarterback market have been whisked off the board inside 24 hours on the daybreak of free company, as Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson evaluated their markets and struck on their alternatives.
Every had completely different priorities at distinctive phases of their careers. And as they shortly secured their subsequent contracts, the veteran trio additionally helped form the QB marketplace for the remainder of the offseason.
Mayfield began the chain response Sunday afternoon when he reached a three-year $100 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wilson struck a Sunday evening settlement with the Pittsburgh Steelers for one yr and the $1.2 million league minimal. Cousins capped it off Monday afternoon when he landed a four-year $180 million pact with the Atlanta Falcons.
Whereas the strikes and the monetary parameters have been distinctive, they have been additionally considerably related as they got here collectively, in line with at the very least a half dozen sources with direct data of the conditions.
Mayfield was coming off the very best season of his profession in his first go-round with the Bucs, and the 28-year-old needed to stay in Tampa after bouncing across the league for a few years. He’s had eight head coaches and 7 offensive coordinators whereas taking part in for 4 groups in his first six seasons, so continuity has been a aim of his for fairly some time, league sources stated.
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Mayfield appreciated the way in which the Bucs set him up for achievement final season, not simply with former offensive coordinator Dave Canales however with coach Todd Bowles’ management and the tradition of the veterans across the constructing. And whereas Canales left for Carolina, Mayfield is considerably aware of new offensive coordinator Liam Coen from their month along with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
The Bucs and Mayfield accelerated negotiations final week, and so they intensified over the weekend with a sequence of proposals and counteroffers. For Mayfield and that want for continuity, the assured cash within the second yr of the deal was notably essential from a job safety standpoint.
He obtained $40 million totally assured, with $30 million in 2024 and one other $10 million in 2025, plus an additional $10 million for damage. So so long as he performs effectively, Mayfield must be again with the Buccaneers in 2025. But when the Bucs resolve to separate after the 2024 season, he’ll have earned $40 million for his companies.
Final month, league executives believed Mayfield might eye New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones’ four-year, $160 million contract as a comparable deal. And possibly, if Mayfield needed to push his free company into Monday when the NFL’s negotiating window opened, he might have conceivably discovered a cope with extra whole cash.
However that’s not so simple as it sounds. Over the weekend, individuals across the league believed Cousins would resolve between the Falcons and Minnesota Vikings, leaving the shedding crew and the Buccaneers alone in a contest for Mayfield. However the hypothetical threat with that technique might have concerned the Vikings providing a low quantity and the Buccaneers withdrawing their greatest proposal. And whereas the New England Patriots have been internally excessive on Mayfield, a union between the perimeters simply didn’t make sense — once more, leaving Mayfield with two potential suitors with the suitable cap house to make a very good provide and the personnel to problem for a division title.
In the end, Mayfield needed to return to the Bucs. He obtained a suggestion that ought to preserve him safe for at least two years and accepted it.
The most effective likelihood to start out
Wilson’s scenario was far completely different from Mayfield’s. The Denver Broncos will formally launch him Wednesday at the beginning of the brand new league yr, however they knowledgeable him of that call final week and permitted him within the meantime to go to with groups.
Then, there was the wild card with the economics. The Broncos are nonetheless on the hook for Wilson’s $39 million wage in 2024, and that’s significantly greater than he might have gotten in free company. So Wilson knowledgeable groups that he’d play for the minimal — with the Broncos selecting up the steadiness of the tab — so they might use their cap house elsewhere.
Wilson had two high quality conferences with the Giants and Steelers. Each have been deemed exploratory periods, and so they obtained a really feel for his or her visions of the offense and Wilson’s targets for the season.
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The Giants provided no assurances on taking part in time, as Jones is anticipated to start out as soon as he’s cleared from his torn ACL. As for the Steelers, who benched 2022 first-round choose Kenny Pickett final season, Wilson has a really lifelike path to a beginning job for a crew constantly within the playoff combine and has by no means completed under .500 in coach Mike Tomlin’s 17 seasons.
Wilson met Friday with the Steelers decision-makers, together with Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and common supervisor Omar Khan. With Tomlin and Smith, the offense ought to once more be bodily with a robust floor recreation and yield sufficient alternatives for Wilson to throw the deep ball, assuming he wins the job.
Wilson put collectively a greater season in 2023 earlier than the Broncos benched him in December, partially to make sure an damage wouldn’t additional complicate their offseason determination with the quarterback. If the 35-year-old can keep that trajectory, he’ll enhance his probabilities of discovering a extra profitable payday in 2025, whether or not it’s in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
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A two-team race for Cousins?
Cousins, regardless of coming off a torn Achilles, was the central determine on the quarterback carousel, and he had certainly settled on Atlanta and Minnesota, the place he performed from 2018-23. If both of these choices fell by the wayside and the monetary provides plummeted, a league supply stated the Broncos doubtless would have gotten concerned.
However dwindling provides weren’t a problem because the Falcons and Vikings made onerous pushes for Cousins, who will get $90 million assured within the first two years of the deal. Cousins had beforehand crossed paths in Washington with new Falcons coach Raheem Morris, and the quarterback must be a fast research with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, whose ideas are much like Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell from their days along with the Rams.
It was an eventful first day of NFL free company!
Which crew made the very best transfer? pic.twitter.com/s9LP5GjdCI
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 12, 2024
The Falcons have additionally been assembling a greater roster lately, and Cousins’ arrival ought to assist them contend for the NFC South title and a playoff spot. They’ve obtained a robust working recreation, an bettering offensive line and enticing move catchers with Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
It was an ideal recipe for Cousins, who will probably be 36 at the beginning of subsequent season.
The Vikings tried to maintain Cousins, however in addition they knew it was essential to arrange for the longer term on the place and couldn’t make the identical monetary dedication. So when the Falcons stepped up with their provide, contemplating the enchantment of the roster and training employees, all of it got here collectively for Cousins.
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The remaining QB market
Just a few transferring items stay. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and Patriots maintain the primary three picks within the upcoming NFL Draft, and indications recommend every crew will take a quarterback with USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels the anticipated candidates.
That has basically solely left the Vikings, Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders with openings. The Raiders agreed with Gardner Minshew on a two-year $15 million deal that may very well be value as much as $25 million, and he’ll compete with Aidan O’Connell. The Broncos nonetheless have Jarrett Stidham, whereas the Vikings look like beginning over.
With Jacoby Brissett rejoining the Patriots, the free-agent market is highlighted by Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill. It nonetheless feels inevitable the Raiders will launch Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Bears ought to nonetheless be seeking to commerce Justin Fields. The Commanders might conceivably transfer Sam Howell, and the Jets are anticipated to half with Zach Wilson in some capability.
Now that offers are completed for Mayfield, Russell Wilson and Cousins, there’s one ultimate fascinating ingredient in play. These ultimate three groups in want of quarterback reinforcements — the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders, respectively — maintain picks Nos. 11-13 within the draft. They may very well be competing once more for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or maybe even Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix.
The veteran trio set the stage for extra fireworks on the quarterback entrance over the subsequent two months.
(Images of Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson:
Todd Rosenberg, Stephen Maturen and Cooper Neill / Getty Photos)