A pair of critical junctions on the offseason calendar loom large for the Tennessee Titans. The 2025 Scouting Combine begins in less than two weeks at the end of February, and free agency kicks off soon after on the week of March 10th.

At the top of the Titans to-do list, circled, highlighted, and bolded, is finding a new quarterback. It’s going to remain the marquee talking point for this team until they finally make a move. That could come as soon as the beginning of free agency, or as late as the opening night of the draft in April. It’s also a very real possibility that a move is made in both arenas, pairing a rookie with a veteran.

A lot can change in the next couple of pivotal weeks. Who becomes available, when they become available, what the market competition looks like, and how the team feels after in-depth rookie meetings are just a handful of the critical variables in play.

But with that being said, let’s talk through their options on the board as they are today, ranking what I believe to be the Titans QB priority board ahead of the Combine:

1. Matthew Stafford

Tennessee would love nothing more than to somehow land Matthew Stafford and roll into 2025 with him as their guy. It’s hard to blame them, considering how Stafford remains a top-5 pure pocket passer in the league. His age and mobility are all that keeps him out of the true top tier these days, and he is still regularly underrated. He’s been elevating a relatively mediocre roster since their Super Bowl run.

You can read a lot more about the ongoing Stafford situation in LA here. The bottom line: Tennessee would be thrilled to land Stafford somehow. He’d be their undisputed starter for at least 2025, and would open them up to go all-in on Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, or a trade-down at the top of the draft. I believe he’s their top option if the price is right, but that price seems tricky. This may be a longing they're unable to satisfy logistically.

2. Derek Carr or Sam Darnold

While I’m including these two in the same tier of preference, their situations aren’t all that similar.

Let’s start with Carr. He’s a similar story to Stafford in the sense that the league isn’t sure he’ll be available, but I think he does present a different opportunity in terms of doubling down at QB.

The Titans have multiple connections to Derek Carr from his time with the Raiders, most notably Head Coach Brian Callahan's relationship with him. Former Eagles OC Kellen Moore just took the Head Coach job in New Orleans, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll want to make Carr a part of his future plans.

#Saints HC Kellen Moore pretty non-committal on Derek Carr being his QB1 pic.twitter.com/4OOFlKLLeH

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) February 13, 2025

If he’s an option in March, the Titans are going to be seriously interested. The Saints method of moving on—via cut or via trade—could be the determining factor in how strong that interest is.

What I think makes Carr such a strong option is the fact that he’s the best veteran option you could attain while still drafting a QB in the 1st round. There are always interpersonal dynamics at play, but Stafford is above that subjective “double up” line and Carr is just below it in my opinion.

I subscribe to the theory that almost nobody in the NFL spends enough capital on taking QB swings. The upside of being good at that position is infinitely higher than any other position in the game: aim to be richer at QB than you think you need to be! This is, for what it's worth, a hallmark of the Ron Wolf school of NFL team building: a school Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi both come from.

Now for Sam Darnold. He’s the first QB on this list who seems safely more likely to be available than not. The Titans aren’t closed to the idea of Darnold, it will just depend on what his market looks like.

There’s no question he’s going to be the highest-paid free agent QB this spring. But the competition for him may not be as crowded as you think. The QB-needy teams at the top of the financial flexibility pyramid are the Titans, Raiders and Giants. These are 3 of the 4 teams firmly in the running for the top-2 QBs in the draft, Cleveland picking 2nd overall being the fourth team in the mix.

If two of them end up with rookie QBs, only one or two of them will really be in the running to pay Darnold. Of course, the order of operations here matters. We'll have mostly sorted through this veteran market before draft day is here. But draft plans will inform how involved these teams are in the bidding for him. If I had to guess today, his deal would look something similar to the Baker Mayfield contract: $35-ish million on 3-4 years, with an out after 2 seasons.

The Raiders are the team most likely to drive that number up. When you look at their options, he’s really the only one where they control their own destiny and have a reasonable shot at landing their guy. It’s been made public this offseason how the new infusion of ownership cash flow, headlined by shadow-GM Tom Brady (I'm only half-joking), is emboldening the team to be big spenders this spring. I know Las Vegas is expected in league circles to go hard in the Darnold sweepstakes.

If the Titans somehow win that battle, though, he’d be their undisputed starter. The deal Darnold is going to demand will dictate it. I think a Darnold signing eliminates any possibility of drafting a top QB this year.

3. Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders

Make no mistake, the Titans aren’t out on these rookies. It’s true that there isn’t an obvious guy you latch onto early, like Caleb Williams was for the Bears or like Brian Callahan has recently said Joe Burrow was for the Bengals. Perhaps the best way to explain the pre-combine feeling is rookie-curious.

The next 6 weeks or so—when the team will travel to the Combine, Pro Days, and conduct their 30 visits—matter immensely. What the Titans ultimate gameplan is won’t be solidified until the final two weeks before the draft, but it will be primarily molded by this upcoming stretch of interaction.

Getting their hands on these guys, both on a field and in meeting rooms, is a massive part of the evaluation for the Titans. They’ve made it clear they’re supremely interested in each player’s mental makeup, or “nervous system” as Brian Callahan has put it. It takes legwork and in-person interaction to feel good about that.

As for the reason why I have Ward and Sanders together at 3rd on this list? I believe there’s a real lack of consensus inside the Titans building so far. It’s a healthy attitude of open-mindedness as they head into the most critical portion of draft season.

4. All other veteran options

I’m not here to tell you the Titans are all the way out on any veteran not named Stafford, Carr, or Darnold. But I do believe the rest of the veteran options are a good deal further down their list from those three.

The Titan’s aren’t crazy about a Justin Fields, an Aaron Rodgers, or a Jameis Winston right now. They’re poor fits to lead this team in 2025 for various reasons.

Fields just isn’t a good fit for the offense Brian Callahan is trying to run. Winston is exciting, but he does nothing to fix their biggest issue: turnovers. And as for Rodgers, his reputation precedes him. The Callahan regime isn’t going down with that ship.

Now, it’s perfectly possible you see one of these passers— let’s throw Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson in this mix as well—on the team next year. But a signing of one of them in March does nothing to inform us of whether or not they’ll draft a QB in April. In fact, if anything, I think it makes it more likely they’re leaning QB in the 1st round.

Tennessee wants an upgraded veteran option on this team next year regardless of whether they take a rookie. Perhaps that won’t be in the cards, but they’re going to try. Could one of these players be the experienced leader, potential bridge option on the roster who allows a rookie to sit if need be? Absolutely.

5. All other rookie options

Simply put, the Titans aren’t enamored with anybody in this rookie QB class other than Sanders and Ward. This was made pretty apparent when media spoke with Callahan and new GM Mike Borgonzi at the Senior Bowl. the depth at QB in this class is nonexistent in the eyes of many, and the Titans seem to be included in that school of thought.

Sorry, Jaxson Dart and Will Howard fans. I wouldn’t hold my breath on seeing those guys in Two-Tone Blue.

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