NFL free agents 2021: Top 10 quarterbacks
For the second consecutive year, the New England Patriots' starting quarterback is a free agent. Cam Newton signed a one-year deal to replace Tom Brady on last year's free-agent market. Now, the Patriots may test the free-agent waters again as they look for a long-term replacement for Brady.The free-agent QB market isn't nearly as strong as it was last year, but there are still some solid options available. Here are the 10 best that teams will be after this offseason.
Age: 27
2020 Stats: 75 passing yards, one receiving TD
Now that Dak Prescott has re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys, most of the quarterback candidates available are low-end starters or backups. Winston probably has the most upside of the group. He is just a year removed from an NFL-high 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, but he also had a league-high 30 interceptions that year. Perhaps a year with Sean Payton taught him to avoid turnovers, as those poor decisions were the only thing keeping him from being a good NFL starter.
Age: 31
2020 Stats: 2,657 passing yards, eight touchdowns, 10 interceptions
Newton didn't play as well as many Patriots fans hoped he would, but he still had some solid performances. He also was playing with a truly terrible receiving corps, so that limited his upside. Newton proved to be a good scrambler -- 592 yards and 12 TDs on the ground last season -- and that saved some of his value. If healthy, Newton can still be a low-end starter, but he may have to settle for backup-type money wherever he lands.
UPDATE (March 12): Newton officially re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year deal worth up to $14 million.
Age: 28
2020 Stats: 17 passing yards, three rushing TDs
After starting for the Colts following Andrew Luck's surprise retirement in 2019, Brissett backed up Philip Rivers for the Colts last year. With Rivers staying healthy, Brissett didn't play much. He threw just eight passes and played the role of a rushing quarterback in short-yardage and red-zone situations. In 2019, Brissett had 2,942 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions, so he can be a solid game manager. He has a good arm, good mobility, and avoids turnovers. He just has to get a bit more accurate (59.6 career completion percentage).
Age: 38
2020 Stats: 2,091 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions
FitzMagic still has it. Last season, he helped provide a spark for the Dolphins while mentoring Tua Tagovailoa on the side. Eventually, the Dolphins opted to hand the reigns to Tua, but Fitzpatrick arguably outplayed him on the year. Fitzpatrick is not afraid to take downfield chances and despite that, he set a new career-high in completion percentage with a mark of 68.5. You have to live with the turnovers, but aside from that, the only thing working again Fitzpatrick is his age. He could complete his tour of the AFC East if he signs with the Patriots.
Perry: Does Ryan Fitzpatrick make for Patriots as their bridge to the future?
Age: 26
2020 Stats: 2,055 yards, 16 touchdowns, eight interceptions
Trubisky has a 29-21 record as a starter since being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but the question is about whether you win games because of Trubisky or in spite of him. Sure, the numbers look fine, especially considering that Nick Foles started half the games at quarterback last year. And he has some mobility (195 rushing yards and a TD last year). That said, Trubisky benefited from playing with a top-tier defense and had a penchant for poorly-timed turnovers with the Bears. He's still young and perhaps the right coach could coax out his upside. But there's a reason that the Bears didn't pick up his fifth-year option and are willing to let him test the free-agent market.
Age: 33
2020 Stats: 2,170 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, eight interceptions
Dalton signed with the Cowboys last season to provide insurance in case of a Dak Prescott injury. He ended up having to start nine games for Dallas and put forth a decent season. He had just a 4-5 record and struggled a bit with consistency and holding onto the ball too long. At one point, he logged an interception in five straight games. Considering the weapons that surrounded him in Dallas, it's hard to say that Dalton was anything more than serviceable. It seems that his days as a starter are over.
Age: 31
2020 Stats: 208 passing yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions
Anthony Lynn hyped up Tyrod Taylor as the Chargers' year-long starter before the 2020 season began. That lasted all of one week. Before Week 2, Taylor suffered a punctured lung after a pregame injection went wrong. Justin Herbert took over as the starter and Taylor rode the bench the rest of the season. Now, he's a free agent with a few seasons of starter experience and even more as a primary backup. His combination of mobility and solid accuracy may encourage a team to bring him in and compete for a starting job. If not, he'll be a coveted backup quarterback option.
Age: 36
2020 Stats: 1,582 passing yards, six passing TDs, eight interceptions
Smith's comeback from a brutal broken leg suffered in a 2018 game against the Houston Texans may be the greatest in sports history, but at this stage in his career, it's clear that he's not the same player he once was. He can still be an accurate backup that avoids mistakes, but with his mobility largely gone, he's not capable of being a long-term starter. He logged a 5-1 record in six starts last year but couldn't really play down the stretch after suffering a strain in his injured leg.
Age: 25
2020 Stats: 2,437 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions
Mullens has proven to be a high-end backup and has started 16 games during his career. In that sample size, he has a 5-11 record, has thrown for 4,405 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. He is mostly accurate, but he is held back by his limited arm strength and penchant for turnovers. It's unlikely that many teams would view him as a potential starter, so Mullens, a restricted free agent, will likely be back with the 49ers.
Age: 27
2020 Stats: 787 passing yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions
It was between Beathard and Brandon Allen for the 10th spot on this list, as any signing this far down on the quarterback chart is merely upside-based. Beathard set a career-high in completion percentage (63.5 percent) last season and didn't throw an interception on 104 passes. He looked comfortable in the pocket for the first time, so maybe a team will be willing to take a chance on the former third-round pick of Kyle Shanahan and let him compete for a top-backup role.
